1010music blackbox

The best for me!

I was looking for something small and capable of many things like drum machine, midi sequencer, sampler, ...etc...and I found this little thing with a robust housing and very well thought design and usability. Thank you 1010music!

This thing is fire.

First of all: great sound quality and very well built

Packed with features. It's just amazing given the form factor.

1010music committed and release new firmware from time to time with bugfixes and new features. Good communication in their forum.

Capable, versatile, sounds great but the user interface may not be for everyone

It is built beautifully, it is incredibly versatile and it sounds great but unfortunately after about two weeks I just didn't feel compelled to use it anymore.

**** see thoughts after 3 months below ****

**** initial review ****

For me the main issue is the sequencer. While the screen is good (as far as screens go), I don't like tapping in sequences as I have to manually adjust the velocities afterwards to add dynamism. The step sequencing screen is very fiddly and I find editing to be a pain, especially as the sequencing lanes are so small and the different shades of grey are hard to see.

While it can be sequenced externally, this is not why I bought it. It also has a looper function but I have other devices for that too. I bought this as a portable groovebox (with a powerbank) and because of the interface, I don't find it inspiring.

Another issue for me was that it momentarily paused when saving.

*** update after three months ***

I decided to try this as an alternative to my Akai Z8 sampler and my Pigtronix Infinity looper pedal.

My thoughts on it when sequenced externally - - - - - - -

Loading samples is easy enough and and I have had good results sequencing with Cirklon. I still find editing samples a bit fiddly but everyone else seems to think editing is easy so maybe it is just me.

However, even following a brief test, I decided immediately that is much quicker to use than the older Akai so I sold the Z8.

My thoughts on it as a looper - - - - - - - -

I tried this just before the window to return it expired and this is where is shines for me.

When playing my modular, I send copy of my master signal to this and I can easily grab a loop and then cross-fade to this loop before changing what is going on in my modular. The sound quality is much better than the Pigtronix pedal and the loop customisation is easier.

I now have 16 loop slots so it's very easy to fade back to an earlier part of my set. As soon as I figured out this feature, I put my Pigtronix looper up for sale.

Final thoughts - - - - - -

I still don't think it is great as a standalone groovebox, mainly due to the touch-screen. If the 8 tiny pads were velocity sensitive and could be repurposed for adding beats or notes, it could be a winner.

Even though I bought it as a groovebox (and almost returned it), its other strengths are why I kept it. I have got some decent grooves going with it but it doesn't inspire me as a standalone device. Considering how versatile this is and how easily it can do different things, it really should be worth considering.

Niche product

Let me start by saying, I’ve bought this item twice and I still can’t find a place for it in my set up. As a stand-alone unit it works ok but lacks solid midi integration when connected to my Elektrons.The sound is excellent, the effects less. I’ll keep this one on the off chance I may need it.

Small sampler, huge list of functionality

Love the compact form factor and build quality, yes It's a tank! New firmware introduces LFOs. Which is great. Very versatile piece of gear.

The only thing to keep in mind are your cables. The blackbox and bluebox ins and outs are very close to eachother, so you need cables with thin ends.

This gear rocks!

Small, durable and portable piece of audio equipment. Sampling and sound design at it's finest. It can be sampler, it can be loop player, it can be sound mangler. 100% worth.

Portable, versatile, inspiring

Fabulous tool for creativity. Extremely intuitive. Endless Possibilities in music making. On the go or in the studio. Comes with a huge library of sounds. Great selection of audio and midi ports. Nice sequencer. Small size is a definite plus. Touch screen works well. Sequencer is a little small but it's easy to zoom in. I'd recommend this for all kinds of musicians. This is not just a sampler this is an ausio sketch pad. I haven't even scratched the surface of what is possible. There are certain limitations compared to the big boys like AKAI and such but this is a different animal. Looking forward to an update of software as I believe there is room for more effects. I would recommend getting a battery pack straight away. With a set of nice headphones this makes air travel pass in the blink of an eye. Did I mention I like this? :)

Certainly NOT a groovebox

Bought this as a replacement for my ancient Korg Electribe ES-1 and was very disappointed when I realized how easily the unit would start stuttering when pushed a little further. And it doesn't take much.

Can't help thinking I could do MUCH better with a laptop or even a phone if I added some external hardware; and likely for a fraction of the price.

I want my ES-1 back :(

This is a genius little thing that makes my life so much easier. Very inspirational device that helps me create stuff I wouldn't otherwise think of making in a traditional DAW environment. I even use it with my post-rock band (where I mostly focus on the guitar) to trigger sequences and samples and send click to all bandmates. Thanks to this I've been able to completely remove laptop and audio interface from my stage setup. It's built like a tank and survived some falls on stage without any damage and with nearly no scratches. The OS is being updated quite regularly and new features are being implemented based on fans suggestions. Very intuitive and easy to use. The touch screen is very reactive and a surprisingly great way to control the machine.

AWESOME AWESOME

This is pretty much the perfect sampler to match with my modular setup. I am using a Midi Fighter Twister to adjust the Volume and Filter. I wished 1010music will come up with something similar so I can have more handons control with the Blackbox