M-Audio has introduced the Black Box, a tool co-developed by M-Audio and Roger Linn Design and endowed with AdrenaLinn technology that combines amp modeling, powerful beat-synced effects, guitar/mic preamps and drum tracks with an audio interface for computer-based recording.
The Black Box can be used in either standalone mode or hosted via most popular music software. It features realistic emulations of 12 great guitar amps, including Fender Bassman, Fender Deluxe, Fender Twin, Vox AC-30, Marshall JTM-45, Marshall Plexi, Marshall JCM-2000, Hiwatt DR-103, Soldano SLO-100, Mesa Boogie Maverick, Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier and Bogner Uberschall*.
The Black Box also delivers 100 drum patterns in a variety of styles, and tempo can be set manually, via tap tempo or synchronized to external MIDI clock.
The Black Box incorporates a palette of 43 unique effects designed specifically for the unit that automatically beat-sync to the drum patterns or master clock. These effects include tremolo, flanger, chorus, random filters (1/8th, 1/8th triplets and 1/16th), tremolo sequences, filter sequences, wah wah, auto wah, talk box, arpeggiators and MIDI effects. There’s also a separate beat-synced delay effect that can be used in conjunction with the others, featuring settings for note division, number of repeats and volume. Either the mic input, guitar input or drums can be processed through the internal beat-synced DSP effects at any given time.
The Black Box also serves as a USB audio interface. One USB connection sends the output to a Mac or PC—and syncs the Black Box’s drums and effects to sequenced tracks.
The unit has separate preamp channels for ¼-inch guitar and XLR microphone inputs—both with status and clip LEDs. Analog outputs include ¼” stereo headphone and a pair of balanced 1/4” TRS connectors. The DSP signal can also be sent to other digital recording gear via the unit’s S/PDIF output at 24-bit/44.1kHz.
The Black Box ships with 100 factory presets and features 100 user program locations. It also offers WDM, ASIO and Core Audio drivers, and has minimal functionality as a class-compliant device with Windows XP and Mac OS X 10.3.7. Windows minimum system requirements are Pentium III 500 MHz, 128MB RAM, Windows XP (SP2) with DirectX 9.0b, and USB connection (onboard or PCI). (No support under Windows 98, Windows Me or Windows 2000.) Macintosh minimum requirements are G3/G4 500 MHz, OS X 10.3.7, 512MB RAM, and USB connection (onboard or PCI). (G3/G4 accelerator cards are not supported.)
MSRP: $329.95.
Visit www.m-audio.com for more information.
