JoeCo blackbox bbr1u, blackbox bbr1d, blackbox bbr1a, blackbox bbr1b User Manual
BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 1
BLACKBOX RECORDER
User Manual
V 2.2 rev 0
Date: October 2011
Congratulations on your purchase of the JoeCo BlackBox Recorder. This
document will lead you through the basics of how to set up and use the
product. The BlackBox Recorder (BBR) has been designed to be as simple as
possible to set up and operate. Consequently you will find that this user
manual is not a long document and can be read from cover to cover in a
short while. However, we strongly recommend that you do read it just in
case there are some aspects of the product that are not immediately
obvious.
This manual covers all variants of the BlackBox Recorder: BBR1U; BBR1B;
BBR1D and BBR1A and should be read in conjunction with the Quick Start
guide.
More information is available in the LOGIN area of the JoeCo Website
www.joeco.co.uk . Visitors can gain immediate access to more detailed
information whilst EndUsers once approved are eligible for software
upgrades and other downloads.
If you need information in a hurry register as a Visitor and upgrade to an
EndUser later on.
© JoeCo Limited 2009, 2010, 2011. E&OE. All rights reserved. All trademarks and names are
recognised as the property of their respective owners
Page | 2 BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2
Contents
BLACKBOX RECORDER .................................................................................................. 1
Important Safety Information .................................................................................. 3
WARNING - Read the following before proceeding : ........................................... 3
Copyright Warning ................................................................................................... 4
Opening the box ....................................................................................................... 5
Box Contents ........................................................................................................ 5
Controls and interfaces ............................................................................................ 6
Front Panel .......................................................................................................... 6
Rear Panel ........................................................................................................... 7
Installation ............................................................................................................... 8
Deciding where to install ..................................................................................... 8
How to wire the BBR into your console ............................................................... 8
Deciding on a disk drive ..................................................................................... 10
Connecting a disk drive ...................................................................................... 10
Power connection .............................................................................................. 11
Checking that everything works ........................................................................ 11
Normal operation ................................................................................................... 12
Recording ........................................................................................................... 12
Playback ............................................................................................................. 13
File Names ......................................................................................................... 15
Virtual Sound Checking ...................................................................................... 17
Monitoring ......................................................................................................... 19
Summary of Combined Controls ........................................................................ 20
Using the Menu ...................................................................................................... 21
Menu Structure and operation .......................................................................... 21
Setting up adjustable parameters ...................................................................... 21
Software updates ............................................................................................... 29
Linking multiple BlackBox Recorders together ....................................................... 32
Using a PS2 keyboard ............................................................................................. 34
Troubleshooting ..................................................................................................... 36
Safe’n’Sound Record Recovery .......................................................................... 37
Summary Of Alert Messages .............................................................................. 38
JoeCo Conditions of Use ......................................................................................... 40
Software Licence Agreement ................................................................................. 42
Warranty Information ............................................................................................ 45
Product Returns ..................................................................................................... 47
Product and End User Registration ........................................................................ 48
BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 3
Important Safety Information
WARNING - Read the following before proceeding : N:
Read instructions: Retain these safety and operating instructions for future
reference. Adhere to all warnings printed here and on the equipment. Follow the
operating instructions printed in this User Guide.
Do not remove covers: Operate the equipment with its covers correctly fitted.
Refer any service work on the equipment to competent authorised technical
personnel only.
Power sources: Connect the equipment using the mains power adapter supplied.
Power cord routing: Route power cords so that they are not likely to be walked on,
stretched or pinched by items placed upon or against them.
Grounding: Do not defeat the grounding and polarisation means of the power cord
adapter or plug. Do not remove or tamper with any ground connection in the power
cord.
Water and moisture: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock do not expose the
equipment to rain or moisture or use it in damp or wet conditions. Do not place
containers of liquid on it which might spill into any openings.
Ventilation: Do not obstruct any ventilation. If the equipment is to be operated in a
flight-case ensure that it is constructed to allow adequate ventilation.
Heat and vibration: Do not locate the equipment in a place subject to excessive
heat or direct sunlight as this could be a fire hazard. Locate the equipment away from
any devices which produce heat or cause excessive vibration.
