1010music bluebox, a digital mixing and recording available as a desktop and Eurorack module: firmware 1.3 adds new features, including sidechain FX.
In September 2023, 1010music took its popular bluebox recorder to the Eurorack world. With 12 mono inputs, 4 outputs, internal recording, FX, and deep routing options, it’s a powerful digital mixer and recorder.
Good news for Eurorack and desktop users alike! The Bluebox is getting firmware version 1.3, which is currently in beta.
Firmware 1.3
That’s right! There is a new firmware version 1.3. It isn’t yet an official release, but you can download a public beta from the 1010music Discord server. Since it’s a beta version, it will likely still contain some bugs.
Firmware 1.3 is one of the biggest updates for the bluebox in a long time. The last one was in September 2024. It comes with major new features and improvements. Both versions, the desktop and Eurorack, benefit from these.
First, it introduces a sidechain compression effect. You can now sculpt the volume of each track with a time-based function, triggerable in several ways.
Either over audio (internal track as the source with threshold), internal clock (sync to sixteenth notes to entire measures), or using a MIDI note on a specific channel. The sidechain processor comes with an adjustable envelope with four parameters (attack, hold, release, and depth).
Then, the new firmware 1.3 overhauls the USB audio interface engine. It now has a 24-bit 48kHz high-fidelity connection with a computer or iOS device. According to 1010, music is more stable, has improved audio clarity, and offers more control over the USB audio stream.
Bluebox desktop users get a stereo input and output with the ability to choose source and destination. Different on the Eurorack module version. This can now send three stereo pairs and 12 mono inputs over USB audio to a computer or iOS device.
Alongside this, it comes with a new microSD mode that turns the bluebox into an SD card reader. This allows you to mount it as a drive on your computer and access your recordings. A feature that many have asked for.
Also new is a built-in spectrum analyzer that displays the frequency content of the sound across 32 bands for the currently selected track or the main output bus in real time.
All in all, a nice firmware update for the Bluebox series. The new firmware update 1.3 is available as a beta on the official 1010music Discord channel.
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Article from September 9, 2023
At Knobcon 2023, 1010music introduced the bluebox module, a Eurorack port of its popular digital desktop mixing and recording hub.
In my last article about the new stereo mixer Xcelon from Boredbrain Music, I said that 2023 would slowly become the Eurorack stereo mixer year. I’m probably right about that. Here’s the next one.
1010music has announced the bluebox desktop mixer and recorder as a module.
1010music bluebox Eurorack
Many readers are familiar with the bluebox. It’s 1010music’s super portable digital mixer with a built-in recorder. They have now taken this smart concept into the modular Eurorack world and packed it into a module. It is a logical step, especially since such an all-in-one solution does not yet exist.
The bluebox module offers 12 mono inputs, so 12 mono tracks or six stereo tracks of live or pre-recorded sounds. Like its desktop brother, the module version is digital and is, therefore, very flexible to set up. It allows you to route each track to any combination of outputs independently. For example, four mono tracks to two stereo outputs or to the stereo headphone out.
It also has internal effects with which you can process your tracks. There is a four-band EQ per track with cut/shelf/parametric settings for each band. Reverb and delay effects are also onboard with independent sends for each track. Plus, you can work with a built-in global compressor to maximize loudness and glue your mix together.
Effects send and return sockets, where you can integrate your own effects, are not included. Here, you are limited to the internal ones. A great new addition to the bluebox module version is CV controllability. It hosts 6 mappable CV inputs for modulation and control, including clock output.
Recording
In the last few days, many stereo mixers for Eurorack have come onto the market. The bluebox stands out in one topic: recording.
With 1010music’s new module, you can not only mix your tracks digitally and add FX to them, but you can also record what’s coming in right in the rack. No need for an external recorder. It captures your multi-track jams in 48 kHz, 24-bit WAV files on a microSD card.
Another handy feature of the internal recorder is the ability to play back pre-recorded tracks while recording new ones. Bring backing tracks into modular and jam on them and record both at the same time, for example. On top, you can save and recall your project settings, including all parameters for tracks, outputs, EQ, and effects.
Connectivity
The bluebox module has 12 mono inputs, four outputs, a phone socket, a clock output, six CV inputs, and MIDI in/out on 3.5mm TRS jacks. Thus, you can control everything with MIDI.
Further, you get two USB-C sockets. Connect a MIDI controller to the module using the first port, while the other port is intended for connecting to the computer. Once connected, the module is a 2-channel audio/MIDI interface as well.
Similar to the desktop version, the bluebox module is operated using four knobs, buttons, and a touchscreen interface.
First Impression
The step from desktop to Eurorack is excellent and logical. It’s great that they expanded the bluebox with 6 CV inputs in the Eurorack version. I am sure the module will be a great success because something like this hasn’t existed before.
One thing I’m not sure about is how low-noise they managed to get the signal. That would be interesting to know
1010music bluebox module for Eurorack is available soon for $699.
More information here: 1010music
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