Connecting up an Arturia Minibrute 2 to Helix Stomp and 1010 Blackbox

builttospill · May 2020

Emergency call to @octatonic or any other synth 1010 Blackbox people.

Can anyone tell me what I’m doing wrong? Please see added picture. I’m trying to connect up all three, the Minibrute 2, L6 Helix Stomp and Blackbox, I’m hoping to use the BB for drum samples etc and the synth/keys of the Minibrute 2 with added FX from the helix.

I’m connecting from the master out of the Arturia Minibrute 2 to the Helix Stomp’s FX Left Mono input. Then from the headphone out of the Helix Stomp to input 1 of the BB (I’ve also tried the HX Stomp’s Left Mono output)
Basically I can hear the BB via the BB headphone out but I can’t hear the Minibrute 2 Synth or the added fx from the Helix stomp. Can anyone guide me in the right direction? help greatly appreciated. There’s the global settings in the stomp where I can change the ins/outs to instrument or line but not really sure if it’s this? Yep! as you can see I’m completely new to this and it seems quite a steeeeep learning curve.

octatonic · May 2020

That seems super complicated.
I would get get a cheap mixer.

But the obvious issue to me seems you are going out of the Helix at headphone level into the BB.
I would go into the BB at line level, so out of the Helix at Line Level too.

Even still if you had a mixer you could put the BB's inputs on an aux on your mixer and give you the ability to change the level going in, which would be much easier.

builttospill · May 2020

Thanks @octatonic Bizzarely it’s kind of working fine via headphone out on the Helix. But yeah I agree I am making it complicated for myself. Is it best to use both L&R outputs on the back of the Stomp to the BB and set the stomps outputs to line rather than instrument?

builttospill · May 2020

I think a mixer would simplify things here @octatonic can you or anyone can you recommend a good budget small/portable mixer for this purpose?

Would something like the Roland GO: Mixer Pro do?

octatonic · May 2020

Mackie are my usual suggestion here.

Funkfingers · May 2020

I have a surfeit of LM-3204 rack units.

The smart option would be to sync the MB and BB to each other via MIDI. Send their respective audio outputs to the mixer. Add the Helix effect treatments via the Auxiliary send/return sockets of the mixer.

Ideally, separate the drum sounds across the BB audio outputs to enable different amounts of effect processing to be applied to each.

builttospill · May 2020

Hi @Funkfingers many thanks for this, I was thinking of getting a Mackie Mix 8 mixer, it has the Aux send/return which you were talking about and will be useful when connecting up to external fx like my HX Stomp. I’m a complete newbie to MIDI so I really do not know how to approach this. My BB has a few MIDI to mini jack connectors which I’ve not even plugged in yet.

Funkfingers · May 2020

If both instruments respond to Clock synchronisation, try using that for simple, repetitive sequencing.

Within the respective Global or System parameter menus, set the BB as Master and the synth arpeggiator as Slave. If possible, set both instruments to the same Pulses Per Quarter Note resolution value.

builttospill said:

Mackie Mix 8 mixer … has the Aux send/return which you were talking about

My knowledge of Mackie products only properly covers their US-made hardware. The dark grey painted stuff.

UnclePsychosis · May 2020

You don't need a separate mixer, unless you want to do fancy stuff. It would make it a lot easier though.

Plug the minibrute "out" into the Stomp "in".

Take the audio "out" from the Stomp (don't use the headphones, use the "normal" audio out) and plug it into the BB audio in. Be careful with mono/stereo cables etc.

Plug headphones into the BB headphone socket.

Now open the BB manual to page 24 and 25 where it tells you how to use the audio in:

"Send a signal to the audio Input. The source will play through the selected output if the Rec Mon setting is ON or Auto. "

As an alternative, take the audio out from the BB and feed it into the L/R Return of the Stomp as an 'aux in'. The Stomp manual explains how, but otherwise a quick google will tell you how to do it. This way round, plug the headphones into the Stomp headphone socket. Assuming you don't want to sample the Stomp using the BB this is the way I'd do it.

builttospill · May 2020

UnclePsychosis said:

You don't need a separate mixer, unless you want to do fancy stuff. It would make it a lot easier though.