Servicing: Unplug the power immediately if the unit is exposed to moisture, spilled
liquid, the power adapter becomes damaged, during lightening storms, or if smoke,
odour or noise is noticed. Refer servicing to qualified technical personnel only.
Installation: Install the equipment in accordance with the instructions printed in
this User Guide. Use the equipment connections for their intended purpose only.
Precautions
Environment: Protect from excessive dirt, dust, heat and vibration both when
operating and storing. Avoid drinks spillage, tobacco ash, smoke, and exposure to
rain and moisture. If the equipment becomes wet, remove power immediately. Allow
to dry out thoroughly before using again.
Cleaning: Avoid the use of chemicals, abrasives or solvents. The equipment is best
cleaned with a dry lint-free cloth. Do not remove the cover to clean the unit.
Page | 4 BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2
Damage: To prevent damage to the equipment cosmetics, avoid placing heavy
objects on the unit, scratching the surface with sharp objects, or subjecting the unit
to rough handling and vibration.
Transporting: The equipment should be transported in the original packing or
purpose built flight case to protect it from damage during transit.
Cables: Plan the location of the equipment so that the connecting cables are not
fully extended. Full extension of the cables can stress the equipment and cables and
may result in undesired performance. Ensure that all cables are located such that
they cannot be stood on or tripped over.
Copyright Warning
JoeCo’s recorder products are designed to enable you to record and
reproduce material to which you own the copyright, or material which the
copyright owner has granted you permission to record and/or reproduce.
It is illegal to record, reproduce, distribute, sell, hire, lend, perform or
broadcast all or part of a work (written or musical composition, broadcast,
performance or similar) whose copyright is held by a third party without
permission of that third party.
Do not use this Product for purposes that could infringe a copyright held by a
third party. JoeCo and its authorised distributors and resellers assume no
responsibility whatsoever with regard to any infringements of third-party
copyrights arising through your use of this Product.
BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 5
Opening the box
Box Contents
Inside the box you will find the following:
BlackBox Recorder
Power Supply
User Manual
Quick Start Guide
3 x Input /Output (i/o) cables (only included with the unbalanced
BBR1U, otherwise available separately)
The BlackBox Recorder is not a standard multitrack recorder nor is it a digital
audio workstation (DAW). It has been designed specifically for Live
applications and will not necessarily be appropriate for use in a studio
situation. It will typically be used to record audio material onto a USB2 drive
for subsequent editing and processing in a DAW.
A number of specific features have been added to make it suitable and safe
in a Live environment such as built-in analogue relays, playback lockout,
protection against accidentally ending a recording, virtual sound checking,
no general purpose operating system, etc.
Some features often found in other multitrack machines are not present in
the BlackBox Recorder such as overdubbing and punch in facilities.
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Controls and interfaces
Front Panel
The front panel of the BlackBox Recorder contains all the user controls for
the unit. The buttons are all touch sensitive which prevents them wearing
out through constant use – just place the flat of your finger on the button to
operate.
The left hand side of the unit contains the metering section. Each channel or
Track [1 through 24] has 3 rows of metering LEDs [Green ( = signal present),
Yellow ( = good signal level) and Red ( = getting a bit hot / clip)] above the
Track Arming LEDs. The metering LEDs get brighter as the signal level gets
louder and the Red LED can be set to stay on when an overload occurs. The
meters are positioned above a two colour LED that indicates whether the
track is armed ready for recording or not (Green for playback ready; Red for
record ready). There are also indicators for Disk activity and Playback
Lockout which can prevent you from accidentally entering playback during
the performance.
To the right of the JoeCo logo is the control wheel which has a number of
functions explained later.
Then we have the main Transport controls [PLAY, STOP, RECORD] with the
four other control buttons above [L-R: BACK, MARK, LOOP, MENU].
Finally, at the right hand side of the front panel is the colour LCD display.
Metering Area
Transport
Controls
Control buttons
Display
Data
Wheel
BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 7
Rear Panel
The rear panel will look slightly different depending on which style of audio
interface you have on your BlackBox Recorder. The areas indicated in the
diagram below are explained in more detail later in this manual.
