Blackstar ID Core new amps - updated now with NAD celebrations!

thecolourbox

Hi all, has anybody tried these new small amps and have any views on them? Looking at getting a small guitar and amp to keep at my girlfriend's and they seem a good proposition for the money. It would just be for simple plug in and play noodling/practicing while she is busy studying, no need for it to take pedals well or anything of that sort.

Looked at alternatives, I'm sorry to blaspheme here but I don't like the Yamaha THR amps, plus they are around twice the price of the new smallest ID Core. Stereo thing sounds cool, suppermassive stereo reverb could be fun. Anybody know if they are guitar type speakers or more hifi-style ones? They seem small.

Headphone units (got a zoom g3) don't do it for me, I always seem to feel tangled up in wire and then I nearly pull my head off if I move and yank the short cable around.

An HT1 was also a consideration, but is of course more money and has different features for different purposes I guess, the ID just seems quite handy for what I need it for - I already have a "proper" amp and a spare AC4 that I'm trying to sell.

Cheers all

EDIT : I now haz teh amp! See below

relic245

Used an ID 60 belonging to another guitarist at a gig last week. I only used it clean and plugged my pedal board in but was really happy with the sound. I usually use a valve amp so wasn't expecting too much. I wouldn't swap my amp for it but as a gigging tool it was great.

drwiddly

A friend of mine bought the 100w head version a few weeks back. He brought it round about three days later and we gave it a blast in my little home studio. Bearing in mind he'd only dialled in a few basic tones, it sounded really good. He's gigged with it since (he's a singer/second guitarist) and he's very impressed.

thecolourbox

Interesting, do you know if it's the same sort of basic technology at the heart of the little practice amp things, the Core ones? That's kind of what I'm after really, a noodle amp

viz

I tried one at the Blackstar HQ last week and it was utterly amazing. Apparently it gives a deceptively authentic stereo impression too but I don't have stereo hearing so can't comment. But I was blown away by the sound quality, and all the settings seemed to be very useful and different. Cannot believe how cheap it is!

thecolourbox

Hmm that's helped the gas, thanks. I'm imagining it to be like the THR plug-in-and-play deal but with the BLackstar twist, stereo delays included as standard, and verb as massive as the amp is small. Thankfully my hearing is stereo, so hope to hear it in all three of my ears - left ear, right ear, and my "now you listen ear".

thecolourbox

NAD!!! I bought the amp yesterday, the bargainous £89 10 watt (2x5 watt) version. Had a quick try with one in the shop with a Tele and it sounded HUGE, especially liking the two clean settings (which do in fact get quite dirty when the gain is up. The stereo effect is excellent, the 4th reverb on there seems to be a cavern type sound and it is impressively huge sounding and very clean. The amp is laughably tiny (front elevation being just a bit bigger than a4 paper sized, perfect as it sits inconspicuously on my girlfriends wardrobe) but definitely doesn't sound like "just another digital/modelling/practice amp". I've had to get a £20 3/4 size guitar to plug into which needed a bit of set up work doing, since doing that even that crappy little thing sounds quite good, though I'm now gassing for a mini Brian May guitar as that would sound immense through this little beast.

At home I use a Hod Rod Deluxe, which is indeed a good amp. But at the volume I'm playing this Blackstar at, the little bugger holds its own. The speakers are full range rather than guitar speakers, which allows for the lovely verb and the stereo effect I guess. Also, while it's digital, it doesnt feel like modelling in the normal sense, as the voices are definitely all Blackstar voices (I had an HT5 before and can hear the similarity there).

It does have a bit of an "air" sound/hiss, but very quiet and not an unpleasant sound at all, can't hear it when playing so not really an issue. It gets quite loud, my girlfriend is studying in the next room so I havent fully been able to crank it yet to full volume. 

I like the Plug and Play element too, a bit like the THR's I guess. You can edit and tweak if you like, but whack it into manual mode and you can just set gain and volume and off you go.

Feeling quite pleased with it =]

Niallmo

I've had a look at the info on these and I may get a 20watt version. Lots of features and at least it's foot switchable. The price is better than the other small amps too.

thecolourbox

Definitely try one out, considering I'm playing such a lame guitar it's very enjoyable. I'm "busking" at a summer fete in June and I'm already thinking this is a better proposition to use straight into their PA than my Zoom G3 as it seems quieter humwise when using overdrive and easy to switch between settings

Niallmo

I'd get the 10 watt version if it was foot switchable but I like to have a couple of sounds to switch as I play along to songs all the time.

drwiddly

Glad you like the amp - sounds really cool. I must try one at some point.

If you're in the market for a small guitar, keep a look out for a Steinberger Spirit or a Hohner GT3 (the cricket bat, headless jobs). I bought a Spirit years ago on e-Bay and it's a great guitar. Proper scale length, half decent p/u's and small! :-)

littlegreenman

Tried one of these at a Blackstar demo day. The stereo thing was pretty cool, very 3D.

Grumpyrocker

thecolourbox said:

Definitely try one out, considering I'm playing such a lame guitar it's very enjoyable. I'm "busking" at a summer fete in June and I'm already thinking this is a better proposition to use straight into their PA than my Zoom G3 as it seems quieter humwise when using overdrive and easy to switch between settings

Try the Z Noise Reduction block on the G3 - it's fabulous. You may need to turn the first param up if you're playing with a lot of dirt.

thecolourbox

Hmm, the noise gates on the G3...I find it very hard to get the kind of effect needed without losing sustain, like the notes just cut off. My lack of skill yes, but one that causes problems! No issues with the Blackstar on this though

monquixote

What size speakers do the different sizes of id cores have?

thecolourbox

My ten watter is 2 x 3 inch speakers I think, not too sure on the others to be honest

Grumpyrocker

monquixote said:

What size speakers do the different sizes of id cores have?

5" on the ID:20 and 6.5" on the ID:40 according to one online store I've just seen.

monquixote

Cheers for that. 

Blackstar seem really coy about putting the details on the site, but as it's the main differentiator between the models you'd think they would.

thecolourbox

I guess its because people may assume 2x3" speakers would be lame based on their perception of guitar speakers rather than thinking of them as full range speakers?

ThePrettyDamned

I might need to try these, might be a really nice replacement home amp for my bandit, which is a bit overgunned.

Do they do recording direct?

thecolourbox

Yes i believe so, has emulated headphone out, but crucially usb out which i think can also do the left-right reamp tone thing, so you can monitor the amp sound while recording just the guitar tone to re amp afterwards.