1010music blackbox 2: Four Tracks and a Battery
1010music blackbox 2 is a $649 / £649 desktop sampler with a 4-inch touchscreen, four tracks, USB-C I/O, and a battery. Specs, price, and who it is for.
1010music showed blackbox 2 at Superbooth in May, and the compact sampler is shipping now. The official store lists it at $649, in stock. Thomann UK has it at £649, also in stock. This is a first look at the official product page, the v1.0.1 manual dated 17 July 2026, and 1010music's own videos. We have not used one in a session.
At a glance: $649 at 1010music, £649 at Thomann. A 4-inch high-resolution touchscreen. Four tracks, each running as Shredder, One-Shot, Loop, Slicer, Multisample, or External. USB-C host and device with multichannel audio. Analog I/O on 3.5 mm TRS. A built-in battery. Firmware v1.0.1.
What blackbox 2 is, and what it is not
blackbox 2 is a battery-powered desktop sampler and sequencer. The v1.0.1 user guide frames it as a finished piece of music on one device: four instrument tracks, sampling and resampling, a sequencer, a mixer, and master effects, all driven from the touchscreen.
It succeeds the original blackbox. It does not replace Bento, which is the larger 1010music flagship with a 7-inch screen, a 4×4 pad grid, and eight tracks. Official copy says blackbox 2 borrows Bento's Launch, Scene, Song, Mixing, and Effects screens and keeps the smaller footprint. Patches for One-Shot, Loop, Multisample, Slicer, and Shredder move between the two machines.
If you are still choosing a first groovebox, start with the 2026 drum machine guide. blackbox 2 is a sampler-first desktop, not a drum-machine-first box like an Elektron Digitakt or a Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II.
1010music's own comparison against the original blackbox is the hardware tour to watch:
Four tracks, six instrument types
What each track can be
Every project holds four tracks, and each one takes a single instrument type.
- One-Shot — a pad bank, 16 samples per patch. This is the kit and the finger-drumming lane.
- Loop — tempo-synced loops, also 16 samples per patch. Loop Groups launch several loops together on the BPM grid.
- Slicer — chop a WAV and trigger the slices from a grid.
- Multisample — a pitched instrument built from a set of WAVs, interpolating the notes in between. Pianos, electric pianos, and captured synth presets live here.
- Shredder — the genuinely new one. It divides a single WAV into up to 128 slices like a Slicer, then plays each slice through a granular engine, so you can scrub, detune, and stretch a slice independently of its original length.
- External — play outboard gear from the sequencer and return its audio.
Four tracks is a smaller mixer than Bento's eight, and a more focused one. The published pitch is 2× the power of the original blackbox, and the new track types are the substance behind that claim.
Sequencing and the performance pages
Sequencing runs three ways: step, grid and piano roll, and probability. Record in real time or draw the notes. 1010music's beatmaking film walks the new step sequencer, per-step velocity, and a scale-locked pad view used to write a bass part:
Launch, Scene, and Song are the performance screens. Launch fires Loop Groups and sequences on the fly. Song mode plays a complete arrangement, and Scenes let you jump sections instead. Official copy puts clip and scene triggering, expressive pads, resampling, and DJ effects on that same live stage.
Effects, EQ, and the sample pool
DJ effects sit under XY controls: filter, echo, gater, flanger, bitcrusher, and repeater. A four-band EQ offers cut, shelf, or parametric per band. Each track also gets the synth-style tools 1010music already ships on Bento — multiple filters, envelopes, LFOs, overdrive, and a modulation matrix.
The sample pool tops out at 576 slots per project, and the toolbar shows how many remain alongside a live CPU readout. Watch that number. The manual warns that a heavy project can glitch or drop out before it maxes the pool, so thin the voices or the effects first.
The included microSD card ships with over 140 patches and over 6,800 sample files.
Recording, USB-C, and the analog panel
Sampling and resampling
Recording is the other half of the box, and the options are aimed at people working without a computer.
