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Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:42 pm
by VikingBlues
Anyone else tried one of the Blacktar HT-Boost pedals. :icon_whoknows: I've had one for a few weeks and I was playing around with Aeolian mode BT's and thought I could post an example of the pedal.

Very simple pedal - 3 controls - Boost, Bass & Treble, 1 input, 2 outputs - high for valve amps, low for other pedals ot solid state amps. One ECC83 dual triose pre-amp valve, only works on the mains and built like a brick s***house. Runs off a full 300 volt circuit which is supposed to be better for tone. I hadn't realised until recently that there were such things as valve pedals.

Here's a subtle example of (from 48 seconds) with the high output in operation at only level 1 out of 10. I checked the recorded volume levels and the second recorded guitar part from 48 seconds with the boost on is at the same volume level on the meters as the first part.

What I like with this pedal is, even at this minimal level, there is a bit of roughing up of the tone, but more important to me there's a fuller tone and sustain that encourages creative playing. Both parts are my "Vintage" brand Tele on both pickups and guitar controls and amp controls / settings are exactly the same for each part - only the boost pedal and the adjustment of recording volume to give equal levels are different. Hopefully the difference can be heard on a computer with decent speakers or headphones - all music sounds the same on my laptop internal speakers - ie lousy! :wall:

Very useful for a valve amp when the volume level gets too high for that crunchier tone. I'm quite taken with the pedal. :banana:

download/file.php?id=116

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:31 am
by oneeyedslide
I can hear it. Nice!! Slight crunch and silky sustain. Gotta love them firebottles!! Ever try an attenuator on your valve amp? Kind of goes for the same effect by driving the valves harder and not allowing as much power to reach your speaker. Gives you crunch and sustain at lower volume levels. Works good on "tube" amps like we have over here too!

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:24 am
by VikingBlues
oneeyedslide wrote:I can hear it. Nice!! Slight crunch and silky sustain. Gotta love them firebottles!! Ever try an attenuator on your valve amp? Kind of goes for the same effect by driving the valves harder and not allowing as much power to reach your speaker. Gives you crunch and sustain at lower volume levels. Works good on "tube" amps like we have over here too!
Glad you could hear it - I could have made it more obvious by boosting more, but I'm an old guy who grits his teeth when his guitar distorts too much. :oldie:

I have an attenuator built in to my Vox Valve amp but unfortunately there's quite a lot of times when neighbours (we live in a flat) and when other people in the family's need for creative work mean even then the amp will still be too loud. The Blackstar pedal was a great solution and the pre-amp valve in it (or maybe its also the high voltage aspect) makes it to my ears much better for tone than the others I've tried.

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:30 am
by Blindboy
Not familiar with that one. Perhaps I should look into it, it sounds very good. I fortunatly don't have the neighbor problem you do. I can play as loud as I like most times, but on stage that would be quite useful. Currently I use an old Ibanez tube screamer to do about the same thing with my old Super Reverb, but I think that the Blackstar might be better.
I have one tube powered pedal, an old Tube Driver, but it is more for over the top Hendrix type of drive/distortion. I haven't used it in years.

Feeding the GAS syndrome ..

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:45 am
by Strummer07
Nice one VB ...

mind you your recommendation ( and your name ) might / will be used when I have my next GAS attack ...............
"Well dearest .....I heard Viking B's and I just had to get one !!!"

the only things holding me back ...............( apart from money !!)

I've recently got a Ibanez TS9DX tubesceamer so I'll play about with that first .........(I think it covers most of the bases tbh.. as it has regular TS9 mode and then a 'hot' mode and then if your really searching for some crunch.........'turbo ' !! )

also I have the Blackstar HT5 amp which has a an overdrive channel ( and pedal).... .so I just need to ensure that these options have me covered in the
"roughing up tone, Fuller tone and sustain" divisions...............................if I'm being brutally honest .... I think I am covered !! ....but Blackstar make such incedibly nice pedals don't they ????!!! :yikes:

Nice noodle though matey .and good pedal ......is there a bit of delay or reverb on the track too ??

Re: Feeding the GAS syndrome ..

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:29 am
by VikingBlues
Strummer07 wrote:Nice one VB ...

mind you your recommendation ( and your name ) might / will be used when I have my next GAS attack ...............
"Well dearest .....I heard Viking B's and I just had to get one !!!"

the only things holding me back ...............( apart from money !!)

I've recently got a Ibanez TS9DX tubesceamer so I'll play about with that first .........(I think it covers most of the bases tbh.. as it has regular TS9 mode and then a 'hot' mode and then if your really searching for some crunch.........'turbo ' !! )

also I have the Blackstar HT5 amp which has a an overdrive channel ( and pedal).... .so I just need to ensure that these options have me covered in the
"roughing up tone, Fuller tone and sustain" divisions...............................if I'm being brutally honest .... I think I am covered !! ....but Blackstar make such incedibly nice pedals don't they ????!!! :yikes:

Nice noodle though matey .and good pedal ......is there a bit of delay or reverb on the track too ??
Yep - I think I'm addicted to reverb - all my saved settings on the modelling amp and my Tonelab ST have at least some reverb and I've got a Nano Holy Grail for use with the AC4TV. I have been trying to avoid using reverb every day but it's not easy as it does make my playing sound better to my ears.

