Sam checks out the new Blackstar Dept. 10 range of tube overdrive, distortion and boost pedals and finds out they've got a few clever little tricks up their sleeve! Order yours at PMT Online...
00:00 Blackstar Dept 10 Intro Demo
00:50 What Are Blackstar Dept 10 Pedals?
01:38 Dual Overdrive & Distortion Models
02:46 Tube Boost Model
03:29 Cab Rig - The World's Most Advanced Valve Pedals
05:22 Other Features & Specifications
05:55 Where To Buy Blackstar Dept 10 Pedals
Sam's voice was recorded using a Rode LavGo lavalier microphone: https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/rode-lavalier-go
Other products featured in this video...
Blackstar HT Stage 60 Amplifier: https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/blackstar-ht-stage-60-112-mkii-valve-guitar-combo-amplifier
SE Electronics V7X Dynamic Microphone: https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/se-electronics-v7-supercardioid-dynamic-microphone
SE Electronics VR2 Ribbon Microphone: https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/se-electronics-voodoo-vr2-active-ribbon-microphone
Blackstar's new Department 10 range are an evolution of previous HT boutique valve driven pedals, but with some pretty significant upgrades in terms of features and tone. There’s currently 3 models in the range, the dual drive, the dual distortion and the boost, and at the heart of each of these pedals is an ECC83 tube, running at 250 volts, designed to deliver the kind of organic dynamics, breakup and tone of a tube amp.
Both the Dual Drive and Dual Distortion feature 2 foot switchable channels, with 4 separate drive voicings to choose from on each pedal, ranging from subtle clean, crunchy boosts to higher gain overdrives and distortions. Each of those 2 channels has it’s own separate gain and volume controls, and then there’s an overall EQ for tweaking bass, middle and treble, and as we’ve come to expect from Blackstar, their patented ISF control, which tailors the tone to sound either more like British, Marshall style drive or a more American sounding, Mesa Boogie like distortion.
The Department 10 Boost is much simpler with just the 3 controls, it features a built in buffer, handy for long cable runs, and combines a high voltage, class A gain stage with a passive, very natural sound James Baxendall 2 band EQ, so it’s like adding 2 extra hot valve stages to the front end of your amplifier, with all the tube dynamics and natural compression that comes with it.
What make these pedals so unique compared to countless other drive pedals however is their connectivity options, as the dual drive and distortion feature a 1/4” jack line out, a balanced XLR DI and USB audio, meaning that you’ve got pro connectivity for both live and studio use.
These aren’t just standard line outputs however, as the Department 10 drive pedals also feature Blackstars Cab Rig DSP Speaker emulation technology, offering impulse response based speaker simulations which reproduce the sound and feel of a mic’d up guitar cabinet, so you use these pedals as a guitar preamp, connected straight into a PA system or recording setup, and they’re gonna sound great. The pedals offer 3 preset cabinet simulations, or you can really deep dive into the cab rig settings using the accompanying architect software, which includes over 250 cab and mic placement combinations and various ambience controls.
Built with gigging in mind, the pedals themselves look and feel great with their sturdy construction, latchless switches and little protective guards to keep those valves safe from damage, and handily, they now run on 9 volts, unlike the previous HT Tube range which needed a 22 volt supply, so they can be powered by most pedalboard power bricks or by the 500ma power supply that comes in the box.
Blackstar are claiming that the Department 10 tube drive and boost pedals are the worlds most advanced valve effects pedals, so take a quick look and listen here with PMTVUK and try one fro yourself at your nearest Professional Music Technology store...
__________________________________________________________
Subscribe to PMTVUK:
https://www.youtube.com/c/PMTVUK?sub_confirmation=1
Find us on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/PMTHouseOfRock/
https://twitter.com/pmthouseofrock
https://www.instagram.com/pmthouseofrock
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pmthouseofrock/
Find Your Local PMT Store: https://bit.ly/2KdwOXn
00:00 Blackstar Dept 10 Intro Demo
00:50 What Are Blackstar Dept 10 Pedals?
01:38 Dual Overdrive & Distortion Models
02:46 Tube Boost Model
03:29 Cab Rig - The World's Most Advanced Valve Pedals
05:22 Other Features & Specifications
05:55 Where To Buy Blackstar Dept 10 Pedals
Sam's voice was recorded using a Rode LavGo lavalier microphone: https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/rode-lavalier-go
Other products featured in this video...
Blackstar HT Stage 60 Amplifier: https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/blackstar-ht-stage-60-112-mkii-valve-guitar-combo-amplifier
SE Electronics V7X Dynamic Microphone: https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/se-electronics-v7-supercardioid-dynamic-microphone
SE Electronics VR2 Ribbon Microphone: https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/se-electronics-voodoo-vr2-active-ribbon-microphone
Blackstar's new Department 10 range are an evolution of previous HT boutique valve driven pedals, but with some pretty significant upgrades in terms of features and tone. There’s currently 3 models in the range, the dual drive, the dual distortion and the boost, and at the heart of each of these pedals is an ECC83 tube, running at 250 volts, designed to deliver the kind of organic dynamics, breakup and tone of a tube amp.
Both the Dual Drive and Dual Distortion feature 2 foot switchable channels, with 4 separate drive voicings to choose from on each pedal, ranging from subtle clean, crunchy boosts to higher gain overdrives and distortions. Each of those 2 channels has it’s own separate gain and volume controls, and then there’s an overall EQ for tweaking bass, middle and treble, and as we’ve come to expect from Blackstar, their patented ISF control, which tailors the tone to sound either more like British, Marshall style drive or a more American sounding, Mesa Boogie like distortion.
The Department 10 Boost is much simpler with just the 3 controls, it features a built in buffer, handy for long cable runs, and combines a high voltage, class A gain stage with a passive, very natural sound James Baxendall 2 band EQ, so it’s like adding 2 extra hot valve stages to the front end of your amplifier, with all the tube dynamics and natural compression that comes with it.
What make these pedals so unique compared to countless other drive pedals however is their connectivity options, as the dual drive and distortion feature a 1/4” jack line out, a balanced XLR DI and USB audio, meaning that you’ve got pro connectivity for both live and studio use.
These aren’t just standard line outputs however, as the Department 10 drive pedals also feature Blackstars Cab Rig DSP Speaker emulation technology, offering impulse response based speaker simulations which reproduce the sound and feel of a mic’d up guitar cabinet, so you use these pedals as a guitar preamp, connected straight into a PA system or recording setup, and they’re gonna sound great. The pedals offer 3 preset cabinet simulations, or you can really deep dive into the cab rig settings using the accompanying architect software, which includes over 250 cab and mic placement combinations and various ambience controls.
Built with gigging in mind, the pedals themselves look and feel great with their sturdy construction, latchless switches and little protective guards to keep those valves safe from damage, and handily, they now run on 9 volts, unlike the previous HT Tube range which needed a 22 volt supply, so they can be powered by most pedalboard power bricks or by the 500ma power supply that comes in the box.
Blackstar are claiming that the Department 10 tube drive and boost pedals are the worlds most advanced valve effects pedals, so take a quick look and listen here with PMTVUK and try one fro yourself at your nearest Professional Music Technology store...
__________________________________________________________
Subscribe to PMTVUK:
https://www.youtube.com/c/PMTVUK?sub_confirmation=1
Find us on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/PMTHouseOfRock/
https://twitter.com/pmthouseofrock
https://www.instagram.com/pmthouseofrock
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pmthouseofrock/
Find Your Local PMT Store: https://bit.ly/2KdwOXn
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