Hey everyone, So i realized... i forgot to mention another MAJOR point about about the Blackbox and that is its USB Hosting capabilities. Its insane, and super easy to use. Plug in pratically any midi controller over USB, and then select a parameter and hit 'learn' then turn a knob and you have mapped that knob to the blackbox.. Crazy!
The Black Box definitely benefits from an external hardware midi device/sequencer as this greatly reduces menu diving. The quick midi setup really helps in this regard.
I have the Launchpad Pro MK3 controlling the Blackbox volume, panning, and hi/low filter for each pad as well as clip launching and sequence launching. This two are the perfect pair, especially being able to use song mode on the Blackbox or the patterns and scenes on the Launchpad.
Blackbox is the best thing I bought in a long time. It's a sketchbook, powerful sampler, production tool... like any other gear it has some limitations - but it can do many many things very good. The newest firmware is awesome. It adds trigger %, velocity and unquantized recording to the sequencer
Honestly the biggest thing between these two pieces, at least for me, is the following; The blackbox is a beautiful, powerful, tool. The digitakt is a beautiful, powerful, instrument.
I have the blackbox, not the digitakt. but I do have the digitone. & I think you might've just nailed it as succinctly & concisely as could possibly be.
Going to have to disagree respectfully here friends. Using the BB to play back samples polyphonicly makes it an incredible creative synth with endless oscillator potential. 16 stereo tracks, nice filter, live looping, using random to bounce around different loop points, and granular make this a very powerful instrument.
I went the Blackbox route for the following: sample loop player and use as a drum computer; the ability to play loooong samples; the 16-track option; standalone DAW when an opportunity arises in a very compact form factor. Interesting exploration of both platforms!
The key to the blackbox workflow is your midi controller of choice. I use an old akai MPD. With the pads I can trigger all the BB 'pads' and launch sequences + play some chopped samples. I also have the knobs and faders for all kinds of parameters. can take the BB with me and make beats everywhere.
yeah, this works almost like magic... always i feel like i'm loosing flow with my toys, imjist disconnect everything, reorganize cables, reorganise gear positin and boom.. inspiration is back full power :-))
Blackbox - A super quick, super simple to learn logical workflow, thus more musical output. Regularly updated firmware too Digitakt - Deep sample mangling, with a quirky Elektron workflow, thus little music output That's my take from owning both. The first 6 months of owning a Digitakt I created a few cool sounds, but I spent so much time shaping sounds, that I didn't create much with it, but the Blackbox is so fun to use due to it's simplicity, it encourages music creation. It amazes me when I revisit it the crazy amount of music ideas I had with that thing and how good it sounds. Purely my opinion though from owning both, but for people that don't want to read a hefty manual, the Blackbox is also the better option as it's ridiculously easy to use without a manual.
This was great, and helpful as I’ve been looking at both these boxes. I like the try rearranging your studio for inspiration before buying something new tip. 👍🏼
I hooked up my midi gear to the blackbox. if functions reasonable well. One big pro for the blackbox, they still keep adding new features to the firmware!
Great comparison Ricky. I am blessed to own both as I imagine some others do here and they are both very powerful, but I feel that the Blackbox has the edge for me. In short, I love the instant inspiration and fun factor (most important), the streamlined approach to menu diving, the many ways I can bring in and use samples, access to 32 chops directly on screen (without banking) and 88+ with a midi keyboard controller, awesome filters, envelope control and granular to manipulate each sound and finally...the large storage (via SD) and portability (via USB power & form factor) that integrates anywhere within my home studio while allowing me to power up and bang just about anywhere.
Maybe others have commented, but on a Mac, if you have multiple audio interfaces you can use them simultaneously without Soundflower or any other 3rd party tool. 1. Open "Audio MIDI Setup" on your Mac. 2. Open the Audio Devices window (⌘+1) 3. Click on the + symbol in the lower left of the window and select "Create Aggregate Device". In that window, you will see a new audio device, and you can check the boxes next to existing ones that you want to have in a single audio "device". You can then organize the channels into an order that makes sense to you. When you select that device in your DAW, you can now use any of the channels on any device you enabled in the aggregate device.
Similar story in Linux. Plug in as many audio devices as you want, and it can use them all. The problem Overbridge solves is basically just a Windows design flaw. Meanwhile, Overbridge itself creates new problems, because it's proprietary and there is no standards compliant fallback, so Elektron's devices don't work on other platforms. It likely won't even work under Windows in fifteen years. Tying the functionality to a VST means it has the same problems as VSTs, like limited compatibility, a need for ongoing maintenance, and eventually dying when they stop updating it.
Love these honest reviews 🙂 I have both! I play long samples on the black box (kinda like ableton audio clips) and really mainly use the DT as a drum machine as well as a sequencer for external gear. It's hard to beat the Elektron sequencer. The blackbox is a little quirky thing but I have grown to love it. If you are trying to do Dawless, you can use the black box as a place to put final stems of your tracks and really you don't have to edit on the computer if you don't want to just record your jams into it and slice them up on the BB.
i was thinking of using akai force for this but their 8 track limitation + missing disk streaming makes it a no-go. I’d like to have a rock solid piece of hardware to play my tracks on stage with min. loading time and blackbox, combined with a good midi controller to avoid menu diving, seems like the way to go right now. It depends on song mode though, and unfortunately this video doesn’t cover that aspect.
Dude, i've learned so much cool stuff from you about music gear, thank you! been here since 8k and boom, now it's 100k! Congrats, it's more than well deserved!
Thanks! I was going to get the Blackbox to record multiple samples from a monophonic synth and then play it back in polyphony from the Blackbox with MIDI signals from decent sequencer. So your video pretty much confirmed I made the right choice. And if I must play it live, I can always get a Novation Launch Control XL MK2.
this is such a good video, something about Ricky that just didn’t gel with me when i first watched his videos, but the more i see the more grateful i am, this one feels like a masterclass, the experience imparted in between the lines here is just great
The digitakt cannot play stereo samples. Only mono (it will convert stereo samples to mono automatically.) IMO, this is a very significant difference between these two machines.