Plug the minibrute "out" into the Stomp "in".

Take the audio "out" from the Stomp (don't use the headphones, use the "normal" audio out) and plug it into the BB audio in. Be careful with mono/stereo cables etc.

Plug headphones into the BB headphone socket.

Now open the BB manual to page 24 and 25 where it tells you how to use the audio in:

"Send a signal to the audio Input. The source will play through the selected output if the Rec Mon setting is ON or Auto. "

As an alternative, take the audio out from the BB and feed it into the L/R Return of the Stomp as an 'aux in'. The Stomp manual explains how, but otherwise a quick google will tell you how to do it. This way round, plug the headphones into the Stomp headphone socket. Assuming you don't want to sample the Stomp using the BB this is the way I'd do it.

This is brilliant info @UnclePsychosis much appreciated thank you... coincidentally I have it set up the way you mentioned Including setting up BB to ‘REC ON’ and everything works excellently so far. Re mono stereo cables what should I look out for? is there a possibility that I may be damaging something? I’m using this Hosa cable from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005HGM1D6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_uQJXEb8BVBJV6 this goes from the Helix Stomp’s two outputs.

UnclePsychosis · May 2020

That cable looks fine. Don't think you can break anything, it's just you want to avoid getting weird effects by mixing up mono and stereo connections.

Have fun!

builttospill · May 2020

Hi @UnclePsychosis another question, I’m still thinking of going the mixer route but what would you say were the main advantages of using a mixer compared to how I have It set up currently? Minibrute>Stomp>Blackbox

brucegill · June 2020

How are you getting on @builttospill ??

looks like we’re going down roughly the same road. Blind (lol). I bought a Moog Subharmonicon on a whim and have loved playing with it way more than I thought I would. Currently just using this and my pedals and occasionally trying (mostly failing) to get my Keystep to work with it. The Blackbox is looking attractive and really useful, almost the missing link for me as the sequencer on the Moog is a little limiting without playing the synth live, so to speak, to get a little more variation in what I’m doing. Keystep and midi just make my head hurt. I just don’t get it. Mixers keep coming to mind too but I can’t really get my head around those either, or how I’d use one and set it all up.

octatonic · June 2020

brucegill said:

How are you getting on @builttospill ??

looks like we’re going down roughly the same road. Blind (lol). I bought a Moog Subharmonicon on a whim and have loved playing with it way more than I thought I would. Currently just using this and my pedals and occasionally trying (mostly failing) to get my Keystep to work with it. The Blackbox is looking attractive and really useful, almost the missing link for me as the sequencer on the Moog is a little limiting without playing the synth live, so to speak, to get a little more variation in what I’m doing. Keystep and midi just make my head hurt. I just don’t get it. Mixers keep coming to mind too but I can’t really get my head around those either, or how I’d use one and set it all up.

What don't you get about the Keystep?

Also check out Elektron boxes (esp Digitakt).
IMHO they have the best sequencers on the market, because of two factors: conditional trigs and parameter locking.

brucegill · June 2020

octatonic said:

brucegill said:

How are you getting on @builttospill ??

looks like we’re going down roughly the same road. Blind (lol). I bought a Moog Subharmonicon on a whim and have loved playing with it way more than I thought I would. Currently just using this and my pedals and occasionally trying (mostly failing) to get my Keystep to work with it. The Blackbox is looking attractive and really useful, almost the missing link for me as the sequencer on the Moog is a little limiting without playing the synth live, so to speak, to get a little more variation in what I’m doing. Keystep and midi just make my head hurt. I just don’t get it. Mixers keep coming to mind too but I can’t really get my head around those either, or how I’d use one and set it all up.

What don't you get about the Keystep?

Also check out Elektron boxes (esp Digitakt).
IMHO they have the best sequencers on the market, because of two factors: conditional trigs and parameter locking.