You can sync record start and stop to the clock, or arm an automatic capture that triggers on an audio threshold. Setting a recording length gives you a loop that is already the right size. Immediate playback after recording covers live looping, including MIDI-triggered record and play. Automatic multisampling builds a playable instrument from a synth you already own. Recordings run up to 4 hours, and you can resample the master output internally with no patch cable.
USB-C is host and device
There are two USB-C ports, and they do different jobs. Over the PWR/DATA port, blackbox 2 sends three stereo channels that mirror analog outputs 1 to 3 and receives one stereo channel back from a computer, tablet, or phone. The same port handles Disk Mode for file transfer.
The v1.0.1 manual is specific about MIDI here, and the limitation is worth knowing before you buy: this firmware receives MIDI over USB and does not send it. TRS MIDI Out still drives hardware, and each track can be assigned its own MIDI output channel. The second USB-C port is a MIDI host for controllers, keyboards, and pad controllers.
Power wants a 20 W or higher USB-C supply on the PWR/DATA port. The box includes a USB-C power cable and a USB-C power/data splitter for the times when one cable cannot cleanly carry both power and audio.
Analog I/O, clock, and battery
Conversion is 24-bit in and out. The panel carries one stereo input, three stereo outputs, and a stereo headphone output, all on 3.5 mm TRS. Audio 1 is the full master with reverb, delay, EQ, compressor, and DJ FX. TRS MIDI In auto-detects Type A or Type B, and MIDI Out is switchable. A single analog clock jack works as in or out at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, or 24 PPQ.
Battery life is four hours of play time. Charging runs off that same 20 W USB-C supply, and the manual notes it charges faster with the unit switched off.
In the box: the sampler, the loaded microSD card, a USB-C power cable, the USB-C power/data splitter, two Type B TRS-to-DIN MIDI adapters, and a QR code to the Quick Start Guide.
blackbox 2 specifications
| Spec | Official detail |
|---|---|
| Product | blackbox 2 — Next Gen Compact Sampler |
| Developer | 1010music |
| Type | Battery-powered desktop sampler / sequencer |
| Price | $649 at 1010music; £649 at Thomann UK |
| Availability | In stock on both storefronts (21 August 2026) |
| Screen | 4-inch high-resolution colour touchscreen |
| Tracks | 4, each One-Shot, Loop, Slicer, Multisample, Shredder, or External |
| Samples per patch | 16 on One-Shot and Loop patches |
| Slices | Up to 128 per Slicer or Shredder WAV |
| Sample pool | 576 slots per project |
| Factory content | 140+ patches, 6,800+ sample files on the included microSD |
| Sequencer | Step, grid / piano roll, probability |
| Performance | Launch, Scene, Song, Mixing, Effects; Loop Groups |
| DJ FX | Filter, echo, gater, flanger, bitcrusher, repeater on XY controls |
| EQ | 4-band, cut / shelf / parametric per band |
| Sound design | Multiple filters, envelopes, LFOs, overdrive, modulation matrix |
| Recording | Up to 4 hours; clock-synced, threshold, fixed-length, internal resampling |
| Battery | 4 hours of play time; charges from a 20 W+ USB-C supply |
| USB audio | USB-C host + device; 3 stereo out / 1 stereo in |
| USB MIDI (v1.0.1) | Receives on PWR/DATA and the host port; does not send |
| MIDI | TRS In and Out, Type A/B (in auto-detected, out selectable) |
| Clock | Analog TRS, in or out, at 1 / 2 / 4 / 8 / 12 / 24 PPQ |
| Analog I/O | 1 stereo in, 3 stereo outs, stereo headphones, 24-bit ADC/DAC |
| Storage | microSD — FAT32 up to 32 GB, exFAT for 64 GB and larger |
| Firmware / manual | v1.0.1, user guide dated 17 July 2026 |
| Size / weight | 297 × 176 × 48 mm, 0.57 kg |
| Retailer detail | Thomann item 644302, available since August 2026 |
blackbox 2 vs Bento vs a pad sampler
Bento is the same family's bigger brain. An Akai MPC is the pad-and-clip alternative with a much larger ecosystem. EP-133 is the cheap handheld if you only need one-shots and a built-in speaker.
