The combo Blackbox-Bluebox might get you there. You’d use Blackbox for the snippets/parts, so you could “edit” them there, and the Bluebox for stem export, mixing, etc.
Yeah there is no real editing at all on Bluebox, aside from removing audio files in their entirety from the project, additionally takes on the same track seem* to be a bit buggy I have found, I recorded some overlapping takes and it appeared to work fine, but when I went back to the project even though the takes were still showing they were silent. *I have not dug into it yet to determine if it is a definite bug and the steps to reproduce it., so I have not sent a bug report.
As a mixer I think it is quite useful, but the recording and editing side needs some love from 1010. It works ok as a basic multitracker, but if that is the main draw then there are cheaper alternatives which do have editing such as Zoom and Boss recorders.
Spot on.
There’s always this nagging sense of “what could have been” with the Bluebox, of missed potential, so close to be being this amazing all in one mixer, recorder, multi-track arranger - but falls short.
And yet frustratingly there’s still almost nothing else like it on the market
Yes, there is the doubly more expensive and half as big TE TX-6.
Or the Tascam’s in a more standard mixer form factor, but I’m dubious how the multi-track recording is on that, it’s likely quite a “classic” experiance. I have a Tascam DP-008 Digital Portastudio and never got on with it, felt very old school
AFAIK TX-6 doesn’t multitrack unless you have the TP-7? I might be wrong about that though.
On the Tascam’s, editing is also quite limited, as far as I remember (I had a Model 24, great mixer).
Can you even edit anything on the TX-6 (I need to check)? Although its more than twice the price of the BlueBox, and not much smaller, nobody seems to see it as a shortcoming.
I think the BB is hard to beat in this price range and form factor.
Sure, its editing features are limited, but it’s just great that they are here at all. Personally, I just see them as an addition, taking it for granted that, of course, you need a DAW to have access to a full range of editing features.
And maybe the Zoom and Boss recorders are better endowed in that respect but, come on, they are 10 times bigger, we’re not talking about the same range of products.
For the BB, as for most of the 1010Music product range, the small footprint is a determining factor, I’d say. You can’t expect their tiny products to compete with equipment that’s much bigger/more expensive.
(Pity they all look so ugly :-/ )
It would have been such a big plus if 1010music would add the feature to use the Bluebox as a audio interface. I’m waiting for this for a long time and is by far the most asked feature by the community.
But I’m afraid it will not happen. It looks like the very small 1010music team brought out too many hardware on the market, and have to split the attention between them for support. It’s such a pity because the Bluebox has so much potential.
They have already stated on their forum that this will never be possible.
re audio interface, I don’t think it’s ever going to happen
Same goes for the heavily requested feature to support mounting the SD card over USB. Popping the SD card in and out is bloody primitive, and it’s going to break eventually
It is an audio interface! It’s just standalone.
(But, I agree it would be great if it was a class compliant interface…)
I think it’s harsh to criticise the Bluebox for its audio editing side… surely it’s all about capturing the audio standalone and taking it to your daw to edit/finish?
There’s a bunch of extra touches I’d like to see, main one being a master on/off for the EQ, but there’s just no way I can grumble about it given what it does in such a small space, and how good it is.
Where did they stated that? I can not find anything else than “we have heard the community…”
It’s there, read all of the posts if you don’t believe me.
I don’t have time to dig through the last 1 1/2 or so of posts since they confirmed it will not be a class compliant audio interface.
I read all the posts already, it’s not there.
Ok.
On the one hand yes, on the other hand no, not everyone making music want to use a DAW (even long before the current cringey DAW-less influencer fad) and stuff like basic copy/paste, fades etc isn’t too exotic or too much to ask IMHO.
Yes I think it is an ok product as it is and certainly has its uses, but I think it is fair to say it falls quite short where it need not, and I think it would likely open up the user base considerably with a few of these features - I have a Blackbox and I don’t want the Bluebox to either replace it or have overlapping features. Stuff like location markers, repeat section etc is fairly standard fare on most other digital multi trackers, even budget ones like the little Zoom, Boss and Tascam offerings, for years now - what most of them lack which Bluebox has is midi sync, and personally I think they are missing a trick not recognising this opportunity.
I’m about to buy a Bluebox but I think me and basically everyone else would love to see an MK2 version at this point.
My hope is they’ll turn it into an Audio Interface and add ADAT for more i/o.
And keeping it under 700,-
Fair enough… horses for courses.
I should look at the BlackBox too, they seem like good companions.
Can the Blackbox record multi-tracks? And what’s it record time like?
I’d presume the audio file editing is there with it too.
We always want more…nature of the beast. I got a BB when it first came out. It’s been a brilliant aid and I don’t regret anything about buying it. I consider it a bonus that 1010Music have slowly released updates and features beyond the necessary bug fixes. BB rocks for us!
Record time is upto 128 bars IIRC but no multi track recording. It has trimming and other simple editing.