Many thanks. Funny enough, I was literally just looking into Digitakt. Conditional trigs look great!

I think the Blackbox might be more suited to my needs though. I want to sample various instruments and sounds, sequence and build a song - I think the Blackbox might be better at that than the Digitakt? Digitakt looks better for sequencing though. I Might have that wrong?

Keystep is pretty simple yet just goes over my head. In fairness I’ve not tried it much into logic to trigger instruments in the DAW - I’ve been trying to get it to play the Moog through midi. I know nothing about midi so it’s all a bit of a learning curve. I don’t know what it is, we just don’t get on. I just need to pull my thumb out and spend some time watching some tutorials. The sequencer and arpeggiator just don’t do what I want. Like I say, I know it’s me, not the Keystep.

builttospill · June 2020

Hi @brucegill sorry for the late reply and thanks for asking. The 1010 Blackbox is a brilliant sampler/sequencer, I love mine but I am still still learning its many features etc, the granular stuff is lots of fun. I did the sensible thing and printed the 70 + page manual. I just need to go through it slowly and methodically.
I was very close to purchasing the Digitakt but the BB seemed like the right choice.

There are some brilliant video tutorials on the 1010 music site that do make things a little clearer. I went a bit crazy during lockdown with a Helix Stomp, Arturia Minibrute 2, iLoud Micro speakers and now a Mackie 8 channel mixer but I’ve not even had a chance to set it all up. I figured the mixer route would be the sensible way to link everything up, it would give me more control over levels and I can be bit more creative with things. I wanted a mixer with Aux send/FX Send so I can send FX from the HX stomp back to the individual channels. Midi? pah! I’ve not even touched that yet probably because I’m just too scared. So far I run the Minibrute 2>Stomp>BB and this works really well. I use the BB as a drum machine and for playing random sequences over the top of synth stuff.

brucegill · June 2020

@builttospill thanks mate. I took the plung and got a Blackbox. Thinking I’ve made an error to be honest. If this ever sinks in, I’ll be amazed. That Manual is ridiculous.

octatonic · June 2020

brucegill said:

@builttospill thanks mate. I took the plung and got a Blackbox. Thinking I’ve made an error to be honest. If this ever sinks in, I’ll be amazed. That Manual is ridiculous.

It is a dense workflow.
Keep at it.

brucegill · June 2020

octatonic said:

brucegill said:

@builttospill thanks mate. I took the plung and got a Blackbox. Thinking I’ve made an error to be honest. If this ever sinks in, I’ll be amazed. That Manual is ridiculous.

It is a dense workflow.
Keep at it.

Is the digitakt any easier?

octatonic · June 2020

brucegill said:

octatonic said:

brucegill said:

@builttospill thanks mate. I took the plung and got a Blackbox. Thinking I’ve made an error to be honest. If this ever sinks in, I’ll be amazed. That Manual is ridiculous.

It is a dense workflow.
Keep at it.

Is the digitakt any easier?

Considerably.
Just having buttons per step makes it a lot easier.

It is still a complicated device though, but less complicated than the other Elektron boxes.
If the BB is difficult then avoid the Octatrack, it will bend your noodle.

brucegill · June 2020

Bend your noodle. Hahaha. Many thanks.

Thinking the digitakt with the subharmonicon might be more fun to play together (not looked into this so only talking ourloud). I’m finding the black box a bit like being on a really shit, old computer.

Either digitakt or get a Dfam and have fun that way. One thing that I’m loving about the subharmonicon is playing it rather than just setting up a sequence and press play. That said, I’m liking long slow drones out of the subharmonicon and layering Abstract guitar over them. The Lyra 8 was on my list as well but not right now.

octatonic · June 2020

brucegill said:

Bend your noodle. Hahaha. Many thanks.

Thinking the digitakt with the subharmonicon might be more fun to play together (not looked into this so only talking ourloud). I’m finding the black box a bit like being on a really shit, old computer.

