Hi new Op1 user here
Trying to figure out the best way to pair the OP with the Blackbox if anyone here using this combo?
Ideally would like the BB to slave to Op so if I drop tape speed on Op1 the BB will stay in time…but I would have to use clock presumably?
Running BB as the master seems the easier option but I can’t figure out how messing with tape speed would translate when synced to BB in this way
Thanks in adv
D
IME OP1 works better as master when syncing clock
I have a Blackbox and recently got an op1. I’m interested in how people are using the two together as well.
Currently am flipping samples between the units without midi integration, bouncing BB jams to Op tape, the OP compressor/drive is great and the tape tricks are good too, I find the BB easier to work on probably because I know it better, I guess the optimum set up would be OP as the master in control mode over usb midi with the ability to assign BB filter and effects to the encoders and using the op keys to fire pads and key groups and hopefully keeping it all locked in when tape speed is dropped
Had a prod at it today and couldn’t get the op to see the BB sync EXT wasn’t showing as an option on metronome screen
Did get op1 keys firing single hits and loops on the BB which is fun
Change midi channels and you can fire key groups from keys and sequencers, also fun
Did note turning off charge on usb didn’t do much and op was still charging from the BB but no noise issues whatsoever
Tape has to be at the start to fire the BB transport which could get a bit boring on longer passages but all in it’s a powerful ok combo for such a small footprint
The BB sends clock too so can run the po33 with that going into the monitor in
And all running into OP audio in
For me it works well to use OP-1 as the main sound source and Blackbox acting like a sampler / main sequencer / audio loop player.
- both devices are synced to a DAW via midi clock for recording the final audio
(the “iconnectivity mIO XL” solved all the OP-1 ground noise stuff when connecting it to a computer! And the midi timing/driver is prime stable!!)
It works great to jam around with the OP-1 and live sample at the same time with blackbox. OP-1 audio out direct to Blackbox audio in, and 4 separate Blackbox tracks to a small mixer (ZED-14) The synced record mode depending on tempo works just fine.
In my case, most of the time up to 8 drum samples, 4 instrument loops, and 4 midi tracks sequencing other external synth’s. …voilà …tasty
Sounds like a plan
I am having some odd midi issues with playing BB samples from op
First time I tried I used a sample slot on OP turned the gain of that inst all the way down and could fire individual hits on the BB from different op keys
Tried again yesterday and it would fire the hits but they were all being tuned across the keys…
Have been running BB into Op audio for the op master drive glue and composing mainly on BB as I find it quicker to work on, probably as I know it better
The OP is a strange beast, sometime i find it very inspiring other times it seems flat and uninspiring, it seems to have a very narrow sweet spot in terms of gain staging and eq, esp with full mix from BB running it into it as well
Reason for going with the OP was primarily the tape as I was finding I was getting to the point where I had a few song sections on BB I could flip live but no way of recording the live jam
The tape on OP can do this and I can add in tape fx tricks and lay in additional synth parts
did you defined a midi channel in the global menu? you can set a channel for the "keys page " and the “pad page”.
Plus you can set midi in/out channel for each pad on its own…
I ignored the pad midi setting, but used global midi settings. For me it worked well to select the pad on the touch screen and sequencing it with OP-1’s ARP or SEQ. If you want to play all 16 pads with the OP-1 you have to set the right midi channel to the “global pad page channel”
The latest BB firmware introduced a lot of fixes and features. Are you up to date?
Think I am one bug fix release behind
So will update later
Neither BB or Op are particularly endowed midi wise so not a lot to get confused by
Am going to rethink the workflow a bit, aside from start stop to run sequencers in time (also somewhat confusing initially) have you managed to get the OP to see the BB midi sync?
I really don’t need midi implementation, the sauce is in the long record times offered by BB direct steaming to disc and the OP tape, makes for a very immediate workflow
Having the BB clocking the PO33 is neat and negates the issue of having to run Op in mono through the PO with one channel being eaten by the clock source
I think the BB needs to be the master hub with everything running from that
I tried a lot too, but in the end I do not connect any midi from OP-1 to BB. Keep it simple was my way: OP-1 = Instrument
Blackbox = looper/ recorder / sampler
Just audio out from OP-1 to the Blackbox audio input. livelooping and granular stuff on the fly.
I mean, this way i can hear up to 16 OP-1 at the same time 
Both externally clocked
[Hör dir Tanzbär2_OP-1_Blackbox_impro.mp3 von Craft Audio an auf #SoundCloud https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/2etjT]
This was my first session this way. I sampled random classic radio and sequence slices it with the op-1arp HOLD turned on. Drums are tanzbär 2 and Analog Heat as a stereo Filter. Eveything on the fly straight into Wavelab as stereo Mix. 
Just some repetitive electronic music experiments 
Great stuff, like the way it evolves
Much more interested in jamming things out in a live and immediate way than moving little dots around
Thanks a lot! Greetings from Hamburg 