For me, the Digitakt sequencer is a huge part of the creative process. Most inbuilt sequencers are simply a way to record and play back your input. The Digitakt sequencer (also read Elektron) captures your input and then asks you to start parameter locking stuff and before too long you’ve got something far more interesting. It’s hard to explain properly but Elektron users will know exactly what I mean 😀 We all want loads of steps, but on Elektron boxes I generally go with 32 steps but use conditional trigs to bring in variations every 4 or 8 bars way more quickly than if I was to have a 128 step sequence.
I dont understand the "elektron workflow" argument. My first elektron box was the Mk1 Octatrack and I had no problems at all, all it takes is having the manual as reference and some patience. I got the Digitakt after that and its soooo much more simple than the Octatrack already.
I LOVE my Digitakt but I'm thinking about getting a Blackbox to hook up to my Midifighter for finger drumming and looping. It would be nice to have an alternative workflow that doesn't rely so much on sequencing.
They both put you in a different headspace for ideas and inspiration. I'm old school, so I was inspired by limitations. Black Box can run off a USB power station - making it a portable solution for on-the-go production, which is very cool. BB Has mediocre FX for more of a dry sound. All it needs is more FX and modulation capabilities (LFOs). You can also sample live on the BB. BB is more of a very capable sketchpad for building basic stuff. I have one and It's basically a pocket MPC. Instead of the Digitakt, I have the Elektron sampling grandaddy - Octatrack. Digitakt is WAY MORE feature-heavy. Equipment is like imbibing - some days you want a tasty craft beer... other days it's a good 32-year rum. Try both. I'm in no way promoting alcohol consumption on Rick's channel! Drink and drum responsibly.
Digitakt having song mode, splicing and timestretching all added in a firmware update, covered all the bases I'd ever really want/need from a sampler now basically. I personally hate touchscreens, and love tactile buttons/knobs/sliders.
Great compare/contrast, Enrique As a user of both, I can’t argue any of your points. Especially having to stand completely still to fire off a pad on the Blackbox. Glad it’s not just me. One thing about the DT that many users complain about is not being able to start a sequence anywhere except from step one. This is also true of the Blackbox. However, the Blackbox’s piano roll allows you to easily visualize patterns (for multiple tracks) across more than 16 steps at a time. The completeness of what I can do with drums is “more” on the DT. But the speed at which I can lay passable beats down on the Blackbox blows me away.
My plan was to buy a Blackbox as a backing track/drum stems player, multisample player, and simple MIDI/CV sequencer. But the lack of options especially in multisample playback has turned me away. I know polyphony isn't as limited anymore, but lack of even basic filter envelopes makes it not great for my style of multisampling. I also am scared of using backing tracks/stems because I don't want to overpower the unit and I've heard it can start clicking and stuff which can ruin a performance. Octatrack + MPC Live II will fill the void for disk streaming (OT), multisampled keygroups (MPC), CV/MIDI sequencing (prefer MPC). But for instance, when I toured the EU last year, a Blackbox/Bluebox would be a complete DREAM, it could literally take the place of my entire setup and fit in a small handbag. But until the Blackbox gets a little deeper, I will stick with these other pieces.
Great video, Ricky. I’ve got both too - Digitakt for drums/samples (way more interesting with trig conditions and locks) and the blackbox for live looping. Definitely got room for both in my life
You talk about the TR8S and having to swap audio interfaces to use audio over USB. On the Mac (assume you are on a Mac as you talked about trying soundflower) you can create an Aggregate Audio Device that allows you to “merge” all your separate audio devices into a single “device” to use in your DAW. So I have a TR8S, an UA Apollo, 2 x MOTU 24Ai and a MOTO 24AO as an aggregate device, and in my daw all the inputs/outputs of all the devices are available to me permanently. It’s a fantastic way of setting things up.
both great machines - love the black box for the compability of stereo-samples and big sample memory on sd-card. I would buy a digitakt 2.0 when it got an upgrade in sample-drive to 64GB and stereo-samples - THEN it would be the killer machine. BUT in the end "I" ended up very happy with a "maschine plus with a fast 256GB card so I have all my samples from the last 30 years always with me :-) perfect in all aspects WHEN you see it as what it is: a sample based groovebox-workstation with perfect re-sampling for its vst-instruments. its NOT meant to be a high end pc in maschine format for heavy usage of vst-instruments...what a lot of people want it to be and get disappointed ;-) and imho its not overpriced because because you got all these cool vst´s and expansions with it which you can use also on your main pc...also the maschine 2.0 software and the maschine plus as wonderful pad-controller. so in my eyes it cheap for what it delivers :-)
@@inthefade, well, it's a good piece of gear to add indeed. Careful about clocking, the blackbox is more master than slave I use it more than my switch Making tracks eazy peazy everywhere.
@@inthefade I absolutely love the black box. It’s more or less completely inline with how I work with samples, how I want them to behave, and no fuss load them. I’m maybe using 50% of it for the most part and have been completely happy.
@@inthefade firmwares firmwares firmwares... The 1.7.3 in BB, now you can send midi to another piece of gear. Akai Force is cool, but there are some time stretch issues. Did they fixed it with another firmware? Sometimes Akai released some unfinished products... Like said Ricky, BB had a cool time stretch when you go up. When you go down, that's special... It can do something cool when you pitch down too.
Overbridge is still suffering from handful of issues, as soon as you turn your daw on. Elektron did not take Cubase in consideration, and beside the tedious workaround one has implement as a hack, it is quite often that audio just will not work. I do salute the effort and the idea but i am so frustrated with it - i cannot deal with it anymore and I use Digitakt as an external instrument into my preamps. Super stupid way to loose 2 channels and do not have a possibility to stream 8 separate tracks via USB.