The lower 3 D-type connectors* are the main unbalanced Analogue i/o
connectors on the BBR1U, BBR1A and BBR1D. The cable looms conform to
the TASCAM standard for analogue i/o
On the BBR1B with Balanced i/o, these lower 3 D-type connectors* are the
balanced inputs and the upper row are the balanced outputs. The BBR1B
does not have the loop through inserts as output cables can be plugged into
any external effects required before returning to the console.
On the BBR1A (lightpipe i/o) version the upper option area contains the
lightpipe i/o connections and the lower row of D-types are unbalanced
analogue i/o (See BBR1A Quick Start Guide for diagram).
On the BBR1D (AES/EBU i/o) version the upper row of D-type connectors
provide digital i/o (normally configured to the Yamaha standard pin out) and
the lower row of D-types are unbalanced analogue i/o
The rest of the rear panel is fairly self explanatory we hope and is explained
in greater detail later in this manual. There are more technical details on the
JoeCo website (www.joeco.co.uk) should you require them.
i/o options
Loop through insert points
Unbalanced Analogue i/o*
Clocks
Disk
Keyboard
Headphones
Sync and
Control
Power
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Installation
Deciding where to install
In a live situation, it depends on whether the live engineer wants to be able
to see the BBR interface or not and whether you intend to utilise the Virtual
Sound Check facility. The analogue cable looms supplied with the standard
unbalanced unit are 3m long so if you’re planning on mounting the unit in a
rack close to your console then that will be the deciding factor. However,
some people will prefer to install it close to the stage box. It’s best to install
it at eye level for ease of operating the menus.
How to wire the BBR into your console
The BBR1U is supplied with 3 analogue breakout looms that are designed to
plug directly into the insert points on your mixing console. Each loom is
terminated in 8 labelled TRS ¼” jacks which have both the send and return
signals (on tip and ring respectively with the sleeve being the ground
connection). The advantages of plugging into the insert break points are:
a) you are as close to the mic amps as possible (and therefore will be
recording the cleanest signal), and
b) you can use the BlackBox as a Virtual Sound Check device.
However, some people will prefer to take their signal from group or direct
outputs or other places within the signal chain of the mixing desk which is
fine. The BBR1U BlackBox Recorder accepts unbalanced audio (as this is
what most insert break points provide), and can be switched between Low
and Pro levels in the Setup Menu (page 26).
Setting
LOW
PRO
Nominal level
-10dBu
+4dBu
Headroom above nominal level
14dB
18dB
0dBFS (when digital clipping will occur)
+4dBu
+22dBu
The top 8 channels (17-24) have their outputs available on the “loop through
insert” points on the rear panel. These 8 TRS ¼” jacks allow you to plug
BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 9
external effects (such as you might want to insert into a channel on the
console) into the signal chain. As the BBR has used up the insert points on
the console, these allow you to still insert effects such as compressors into
some channels. The Loop through inserts are only available on the
unbalanced analogue outputs of the BBR1 and are disabled on the balanced
i/o BBR1B and when using digital i/o.
The BBR1B (Balanced i/o) accepts the same levels as the BBR1U but uses
electronically balanced signals. The lower row of three 25-way D-type
connectors are the balanced inputs and the upper row are the balanced
outputs. The same type of i/o cables can be used, but in this case the tip is
the hot (+ve) signal and the ring is the cold (-ve) signal with the sleeve acting
as ground. There are some desks that provide balanced insert break points
but in many cases you will want to connect a Balanced BBR1B to group
outputs on the console. i/o cable looms are not supplied with the balanced
or digital versions as there are too many variants to cater for every
eventuality. However, your dealer will be happy to supply suitable cable
looms for your application.
It is not possible to use the balanced i/o unit plugged into unbalanced inserts
as if it were an unbalanced unit, but it is possible to feed the inputs from an
unbalanced feed providing you ground the cold (-ve) input signal. This will
need special cables to be made.
Both the unbalanced and the balanced versions of the BBR1 have analogue
relays on the i/o connectors to ensure that even in the event of a power
failure, the input signal will be looped through to the output so that there is
no risk of losing audio through the console.
