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Have any of you in this group used the JoeCo BlackBox recorder? The Mix Magazine Review gave it some good marks. It seems to have a lot of useful features, 24 tracks, reasonable size and weight, along with a number of input options. Has anyone played with one of these recorders yet? What do you think about it? Walt

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I believe Philip Perkins has had personal experience with the JoeCo BlackBox recorder. Maybe he will give you some answers. From what I know, it is a very good unit to provide high track counts in a 1RU space and it has proven to be very reliable. I don't think it is a suitable replacement for the current crop of dedicated "conventional" recorders like Deva, Sound Devices, Cantar, etc., but certainly would be useful for jobs where you need high track count (and don't want to go the Metacorder - Boomrecorder route).

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I've replaced my Fostex 824s with two JoeCo BBR1s about six months ago. I'm doing a reality show using 12 tracks recording for about 10-12 hours a day. The freedom of not having to change disks every hour and a half is tremendous. I have the Allen-Heath MixWizard 16 as front end. I'm using two JoeCos for redundancy.

I couldn't be happier with them.

Jay Hartigan

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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The main problems to be aware of

no .poly wave files

23.976 does not work correctly

no real metadata option

The main design is for live sound but they are working on updating it

23.98 works fine, have used it.

Anyone wanting to make a polywav file of 24 tracks should have their head examined. Wave Agent won't crack anything larger than a 12 track poly. I have cracked inadvertent polys larger than 12 in BWF Widget, but its a deal.

There is an iXML option for the BBR which I have, which makes full metadata. There is a keyboard port for track/file naming and transport control.

I have used it for all types of recording (incl dialog) with good results. There are several models, incl one with AES inputs, another with MADI, and two versions w/ analog inputs. I have the simplest one, which can sit on the inserts of a console. The advantage to this is that since the console signal path passes through the BBR, if you have signal in your console you are also monitoring your multitrack. I also had Redco make me some "single ended" snakes to hook up to direct outs (no return to console), and in using those used the recorder's monitor mixer and stereo monitor out. The recorder is very small (1RU x about 5 inches), almost weightless, takes ext TC and sample clock, and uses very inexpensive USB drives, even for 24 tracks @ 24/48. I've worked this machine pretty hard over the last year and a half, no real issues, and great USA support from Full Scale AV. If you know that you will be using a mixer with inserts, direct outs or MADI, will always have AC power and need A LOT of tracks in a very small space, you should check it out.

phil p

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I didn't mention I've recycled two Digidesign 888s for metering. The JoeCo has terrible metering. The 888s are a great solution and were paid for years ago.

Jay

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I wondered what they were doing there--I thought maybe you were rolling in PT too.

I've kind of learned the JoeCo metering, the relative brightness levels etc, although really they are just for confidence, mostly. There is the hirez meter mode, but I never get around to using it when really working. But between my console metering and clip lights and the JoeCo's little meters I've done pretty well (but I'm pretty conservative on levels going to this recorder).

Are you using the MixWiz on inserts or direct outs?

phil p

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The JoeCo iPad control looks great! Philip's above review of the JoeCo Black Box Recorder is pretty outstanding --- definitely a stellar real world review. Thank you, Philip, for posting that. Thank you, Marc, for the links to JoeCo site/announcements. It should serve us all to know more about this amazing device.

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Wow, that is an ideal solution for Reality shows, certain kinds of documentaries, and concerts! Very good idea. It looks like a fantastic recorder for certain projects. Man, if they could implement metadata, this could work for a lotta stuff on a cart...

The sound supervisor for Chopped on the food network uses one of these, I believe with one of thos Presonus mixer controllers, as well as metacorder.

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I'm using the direct outs to feed the JoeCo looping through to the second Recorder I'm feeding a transcription recorder from the aux and listening back using the stereo returns one for transcription recorder and one of the JoeCo recorders. Mostly the faders allow me to listen to everything or whatever I want on the L-R send.

I have metadata using IXML. It's all in there.

I control input levels to the JoeCo with the trims on the MixWizard. They are not linear so you have to move the trims very carefully.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatak HD

post-3237-133164656856.jpg

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The JoeCo iPad control looks great! Philip's above review of the JoeCo Black Box Recorder is pretty outstanding --- definitely a stellar real world review. Thank you, Philip, for posting that. Thank you, Marc, for the links to JoeCo site/announcements. It should serve us all to know more about this amazing device.

post-1-0-73789100-1331643637.jpg

Maybe a reason to buy an iPad at last--would allow me to bury the JoeCo on a cart where I can't see the meters.

phil p

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  • 2 weeks later...

The black box may be perfect for my cart based live production / filming client,were currently using a pro tools rig which takes up to much space and this would eliminate that all together simplifying setup as well. I'd probably go with tos link out versions, to work with our 01v96 per fade direct outs.....tos link version does not include loop back would be cool but over kill for our needs, I really like app idea for levels as a 3 step led leaves a bit to be desired.

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