Introduction
Thank you for purchasing this Blackstar HT Stage amplifier. Like all our products, this
amp is the result of countless hours of painstaking Research and Development by
our world-class design team. Based in Northampton (UK), the Blackstar team are all
experienced musicians themselves and the sole aim of the development process is
to provide guitarists with products which are the ultimate tools for self expression.
All Blackstar products are subjected to extensive laboratory and road testing to
ensure that they are truly uncompromising in terms of reliability, quality and above all
TONE.
The HT Stage's highly flexible three channel design features the unique ISF (Infinite
Shape Feature) control and although it has a comprehensive control set, it is still
simple and intuitive to use. Please read through this handbook carefully to ensure
you get the maximum benefit from your new Blackstar product.
If you like what you hear and want to find out more about the Blackstar range of
products please visit our website at www.blackstaramps.com.
Thanks!
The Blackstar Team
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Features
The HT Stage is a highly versatile amplifier suited to a wide range of playing styles
and situations.
The Clean Channel has two modes, 'boutique' and 'modern' and its own Bass and
Treble tone controls providing the widest possible range of clean tones. The Voice
switch reconfigures both the preamplifier voicing and gain structure, and also the
power amplifier damping to reproduce either ringing Class A performance in the
'boutique' mode, or very clean and tight Class AB tones in the 'modern' setting.
The HT Stage has two overdrive channels which share a common EQ section and
like the Clean Channel, each of the overdrive channels have Voice switches which
allow the character of each channel to be changed, providing a broad palette of
overdriven tones.
The overdrive channels are characterised by a tone which is high in gain, but lacks
any of the detached top-end 'fizz' often found in similar designs. This is a result of
unique preamplifier and power amplifier shaping techniques, which also benefit the
player in the way the overdrives clean up beautifully as the guitar volume is reduced.
Even at the most extreme settings, the overdrive channels remain natural sounding.
The Patent-Applied-For ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) control is unique to Blackstar
Amplification and represents a major step forward in tone shaping flexibility. The ISF
control shifts the response of the three control tone stack between a US type
response at one end, and at the other a UK type response. Importantly, in between
the two extremes, lie an infinite number of alternative tone choices that would be
otherwise unavailable.
The amplifier also features a completely natural sounding digital reverb, which is
outstandingly musical on both clean and crunch tones and raises the benchmark for
guitar amplifier specific reverb design. A Dark/Bright switch allows the overall reverb
characteristics to be modified to suit different tastes and playing styles.
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