You conveyed my feelings about the Blackbox in a funny way .. a couple of times you were pressing the white-lit buttons unenthusiastically and fiddling with the screen .. lol .. the Blackbox user interface just doesn't feel interacting and inspiring. I think that it boils down to companies not yet respecting the meaning of an instrument, because they are obsessed with feature-set, the capabilities, the technological advancement, but they forget the physical interface. Touchscreens are everywhere, and they work fine for tablets and smartphones, but they're not sexy if you want to make music. There is a reason why people still pick up drum sticks and a string instrument or piano .. it's not in the fancy feature-set the size of Compact Disc case .. it's how the musician feels connected to the instrument and extracts so much beauty (or carnage) out how he or she plays it. I'm not a fan of the Digitakt myself (i don't like the lack of bpm-matching or time-stretching and only 2 outputs), but it feels more tactile .. it's more satisfying to interact with - just as you pointed out. Maybe we could say that the Blackbox is a better tool, and the Digitakt is the better instrument?? Thanks for the great video!
very well said here. there's gotta be a way to control the blackbox pads with an external controller. I know the pads are only one aspect of the blackbox, but... it is a powerful little unit. hmm... I haven't found much about controlling it externally.
@@noahsiekmann4275 excellent!! yeah... I figured it could be done. so, do you go into the blackbox via usb or midi? & then you just use the beatstep as a controller, I assume...(?) not a sequencer--though that, too, is doable, I'm sure. yaaay!!
yeah man.... its SOOOO goood fam!!! almost andreij tarkovsky level of genius! i mean... thats almost... david lynch style of genius!! fck me, pure genius!!
@@Taeufer I guess this video is reminiscent of Tarkovsky's film STALKER (1979), because Ricky is a guide who takes us to the zone where there supposedly exists a room which grants a person's innermost desires.
I have only seen YT videos but it looks amazing to me. Very well thought out. Very powerful DAW for a DAW-less setup. How is the build quality and stability? Does it ever crash?
The new 2.0 firmware on the blackbox is (wait for it) Game Changing!! The new firmware Simplifies the workflow... adds an LFO that can modulate parameters both Positively and Negatively. Sequences can now be 256 steps. The EQ from the bluebox was added (double click the FX button.) That USB host on the blackbox is very useful when you want to add buttons, keys, knobs, and sliders... and Loooong sample/loop times are actually amazing. I found this review helpful... but ultimately found I leaned even more into the blackbox after watching it. Overbridge seems super cool but I always feel like anything on the computer side of things is 1 month and an OS update away from being functionally broken... although to be fair 1010 music also seems to have their blackbox firmware in a constant state of movement and bug squashing.
I've really struggled recording the TR8S over USB audio into Ableton. Very hard to get it on the grid. Usually have to zoom in and cut out to bring it back a little
Loved the walkaway part :). Seriously thanks a lot for this Ricky. Been contemplating a Blackbox purchase for sometime now. This is helping me put things into perspective considering all the other synths elements I have. ✌🏼
Perhaps the touch screen problem with the Blackbox could be partly fixed with a Launchcontrol XL Mk2 or something similar. Then you could MIDI learn a fader to be the filter cutoff for the bass or however you like. I don't know how well the blackbox works with MIDI CC though, since I don't own one.
Tracker looks so nice, special, but in the end has a potential to serve as an expensive dust collector. I mean who wants to fiddle with the code to make music right?
Damn a Ricky video without music... I felt a bit lost haha. But like you said. It is just what you need it for. The BlackBox is great for looping stuf. But sold it. And still have my Digitakt.
What do you think how they would work in addition of each other? Could you use blackbox as a master and use its song mode to sequence patterns of the digitakt? But even without this function, what do you think of adding this devices together?
Have to say Ricky I'm impressed by your clean shots in this video, nicely focused wide shot of you and then the perfectly cropped down shot . Then boom the down the elbow angle shot... Too stuff mate
hey, thanks for the heads up on no samples! I can respect that seeing you brought up up front. all talk and no demo videos drive me crazy, and this is a features comparison, so it's not a sonic comparison. otherwise, my PTSD would get triggered LOL
Song mode simply captures the activation and deactivation of sequences. Set a bar length for the section, press record and it will capture whatever you do. Once you have a bunch of sections it's really easy to switch between them live. It is fiddly to use though, and if you make a mistake you pretty much have to delete a section and start from scratch, because it's still quite buggy with capturing edits. I think a timeline with 16 rows similar to a DAW, would be a much better implementation though.
Thanks for your thoughts on these devices. Besides spicing-up my live-performance with some pre- or live recorded loops, the black box is also a great musical notebook, because quickly sampling or recording an idea/sketching a song on the fly is so easy.
I kinda feel like based on their intended functions, it would be fairer to compare the black box with the Octatrack. The Digitakt was primarily designed to be a drum machine / groove box ...right?
Exactly. It’s becoming a little exhausting watching people trying to make Digitakt something that it isn’t. There is a writing on the Digitakt’s display: 8 voice digital DRUM COMPUTER & sampler! If somebody wants a full song machine, get an Octatrack.
Thanks for the rundown between these two. For me, the blackbox is equal parts great and frustrating but one of the huge bonuses about the blackbox over so many other compact samplers is the availability of all the outputs in a live setting (especially since the volume controls in the native mixer section of the blackbox is TERRRRRRIBLE). You can separate groups of your channels in different combinations of stereo + mono across the 6 outputs and sent them out to a real mixer to have the hands on feel the blackbox lacks. I know you can connect a midi controller to the blackbox and assign midi CCs to the channels but the scaling feels so messed up (If you could make it just a 0-10 volume control rather than doing it in db I think it would be much more useful). One last thing about the multiple outputs... I've used the blackbox several times for surround sound performances and for the size, it can't be beat. Just plug it into a matrix mixer and you are all set.
Just get both. Let the Digitakt handle all the Drums, make amazing baselines, loops and melodics on the 1010. I'd like to try this instead of the Digitakt - Digitone combo here. Stay safe! We need more of these videos.
Hey brother! Great video! I had the same bad experience with the MPC live touch screen. However, the MPC X is a different story, all those buttons and knobs with led screens make it a joy to use. I would definitely recommend you check it out, it might be a nice addition to your MPC collection👍🏼 have an awesome year✌🏻
Fyi on the Mac you can create an aggregate audio device using Audio/Midi setup. This allows you to create a single combined virtual interface from multiple physical interfaces. You can then select the aggregate in your DAW. It's not needed with Overbridge but I used to use it with my Scarlett 6i6, UltraNova and ES-8. Got an 18i20 so I don't have to mess with it anymore but it works fine.