Either digitakt or get a Dfam and have fun that way. One thing that I’m loving about the subharmonicon is playing it rather than just setting up a sequence and press play. That said, I’m liking long slow drones out of the subharmonicon and layering Abstract guitar over them. The Lyra 8 was on my list as well but not right now.

I have both the Digitakt and the DFAM.
Get the Digitakt.
The DFAM is great in its own way but it is much more limited in what it can achieve by itself.
I have mine integrated into a largish modular and it gets a lot of use because I have a lot of other modulation sources for it.

Careful with Eurorack though.
I started with a couple of AJH modules and it quickly morphed into this:

Image: https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/86826095_2296099407356653_7780024585994371072_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=YF8ZXe9ShHMAX8KHvT4&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr8-1.xx&oh=6dbd80f6c8d566960d0af6cb3a1f6993&oe=5F11498C

brucegill · June 2020

octatonic said:

brucegill said:

Bend your noodle. Hahaha. Many thanks.

Thinking the digitakt with the subharmonicon might be more fun to play together (not looked into this so only talking ourloud). I’m finding the black box a bit like being on a really shit, old computer.

Either digitakt or get a Dfam and have fun that way. One thing that I’m loving about the subharmonicon is playing it rather than just setting up a sequence and press play. That said, I’m liking long slow drones out of the subharmonicon and layering Abstract guitar over them. The Lyra 8 was on my list as well but not right now.

I have both the Digitakt and the DFAM.
Get the Digitakt.
The DFAM is great in its own way bit it is much more limited in what it can achieve by itself.
I have mine integrated into a largish modular and it gets a lot of use because I have a lot of other modulation sources for it.

Careful with Eurorack though.
I started with a couple of AJH modules and it quickly morphed into this:

Wow! It grows quickly! Nice set up

thanks, appreciate the help. Sounds like you know where I’m coming from even with my utter lack of knowledge

.

brucegill · June 2020

had another go today with a clear head. Still not for me. I want nobs and buttons for everything please. Blackbox going back, Digitakt ordered.

octatonic · June 2020

There are still menus in the DT.
But it is an easier device to use.

brucegill · June 2020

octatonic said:

There are still menus in the DT.
But it is an easier device to use.

did a load of YT videos last few days. Seems more logical, to me. Bigger too, and those clicks keys. And I actually like the look of it

octatonic · June 2020

brucegill said:

octatonic said:

There are still menus in the DT.
But it is an easier device to use.

did a load of YT videos last few days. Seems more logical, to me. Bigger too, and those clicks keys. And I actually like the look of it

I love the Elektron workflow.

I’ve got nearly everything they currently make and about to look for some of the old stuff.

brucegill · June 2020

octatonic said:

brucegill said:

octatonic said:

There are still menus in the DT.
But it is an easier device to use.

did a load of YT videos last few days. Seems more logical, to me. Bigger too, and those clicks keys. And I actually like the look of it

I love the Elektron workflow.
I’ve got nearly everything they currently make and about to look for some of the old stuff.

I can see the appeal!

Any videos you’d recommend as a good starting place for a beginner?

octatonic · June 2020

Always Cuckoo....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXexVHNO0ms

brucegill · June 2020

Thanks @octatonic ;; much appreciated!

The more I look into it, looks like a mixer is going to be on the cards too.... can’t quite get my head around that yet though. Want to add effects to Moog for sure, looks like the reverb and delay on digitakt are covered there, but could be nice to add effects to it sometimes.

octatonic · June 2020

brucegill said:

Thanks @octatonic ;; much appreciated!

The more I look into it, looks like a mixer is going to be on the cards too.... can’t quite get my head around that yet though. Want to add effects to Moog for sure, looks like the reverb and delay on digitakt are covered there, but could be nice to add effects to it sometimes.

Honestly you will outgrow a small mixer quite soon, unless you spend a lot of money on a mixer with many channels.

A good audio interface with hardware monitoring and a patchbay is my preferred solution here.
it is what I use now and I've had large format consoles before (40 channels).

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Connecting up an Arturia Minibrute 2 to Helix Stomp and 1010 Blackbox

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