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.
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.
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
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 :-))
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.
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.
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 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!
@@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.
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!!
@@Schimelln 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!!
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
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 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.
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!
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
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
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.
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. 👍🏼
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?
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.
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.
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 :-)
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?
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.
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
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 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 ❤
The Blackbox is a great idea and I hope they sold enough units so they can invest in a UI expert helping them sorting those things out. Also wish they could make a larger version. Doing so would make space for more dedicated buttons. Only that in itself would help so much for the user interface. I'm like you, can't stand touch screens. No feel, no muscle memory, too easy to hit wrong space in the window, sometimes touch doesn't register having to do it again one or two times. Buttons! I want buttons! : )
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 spent over a year wanting a Blackbox. A few months ago I finally had the extra money, but instead settled for an MPC one, and I couldn't be happier. From my understanding, you can't play unquantized sequences on Blackbox, which is a total deal breaker.
@@ontheroad579 That really depends on your workflow and what you're trying to accomplish, but short answer, in my opinion, yes. MPC One does more for the money than the Digitakt or Blackbox, by a long shot. A super powerful sequencer, 3 internal synths with adjustable parameters/effects, a full blown DAW, advanced sampling/time stretching etc, sequencing up to 32 external synths, the capability to live loop real instruments (guitar, keys, bass) with a mixer, effects galore, and more... it truly does a lot for the money. I have 2 gripes for MPC One, and they're pretty small: The 3 internal synths/presets are rather bland, for a keyboard player such as myself, but using the effects properly can make for a decent enough sound. And 2, the polyphony isn't anything to write home about. In certain situations, if you get a sequence going with multiple internal instrument parts (say drums, bass, rhodes, and you're using multiple plugin synths,) and you start playing 32nd note sequences on keys (with a plugin) going fast enough, you'll get some dropout. But you can work around this, and it's still an incredibly capable and playable mono/poly synth. It's also not meant for that necessarily, but it CAN still do it, to a certain degree. Bottom line, I'd buy it again in a second over any other piece of equipment at this price point.
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.
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.
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.
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
Why would any sane person dislike ricky tinez videos. Most chill dude on Planet Plus: a video about samplers around the time the circuit followers were leaked. I hope its kind of connected :D
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
You already sold me Digitakt in a previous video 2 years ago. I use only it I do everything on it it's just perfect to actually make music without difficulty.
great conclusion IMO. Digitakt is very limited with lack of song mode and 8 tracks. The workarounds just encourage you to get more out of it, e.g. controlling the sample per step letting you have multiple sounds in a single track or or chaining patterns to create longer sequencers.
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...
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.
@@LukezyM I know that beast is hard to understand and control but I would be ready to spent time on it on the other side the price isn’t the same as a digitakt ?
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!
Rick: "If you want an inspirational thing, I will suggest redo your studio, move things around and get inspired by that first, you don't need more things" Me : "ok… ! (how did he know me :-o ?")
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.
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.
Digitakt (as well as Octatrack) is monophonic per channel, Blackbox is poly, I bought the blackbox because I wanted a sampler that I can actually play with keybord, without having to straddle multiple tracks just to create triads.
Everyone should check out the Akai Force too. Very different machine-pretty flawed in some ways-but insanely powerful. It is missing some features, but does many things that no other samplers do.
I have them both and I find the blackbox a lot more user friendly, but I think they’re kind of apples and oranges. The BB is more “comparable” to my MPC Live than the Digitakt. I use the BB with a midi fighter 3D and it’s a blast. Form factor is big too. I dunno, I tried to like Elektrons workflow, but I just don’t. I’ll keep the BB forever.
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.
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.
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
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 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
The Blackbox is amazing as a musical sketchbook on the go.
5:08 They do! It’s called the bluebox, it’s a mixer in the same form factor as the blackbox
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.
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 duo deserves an update. So much was added with firmwares for both over the years …
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.
Let’s get some more compact creations!!
Was just thinking that today... would love to see more of the Ricky flow.
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 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!
"elektron is smart" you hit the nail on the head with that one, they sure know how to get you to purchase more gear.
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.
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!!
@@Schimelln 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.
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 🙂
For all watching this great video lately. Song Mode is available now via firmware update.
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.
You are a very good gear reviewer, man. You don't waste anyone's time, yet the vids are not dry either. Big up!
Blackbox for the win. Amazing support from the company for the product and so solid in all ways.
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.
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
Congrats on the 100k subscribers! Your content’s great; glad to see people are noticing.
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
Congrats for 100K Subs! You earned it!!
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
Man Ricky explains everything so nicely.
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 😴😔
“Little chorizo fingers” 😂
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!!
That outro made the already awesome video 100x better. Thanks for this Ricky! Super helpful
I love the blackbox beautifully simple and fun!!
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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 have the best solution for this dilemma... I have them both
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.
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. 👍🏼
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?
This is the video i've been waiting for!
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.
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.
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 :-)
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?
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.
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.
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
I didn’t understand overbridge until this. Thank you for the knowledge. Respect Due.
You know the deluge is pretty good too.
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 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
The Blackbox is a great idea and I hope they sold enough units so they can invest in a UI expert helping them sorting those things out.
Also wish they could make a larger version. Doing so would make space for more dedicated buttons. Only that in itself would help so much for the user interface.