I just thought today that I haven't seen you in a while. Well, hello there! :) I like the way you explain things even when you talk about instruments I don't have. So, just thank you - for all the knowledge you share and the way you do it. Kudos!
i want the blackbox but i gotta say it feels more like a tech company that went into music as an afterthought and didnt ask one single musician what they thought about the playability of it. its literally smaller than my hand with only a few buttons. Playing on it is more like having to perform surgery than jamming out. I'll probably just use it for back tracking and giving sequence to an instrument that i can actually play
I've been on the verge of ordering the Blackbox after a few days but the rest of my gear is Elektron. Forgot you made this vid because I wasn't interested in either at the time, but I needed this ❤
it looks like you are missing, for me, the most notorious difference between this two, Digitakt sounds amazing and Blackbox just sounds ok. Which is very very noticeable when playing samples chromatically. Another big difference is that with Blackbox you have 128 steps long sequence, while in the Elektron machines is always 64, which is a pain, i often needs more.
The touchscreen I don’t know what wizardry they did to make it that responsive. All the other menus are pretty good with updates the song mode is actually easy once you learn it but it’s complicated to learn if that makes sense once you figure it out it’s one of those duh moment. I actually like it for a sampler it’s more in line with an MPC I would compare More to the polyend tracker as an all in one groove box it’s understated with its sound is super polished like an MC101 and the samples built-in are dope! Aaron and his wife are super cool on forums
Has anyone found a way to duplicate a pattern length on the Blackbox? Not sure if it’s possible on the unit, but I am a lot more productive when I start with a 1 bar loop and extend it and then make changes on the next bar and reappear until I get to the Max step length. I hope that makes sense...
Yessss! I love my Blackbox. Went for that over Digitakt for more outs. That and the display. Plus you know, Elektron.....ain't nobody got time for that learning curve thing 💁♂️😉😝
The Elektron UI is pretty easy to learn, especially on the Digitakt. The main downside of it is that it pushes people toward a particular style of usage. It's designed to be a performance instrument where the user loops a single pattern while tweaking the settings to create variations... or perhaps switches between a few patterns while tweaking settings. If you want to, like, write a song... the sort where you lay it all out and then just hit "play"... it doesn't really do that. The user is meant to hit "record" in their DAW, hit "play" on the Elektron device, and then mess with the patterns they made in real time. Maybe even do it a few times for multiple takes. Afterward, there's a bunch of audio to cut up and use in a song.
Do these devices work together effectively? What I want to do is capture drum loops / samples / arps/ pads etc without a using a daw. My workflow is digitakt sequencing some soft synths on iPad with the percussive element coming from the Digitakt. What I want is to be able to jam and sample different elements (synth sounds etc) if my jam in a loop style, In time with a midi clock and build up a song on the fly using Black box. Is that possible?
Absolutely no talk about how superior the Blackbox is as a Midi sequencer. Sure it's great for playing back long stereo samples, though playing with sounds live kinda sucks, myself and most people I know use it as a midi brain for other gear. 16 tracks, proper polyphony...
I have a blue box I use for external synths/ eurorack and a force that mostly controls them... I'm thinking I would like to expand inputs on the force which I think a mixer would be fine for but it does have that audio interface capability..I dunno
Hey everyone, So i realized... i forgot to mention another MAJOR point about about the Blackbox and that is its USB Hosting capabilities. Its insane, and super easy to use. Plug in pratically any midi controller over USB, and then select a parameter and hit 'learn' then turn a knob and you have mapped that knob to the blackbox.. Crazy!
That is HUGE for improving the flaw of having to deal with the little screen.
The launch control XL is a great midi controller for this cutest machine
The Black Box definitely benefits from an external hardware midi device/sequencer as this greatly reduces menu diving. The quick midi setup really helps in this regard.
I was going to post up on it’s midi capabilities until I read this.
I have the Launchpad Pro MK3 controlling the Blackbox volume, panning, and hi/low filter for each pad as well as clip launching and sequence launching. This two are the perfect pair, especially being able to use song mode on the Blackbox or the patterns and scenes on the Launchpad.
Blackbox is the best thing I bought in a long time. It's a sketchbook, powerful sampler, production tool... like any other gear it has some limitations - but it can do many many things very good.
The newest firmware is awesome. It adds trigger %, velocity and unquantized recording to the sequencer
Honestly the biggest thing between these two pieces, at least for me, is the following;
The blackbox is a beautiful, powerful, tool.
The digitakt is a beautiful, powerful, instrument.
I have the blackbox, not the digitakt. but I do have the digitone. & I think you might've just nailed it as succinctly & concisely as could possibly be.
damn. thats actually beyond accurate haha
I agree, that's why I have both actually. :)
Agreed, I basically use the Black Box as a DAW.
Going to have to disagree respectfully here friends. Using the BB to play back samples polyphonicly makes it an incredible creative synth with endless oscillator potential. 16 stereo tracks, nice filter, live looping, using random to bounce around different loop points, and granular make this a very powerful instrument.
I went the Blackbox route for the following: sample loop player and use as a drum computer; the ability to play loooong samples; the 16-track option; standalone DAW when an opportunity arises in a very compact form factor. Interesting exploration of both platforms!
The key to the blackbox workflow is your midi controller of choice. I use an old akai MPD. With the pads I can trigger all the BB 'pads' and launch sequences + play some chopped samples. I also have the knobs and faders for all kinds of parameters. can take the BB with me and make beats everywhere.
i really appreciate that you mentioned "redoing your studio/setup" before saying anything more about buying anything. :)
yeah, this works almost like magic... always i feel like i'm loosing flow with my toys, imjist disconnect everything, reorganize cables, reorganise gear positin and boom.. inspiration is back full power :-))
Indeed. Getting to know something you already have indepth is sometimes that thing the GAS won't let you think about, but you should
5:08 They do! It’s called the bluebox, it’s a mixer in the same form factor as the blackbox
Blackbox - A super quick, super simple to learn logical workflow, thus more musical output. Regularly updated firmware too
Digitakt - Deep sample mangling, with a quirky Elektron workflow, thus little music output
That's my take from owning both. The first 6 months of owning a Digitakt I created a few cool sounds, but I spent so much time shaping sounds, that I didn't create much with it, but the Blackbox is so fun to use due to it's simplicity, it encourages music creation. It amazes me when I revisit it the crazy amount of music ideas I had with that thing and how good it sounds. Purely my opinion though from owning both, but for people that don't want to read a hefty manual, the Blackbox is also the better option as it's ridiculously easy to use without a manual.
