Blackstar Core 10 question

cbilly22

Need a small amp for home/work practice but also need to run mp3 player/laptop through it. I know the amp models will suit me (currently own an ID60) but what is the mp3 sound like. Used to have a THR which was awesome as a speaker but I just didn't like the amp models so was hoping the core 10 might do me for both.

Cheers in advance.

DartmoorHedgehog

It's good as long as you keep the volume quite low.  The Core 10 has small speakers (3" I think) which don't sound good at high volume (it'll actually get pretty loud but starts to sound harsh).  For lowish volume playing along with practice tracks it's excellent.

I haven't heard a THR so I can't give a comparison with that I'm afraid.

cbilly22

Cheers for that. It's gonna be low volume use so that sounds good for me.

nickp

i've got the core 20.  

I like it for practice and the mp3 sound is really good for playing along to backing tracks etc - it was one of the reasons I bought it - I took a lead and the ipod into the shop to make sure it was all OK.

amp models are OK as long as you regard it as a bedroom practice tool IMHO - I generally run on one of the crunch channels but I'm trying my best to learn the beat it solo which means everything up to 11 and it is fine.

one criticism is that on low input volumes (ie guitar vol turned down) it doesn't seem to track the signal particularly well and seems to cut out - which is fine as long as you are on half volume or more (on a strat)

thecolourbox

The signal cutting out thing i think is the built in noise gate

I think they are better than the THR amps for both guitaring and mp3 playback, i considered a THR but when listening to my own music through it, it had aspects of Ipod dock to me. The Blackstar playback is much better to my ears

cbilly22

Thanks guys, appreciate the replies

 

Grumpyrocker

I've got a Core 20. I think it sounds fabulous. There is some hiss. But apart from that I can't fault it. And as others have said playback through the mp3 input is very good. Using the PC software you can even dealve deeper into the settings - saving patches with precise delay repeats and have access to a full EQ.

In fact I've used that input to play other modellers through it. The Zoom G3 using the Core 20 as a stereo speaker is really fabulous.

DartmoorHedgehog

Bear in mind the 20 has bigger speakers (and the 40 even bigger again) than the 10, so I'd guess they sound slightly fuller at any volume, and possibly less nasty if you crank it up a bit.  But having said that, my Core 10 is excellent for my (low volume) purposes, sound really good for such a piddly (and pretty cheap) little thing.

nickp

fair comment from the hedgehog of dartmoor.  I tried the Blackstar and the THR and the Blackstar won on price alone as it was less than half the price and I didn't really sense any edge with the THR at all

cbilly22

This is all good news. I tried the THR and really didn't like it. Ended up just using my bigger amps and running the laptop through the THR...which wasn't really the point of owning it. Think I'll go down the Core 10 route, sound like it's what I'm after....and it's so bloody cheap!