Looks good. Needs some updates - a bit limited for now.
Love the size though.
Wonder if it can live loop without having to set a recording time first.
Recording CV is pretty neat.
Iām ok with limitations as long at itāll let me do what I want do with a quick workflow, with a stable OS. Iām particularly interested in the sequencer. Will probably re-listen/watch the video a couple of times.
1 Like
It does look to be a bit barebones, which could be a strength or weakness depending on what you want, it kind of strikes me that samplers these days (with a few exceptions) are much simpler than in the 90ās when stuff like the A series from Yamaha, S series from Akai and EMUs offerings had a lot of parameters for samples but obviously less memory and often lengthy processing times for editing audio WRT things like normalising samples longer than a few measures.
I suppose this might be an alternative to a SP404 or those Akai MPX16 etc.
2 Likes
It seems pretty cool, but itās size and the amount of menu diving/jumping via touch screen is a bit of a deterrent for me.
1 Like
a yamaha a5000 with modern connectivity , in a small box would be nice.
hdmi out to screen
multi outs , dc coupled outs
apart from a few things , deluge is still doing pretty well right now , hopefully they just continue with it and do a new hardware box as deluge v2 (i havent seen any rumours , the current box is donig really well).
this box looks fine , the vid is good (well structured and very informative )
i think iād personally wait for a few more os updates which is unfortunate as iām sure many will make their initial impressions on the initial OS , it could be hard to get the marketing push again when they do a os update (if they do one).
i think the typical consumer would like / expects everything from all the other legacy boxes, plus a few more new things which is very hard to fulfil,
1 Like
I think the reason we donāt see crazy samplers like the 90s anymore is because of software. Itās so much easier to edit and mangle waves on a big screen with a proper pointing device. Iāve actually liked the more recent simplistic sampling approaches on these smaller devices like the Digitakt and Blackbox (among others). I know that there are a lot of people out there though that want to do much more demanding sample work away from the computer-screen though. This little guy looks like fun though, and I donāt normally say that about anything with a touch screen. I think itās got just the right mix of that and physical controls though, and from the few videos Iāve seen on the workflow, it doesnāt look tedious to use.
My new setup is going to consist of the Digitone Keys and one of these. (Iāve always got some degree of 4U modular gear kicking around too, so Iāve got analog sound covered there.) I think it will be fun. Weāll see. 
4 Likes
I agree. Between processing power, interface, and sample management, I think Yamaha, etc. donāt want to take a gamble on releasing a modern version of their samplers because they think they will lose against Kontakt, etc.
That being said, Iād love to see a reimagining of the old samplers by Akai, Ensoniq, etc. Acknowledge the limitations of hardware but design the interface to take advantage of its benefits.
But it probably wonāt happen.
3 Likes
Iām hoping weāll see more hybrid sampler/granular type devices. I like the way the GR-1 looks. Iām not 100% familiar with its feature set, but if it had some good sampler/editor type functionality as well as the more granular oriented stuff, it would be amazing. (maybe it does) I should go read up more. Something like this though that does everything you could want with a sample might be nice. Having that big screen plus plenty of knobs and buttons does give a PC some competition. Maybe not 1:1, but it would cover a lot of ground for people not wanting to sit at a computer all the time.
1 Like
Every time I see one of those on Instagram or YouTube I navigate away. It looks amazing. 
3 Likes
I love the small form factor of it, and it seems like a great price given what it can do. However iāve always had issues with touch screen based workflows. Iāve got sweaty sausage fingers, so touch screens often become a night mare for me. It would be incredibly cool to see mappable external midi control of the different functions. Iād much rather adjust sample start/end points using a controller than the screen.
Right. Iāve been using samplers since the late 80s (early 80s if you count the SK-5) and none of them are as powerful at sound mangling than the $7.99 FieldScaper ios app. Even the EPS 16+ with all the Waveboy disks couldnāt come close.
I imagine FieldScaper plus Blackbox would be a formidable setup.
5 Likes
Wish the Octatrack could play slices by midi.
If this blackbox has some granular options in the future, Iām sold.
2 Likes
I agree. I was looking at the features in Eurorack samplers earlier, seeing if thereās anything interesting, the answer is no!
Weird how they are so basic.
You canāt compare a Euro module to an entire full featured 90s-style sampler. Thatās only a part of a greater system. Youād have to compare the full Euro synth, in which case it can be as simple or complex as one wants including more 1010 modules. Itās a sampling building block.
You also probably wouldnāt want to jam a 90s sampler into a Eurorack.
The Blackbox isnāt aiming to be a 90s sampler, so if thatās what you need, you wonāt find it in a tiny-compact sampler.
There isnāt much that does what it does in such a small space with physical controls, multiple IO, etc. So it fills a niche and does it quite nicely.
Side notes, just how many menu layers are people willing to dive through these days? There is a reason nobody makes samplers like that anymore.
2 Likes
I have not looked into them in detail but I think there are a few fairly advanced euro samplers no?
Rossum and Othaganol Devices(sp?) spring to mind.
Naturally, as part of a systemā¦
Rossum has phase modulation, which just sounds like FM to me. Orthogonal I find impenetrable to learn anything about - thereās not even a manual.
Anyway, I have a DT and a Eurorack and was wondering if there was a sampler in Euro to take sample mangling / manipulation to another level but Iām not seeing much. Perhaps Iām not looking hard enoughā¦
I think in Euro the key is to find something with a lot of CVable parameters. The mangling comes from time/voltage based operations. Throw in some pattern generators, pseudo-random voltages, etc. to rhythmically jump around the sample, reversing portions etc. A bit of a different approach. More like wavetable synthesis in some ways.
So, things like the Tyme Sefari, perhaps with lots of CV functions.
The precision will be a bit different than mangling with a huge and deep UI. Youāll be working more by sound and feel IMO.
Rossumās new one looks cool. Iām not up on its specs though. Phase modulation is very similar to FM but youāll maintain your overall pitch better than linear or exponential FM depending on the range I suppose. PM and LinFM are quite similar, or at least their results are.
Anyway, Iām sure the Makenoise ones willfo the trick as well. Itāll be more about the modulation operations available on the modular. I think this approach is more fun and hands on, but software would be more powerful.
An 80s/90s sampler probably would be too for those that donāt mind their interfaces. I never really didā¦
Fair enough. If you donāt need polyphony then Octatrack is probably the best mangler currently, 3 LFOs, slices, etc. But obviously nor euro though modular in some ways for sure.
2 Likes
I thought Iād read somewhere Dave Rossum was looking at doing another sampler currently. Canāt remember where I read this sorry
1 Like