Blackstar HT-Dual

It's really not that hard to use. The "Infinite Shape Feature" is an interesting feature, the middle tones are interesting the "UK" sounds are fairly authentic and the "US" sounds are not bad. The pedal can be hard to use in a live enviroment. I had to mark out with a marker where to set the eq as it will move in transport. It's also fairly hard to see on a dimmly lit stage. I like that I can go straight into and out of either of the two channels just by pressing on them. It's nice to be able to go from super clean to heavy without having to tap dance.

I play a Fender Jazzmaster of Fender Mustang through a Seymour Duncan pick-up booster into a Boss TU-2, to a Electro Harmonix POG to the Blackstar and from that I go into a delay pedal right into a Vox AC30 custom classic.

This is the only pedal I've been able to find that allows me to reproduce the sound of a heavily pushed Fender Bassman, without ruining stage volume levels. I've tried a lot too. It seems that everybody has tried very hard to learn how to emulate Marshall amplifier sounds, but nobody has spent anytime trying to develop something as versatile as this little bugger.

I don't know if it's a true tube device or whatever BS, but it sounds like it's running through a tube. It doesn't have any pops or snaps.

Does it sound as good as a pushed Vintage head, of course not. But it does what it needs too, and after ever show I have guitarist s from other bands asking me what it is how much it costs and where they can get it.

I haven't had a single problem with it. It does what it needs to do every time I use it. It is the most solidly constructed peice of equipment I have.

I've never needed to contact them, but I'm assuming they're just fine from what I've heard from other people's interactions.

This was cheaper than any of the other options and the only pedal that was perfect for me.

il pedale ?? molto semplice da usare!
due controlli concentrici separati per i due canali di gain e volume,
una sezione di equalizzazione in comune fra i 2 canali (bass, middle e treble), e il controllo isf che permette di passare da una parte da un suono british all'altra a un suono pi?? american style, con tutte le sfumature in mezzo che ti permetteranno di trovare il tuo sound!in pi?? c'?? uno switch per alcuni utile (per me poco),che permette di passare da clean a crunch sul primo canale, non assegno il punteggio di 10 a questa sezione perch?? mai nessuno pensa di mettere le istruzioni in italiano in un manuale!!!

il mio set up ?? : gibson les paul custom, fender telecaster e gibson es 335, il mio ampli ?? un vox ac 30 del 1970.
il pedale rispetto ad altri distorsori che ho provato ?? un p?? meno rumoroso a medi livelli di gain e alti livelli di volume, ma il punto forte ?? il suo suono....semplicemente il miglior suono crunch oe distorto che ci sia sulla terra!!! e di distorsori e overdrive ne avr?? provati il 90% di quelli in commercio compresi i cosiddetti "boutique pedals"!
riesci a farci di tutto!
pop, rock anni 70 e moderno, blues, fusion....non ?? adattto per il metal...
ma per me ?? un vantaggio visto che non mi piace il metal!

dovr?? fare dei puntini visibili con qualche vernice sui knobs perch?? quelli presenti sono invisibili, ma poco importa

io suono principalmente rock old style... brani inediti di matrice anni 70....zeppelin, floyd ecc... e il suono di questo pedale ?? eccelso per tutto quello che faccio!!penso che lo terr?? tutta la vita e lo ricomprerei altre 10000000 volte!non si pu?? comparare con nessun'altro distorsore valvolare o non perch?? in ogni caso li annienta tutti!! ha un suono decisamente superiore!
vero, dinamico, caldo, definitissimo!

en el primer encuentro no es el mas facil de usar, pero luego de un rato te das cuenta que la gran gama de sonidos que puedes sacar de el valen el tiempo que le invertiste en aprender a usarlo.

guitarrista hace 12 a??os.
gibson les paul vintage mahogany con burstbuckers alnico 5, fender strat, epiphone les paul studio.

1. muy silencioso.

2. todos los sonidos en un solo pedal.


es simplemente perfecto!!!
al principio dude un poco en comprarlo por que el canal 1 esta catalogado como clean/crunch y yo estaba buscando una distorsi??n de dos canales. pero la verdad, es que en el canal 1 puedes alcanzar niveles de distorsi??n incre??bles con una fuerza y un ponche perfectos para esos palm mutings y powerchords que busco en el hard rock, punk rock y hardcore.

el canal 2 es simplemente bestial, aun sin llegar a maximo de su distorsi??n pisas el pedal, se ilumina el led rojo y parece que el mundo se fuera a acabar ahi mismo.
se enriquecen los bajos y el pedal acaba por valer cada centavo que pague por el. (metaleros he ah?? su sue??o hecho pedal)

lo que hab??a escuchado es verdad (es un tanque de guerra)
solido como una roca.

solo cosas buenas salen de esta caja metalica.

recomendado 100%

es mi sonido base de ahora en adelante.

no he tratado con ellos.

punkrock, hardcore.

