Getting Started

Installation

Windows

  1. Download the latest release (zip) from the download page and extract it
  2. Run the installer
  3. Launch BlackBox Cue

macOS (Apple Silicon)

  1. Download the .dmg file from the download page
  2. Open the .dmg and drag BlackBox Cue to your Applications folder
  3. Launch BlackBox Cue

Requirements

Your First Project

Create a New Project

  1. Click the New button
  2. Choose a folder where your project will be saved
  3. A .bbc project file and an imports folder are created automatically

The imports folder is where all your audio files will be stored.

Important: Do not place two .bbc files in the same folder. Since the imports folder is created alongside the .bbc file, two projects in the same folder would share the same audio files, which can lead to confusion.
Note: You must create a new project or open an existing one before you can start working with pads.

Open an Existing Project

Click the Open Project button and select a .bbc file.

Backup and Transfer

To back up or transfer a project to another computer, simply copy the .bbc file and the imports folder located in the same directory. To restore or import a project, copy both files back - the imports folder must be in the same directory as the .bbc file.

Importing Audio Files

BlackBox Cue supports a wide range of audio formats: WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC, AAC/M4A, MP4, AIFF, ALAC, WMA, Opus, CAF, AC-3, WavPack, MKA (Matroska Audio), AU, and SND.

Import a Single File

  1. Click the Import button
  2. Select an audio file from your computer
  3. Give it a name (or keep the original)
  4. The file is copied into your project's imports folder. The copy is secured: the integrity of the destination file is verified against the source file to ensure no data was lost or corrupted

Import a Folder

Right-click the Import button to switch it to IMPORT DIR mode. In this mode, clicking the button lets you select a folder instead of a single file. All audio files from the selected folder (including subfolders) are imported at once.

You will be asked to enter a prefix. Each imported file will be named PREFIX-originalfilename in your project. This helps you organize and identify files by source or category.

Right-click the Import button again to switch back to single file mode (IMPORT FILE).

Auto-Assign (Bulk Import)

To quickly fill pads:

  1. Click on "Switch to crossfade mode"
  2. Click the Auto-Assign button
  3. Choose one of the two import modes:
    • New Import: erases all existing pads and starts fresh
    • Fill empty pads: keeps your existing pads and only fills the empty ones (files already assigned to a pad are not imported again)
  4. Select a folder containing your audio files (subfolders are included)
  5. Files are automatically copied, assigned to pads, and named

If the folder contains more files than available pads, files are randomly selected for assignment. This means each Auto-Assign produces a different playlist, which is great for keeping background music fresh.

This is useful for quickly setting up a show with many sound cues, or for adding more tracks to an existing project without losing your current setup.

Installation and Security Warnings

BlackBox Cue is freeware. The executables are not digitally signed (code signing certificates are expensive and not justified for a free application). Because of this, your operating system may display a security warning when you first run the program. This is normal and expected - here's how to handle it on each platform.

Windows

When you run BlackBox Cue for the first time, Windows SmartScreen may show a blue warning window saying "Windows protected your PC".

  1. Click More info (the link below the warning text)
  2. Click Run anyway

This warning only appears once. After that, Windows will remember your choice and won't ask again.

macOS

macOS Gatekeeper blocks applications from unidentified developers by default. When you try to open BlackBox Cue for the first time, you will see a message saying the app "can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer" (or "Apple cannot check it for malicious software").

  1. Close the warning dialog
  2. Open System Settings (Apple menu > System Settings)
  3. Go to Privacy & Security
  4. Scroll down - you will see a message saying BlackBox Cue was blocked. Click Open Anyway
  5. Enter your password or use Touch ID to confirm
  6. A new dialog will appear - click Open

This authorization only needs to be done once. After that, macOS will let you open BlackBox Cue normally.