This was great, and helpful as I’ve been looking at both these boxes. I like the try rearranging your studio for inspiration before buying something new tip. 👍🏼
The Blackbox is amazing as a musical sketchbook on the go.
Man, literally yesterday I was asking my friend what should I buy, Digitakt or Blackbox and today he sent me this. Nice timing xD
Ha so which one did you get?
@@Iofflight I got Digitakt, I’ve sold it, then I bought push 2 and have also sold it and now I’m gonna get Polyend Tracker.
@@TheMarcin404 haha that was the direction I was leaning too!
This would be an interesting video to re-examine now that the digitakt has a song mode and the blackbox is on its 3.0 firmware. 🤔
I hooked up my midi gear to the blackbox. if functions reasonable well. One big pro for the blackbox, they still keep adding new features to the firmware!
Great comparison Ricky. I am blessed to own both as I imagine some others do here and they are both very powerful, but I feel that the Blackbox has the edge for me. In short, I love the instant inspiration and fun factor (most important), the streamlined approach to menu diving, the many ways I can bring in and use samples, access to 32 chops directly on screen (without banking) and 88+ with a midi keyboard controller, awesome filters, envelope control and granular to manipulate each sound and finally...the large storage (via SD) and portability (via USB power & form factor) that integrates anywhere within my home studio while allowing me to power up and bang just about anywhere.
Maybe others have commented, but on a Mac, if you have multiple audio interfaces you can use them simultaneously without Soundflower or any other 3rd party tool.
1. Open "Audio MIDI Setup" on your Mac.
2. Open the Audio Devices window (⌘+1)
3. Click on the + symbol in the lower left of the window and select "Create Aggregate Device".
In that window, you will see a new audio device, and you can check the boxes next to existing ones that you want to have in a single audio "device". You can then organize the channels into an order that makes sense to you.
When you select that device in your DAW, you can now use any of the channels on any device you enabled in the aggregate device.
Similar story in Linux. Plug in as many audio devices as you want, and it can use them all. The problem Overbridge solves is basically just a Windows design flaw.
Meanwhile, Overbridge itself creates new problems, because it's proprietary and there is no standards compliant fallback, so Elektron's devices don't work on other platforms. It likely won't even work under Windows in fifteen years. Tying the functionality to a VST means it has the same problems as VSTs, like limited compatibility, a need for ongoing maintenance, and eventually dying when they stop updating it.
Let’s get some more compact creations!!
Was just thinking that today... would love to see more of the Ricky flow.
That intro will never get old! I find your voice so soothing always end up watching your vids late at night getting me chilled out 🙂
Congrats on the 100k subscribers! Your content’s great; glad to see people are noticing.
Love these honest reviews 🙂
I have both! I play long samples on the black box (kinda like ableton audio clips) and really mainly use the DT as a drum machine as well as a sequencer for external gear. It's hard to beat the Elektron sequencer. The blackbox is a little quirky thing but I have grown to love it. If you are trying to do Dawless, you can use the black box as a place to put final stems of your tracks and really you don't have to edit on the computer if you don't want to just record your jams into it and slice them up on the BB.
I'm totally on your page here.
i was thinking of using akai force for this but their 8 track limitation + missing disk streaming makes it a no-go. I’d like to have a rock solid piece of hardware to play my tracks on stage with min. loading time and blackbox, combined with a good midi controller to avoid menu diving, seems like the way to go right now. It depends on song mode though, and unfortunately this video doesn’t cover that aspect.
@@thijstriemstra loopop covers BB song mode and explains in full how it works, just watched it today
This is the video i've been waiting for!
You are a very good gear reviewer, man. You don't waste anyone's time, yet the vids are not dry either. Big up!
Dude, i've learned so much cool stuff from you about music gear, thank you! been here since 8k and boom, now it's 100k! Congrats, it's more than well deserved!
Thanks! I was going to get the Blackbox to record multiple samples from a monophonic synth and then play it back in polyphony from the Blackbox with MIDI signals from decent sequencer. So your video pretty much confirmed I made the right choice. And if I must play it live, I can always get a Novation Launch Control XL MK2.
Congrats for 100K Subs! You earned it!!
this is such a good video, something about Ricky that just didn’t gel with me when i first watched his videos, but the more i see the more grateful i am, this one feels like a masterclass, the experience imparted in between the lines here is just great
That outro made the already awesome video 100x better. Thanks for this Ricky! Super helpful
The digitakt cannot play stereo samples. Only mono (it will convert stereo samples to mono automatically.) IMO, this is a very significant difference between these two machines.
wow that’s huge (disadvantage for digitakt)
@@thijstriemstra - not particularly if you’re using it for drum samples which work just as well in mono.
I’m saying bb all day
Man Ricky explains everything so nicely.
For me, the Digitakt sequencer is a huge part of the creative process. Most inbuilt sequencers are simply a way to record and play back your input.
The Digitakt sequencer (also read Elektron) captures your input and then asks you to start parameter locking stuff and before too long you’ve got something far more interesting.
It’s hard to explain properly but Elektron users will know exactly what I mean 😀
We all want loads of steps, but on Elektron boxes I generally go with 32 steps but use conditional trigs to bring in variations every 4 or 8 bars way more quickly than if I was to have a 128 step sequence.
"elektron is smart" you hit the nail on the head with that one, they sure know how to get you to purchase more gear.
I dont understand the "elektron workflow" argument. My first elektron box was the Mk1 Octatrack and I had no problems at all, all it takes is having the manual as reference and some patience. I got the Digitakt after that and its soooo much more simple than the Octatrack already.
Agree, really liking the workflow of the Digitakt. Finding it easy to bang out beats that are fun without wasting too much time with set up!
First elektron was an OT? Ugh, brutal. The OT is the one elektron box that I hate.
