Black Corporation Expander MK2: Black Corp’s Massive Multi-Effects Rack Is Shipping Soon
3,9 / 5,0 | 
Black Corporation Expander MK2 · Source: Sonicstate
Black Corporation Expander Mk2 · Source: Black Corporation
Black Corporation Expander Mk2 · Source: Black Corporation
Black Corporation Expander Mk2 · Source: Black Corporation
Black Corporation Expander Mk2 · Source: Black Corporation
Black Corporation Expander Mk2 · Source: Black Corporation
Black Corporation Expander Mk2 · Source: Black Corporation
Black Corporation Expander Mk2 · Source: Black Corporation
[28 January 2025] The Black Corporation Expander MK2 is almost ready to ship. The latest information plus a new color.
Black Corporation Expander MK2
Black Corporation was at Buchla & Friends over the last weekend, showing off the latest build of its long-gestating Expander MK2. The team has been hard at work getting all of the many elements to play nicely together and it’s finally ready to go into production.
The most complex project they’ve ever done, according to engineer Roman Filipov in the Sonicstate video (below), Black Corporation Expander MK2 combines a whole host of digital and analog effects and ties them all together with a classy Routing & Summing Matrix. You can read all about it in the original article below, but here is all of the information that we didn’t have in the story from 2023. You’ll also notice that it’s now black.
- The analog BBD circuit can handle delays up to 400ms.
- The digital reverb side was created in collaboration with Meris.
- The oscillator can track pitch.
- The chorus circuit is based on the famous Roland Dimension D and in manual mode can function as two chorus units per channel.
- The analog phaser – called Lamp – is based on a German 1970s Krautrock phaser with photo resistors. I’d bet that’s the Gerd Schulte Audio Elektronik Compact Phasing “A”.
- You can assign LFOs to any parameter.
- It has total recall and MIDI CCs.
Black Corporation hopes to start shipping the Expander MK2 in spring. The price is still $4999 with a $1499 preorder but Roman says the price may go up due to parts being more expensive than they originally estimated.
- Black Corporation home page
Black Corporation EXPANDER MK2 tabletop effects processor
[9 May 2023] The Expander Mk2 is a stunning modular console of vintage audio effects processing that borrows from legendary places and delivers epic sounds.
Expander Mk2
This takes the original Expander effects rack that added a bit of space and modulation to the Deckard’s Dream synthesizer, and runs off with it in revolutionary directions.
The Expander Mk2 combines analogue and digital effects in a super versatile and modular multi-effects unit. It welcomes all comers with line and Hi-Z inputs with stereo and mono routing options which can also mean dual-mono, which will get very interesting. Using the rather marvellous matrix mixer your can design entire effects pathways for each channel. You can cascade in series or you can run things in parallel.
Here’s the effects roster:
- Delay: Both digital and analogue options. They are MIDI syncable and pannable. The digital side is based on the Lexicon PCM42 with guidance from the original engineer and the advantage of better CPU and memory. The analogue uses BBD circuitry for a warm tone up to 820ms.
- Reverb: The digital reverb is based on the Lexicon 224. Meanwhile, the spring reverb uses two 17″ tanks equipped with EQ and a digital pre-delay section.
- Modulator: First, a quadrant multiplier Ring Modulator with modern chips and then a vintage-style harmonically rich transformer and diode-based one. There’s a reference oscillator with attack and release envelope to control the pitch similar to that on the Yamaha CS-80.
- Chorus: Two distinct BBD chorus lines with manual control and the classic four-button chorus presets.
- Phaser: An analogue OTA-based 12-stage phaser and an optical phaser.
- Insert/Resonator: The Insert lets you patch in external effects or use it as extra inputs and outputs. The Matrix can patch it into any part of the signal chain. The Resonator adds some subtle EQ and can be animated for extra movement.
- Overdrive: Everything from warmth and texture to screaming distortion from Korg’s Nu-Tube technology.
- LFO: A bunch of LFOs that can be routed all over the place.
On the back, you have balanced inputs and outputs, stereo send and return, inputs for expression and switch pedals, USB and MIDI. The guitar input can be found on the front along with a headphone socket.
More than enough
It looks like Black Corporation has covered everything. You’ve pretty much got an analogue and digital version of each effect, versatile routing, massive chains or multiple layers, MIDI control, expressive control and internal modulation. The Routing and Summing Matrix allows you to quickly set up complex configurations and work the Expander Mk2 like an instrument.
Personally, while I like that the colour follows the Deckard’s Dream, I would have liked them to follow that through to the fader caps. It comes with wooden cheeks but is also rack-mountable and is 6U tall.
The preorder price is $4,999, and Black Corporation hopes to ship early next year.
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11 responses to “Black Corporation Expander MK2: Black Corp’s Massive Multi-Effects Rack Is Shipping Soon”
Mighty impressive with a matching price tag!
FIVE, THOUSAND, DOLLARS! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Maybe it’s just a good-quality machine for people who appreciate the high-end of things
Looks like a misprint. Website says $1499
No, that’s the down payment to pre-order. The price is $4,999 [he said as he wiped a tear from his eye].
I know it’s expensive but I think £1499 is pretty good for what you’re getting! For example, the Moogerfooger delay pedal (the MIDI one) sells for similar second hand(or it was the last time I looked it up)
To be fair most of the Black Corp stuff is in this price range.
Oh wait. It’s not $1499 after all, it’s $3500 with a $1499 deposit (just checked the website and read the full details). It’s as expensive as I feared! 🙂
Just checked again – it is $4999! Deposit of $1499 plus the remaining $3500 is payable at a later date…
I need this
Looks awesome , kind of what I did with all my guitar pedals for my synths but +5000$ is putting it out of league with most hobbyists and if I was a pro musician I would probably stick to other brands
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