Providing technology that allows bands of all sizes and statures to record their performances easily and cost-efficiently has been a major driver of business for rental houses in recent years. It’s certainly proven to be the case for one of London’s leading pro-audio and MI hire operations, FX Rentals, which has recorded consistently strong business for its quartet of four JoeCo BlackBox Recorders.
Now that inventory has been boosted with the addition of a JoeCo BLUEBOX BBWR24MP Workstation Interface Recorder.
“The BlackBox units are always in demand,” says FX Rentals Technical Engineer, Will Bence. “I get a lot of calls from people with small bands who might not have the budget for separate preamps and so on, and in those instances we usually take a BlackBox across. It’s also found favour with clients who are seeking a good backup to their ProTools systems.”
Having found the BlackBox to be “hugely reliable and suitable for all kinds of hires,” Bence was therefore intrigued when Simon Lowther, from JoeCo’s UK distributor, MSL Professional, alerted him to the existence of the latest JoeCo innovation, the BLUEBOX BBWR24MP Workstation Interface Recorder.
Based on the same award winning technology as the BlackBox range, each BLUEBOX Workstation Interface Recorder gives you a high quality interface for your DAW, plus a rugged, professional multi-track field recorder, and a unique back-up solution that ensures no source recordings are ever lost. Only BLUEBOX delivers all three core functions in one 19-inch rack-mounted unit.
The top-of-the-range BBWR24MP delivers 24 channels of pristine audio at 24bit/96kHz, both to and from a DAW over USB 2.0, with near-zero latency and simultaneously back up of all source recordings. In the field, all of the mic preamps become available to deliver a fully stand-alone, multi-channel audio acquisition recorder. Front-panel access to core controls is complemented by the recently updated JoeCoControl app for Windows and Mac, with a suite of features and customisation options including full control over input parameters, and dedicated modes for live, studio and mix down scenarios. Users can also create multiple zero latency headphone sub-mixes with gain, pan, solo, mute, and PFL, while a special Mix mode allows outputs and inputs to be used as sends and returns for outboard.
Also in the range is the BBWR08MP, with 8 channels of individually switchable mic/line inputs and 16 channels of dedicated balanced line inputs. Alternatively, the BBWR24B, is the most affordable BLUEBOX, with 24 balanced line inputs, 16 Adat Lightpipe inputs (with SMUXII support), and 24 balanced outs.
The BLUEBOX BBWR24MP arrived at just the right time for Bence, who “had been looking around for a good interface that has more than 16 mic pres for quite a while. So when Simon showed the BLUEBOX to me, I was very impressed, and we soon decided to take a unit. I think it’s going to be very popular for those customers who are seeking a portable solution and who don’t necessarily have access to a van or an estate car. And then there is its multi-functional status: if it was just an interface it would be fantastic, but the fact that it doubles as a Blackbox recorder and therefore gives you that level of redundancy is really great.”
For MSL Professional, Simon Lowther confirms that the BLUEBOX has joined its BlackBox siblings in receiving a “warm reception” across the UK. “We’ve had lots of comments from users and potential customers who clearly appreciate the benefits of a stable high track count audio interface that can also easily record to USB media at the same time,” he says. “There are lots of uses and benefits for professional users in backup and having a simultaneous recording available in terms of time and safety factors.”
More information: JoeCo