@@VincentsVideoVisions nesecitan hacer la hybrid el ot2 like otaniversary is only para hacer money , no have sentido,, es tan triste 😴😔
I LOVE my Digitakt but I'm thinking about getting a Blackbox to hook up to my Midifighter for finger drumming and looping. It would be nice to have an alternative workflow that doesn't rely so much on sequencing.
This duo deserves an update. So much was added with firmwares for both over the years …
For all watching this great video lately. Song Mode is available now via firmware update.
“Little chorizo fingers” 😂
They both put you in a different headspace for ideas and inspiration. I'm old school, so I was inspired by limitations.
Black Box can run off a USB power station - making it a portable solution for on-the-go production, which is very cool.
BB Has mediocre FX for more of a dry sound. All it needs is more FX and modulation capabilities (LFOs).
You can also sample live on the BB. BB is more of a very capable sketchpad for building basic stuff. I have one and It's basically a pocket MPC.
Instead of the Digitakt, I have the Elektron sampling grandaddy - Octatrack.
Digitakt is WAY MORE feature-heavy. Equipment is like imbibing - some days you want a tasty craft beer... other days it's a good 32-year rum. Try both.
I'm in no way promoting alcohol consumption on Rick's channel! Drink and drum responsibly.
Blackbox for the win. Amazing support from the company for the product and so solid in all ways.
Digitakt having song mode, splicing and timestretching all added in a firmware update, covered all the bases I'd ever really want/need from a sampler now basically.
I personally hate touchscreens, and love tactile buttons/knobs/sliders.
Great compare/contrast, Enrique
As a user of both, I can’t argue any of your points.
Especially having to stand completely still to fire off a pad on the Blackbox. Glad it’s not just me.
One thing about the DT that many users complain about is not being able to start a sequence anywhere except from step one. This is also true of the Blackbox. However, the Blackbox’s piano roll allows you to easily visualize patterns (for multiple tracks) across more than 16 steps at a time.
The completeness of what I can do with drums is “more” on the DT. But the speed at which I can lay passable beats down on the Blackbox blows me away.
I love the blackbox beautifully simple and fun!!
My plan was to buy a Blackbox as a backing track/drum stems player, multisample player, and simple MIDI/CV sequencer. But the lack of options especially in multisample playback has turned me away. I know polyphony isn't as limited anymore, but lack of even basic filter envelopes makes it not great for my style of multisampling. I also am scared of using backing tracks/stems because I don't want to overpower the unit and I've heard it can start clicking and stuff which can ruin a performance. Octatrack + MPC Live II will fill the void for disk streaming (OT), multisampled keygroups (MPC), CV/MIDI sequencing (prefer MPC). But for instance, when I toured the EU last year, a Blackbox/Bluebox would be a complete DREAM, it could literally take the place of my entire setup and fit in a small handbag. But until the Blackbox gets a little deeper, I will stick with these other pieces.
Great video, Ricky. I’ve got both too - Digitakt for drums/samples (way more interesting with trig conditions and locks) and the blackbox for live looping. Definitely got room for both in my life
You talk about the TR8S and having to swap audio interfaces to use audio over USB. On the Mac (assume you are on a Mac as you talked about trying soundflower) you can create an Aggregate Audio Device that allows you to “merge” all your separate audio devices into a single “device” to use in your DAW. So I have a TR8S, an UA Apollo, 2 x MOTU 24Ai and a MOTO 24AO as an aggregate device, and in my daw all the inputs/outputs of all the devices are available to me permanently. It’s a fantastic way of setting things up.
both great machines - love the black box for the compability of stereo-samples and big sample memory on sd-card. I would buy a digitakt 2.0 when it got an upgrade in sample-drive to 64GB and stereo-samples - THEN it would be the killer machine. BUT in the end "I" ended up very happy with a "maschine plus with a fast 256GB card so I have all my samples from the last 30 years always with me :-) perfect in all aspects WHEN you see it as what it is: a sample based groovebox-workstation with perfect re-sampling for its vst-instruments. its NOT meant to be a high end pc in maschine format for heavy usage of vst-instruments...what a lot of people want it to be and get disappointed ;-) and imho its not overpriced because because you got all these cool vst´s and expansions with it which you can use also on your main pc...also the maschine 2.0 software and the maschine plus as wonderful pad-controller. so in my eyes it cheap for what it delivers :-)
The new firmware for the blackbox is insane.
This machine will be (more) beast in the futur
I'm considering getting one to have a more portable piece of gear and to compliment my Akai Force.
@@inthefade, well, it's a good piece of gear to add indeed.
Careful about clocking, the blackbox is more master than slave
I use it more than my switch
Making tracks eazy peazy everywhere.
@@inthefade I absolutely love the black box. It’s more or less completely inline with how I work with samples, how I want them to behave, and no fuss load them. I’m maybe using 50% of it for the most part and have been completely happy.
@@korros51dnr22 That's good to know. The Force apparently doesn't play as well as slave as it does master, either.
@@inthefade firmwares firmwares firmwares...
The 1.7.3 in BB, now you can send midi to another piece of gear.
Akai Force is cool, but there are some time stretch issues.
Did they fixed it with another firmware?
Sometimes Akai released some unfinished products...
Like said Ricky, BB had a cool time stretch when you go up.
When you go down, that's special... It can do something cool when you pitch down too.
Overbridge is still suffering from handful of issues, as soon as you turn your daw on. Elektron did not take Cubase in consideration, and beside the tedious workaround one has implement as a hack, it is quite often that audio just will not work. I do salute the effort and the idea but i am so frustrated with it - i cannot deal with it anymore and I use Digitakt as an external instrument into my preamps. Super stupid way to loose 2 channels and do not have a possibility to stream 8 separate tracks via USB.
You conveyed my feelings about the Blackbox in a funny way .. a couple of times you were pressing the white-lit buttons unenthusiastically and fiddling with the screen .. lol .. the Blackbox user interface just doesn't feel interacting and inspiring. I think that it boils down to companies not yet respecting the meaning of an instrument, because they are obsessed with feature-set, the capabilities, the technological advancement, but they forget the physical interface. Touchscreens are everywhere, and they work fine for tablets and smartphones, but they're not sexy if you want to make music. There is a reason why people still pick up drum sticks and a string instrument or piano .. it's not in the fancy feature-set the size of Compact Disc case .. it's how the musician feels connected to the instrument and extracts so much beauty (or carnage) out how he or she plays it. I'm not a fan of the Digitakt myself (i don't like the lack of bpm-matching or time-stretching and only 2 outputs), but it feels more tactile .. it's more satisfying to interact with - just as you pointed out. Maybe we could say that the Blackbox is a better tool, and the Digitakt is the better instrument?? Thanks for the great video!
very well said here. there's gotta be a way to control the blackbox pads with an external controller. I know the pads are only one aspect of the blackbox, but... it is a powerful little unit. hmm... I haven't found much about controlling it externally.
@@roccoharris
You can definitely control the pads via midi. I connect my bearstep pro to it and control the pads with it. The manual explains how.
I think that with some extra gear (USB host!!!) the BlackBox may become more satisfying.
@@noahsiekmann4275 excellent!! yeah... I figured it could be done. so, do you go into the blackbox via usb or midi? & then you just use the beatstep as a controller, I assume...(?) not a sequencer--though that, too, is doable, I'm sure. yaaay!!
Thats what i've been waiting for to make the right next step! Thanx!
Matching the lighting to the Digitakt LEDs, pure genius.
Ricky's got some dope production value. Also he has a cute little doggo.
yeah man.... its SOOOO goood fam!!! almost andreij tarkovsky level of genius! i mean... thats almost... david lynch style of genius!! fck me, pure genius!!
@@Taeufer I guess this video is reminiscent of Tarkovsky's film STALKER (1979), because Ricky is a guide who takes us to the zone where there supposedly exists a room which grants a person's innermost desires.
13:50 access virus ti had total iintegration with audio over usb. Was that what u meant?
Loving my Blackbox too.
I have only seen YT videos but it looks amazing to me. Very well thought out. Very powerful DAW for a DAW-less setup. How is the build quality and stability? Does it ever crash?
The new 2.0 firmware on the blackbox is (wait for it) Game Changing!! The new firmware Simplifies the workflow... adds an LFO that can modulate parameters both Positively and Negatively. Sequences can now be 256 steps. The EQ from the bluebox was added (double click the FX button.) That USB host on the blackbox is very useful when you want to add buttons, keys, knobs, and sliders... and Loooong sample/loop times are actually amazing.
I found this review helpful... but ultimately found I leaned even more into the blackbox after watching it. Overbridge seems super cool but I always feel like anything on the computer side of things is 1 month and an OS update away from being functionally broken... although to be fair 1010 music also seems to have their blackbox firmware in a constant state of movement and bug squashing.
Audio timing via Overbridge is phenomenal. Audio over USB on the TR-8s has a noticeable amount of latency and jitter.
I've really struggled recording the TR8S over USB audio into Ableton. Very hard to get it on the grid. Usually have to zoom in and cut out to bring it back a little
100k... Good for you man! Well deserved
Great comparison video! Thanks for the rundown of typical usage plus strength and weaknesses.
Loved the walkaway part :). Seriously thanks a lot for this Ricky. Been contemplating a Blackbox purchase for sometime now. This is helping me put things into perspective considering all the other synths elements I have. ✌🏼
I didn’t understand overbridge until this. Thank you for the knowledge. Respect Due.
Perhaps the touch screen problem with the Blackbox could be partly fixed with a Launchcontrol XL Mk2 or something similar.
Then you could MIDI learn a fader to be the filter cutoff for the bass or however you like. I don't know how well the blackbox works with MIDI CC though, since I don't own one.
This can be done. Ricky has done this in a video pretty sure
@@RollrightKnights Ohh you're right
You nailed why I sold my BB after
Tracker looks so nice, special, but in the end has a potential to serve as an expensive dust collector. I mean who wants to fiddle with the code to make music right?
Damn a Ricky video without music... I felt a bit lost haha. But like you said. It is just what you need it for. The BlackBox is great for looping stuf. But sold it. And still have my Digitakt.
What do you think how they would work in addition of each other?
Could you use blackbox as a master and use its song mode to sequence patterns of the digitakt?
But even without this function, what do you think of adding this devices together?
You should check his video "My Live Techno Modular Setup // Blackbox Live Looping". Not using the Digitakt there but still...
Have to say Ricky I'm impressed by your clean shots in this video, nicely focused wide shot of you and then the perfectly cropped down shot . Then boom the down the elbow angle shot... Too stuff mate
*top
Yeah.. 100k subscribers!! Congrats!
Right, but then Blackbox has a USB host function, means you could hook up 4x4 button controller and u're good in regard of clip selection? Am i wrong?
hey, thanks for the heads up on no samples! I can respect that seeing you brought up up front. all talk and no demo videos drive me crazy, and this is a features comparison, so it's not a sonic comparison. otherwise, my PTSD would get triggered LOL
I remember having 16 tracks on the MC303 back in the day. It was a luxury, and I’d often be able to get parts in there for both verse and chorus.
Song mode simply captures the activation and deactivation of sequences. Set a bar length for the section, press record and it will capture whatever you do. Once you have a bunch of sections it's really easy to switch between them live. It is fiddly to use though, and if you make a mistake you pretty much have to delete a section and start from scratch, because it's still quite buggy with capturing edits. I think a timeline with 16 rows similar to a DAW, would be a much better implementation though.
Your notes are cool with us. Makes it better. Thanks man
Wonder what your thoughts are now with the huge 2.0 firmware upgrade for the blackbox :)
Thanks for your thoughts on these devices. Besides spicing-up my live-performance with some pre- or live recorded loops, the black box is also a great musical notebook, because quickly sampling or recording an idea/sketching a song on the fly is so easy.
I kinda feel like based on their intended functions, it would be fairer to compare the black box with the Octatrack. The Digitakt was primarily designed to be a drum machine / groove box ...right?
Exactly. It’s becoming a little exhausting watching people trying to make Digitakt something that it isn’t. There is a writing on the Digitakt’s display: 8 voice digital DRUM COMPUTER & sampler!
If somebody wants a full song machine, get an Octatrack.
thanks for this. think you have helped me make my mind up: I will get a black box to accompany my Akai force and use the sp404 for fx
Thanks for the rundown between these two.
