Blackstar ID:Core V3 Stereo 40 Combo

first play
BLACKSTAR ID:CORE V3 STEREO 40 COMBO
18
GUITARIST MAY 2021
board placed underneath the control panel.
Most of the components are surface mount,
which makes the ID:Core’s technology
possible in such a small space, as well as
lowering the power requirements. Here,
power comes from a laptop-style external
supply, or there’s the optional PB-1 battery
pack for mains-free use anywhere.
The new ID:Core amps share identical
controls, which should be familiar to
anyone with previous Blackstar experience
and easy to understand for first-timers. Over
the single-input jack are two 3.5mm sockets.
One is for headphones, featuring speaker
simulation from Blackstar’s new Cab Rig
Lite emulation engine, while the other is
an aux/line in but also sends audio out via a
TRRS (tip, ring, ring, sleeve) cable. This new
feature makes easy live streaming possible
without the need for any outboards – simply
connect the ID:Core to your mobile device
(iPhones and iPads will need a TRRS to
Lightning adaptor) and away you go.
Next to the input jack is the voice selector,
with two choices each for clean, crunch
and overdrive, together with gain and
level controls. Hardware EQ is limited to
Blackstar’s patented ISF (Infinite Shape
Feature) knob, which progressively
changes the entire EQ stack from classic
USA to UK, providing a wide range of subtle
enhancement, with slightly scooped mids
at one end and slightly boosted mids at the
other. The ID:Core V3’s bass, mid and treble
controls now exist on the other side of the
screen in Blackstar’s new Architect app,
which replaces the Insider software on all
amps that use it, past and present.
Moving on to the effects section, there
are focus/edit buttons for the ID:Core’s
built-in modulation, delay and reverb, with
four effects available for each type and a tap
tempo button to manually alter speed. A
rotary selector takes care of effects selection
and a main parameter, while a Level control
adjusts rate or time. Towards the bottom
of the control panel, there’s a Manual/
Store button, which puts the ID:Core into
Manual mode and stores patch presets, one
in each of the six amp voice slots.
The Architect software
is an integral part
of the playing
experience, allowing
real-time editing and
patch saving
cable. Meanwhile, the
Cab Rig/headphones
socket incorporates
Cab Rig Lite, Blackstar’s
next-generation
speaker simulator,
which reproduces the
sound of real mic’d
up speaker cabinets
in unprecedented
detail. For full stereo
operation, a stereo
jack to two mono jack
adaptor is needed
1
1. Unlike a regular 3.5mm
audio jack, the ID:Core
V3’s line in/streaming
jack sends audio in
both directions at the
same time, using a
regular TRRS (tip/ring/
ring/sleeve) cable. As
well as performing the
usual aux in function,
you can stream,
using GarageBand
and Instagram for
example, with one
GIT471.rev_blackstar.indd 18 13/03/2021 10:05