Blackstar has added another amp to its ID:Core practice amp series, with a Bluetooth connectivity feature helping to take the series' bedroom playing friendliness to the next level.
The brand-new 10-watt combo amp, which offers two three-inch, five-watt speakers behind its brushed-effect front panel, packs a raft of features into a small, affordable unit, with Bluetooth its USP.
Such connectivity is aimed at streamlining the gear needed for bedroom players to jam along to their favorite tracks. Its built-in stereo speakers can also double as a sound system for music.
The fourth generation ID:Core amps were unveiled at NAMM 2024, coming three years after the company's V3 series, with connectivity and tone the key focus for the improvements made to the series' fourth generation.
The ID:Core V4 Bluetooth benefits from both sides of that coin, with further connectivity features coming via a four-channel USB-C audio slot for low latency recording and re-amping.
Tonally, it boasts all the same plus points as its family members, which include 10-, 20-, and 40-watt models (all without Bluetooth connectivity), with six amp voices and 12 effects to experiment with.
Those features include Warm, Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, and two Overdrive channels, and effects split between four lots of delays, reverbs, and modulation (Phaser, Chorus/Flanger, Envelope Filter) effects.
A tap tempo feature enables greater control of the effects' tonality – save for the Reverbs and Envelope Filter.
There are six slots for saving presets, while amp owners will also be granted access to Blackstar’s desktop Archetype app for Windows and Mac.
Accessing its tone-tweaking abilities this way unlocks a wider scope for personalization than what’s available on the amp alone. It's also designed to provide a far more intuitive experience.
The amp also benefits from Blackstar’s next-generation CabRig Lite Emulated Output, with user controls for elements such as cabinet and mic placement, and damping for further perfecting the tones it can deliver.
The only feature that the 20- and 40-watt models in the series offer that its Bluetooth-wielding equivalent does not is footswitch compatibility. Seeing as this amp is aimed primarily at bedroom players at the start of their playing days, that isn’t a huge surprise.
However, with power bank compatibility, it can extend its value by appealing to buskers. The additional Blackstar Powerbank costs around $75.
The feature was first introduced on its high-end St. James amp, but has now been added to this affordability-focused line, and is accessed via a second app called CabRig.
Technical complications aside, the end product is one Blackstar, formed by ex-Marshall employees in 2007, says is “perfect for those just starting out or for those more experienced players looking for a high-quality practice and home studio recording amp.”
The ID:Core V4 Bluetooth costs $199, making it $40 for expensive than the regular 10-watt version, with Bluetooth connectivity being the only feature added.
Head to Blackstar for more information.
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