For me, the blackbox is equal parts great and frustrating but one of the huge bonuses about the blackbox over so many other compact samplers is the availability of all the outputs in a live setting (especially since the volume controls in the native mixer section of the blackbox is TERRRRRRIBLE). You can separate groups of your channels in different combinations of stereo + mono across the 6 outputs and sent them out to a real mixer to have the hands on feel the blackbox lacks. I know you can connect a midi controller to the blackbox and assign midi CCs to the channels but the scaling feels so messed up (If you could make it just a 0-10 volume control rather than doing it in db I think it would be much more useful).
One last thing about the multiple outputs... I've used the blackbox several times for surround sound performances and for the size, it can't be beat. Just plug it into a matrix mixer and you are all set.
Just get both. Let the Digitakt handle all the Drums, make amazing baselines, loops and melodics on the 1010.
I'd like to try this instead of the Digitakt - Digitone combo here.
Stay safe! We need more of these videos.
Hey brother! Great video! I had the same bad experience with the MPC live touch screen. However, the MPC X is a different story, all those buttons and knobs with led screens make it a joy to use. I would definitely recommend you check it out, it might be a nice addition to your MPC collection👍🏼 have an awesome year✌🏻
You know the deluge is pretty good too.
I have the best solution for this dilemma... I have them both
Fyi on the Mac you can create an aggregate audio device using Audio/Midi setup. This allows you to create a single combined virtual interface from multiple physical interfaces. You can then select the aggregate in your DAW. It's not needed with Overbridge but I used to use it with my Scarlett 6i6, UltraNova and ES-8. Got an 18i20 so I don't have to mess with it anymore but it works fine.
You forgot to mention the slicing, especially the auto-slicing. Most powerful feature for us that flip samples and make sample based house or hip hop.
Which device?
@@IlmariLahti blackbox.
@5:08 "In Stock & Ready to Ship" from musicians friend
When using the 8s and the claret why not setup an aggregate device on midi audio setup (Mac) and the. You can have them all available at once?
When Ricky has confusion about using something, I close my wallet. Two years later, still an informative video.
I just thought today that I haven't seen you in a while. Well, hello there! :) I like the way you explain things even when you talk about instruments I don't have. So, just thank you - for all the knowledge you share and the way you do it. Kudos!
i want the blackbox but i gotta say it feels more like a tech company that went into music as an afterthought and didnt ask one single musician what they thought about the playability of it. its literally smaller than my hand with only a few buttons. Playing on it is more like having to perform surgery than jamming out. I'll probably just use it for back tracking and giving sequence to an instrument that i can actually play
I've been on the verge of ordering the Blackbox after a few days but the rest of my gear is Elektron. Forgot you made this vid because I wasn't interested in either at the time, but I needed this ❤
I feel like the Blackbox really needs an external midi controller to really get the most out of it in a live setup
it looks like you are missing, for me, the most notorious difference between this two, Digitakt sounds amazing and Blackbox just sounds ok. Which is very very noticeable when playing samples chromatically.
Another big difference is that with Blackbox you have 128 steps long sequence, while in the Elektron machines is always 64, which is a pain, i often needs more.
In what sense does the Blackbox sound worse? Notorious? Every review I've found says the audio quality is excellent. Please explain.
The touchscreen I don’t know what wizardry they did to make it that responsive. All the other menus are pretty good with updates the song mode is actually easy once you learn it but it’s complicated to learn if that makes sense once you figure it out it’s one of those duh moment. I actually like it for a sampler it’s more in line with an MPC I would compare More to the polyend tracker as an all in one groove box it’s understated with its sound is super polished like an MC101 and the samples built-in are dope! Aaron and his wife are super cool on forums
happy 100K!!!!
Has anyone found a way to duplicate a pattern length on the Blackbox? Not sure if it’s possible on the unit, but I am a lot more productive when I start with a 1 bar loop and extend it and then make changes on the next bar and reappear until I get to the Max step length.
I hope that makes sense...
Yessss! I love my Blackbox. Went for that over Digitakt for more outs. That and the display. Plus you know, Elektron.....ain't nobody got time for that learning curve thing 💁♂️😉😝
Digitakt isn't that bad at all brother, at least for Elektron
@@yahtzeeeuook3193 I think both together would be awesome 👌🙌
I found the Digi super easy to learn, and I don’t have a ton of synth/sampler experience.
@@madtho thanks man! I'm tempted to get one to go along with my Blackbox
The Elektron UI is pretty easy to learn, especially on the Digitakt. The main downside of it is that it pushes people toward a particular style of usage. It's designed to be a performance instrument where the user loops a single pattern while tweaking the settings to create variations... or perhaps switches between a few patterns while tweaking settings.
If you want to, like, write a song... the sort where you lay it all out and then just hit "play"... it doesn't really do that. The user is meant to hit "record" in their DAW, hit "play" on the Elektron device, and then mess with the patterns they made in real time. Maybe even do it a few times for multiple takes. Afterward, there's a bunch of audio to cut up and use in a song.
Do these devices work together effectively? What I want to do is capture drum loops / samples / arps/ pads etc without a using a daw.
My workflow is digitakt sequencing some soft synths on iPad with the percussive element coming from the Digitakt.
What I want is to be able to jam and sample different elements (synth sounds etc) if my jam in a loop style, In time with a midi clock and build up a song on the fly using Black box.
Is that possible?
It's crazy how u know your way round all this equipment
Easy for me. I’ll take the BlackBox every time. Best hardware Sampler I’ve ever owned.
Absolutely no talk about how superior the Blackbox is as a Midi sequencer. Sure it's great for playing back long stereo samples, though playing with sounds live kinda sucks, myself and most people I know use it as a midi brain for other gear. 16 tracks, proper polyphony...
woah, i'm early 🤘🏼you helped me decide on digitakt 🎛
I have a blue box I use for external synths/ eurorack and a force that mostly controls them... I'm thinking I would like to expand inputs on the force which I think a mixer would be fine for but it does have that audio interface capability..I dunno
Great 'VS video' & congrats for the 💯K !!
would a midi controller solve a lot of live performance problems with the Blackbox?
He used a Novation Launch Control XL in an older video.
Ricky....another great vid. Makes me want a digi even more. Big love from Melbourne