| blackbox 2 | 1010music Bento | EP-133 K.O. II | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job | Compact four-track desktop sampler | Flagship sampling production lab | Handheld sampler / composer |
| Price | $649 / £649 | $899 at 1010music, £792 at Thomann | £289 at Thomann (128 MB) |
| Screen | 4-inch hi-res touch | 7-inch multi-touch | Small dedicated display |
| Tracks | 4 | 8 | Sample slots, not a four-track machine |
| Pads | On-screen, plus encoders and the button strip | 4×4 velocity and pressure pads | Built-in pads and speaker |
| Battery | 4 hours of play time | Yes, in a larger chassis | Yes, handheld |
| USB audio | 3 stereo out / 1 stereo in | USB-C host and device | USB audio on later firmware |
| Reach for it when | You want a backpack sampler with Bento-style launch pages | You want pads, eight tracks, and a bigger mixer | You want a cheap, speaker-equipped sketchbox |
Choose blackbox 2 if the original was the right size and the new track types, USB-C audio, and battery are what was missing. Choose Bento if you need eight tracks and real pads, and you accept the larger chassis and the higher price. Choose EP-133 if you sketch on a train and will never need three stereo outputs. An MPC makes more sense if you already live in that clip grid and want the synth engine that landed in MPC 3.9.
Who blackbox 2 is for
Consider it if you got on with the original blackbox and want the 4-inch screen, Loop Groups, Shredder, and USB-C host and device without stepping up to Bento. The $649 / £649 pair is the live street price on both sides of the Atlantic.
Consider it if you want a DAWless sampler that charges from a USB-C brick and lives in a backpack. Four hours of play time is enough for a rehearsal or a set.
Skip it if you need eight tracks, a 7-inch screen, and a 4×4 pad grid. That machine already exists, and it is Bento.
Skip it if you wanted parameter locks and a drum-machine workflow as the headline feature. Read the drum machine guide first.
Skip it if the v1.0.1 USB MIDI limitation breaks your rig. This firmware receives MIDI over USB but will not send it, so plan on TRS MIDI Out for hardware.
How much blackbox 2 costs
$649 direct from 1010music, listed in stock. £649 from Thomann UK, also in stock, item 644302, available since August 2026 with a 30-day money-back window and a 3-year retailer warranty.
Firmware and documentation live on the 1010music downloads page. The shipping build is v1.0.1 and the user manual PDF is dated 17 July 2026.
FAQ
Is blackbox 2 just a screen upgrade?
No. Official copy claims 2× the power of the original, and the substance is in the new track types, the Bento-style Launch, Scene, and Song pages, USB-C host and device with multichannel audio, and the battery. The 4-inch panel is the most visible change, not the only one.
How is blackbox 2 different from Bento?
Bento is the larger flagship with eight tracks, a 7-inch screen, and physical pads, at $899. blackbox 2 is the compact four-track sampler at $649. Patches of the shared instrument types move between them.
What is the battery life?
Four hours of play time. Charge it from a 20 W or higher USB-C supply, and expect it to charge faster with the unit powered off.
What firmware ships on it?
v1.0.1, with the matching user manual dated 17 July 2026.
Can I use it as a USB audio interface?
Yes. It appears as a USB audio device with three stereo outputs to the computer and one stereo input from it, plus Disk Mode for file transfer. Note that v1.0.1 receives MIDI over USB and does not send it.
What is a Shredder track?
A Shredder splits one WAV into up to 128 slices, then plays each slice through a granular engine. It is built for evolving textures and mangled breakbeats rather than tight drum kits.
The bottom line
blackbox 2 is 1010music's compact sampler with a 4-inch touchscreen, four flexible tracks, and a battery, shipping now at $649 and £649. Superbooth in May was the reveal. v1.0.1 is what is actually in the box, and the granular Shredder track is the most interesting thing in it.
This is a first look, not a scored review. We have not finger-drummed a Loop Group on one. If the original blackbox was the right size for your desk, watch the official comparison, read the 17 July manual, and buy from 1010music or Thomann.