I was very tempted by Blackstar at the buying a Valve amp stage but my budget just couldn't stretch. But there was a sale offer recently on the Blackstar pedals locally and I couldn't resist, although I was tempted by the HT-Drive pedal with it's speaker emulated output option. But I was really just looking for a signal boost rather than the in yer face big crunch stuff. Every Blackstar product I've seen / tried all just seem so solid and musical.

I used to have a Tubescreamer but it didn't really get to show its class with the crappy guitar and amp I had back then. Pity I hadn't kept it as I think I've got the gear it would work well with now, but it went on e-bay to help fund some GAS attack or other.

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:41 am
by HalfBlindLefty
Sounds GREAT ! I guess it's not far off from how I use my Kampo real tube pedal 901 most of the time.
Not really as a overdrive pedal, but more as an added tube driver gain/eq stage to my amps.

Image
Image

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 9:24 am
by Strummer07
Wow HBL ...that 2nd photo ( all blown up ) ...............looks like something out of Star Wars !!

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 9:32 am
by HalfBlindLefty
Grin :) It has an old Fender 12ax7 inside that's why.
I even found the old "introducing topic" back : http://www.12bar.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1306

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 9:35 am
by HalfBlindLefty
ghehe... you can even spot a modified X-wing fighter left of the tube almost behind the wires

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:37 pm
by oneeyedslide
Hand me down my light sabre

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 5:09 pm
by VikingBlues
HalfBlindLefty wrote:Grin :) It has an old Fender 12ax7 inside that's why.
I even found the old "introducing topic" back : http://www.12bar.de/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1306
Nice samples HBL - great sounds, and well done to find posts from a couple of years ago. :clap:

I must have been walking around with my eyes shut, not seeing these valve pedals before, or did they just use to be too expensive for me to even wonder what they were.

I do like the effect of just that little bit of tube gain.

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 10:22 am
by Strummer07
HBL

I think we can now assume that you are our very own
Hans Solo of the Blues Geetar Arena .......

Here's a place where valves are plentiful and the odd celebrity band member pops up!!! :rofl: see how many you can spot !!

[youtube]3Zd_khk6zXo[/youtube]

:lefty: :lefty:

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 4:01 pm
by HalfBlindLefty
:rofl:

Thanks VB, I knew about the valve fx for quite some time... (I just searched in topics started by myself)
Anyway, I'm not in the habit of taking over topics, so back to your (next??) demo

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 8:14 pm
by VikingBlues
HalfBlindLefty wrote::rofl:

Thanks VB, I knew about the valve fx for quite some time... (I just searched in topics started by myself)
Anyway, I'm not in the habit of taking over topics, so back to your (next??) demo
The next demo will be a while - I'm just about to be a week without the internet, the computer, AND my guitars. :yikes: :mercy: :yikes:

I'm taking some theory stuff on modes and some CDs (Muddy Waters, Albert King and Freddie King) and a Howlin' Wolf biography. It will NOT be a blues free break, but I'm really going to miss the guitar playing big time. Hopefully the younger part of the family won't burn the house down while I'm away.

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 8:35 pm
by Strummer07
Have a cracking vacation VB

Relax into it and enjoy the experience ........and just being in the company of your soul mate and muse 'S'

..........in a week .....all your lovely guitars will look ...and sound ............even better !!

and you won't have forgotten a single lick/ riff / note / mode !!

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 8:37 pm
by HalfBlindLefty
Strummer07 wrote:Have a cracking vacation VB

Relax into it and enjoy the experience ........and just being in the company of your soul mate and muse 'S'

..........in a week .....all your lovely guitars will look ...and sound ............even better !!

and you won't have forgotten a single lick/ riff / note / mode !!

+1 :high5:

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 9:13 pm
by VikingBlues
Thanks guys. :thumbsup:

I'll need to work on the lyrics for the Loch Ness Blues. Must be some room in a song there for some complaints about the rain and mists and being eaten by midges. Ahhhh - Bonnie Scotland at it's best. :big_smile:

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 3:22 am
by Blindboy
HalfBlindLefty wrote:
Strummer07 wrote:Have a cracking vacation VB

Relax into it and enjoy the experience ........and just being in the company of your soul mate and muse 'S'

..........in a week .....all your lovely guitars will look ...and sound ............even better !!

and you won't have forgotten a single lick/ riff / note / mode !!

+1 :high5:
+2 :high5:

Re: Blackstar Boost Pedal

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 4:57 pm
by VikingBlues
Thanks Blindboy. I really should be packing now, but I'm giving the forum a quick fond skim before I go.

I've got to goooooooooooooooooooo :away: