Review: M-Audio Black Box, v2
Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4

From Black Box to Beige Box

The Black Box is class compliant with Windows XP and Mac OS X, which means you can plug it in via USB and start recording without installing drivers. However, the included drivers for WDM, ASIO, and Core Audio unlock more capabilities. These include MIDI sync, multi-channel recording, and the ability to save presets to your computer.

Surprisingly for a USB 1 device, the Black Box can send four simultaneous channels of audio to your computer. Channels 1 and 2 are the left and right outputs of the effects; channel 3 is the unprocessed signal from the Hi-Z input, and channel 4 is the signal from the microphone input. Because all four channels are always active, you can record your processed guitar and simultaneously lay down a dry track for re-amping. Best of both worlds, eh? The Black Box can also play back a stereo mix from the computer. However, there's no way to send a signal from your computer back through the Black Box's effects section over USB.

The good news is that, because all of the effects processing happens outside of the computer, latency is virtually nil. (Latency is the time it takes the computer to process an audio signal and spit it back, which can be a feel-killer when recording through plugin effects.) A nifty hardware knob balances the mix between the hardware inputs and the computer playback. (Be sure to mute the track you're recording so you don't hear two copies.)

Another plus: the Black Box puts very little demand on your computer. Minimum system requirements for a Windows machine are just 500MHz and 128MB RAM. Finally, a recording device that doesn't make you buy a new PC!

The version 2 firmware also supports Pro Tools M-Powered (Figure 5), bringing professional recording features to the masses. Of course, you're free to use whatever recording software you want. The Black Box comes bundled with Ableton Live Lite, a four-track version of the popular recording and performance software. I didn't run into any problems there, but when I switched to Pro Tools and increased the track count, I encountered the dropouts and hiccups common to USB 1. Increasing the buffer size (and thus, the latency) fixed the problem. For that reason, I wouldn't necessarily want the Black Box as my only audio interface, though it would make a terrific portable rig with a laptop.

Figure 5. Here's what Audio Example 4 looks like. I recorded the dry signal (red waveform) and the processed one simultaneously in Pro Tools. Notice how the beat-synced effects (green) line up with the drums (blue). (Click to enlarge.)

Knockout Box

Like many guitarists, I'm always looking for the one piece of gear that will do it all. Is the Black Box it? Well, it's darn close.

Sure, I can list what I don't like: limited MIDI control, no user-editable drum patterns, meager pedal-board control, and a less-than-ideal user interface (though, to be fair, that's a function of adding all the new features). Nor am I fond of USB 1 audio interfaces. I should mention that the documentation is weak, too. Pretty short list, isn't it?

The Black Box has a multiple personality--one part creative tool, one part live processor, and one part audio interface. It brings something new to the table in each instance, and that's saying a lot. Simply put, it deserves a place in every guitarist's tool kit.

As I write this, several retailers are bundling the Black Box with the pedal board for under $200. That's about what it costs for a basic USB audio interface. So the fat amp models, the cool effects, the drum patterns, and all the rest are basically free. How do you put a price on inspiration, anyway?

Mark Nelson is both an acoustic musician and the author of Getting Started in Computer Music (Thomson Course Technology). He oscillates between Oregon and Hawaii, where he co-produces the Aloha Music Camp.

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