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Blackstar HT-Dist DX-1 £99

Valve-driven distortion offering Metallica-style crunch

James Hetfield-style crunch is what the HT-Dist is all about.

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User comments (4)

Average user rating 4.5 of 5

  • darklife666

    Avatar for darklife666

    34 weeks ago.

    User rating 5 of 5

    I have this pedal. I love it.
    it is very very high gain distortion for me.
    if you want satisfaction of high gain distortion
    i had metal muff and digitech Grung BUT DISTX i s better than them.
    i have ESM MII CTM STD with ROLAND CUBE 80 XL that with pedal are very nice match for me
    nice for solo nice for rhytm nice for metal and hard rock
    BLACKSTAR DISTX IS PERFECT. becuase blackstar is best brand

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  • heminder

    Avatar for heminder

    Mon 17 Jan 2011, 4:16 am GMT

    User rating 2 of 5

    This pedal is big, it's heavy, and it's big, and it's heavy! The controls are pretty much laid out like a channel on an amplifier. You have all the controls to (try) tweak the sound and also the ISF knob which... kind of varies the tone. It doesn't really do the Mesa on one side and Marshall on the other, but I'd suggest just using it to taste. It also has a tube running at high voltage so it DOES use the tube properly, unlike most tube pedals on the market. The knobs are all chrome, so your settings won't be visible AT ALL on stage. It's built like a tank, just like what it's trying to be. All the knobs are solid, and mounted well. With the tube, though, it's definitely not worth using it at a gig without a backup since tubes die and what not. I should point out that the grille also has this plastic sheet under it, which kind of defeats the point of it being a grille. Because of this, the unit gets quite warm when in use. Another drawback is the unconventional power supply rating.
    I was very much looking forward to the sounds out of this pedal from all the raving reviews and demos I had read and heard about it. When I plugged it in, all knobs pointing straight up, the first thing I noticed was mud. Lots and lots of mud. I reach down to try to dial it out. I play with all the settings, and move the ISF knob from one side to the other, but I cannot get rid of it. I was playing my Jackson Kelly tuned to C standard so I tried switching to my Dinky which is in regular standard tuning. The mush is still there, and it seems this pedal's circuit is voiced specifically to sound mushy. It definitely has that tube warmth and feel but at the same time it sounds very processed and as if there's a 'blanket over the tone' or it's being fed through a low-pass filter. I tried sending it straight into the effects return on my amp (to bypass the preamp), but the pedal still sounds like it does. The emulated output also has the same character, but with some added fizz and even more compression. The gain knob also reached its max when it's half way. Turning it up further just adds compression and some noise. In summation to its sound, this pedal will do stoner rock, grunge, and core. No, it won't do prog, death metal, or heavy metal, and it definitely won't do djent.
    I play lots of different music. Classical, flamenco, funk, 80s rock, and of course heavy metal. I bought this pedal to cater for my metal needs, and it hasn't fulfilled them in the slightest. As such, this pedal will be going back into the box and back to the shop that it came from.

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  • guitarist1975

    Avatar for guitarist1975

    Wed 18 Mar 2009, 2:15 pm GMT

    User rating 5 of 5

    I have used one of these for a while now. This unit is the best thing I have ever heard. I went into many shops over a month and tried every pedal I could and bought some of them. This stood out so much.
    Sound out of this thing is valve, pure and simple. There is a bit of tech as well but it is a valve amp that covers all sounds in a stomp box. It has to be tried and played with to get the sound you want but trust me its in there.
    There is a hum from it so to perfect your sound I would add the NS-2 and to really top everything off add the Seymore Duncan Pickup Booster. With that combination I have a sound that sounds raw and natural but undercontrol with all the sustain I need.
    Spoken to the guys and Joel is cool and will answer your questions.
    BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT
    Hammy

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  • guitarist1975

    Avatar for guitarist1975

    Wed 18 Mar 2009, 2:15 pm GMT

    User rating 5 of 5

    I have used one of these for a while now. This unit is the best thing I have ever heard. I went into many shops over a month and tried every pedal I could and bought some of them. This stood out so much.
    Sound out of this thing is valve, pure and simple. There is a bit of tech as well but it is a valve amp that covers all sounds in a stomp box. It has to be tried and played with to get the sound you want but trust me its in there.
    There is a hum from it so to perfect your sound I would add the NS-2 and to really top everything off add the Seymore Duncan Pickup Booster. With that combination I have a sound that sounds raw and natural but undercontrol with all the sustain I need.
    Spoken to the guys and Joel is cool and will answer your questions.
    BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT
    Hammy

    Mark as inappropriate

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Specification

HT-Dist DX-1

Price:
£99
Available Controls:
Bass, Gain, Level, Mid, Treble
Available Inputs:
In
Available Outputs:
Out
Features:
Dual concentric gain 1 and gain 2, dual concentric level 1 and level 2, gain/clean button
Foot Pedals:
Foot Switches
No of Channels:
2
Valve/Tube Details:
Single ECC83 preamp tube

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