The market for a headphone amps has just got interesting as Blackstar Amplification unveils the BEAM SOLO, a feature-packed little unit that can do much more than make silent practice fun.
Blackstar is bullish, describing it as the “most immersive, intuitive headphone amp on the market today”. But is it better than the MusicRadar-approved Fender Mustang Micro Plus?
Well, time will tell. But the BEAM SOLO is definitely got it in its sights. It, too, shares the compact plug-in-and-play design, with the integrated 1/4” instrument jack and a form factor that comfortably sees it fit in your pocket – and Blackstar is promising “pro-level” sound, with digital models of its guitar amps and access to its Ampton virtual amp library, which covers a wide range of classic tube amps.
The first thing that will grab you is how small this amp is. There is no room for an OLED display on a unit like this, but we do have a display of sorts, with an Interactive Light Beam running across the BEAM SOLO’s complement of buttons to let you know the changes to the parameter. Simply press one of the five buttons, turn the SpeedDial on the top of the amp, and then adjust the parameter. You can save these down to five onboard Patches, all presets that can be further edited via the accompanying app.
“We designed BEAM SOLO to give every guitarist the freedom to play and create anywhere, instantly, and without compromise,” says Blackstar. “Whether you’re shaping your sound with a twist of the SpeedDial or diving deep into your rig choices via the app, it always feels intuitive and immersive.
“You can record vocals, jam with backing tracks, or just enjoy the feel of a cranked valve amp in your headphones – all from a device that fits in your pocket.”
That’s right, vocals are a part of the equation. The headphones input supports a headset with a vocal mic, meaning you can stream external audio to the unit, play and sing along, or track vocals, with your vocals being handled by a “studio-quality” mic preamp and reverb.
Besides the Patch button, you will find a Gain button for setting preamp gain, EQ for adjusting treble, an FX button which you press then use the SpeedDial on the top of the amp to “dynamically adjust” all of the effects in your Patch simultaneously, and you can tap on this button for adjusting the tempo of time-based effects such as chorus and delay.
It will be interesting to hear how that plays out but this feature, which Blackstar calls XpressFX, promises “smooth transitions that feel natural”.
Blackstar’s In The Room technology gives your electric guitar tone that sense of space and feel as would when played through a quote/unquote real amp. We say “electric” but the BEAM SOLO was similarly designed for use with acoustic guitars and bass guitars.
And that is where Blackstar’s R&D effort is really going to be earning its corn. Players will check out the BEAM SOLO because it is a headphone solution for practice, sure, but they will buy it and use it religiously if those amp models – not to mention onboard effects, cabinet and mic sims – are all on point.
All of Blackstar’s virtual amps were engineered in Northampton (North-AMPTON, right?). “Ampton designs are more than just static profiles, they are the result of meticulous design, testing and optimisation – component by component, sector by sector,” says Blackstar.
Some of these models have been years in the making, such as the O.G. Blackstar Series One models, which were designed by the co-founder of Blackstar, the late Bruce Keir.
All of these models replicate the interactivity between the original amp’s tone stack, the thinking being that they won’t just sound like the amp that inspired them but behave like them too.
Finally, this is a digital product, so besides the deep edits you can make via the app – availing yourself of Blackstar’s patented ISF feature for Transatlantic EQ adjustments – you can also share your Patches with the user community, and download other players’ sounds, including from the Blackstar artist roster.
Doug Aldrich of The Dead Daisies, Gus G of Firewind, Will Sergeant of Echo and the Bunnymen have all created Official Artist Patches – and you can bet your bottom dollar Jared James Nichols has too.
For more details, head over to Blackstar Amplification. The BEAM SOLO is priced £119/$129.
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