12 a??os tocando activamente en 2 bandas.

si lo volver??a a comprar si lo perdiera.

lo que amo del pedal es que es muy dif??cil obtener un mal sonido de el y que convierte el sonido cualquier amplificador de transistores en un monstruo a tubos.

no lo compare, simplemente lo escuche sonar y me enamore.

Easy to use. Build quality is good. Manual not necessary.

It's not what i call a 'pure' sound. Used with a '03 PRS Custom 24, '66 Gibson Trini Lopez 335, Fender '64 Vibrolux reverb. Using it with a clean amp setting, it brings in a tonal quality of it's own and i lose that Fender sound that i can retain with a GT6 pedal board. It's own tonal quality is not at all bad, but it has that 'simulated' sound i hear in Line 6 and other Transistor style Amps. I find that i can't qualify the distortion because i cant hear through the "ISF colouring'. I bought it, played it for a while, put it back in it's box and thats where it now lives.

Probably good.

Unknown.

I would like it to give me distortion without the 'artificial colouring', i think it may be much more usable. I'm a pro session player playing for many years, had alot of gear, (still do)and the stuff that i like i keep forever. If it were stolen, too bad. Many of the other reviews that i read spoke very highly of it which is why i bought it (online). Had i heard it first, i probably wouldn't have bought it. TRY BEFORE YOU BUY, and through your own amp.

It's fairly easy to use, except that it has only 1 set of EQ. ISF is a great feature but that also means you need some time to find the perfect distortion you want.

I usually plug my guitar into a Boss TU-2 into the HT-Dual into a BBE Sonic Stomp. The guitar can be a Gibson Les Paul BFG or a B.C.Rich Bronze series depending on the tuning of the songs. From the chain it goes into my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with an extension cabinet.

On channel 1 you can get a nice crunchy sound, or with a lower gain setting it can act as a clean boost. On channel 2 you get the creamiest distortion - something you don't find on every random distortion pedal. It has a very nice tube simulation. People say it's fake tube technology, but I could care less. All I know is that it sounds GREAT. When you turn your gain all the way up it gets noisy - like any other high gain distortion pedal.

It can make any cheap sounding solid state amps - okay maybe not ANY - sound like tube amps. One time at a rehearsal studio with this set up going into a Yorkville multi-purpose amp I could have better sound than my bandmates going into a JCM and a Peavy tube respectively. We're all very amazed.

Built like a tank, except for the knobs - especially the double knobs. Power supply is an AC one, so you better take good care of it since you can't just go to any music store and buy a replacement.

Never dealt with.

As any other guitarist in the world, I've been buying and selling a LOT of distortion pedals in search for the best one. From Digitech to Boss to Proco RATs to Electro-Harmonix to Visual Sound to Vox to Seymour Duncan (in no particular order!!!)... This is the best one out of all of the above in my opinion. It is very versatile and you can pretty much get any flavor of distortion out of it - except maybe a fuzz tone - but then you will need a fuzz pedal for that anyway I suppose LOL. I haven't tried other Blackstar distortions but I believe with 2 channels this one would beat all the others for flexibility. I wish it had 2 separate sets of EQ and then it would be perfect. If I lost it I will not hesitate to buy another one. I've had it for nearly a year now and it's been good to me. Hopefully it will last (crossing fingers!)

Solid right out of the box... no problems getting going...

This is the most important part and yes, this pedal sounds killer. Both the crunch and lead channels are among the best pedal sounds I've heard. Very defined and dynamic sounds... not fizzy or thin at all. ISF is great to dial in your final sound.

Here's where things get sketchy. It's built like a tank and heavy. Feels like it's quality. Knobs aren't on par with the body in quality, but seem to be ok.

Out of the box, the switches did not feel robust at all... the crunch switch actually only engages about 50% of the time. Obviously, my unit is defective and it's going back, but that's a bad sign for quality control.

Sending it back to the vendor for a replacement/exchange, so haven't dealt with Blackstar customer service.

