M-Audio Black Box

[Dakine]

Well,
Black Box arrived little over and hour ago. It came with foot pedal and free mic.
Also budled with a copy of Ableton Lite 4 Guitar.

Well, upgraded straight away to firmware ver.2 and also upgraded to Ableton 5, both free.

Anyway, recorded a riff track already. That's in under an hour and I have not really used recording software or a recording PC interface before (I have a Zoom MRS8 but it bugs me at this point as it is pretty complicated and therefore less fun).

Anyway, early days but for the price, WOW!

Amp models are CRAZY! Been using the Bogner Uberschall mostly (HEAVY mood :)). But ALL have tried are GREAT. Wonderfull Marshall JCM-800 and Diezel VH4! The effects can be beat synced also. The drum loops built in make the Zoom look stupid (although you can program the Zoom, although very tedious).

All in all, at this early stage, it is an EXCELLENT noodling,recording and sketchbook tool.

Very Impressed thus far!

[TwilightOdyssey]

Cool; it's a great little box/software solution.

[Dakine]

Sure is.
Thus far the quality is WAY better than Zoom.
Much easier to use!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ableton software is pretty simple to just get going and am sure is powerful enough for alot more.
For the price, AMAZING! (esp. after ver.2 upgrade).

[sgmypod]

whats the foot pedal do...has it wah or vol control

[Dakine]

lol, not gotten it outta bow yet but works like a midi pedal to control effects, volume etc.

[maliciousteve]

I have a Zoom MRS8 too, it really is far too complicated. I wanted to record riffs and create drum tracks. But it seems as though you need to be a bloody rocket scientist to even turn the thing on.

Does the M-Audio package not allow you to create drum tracks at all?

[sgmypod]

cool how much all in all where from?.....have a podxt and love it but a mate is after something like this....and heard them before update and where great

[Dakine]

No, not create them but it's loaded tracks KICK Zoom's ASS!
Also, it seems EASY to load drum tracks/loops and make your own in the free Ableton Live software it ships with. The CD even holds many tracks/loops on it as well.
All in all, the Zoom, MAY be kept for recording but am sure it is NOT gonna see much use, so probably sell it. It's just too complicated to be fun for me.
I recorded a track on Zoom (took forever) and took me less than an hour from hookup with the Black Box and it's sound quality BLOWS the Zoom away.
For 99 quid (sam here in US practically) I think it's a NO brainer!

The Amp models are great too. I have the Boss GT8, and it rivals some of those models and has newer ones, i.e. VHT, Diezel, Engl, Uberschall, etc.

[sgmypod]

How much and were from ?

[Dakine]

apparently in uk,

soundcontrol and turnkey (online) have em for 99quid

[sgmypod]

ta

[Dakine]

can't find it on soundcontrol site

but here's turnkey

http://www.turnkey.co.uk/web/productAction.do;jsessionid=CE3A771E61DBC8AAA29ADA5F2A54E064?dispatch=showProduct&SKU=MMAN-BLACKBOX&context=WEB


Will be using it to post once my Warpigs get here for my SG  :twisted:

[Window-Licker]

Any ideas or thoughts on what its like compared to the line6 range, pods guitarport toneport etc?

[TwilightOdyssey]

Any clippage ready yet?!

[Dakine]

Well, I think it is quite similar (Guitar Teacher has Pod Xt).
Although I do prefer the layout alot. That is it has a large screen and knobs instead of just buttons/soft keys or switches.
When you select an amp for instance you can turn the knob (like on an amp) for Drive/Bass/Treble etc.

Both are great and very useable.

I guess for the price (the Black Box being 99 quid) is the biggest difference.

I think they were selling badly (have NO idea if this is the real reason) due to their software. But now the free ver.2 firmware update is out they really are kinda a bargain in my opinion.