Enabling MIDI and OSC
MIDI
- Check the MIDI checkbox in the main interface
- Select a MIDI Input device (controller) and/or a MIDI Output device (lighting console, DMX interface)
- Choose a MIDI channel for input (Omni or 1-16)
- Click SELECT to activate MIDI
OSC
- Check the OSC checkbox in the main interface
- Enter the IP address and port of the target device
- Click OK to activate OSC
Control Cues
Each pad (including SFX pads) can contain a list of control cue events that are sent at precise moments during playback. This lets you control lighting consoles, DMX interfaces, stage equipment, or send audio reminders to yourself.
How it works
Each cue event is defined by:
- TIME: when the event fires (relative to the track start), in HH:MM:SS format
- CTRL: the type of control - MIDI, OSC, AUDIO, SET, or PAD
The remaining fields depend on the CTRL type:
MIDI cues
Requires MIDI Output enabled.
- TYPE: NOTE, CC (Control Change), or PROG (Program Change)
- CH: MIDI channel (1 to 16)
- DATA: note number, CC number, or program number (0-127)
- VAL: velocity (for NOTE), CC value (for CC), or unused (for PROG)
OSC cues
Requires OSC enabled.
- TYPE: value type - STRING, INTEGER, or FLOAT
- DATA: the OSC address (e.g.
/cue/go) - VAL: the value to send
AUDIO cues
No external device required.
- TYPE: BEEP (a short chime tone) or SPEAK (text-to-speech)
- CH: output routing - CTRL (audio controls output, default) or MAIN (main output, for SPEAK only). BEEP always goes to CTRL
- DATA: language for SPEAK (detected automatically from installed voice models). Unused for BEEP
- VAL: the text to speak (for SPEAK, unused for BEEP)
The volume of all AUDIO cues is controlled by the CTRL fader, independently from the main playback volume.
Text-to-speech uses the sherpa-onnx engine with neural voice models. Available languages are detected from the models/ directory. By default: English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Use cases for AUDIO cues
- Stage cue reminders: a beep or spoken message on the CTRL output to remind you to trigger a lighting change or curtain move
- Replace a paper cue sheet: program spoken instructions like "lights fade to blue" on the CTRL output
- Public voiceover: route a SPEAK cue to MAIN to make an announcement to the audience
- Crew coordination: connect the CTRL output to an intercom so all crew members hear synchronized spoken cues
Automation Cues (SET / PAD)
SET and PAD cues are an advanced feature. You do not need them to use BlackBox Cue effectively. If you are just getting started, feel free to skip this section.
SET and PAD cues let you change the software's own settings during playback, turning each pad into a small automation script.
SET cues
Change a software setting at a specific moment:
- MODE: switch between fade and crossfade mode. DATA: FADE or CROSSFADE
- NORM: enable or disable volume normalization. DATA: ON or OFF
- FADEIN: set the fade-in duration (only applies in fade mode). VAL: seconds (0-10)
- FADEOUT: set the fade-out duration (only applies in fade mode). VAL: seconds (0-10)
- CROSSFADE: set the crossfade duration (only applies in crossfade mode). DATA: MANUAL or AUTO. If MANUAL, VAL is the duration in seconds (0-10)
- VOL: set a volume level. CH: MAIN, LSTN (preview), or CTRL (audio cues). VAL: level (0-100). The fader moves on screen if currently displayed
Important: FADEIN and FADEOUT only affect fade mode settings. CROSSFADE only affects crossfade mode settings. Use a MODE cue before the FADEIN/FADEOUT or CROSSFADE cue to ensure you are in the correct mode.
PAD cues
Control playback at a specific moment:
- STOP: stop all playback
- PAUSE: pause or resume playback
- PLAY: start a specific pad. DATA: page (1-25). VAL: pad number (1-12)
- PLAYSFX: trigger an SFX pad. DATA: SFX1 or SFX2
These cues let you build a show where volume changes, crossfade transitions, and pad switches all happen automatically at the right moment, without manual intervention during the performance.
Adding control cue events to a pad
- Switch to Edit Mode and select a pad (or an SFX pad)
- The cue table is displayed below the pad settings
- Click + to add a new event row
- Select the CTRL type, then fill in the remaining fields
- Click Save to store the events with the pad
Events are automatically sorted by time. You can add as many events as needed per pad. Hover over the DATA or VAL columns for a tooltip reminder of the expected format.
Playback behavior
- Events are sent at the right moment during playback, synchronized with the track's elapsed time (Pre-Wait and Post-Wait do not affect timing)
- MIDI NOTE events send a Note On immediately, followed by an automatic Note Off 500ms later
- MIDI CC, PROG, and OSC events are sent immediately
- AUDIO SPEAK events are pre-generated in the background a few seconds before their scheduled time to avoid latency
- During a crossfade, both the incoming and outgoing tracks send their cues independently
- Control cues work independently of MIDI Input: you don't need a MIDI controller to use them
- If you seek to a different position (by clicking the progress bar), past cues are skipped and only upcoming cues will be sent