If you have either of the digital i/o variants of the BlackBox Recorder, the
digital signals are accessed on the upper row of i/o connectors. The AES/EBU
appears on 25-way D-type connectors (default = Yamaha digital pin out) and
the Lightpipe connectors are the normal TOSLINK type. Just wire these to the
console in the normal way, but pay special attention to the clocking signals
to ensure that the BBR1 is being clocked correctly. There is more on this
subject later, in the clocking section (page 23).
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Deciding on a disk drive
The BlackBox Recorder is not particularly fussy about its Disk Drive. We
cannot guarantee that every drive in the world will work but all the ones
we’ve tried so far have done. The only criteria that you need to follow are:
Up to 2TB with USB2 interface
7200rpm recommended
Formatted with FAT32 Filing System
This means that most drives that are both Mac and PC compatible will work
ok. USB2 can carry up to 480Mbits/s of data and for recording 24 tracks of
96kHz/24bit the maximum data rate we need is less than 60MBits/s so
there’s normally plenty of headroom. JoeCo has already tested numerous
USB2 drives from Western Digital, Glyph, Seagate, Verbatim, Samsung,
Buffalo and others and found them to work well. We chose the FAT32 filing
system because it is compatible with all major Operating Systems and it’s
also the format chosen for the AES31 digital interchange standard.
However, USB powered drives (such as the Western Digital Passport series)
typically draw more current during spin up than the USB2 specification
allows (limited to 500mA) and can therefore not be used without providing a
separate power supply. Most standard Flash RAM drives (aka Pen Drives) are
not fast enough to take the full USB2 data rates that the BBR requires but
the 200X ones normally work ok. Ask the shop if you can try the drive with
the BBR before you buy it.
Connecting a disk drive
Plug the disk drive into the USB2 socket on the back of the BBR1 unit and
then power up the drive. The drive will be scanned, logged and ready to use
in a matter of seconds. If it takes more than 20 seconds to log the drive or
the BlackBox reports “WRONG DISK FORMAT”, check that the disk is
formatted correctly. The BlackBox can be used to reformat the drive to
FAT32 (see page 29)
BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 11
Power connection
The BBR1 is supplied with its own power supply which plugs into the dc inlet
at the rear right of the unit (or left if you’re looking at the rear as you read
this). Although the unit can accept a suitable dc input between 7.5V and 15V
it should always be used with the power supply provided.
Checking that everything works
Once you have powered the unit up and the disk drive is connected and
powered up you should be ready to record. Press the record button and
away you go!
The basic screen should look something like this when first powered up with
a drive attached.
Page | 12 BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2
Normal operation
Whenever you power up the BBR it first checks the date against its internal
real-time clock. If it’s the first time the BBR has been powered up today, it
will create a folder on the drive named \YYYY-MM-DD.bbr and make this the
current folder where YYYY is the year, MM is the month and DD is the date.
[The real-time clock will have been set up at the factory but you will need to
adjust it to your local time – see page 27]
It does this so that all today’s recordings will be kept together in one folder.
If you happen to be recording a late concert which goes on past midnight,
the BBR will not create a new folder until the next time it’s powered up so all
the song recorded during a typical concert will still be kept together.
The controls are all touch sensitive. Just place the flat part of your finger
firmly on the panel over the control – the area your finger covers is more
important than the pressure you apply.
Recording
On power up, the BBR is ready to record within seconds of logging the drive
– just press the REC button and it will begin recording. The record button
flashes to show that it’s opening the files
and then turns solid once in record.
Once the unit is recording, the STOP button
must be held down for a couple of seconds
to end the recording. This is to prevent
someone brushing against the controls and
accidentally dropping out of record.
However, if you want to mark the end of one Song and the start of another
you can just press the REC button again. You can also set MARKS by pressing
the MARK button which will enable you to create loops easily for Virtual
Sound Checking.
BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 13
At the end of a recording the BBR will have to do some housekeeping such as
closing the files and writing file headers to the disk to keep it in prime
condition. The DISK LED and the STOP button will flash until the BBR has
finished writing to the disk. Please wait until it has finished before starting
the next operation. It’s particularly important that the files have been
closed before you unplug the USB disk drive. The BlackBox will try to
recover files that have not been properly closed (see Safe’n’Sound Record
Recovery - page 37) but there’s no guarantee especially if another
operating system has written to the disk in the meantime).