This is hands down the best sounding distortion/overdrive pedal out there. Mine has a defective switch, but that's not why I'm giving it a 7 here. Perhaps this is also a defect on my specific box, but there is one problem this pedal has that makes it useless to me. When switching between the channels (crunch to lead, vice versa), there is an actual pause in the sound. I'm not talking about a click...I'm talking about an actual pause...almost a 1/2 second. Makes it musically useless to me as I would be switching back and forth often. I have a boss dual overdrive pedal and switching between the channels is seamless. Fatal flaw in my opinion for the Dual. I'm getting the distx for my heavy sounds and keeping the boss for my crunch and alt distortion needs. Too bad, because the Dual sounds amazing.

As others have already said, set the controls to 12 o'clock and you won't go far wrong. It's easy to use, though as with any effect pedal, it's worth spending a little time dialling in the EQ to get the best possible sound from your guitar/amp combination.
One point to note: footswitching between the Dual's "Clean" and "Crunch" modes on Channel 1 isn't possible. This isn't an issue for me, because I just bypass the pedal altogether if I want a clean sound.
Apart from that, it really is a very easy pedal to use and very easy to get plenty of useable sounds.

Using the pedal regularly has revealed a couple of minor irritations (which is why I'm marking this section as an 8, rather than 10):
1. It's virtually impossible to see the settings clearly on a dim stage;
2. The stacked gain and volume knobs drag against each other, meaning that it is too easy to accidentally alter the gain or volume on one channel when adjusting the other. Also, the volume knob for Channel 2 lacks precision and it can be fiddly to get the level right.
I don't want to overstate these points (they are irritations rather than major flaws, in my view) but I wish Blackstar could come up with a more practical indicator on the knobs and do away with the stacked pots.
The manual has some useful sample settings to help you understand the ISF and EQ controls.

Excellent. Channel 1 (Crunch) is really very quiet (noise-wise) and I generally run the gain between 12 and 2 o'clock (depending on the guitar I'm using). Channel 2 is a bit noisier (higher gain), but nothing to worry about. I've heard plenty of so-called boutique pedals which are noisier!
As for the sounds, I really like Channel 1. All the classic tones are here from hot bluesy to classic rock to metal. Channel 2 is designed to be more a lead channel and here the darker tone and fatter sound, compared with Channel 1, is perfect. It's also very useable as a darker, thicker crunch with the guitar vol rolled back. I like that the lead sound isn't as saturated and compressed as some other similar designs (the Mesa V-Twin springs to mind), but there is plenty of saturation here if that's your thing.

I gig with it regularly without problems so far. It's mounted on a pedal board, which helps protect it of course. Apart from the stacked pots mentioned earlier, I have had no reliability issues. Of course, I've no idea how long the tube will last (which isn't user replaceable, according to Blackstar's instructions).

Never dealt with Blackstar, so can't comment.

30 years playing including lots of gigging in a variety of bands from indie, to pop, to classic rock. Currently using the HT-Dual in a classic rock covers band, with Gibson LP or ESP Eclipse guitars (yes, they can do classic rock, even with EMGs, lol). Amps are Fender or Cornford.

The HT-Dual is the best twin channel overdrive/distortion pedal I've tried. It's got great sounds, is easy to set up, and so far works perfectly. Considering the features and sound quality, even if you pay full MRSP it's a bargain.

The level in volume controls are somewhat difficult to do secondary the knob witjhin aknob arrangement otherwise no complaints

the sound is good w the stock tube and I'm about to replace with a tung sol
my problem with the unit is that it seems to suck tone. Today I've took it in a of the chain multiple times and there was a significant decrease in volume and tone are not sure if anyone else his problem with this unit like this but it made her real difference in the sound.

Seems well built

Straight out of the box, it requires minimal tweaking (with all controls at 12 O'clock). It's a fairly simple pedal to use, although I did end up breaking a habit of a lifetime and consulted the instruction manual. After reading reviews in guitar magazines, which say that the switching bewtween CH1, CH2 and bypass is complicated, I can safely and confidently say it really isn't. Couldn't be more logical. ISF control is very self explanatory, although newbies to amps and effects may require a bit of grounding on how to approach the settings.

The manual is very helpful - no problems there. As aforementioned, the only slight issue is the slight confusion over the controls, but if you're paying up nearly ??150 for an overdrive pedal, it is expected that the customer knows how things work.

This pedal has now earned itself a cosy spot alongside a boss super chorus, an MXR Phase 90, an MXR EVH Flanger and a Dunlop Crybaby. When I tried it in the shop, it was burning the front end of a JVM 100 watt head, and I simply used it on the first setting of the first overdrive channel, so a subtle 70s British crunch. With both sides of the pedal driving the amp, I fell in love with it from the word go! At home, I'm using a Marshall TSL60 feeding a Marshall 1936 cab loaded with V30s, which are both primarily used for anything from blues to flat out shred madness (think Vai, EVH so on).

