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The BlackBox BBR64-Dante is a high-end recorder aimed at capturing live concert performance, without needing a separate computer / PC.

Recording files are easily transferred straight from USB storage to a computer for backup, then importing into a Digital Audio Workstation for post production mixing.

A big strength of the recorder is multi-channel playback of recordings - a 'virtual' sound check without the performers being present. No other connections are necessary, as this uses the same Dante network cable for playback and recording. Simply route the playback channels to a Dante-equipped sound desk as channel inputs.

We use the BlackBox BBR64 in pre-production rehearsals, and also when we get to a venue before the band arrive.

Mainline top tips

• A QWERTY keyboard is a must - easier to navigate menus and essential for naming / renaming channels.
• USB storage requirements approx 5MB per minute, per channel, at 24bit 48kHz sampling rate. Approx. 10GB per hour for 32 channels.
• Suitable media - following discussions with JoeCo, Mainline recommend Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 USB 3 memory above any other drives or USB memory we have tested. This is after trials with USB 2 and USB 3 external drives, SATA and SSD hard drives / adapters.
• Avoid USB to SATA conversion caddies - these are not up to the throughput and not high enough quality.
• Conventional hard drives can be problematical, particularly at stage end. Sub bass causes disc vibrations, in turn causing data buffering and eventual overrun. This will crash the recording.
• Test new / untried media by recording and playing back for an hour at the required or maximum channel count. We have found some devices work well but only at lower channel counts.
• Monitor the disc / buffer usage indicator on the BlackBox recorder carefully and watch for any disc error messages.
• Avoid long USB cables. Many USB2 external drives draw more than standard USB2 power rating, and cannot be powered by the recorder. External PSU adapters can be a solution here.
• Name channels before the gig - far easier than changing the filenames afterwards if you want to reuse them for virtual sound checks.
• Only arm the required channels - saves time and disc space, filtering out and transferring unused channel recordings later.
• Changing song names afterwards is best done using the JoeCo recorder rather than on a PC. Make backups of recordings before making any changes.
• Beware of digital feedback loops via JoeCo. Incoming Dante signals are looped back out by default.
• Ensure Dante word clocking is set correctly - requires a master clock on the Dante network, and set all nodes to use that master only.
• Wait for the disk activity LED to stop before disconnecting media. Wait 30s before connecting / reconnecting new media.

Manufacturer's information & media

BlackBox BBR64 Dante overview

Please contact us to enquire about JoeCo BlackBox recorder hire. We're based in Greater Manchester, serving the North West and UK Mainland.