However, there are a few things that might need your attention. The BBR
remembers its settings in Flash RAM internally so you should only have to
set these things up once.
You might want to record at a different sample rate or bit depth to that
which the BBR is currently set at (page 24)
The unit may be set up to only record certain tracks and you may want
to record on more (or less) tracks (page 22)
You may want to timestamp the recording against timecode (page 24)
or to set up the unit to use an external audio clock (page 23)
All these items can be controlled from the menu which is described later in
this manual.
Playback
Normally, the last recording made will be
immediately available for playback.
However the BBR may be set to “PLAYBACK
LOCKOUT” indicated by the LED in the
Metering area of the front panel in which
case the play button will have no effect.
“PLAYBACK LOCKOUT” is a safety feature that prevents the engineer from
accidentally starting to playback recorded material during the middle of the
concert! This can cause severe embarrassment and could be a career limiting
move for the sound engineer.
Page | 14 BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2
If the BBR is set to “PLAYBACK LOCKOUT” and you want to disable it
temporarily to perform a Virtual Sound Check, press the MENU button to
enter the MENU and PLAYBACK LOCKOUT is the first item on the list. Press
MENU again and it will remove the tick () mark against PLAYBACK
LOCKOUT. Press BACK to exit the MENU and you can now use Playback
normally. PLAYBACK LOCKOUT can be set to manual in the SETUP menu
preventing it automatically engaging after each recording
Fast Wind
FAST FORWARD and REWIND functions within a SONG are achieved by
holding the STOP button down whilst moving the data wheel. Playback will
then commence from this position in the Song
Selecting Songs
To select other songs for playback you will need to press the MENU button.
Move the data wheel until Song Select is highlighted; press MENU again;
Select Song Folder if required and then move the data wheel to select the
song you want to playback; press MENU to confirm.
When a previously recorded Song is loaded for playback, the 24 Green
“playback ready” LEDs positioned underneath the meter section indicate
which tracks are present and ready for playback.
If you load a Song that was recorded at a different sample rate, a warning
will be displayed in the Song Name area of the main screen showing the
original sample rate in red.
Next / Previous Song
When the BBR is in STOP, the MARK and LOOP buttons will move you to the
previous and next song respectively in the current folder.
Recent Songs
As Songs are recorded or replayed, they will automatically be placed into the
Recent Songs list which is located in the Song Select menu. This allows you
to quickly access the Songs that you regularly play for sound checks, etc. The
BLACKBOX RECORDER - User Manual v2.2 Page | 15
Recent Songs list is stored on the disk itself so the list will change if you use a
different disk.
File Names
By default, the BBR will name the audio files it creates as follows:
nnn-tt.WAV
Where nnn is the song number (between 001 and 999) and tt is the track
number (between 01 and 24).
The track number is not shown on the main BBR user interface screen but
it’s used by the BBR to determine which file replays through which output
and will be vital in post production.
Renaming Songs
If you plug a PS2 keyboard into the BBR1 it is possible to rename Songs to
help find them more easily later on the BBR or in post production on a Digital
Audio Workstation (DAW). The keyboard connector on the BBR is a PS2 style
Mini DIN connector. This was chosen specifically to avoid getting it mixed up
with the USB connection for the Disk Drive – most PC or Electronics shops
will sell PS2 keyboards. It is possible to name Songs and tracks using the
menu buttons and data wheel (see page 27) but you’ll find it much quicker
using a standard 102 key PS2 keyboard
To rename a song: use “Ctrl-S” and then type in the name that you want. The
BBR will accept capital and lower case letters, spaces and all normal
characters that computers will accept in file names except the dash “-“ (any
illegal characters will be replaced with an underscore “_”). You can navigate
backwards and forwards using the left and right arrow keys and the delete
and backspace keys operate as you would expect. Finish by pressing “Enter”
on the keyboard. (Escape will cancel any changes). The resulting tracks will
be called
nnn-tt.Song Name.WAV
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