I'm like you, can't stand touch screens. No feel, no muscle memory, too easy to hit wrong space in the window, sometimes touch doesn't register having to do it again one or two times.
Buttons! I want buttons! : )
Yeah.. 100k subscribers!! Congrats!
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. ✌🏼
Sold my blackbox for an MPC One and never looked back. With the exception of its size, its superior in almost every way.
I just did the same thing. Not as immediate but waaaay more powerful.
The MIDI update really made the One super useful.
I spent over a year wanting a Blackbox. A few months ago I finally had the extra money, but instead settled for an MPC one, and I couldn't be happier. From my understanding, you can't play unquantized sequences on Blackbox, which is a total deal breaker.
Does the MPC One make both the BB and the Digitakt unnecessary?
@@ontheroad579 That really depends on your workflow and what you're trying to accomplish, but short answer, in my opinion, yes.
MPC One does more for the money than the Digitakt or Blackbox, by a long shot.
A super powerful sequencer, 3 internal synths with adjustable parameters/effects, a full blown DAW, advanced sampling/time stretching etc, sequencing up to 32 external synths, the capability to live loop real instruments (guitar, keys, bass) with a mixer, effects galore, and more... it truly does a lot for the money.
I have 2 gripes for MPC One, and they're pretty small:
The 3 internal synths/presets are rather bland, for a keyboard player such as myself, but using the effects properly can make for a decent enough sound. And 2, the polyphony isn't anything to write home about. In certain situations, if you get a sequence going with multiple internal instrument parts (say drums, bass, rhodes, and you're using multiple plugin synths,) and you start playing 32nd note sequences on keys (with a plugin) going fast enough, you'll get some dropout. But you can work around this, and it's still an incredibly capable and playable mono/poly synth. It's also not meant for that necessarily, but it CAN still do it, to a certain degree.
Bottom line, I'd buy it again in a second over any other piece of equipment at this price point.
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.
When Ricky has confusion about using something, I close my wallet. Two years later, still an informative video.
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.
100k... Good for you man! Well deserved
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.
It's crazy how u know your way round all this equipment
nice vid. your way to explain is great. i thought: i need both.
but than my bank account says: nope. not even one. i buy you a drum stick...
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
Great comparison video! Thanks for the rundown of typical usage plus strength and weaknesses.
Why would any sane person dislike ricky tinez videos. Most chill dude on Planet
Plus: a video about samplers around the time the circuit followers were leaked. I hope its kind of connected :D
Bike VS Skateboard // 5 Big Differences
It never even occurred to me that people would compare these two devices.
Well, they are close in price at least.
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
Thats what i've been waiting for to make the right next step! Thanx!
You already sold me Digitakt in a previous video 2 years ago. I use only it I do everything on it it's just perfect to actually make music without difficulty.
woah, i'm early 🤘🏼you helped me decide on digitakt 🎛
Your notes are cool with us. Makes it better. Thanks man
You are the best. Love your stuff! Wait....were should I stand? Really nice!
great conclusion IMO. Digitakt is very limited with lack of song mode and 8 tracks. The workarounds just encourage you to get more out of it, e.g. controlling the sample per step letting you have multiple sounds in a single track or or chaining patterns to create longer sequencers.
As a fresh Digitakt owner, really digging it so far!
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...
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.
Do i need a Digitakt NO !
Can i buy it NO !
I'm going to buy it anyway !!!!
have you tried the model samples?
I would recommend an Octatrack, but how in the hell can I do that, when it’s got such a bad reputation for the learning curve..🙂
@@JeremyForTheWin yep didn’t like the workflow and the tiny screen
@@LukezyM I know that beast is hard to understand and control but I would be ready to spent time on it on the other side the price isn’t the same as a digitakt ?
@@murlofute779 its definitely not meant to be a replacement. was just thinking since its cheaper, dunno what need you are fillling :)
Easy for me. I’ll take the BlackBox every time. Best hardware Sampler I’ve ever owned.
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!
Rick: "If you want an inspirational thing, I will suggest redo your studio, move things around and get inspired by that first, you don't need more things"
Me : "ok… ! (how did he know me :-o ?")
so good!! I love this bit of sage advice.
Ricky....another great vid. Makes me want a digi even more. Big love from Melbourne
Great 'VS video' & congrats for the 💯K !!
awesome vid! i have a feeling that the blackbox in combination with the midifighter twister would be an insane combo for live sets!
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.
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 like these kind of comparisons. I think the same way about my gear.
Digitakt (as well as Octatrack) is monophonic per channel, Blackbox is poly, I bought the blackbox because I wanted a sampler that I can actually play with keybord, without having to straddle multiple tracks just to create triads.
Everyone should check out the Akai Force too. Very different machine-pretty flawed in some ways-but insanely powerful. It is missing some features, but does many things that no other samplers do.
what are these flaws and how does it compare to blackbox?
I have them both and I find the blackbox a lot more user friendly, but I think they’re kind of apples and oranges. The BB is more “comparable” to my MPC Live than the Digitakt. I use the BB with a midi fighter 3D and it’s a blast. Form factor is big too. I dunno, I tried to like Elektrons workflow, but I just don’t. I’ll keep the BB forever.
happy 100K!!!!