To get a good understanding of the sound, I compared it with an Ibanez Tubescreamer and a Boss DS1, both of which I own. The first channel of the pedal drove the already "crunchy" sound of OD1 on the amp just like the tubescreamer, but seemed to leave the low end perfectly intact, which is more than I can say for the tubescreamer. It is also much quieter and offers far more gain than the tubescreamer, even on the first channel. With a subtle drive on the amp that cleans up with the guitar, this channel provides a perfect subtle clean boost for blues soloing, or the crunch mode on an already dirty sound screams early Van Halen. Absolute tonal bliss.

The seccond channel also offers much more gain than it's comparison, the DS1, and although quite noisy, is still quieter than the DS1. When used on top of an already driving amp (which in my opinion sounds more "natural"), it is much less uneven than most distortion pedals, not as "muddy" as the DS1 can be, and the ISF control works a treat when focusing the mids to avoid the sound being too "metal". However, somewhat to my distaste, (but certainly to the tastes of others) it does a fantastic "metal" sound, because the distortion is so smooth and controllable. On both channels, because of that glowing little ECC83, it responds extremely dynamically; emphasising harmonics and encouraging sustain.

Using every guitar I can get my hands on (unmodified Stratocaster, modified Stratocaster w/ humbuckers, Les Paul, Ibanez RG770), it preserves the natural tone of the guitar and amplifier very well and seems to work equally as well with both single coils and humbuckers.

My only single complaint, is that the tone controls could be a tad more responsive, but given that the pedal sounds rather good, it really isn't a problem.

It hasn't broken yet, and by the looks of it, it won't be for a while: It is built like a bloody tank! I don't think I'll ever need a backup, but to be fair ive only owned it 2 days, so I can't form an opnion yet.

I haven't dealt with Blackstar Amplification personally, but the guys at the local music shop seem to like them and constantly order products. However, there is no mention of a warranty......

In my band, we currently write our own material, which tends to be very rock orientated, so it is essential that when writing the material I have EXACTLY the right sound for the moment, otherwise the song sounds "wrong". I am confident that whatever amplifier or sound I use, this pedal with reinforce it when boosting the gain, as both channels are fairly transparent, but still have a certain "warmth" to them. My gear does change regularly, but this pedal is certainly a keeper, and the Marshall TSL and cab are constant, but id say this pedal is a good match for any amplifier/guitar combo, and I would certainly reccomend it.

If it were stolen or lost, I would not hesitate to buy a new one (which wouldn't be too bad in the case of being stolen, because being over ??100, it's insured). As aforementioned, the pedal can be a tiny bit noisy and the tone controls are relatively redundant BUT the pedal drives a valve amplifier perfectly, sounds brilliant and is increadibly touch sensitive. I particularly love the variation of the voicing of the two channels and the infinitely useful Infinite Shape Feature.

I'd say the perfect place for a pedal like this is onstage, but would also shine in the studio.

If you're any kind of guitar player looking for a versatile overdrive/distortion pedal that is built like a tank and will get any sound you need, choose this over everything else. I have also owned a Vox Bulldog distortion, which follows the same basic principal, but doesn't sound nearly as good, as will many other stompboxes. This was such a smart buy.

Easy to use,versatile controls,if you can read,you can use this box!

Truly excellent sound quality,mainly use the 1st green crunch channel,
plenty of gain available into a " cooking " valve amp for what I use it for. Definitely one of the best overdrives out there,occasionally use
the other channel if I want to use a single coil guitar,(strat,Tele),but
this is a rare occurrence,as I mainly use Gibsons.

I would depend on this(It`s bolted onto my main pedalboard),but.... I
recently plugged a strat into it for the first time in some months and
I got a crackly,low output on channel 2,(the red one),also the input
patch cable,(Neutrik,good quality) when moved in the input jack made
some pretty awful noises,have applied switch cleaner to the footswich and input which has improved matters,but still not perfect,would tend
to indicate quality control problems with these components,(unit is
about a year old).Lucky I rarely switch channels and it`s in a pedal
board where the leads don`t move around much.I did notice as well that
there is some noise whilst using the vol pot`s on my guitars,which is something I do all the time,(old school dynamics,which is why I use a
valve overdrive in the first place).It`s very good at what it does but
I don`t think it`s bulletproof,despite the external appearances and
weight.

Never rang them,I usually try and sort out minor stuff myself

pretty good at what it does,but the component quality could do with
upping! then again,they aren`t the only makers this could apply to.