background noise BLack star Id core 10

[DavidGilnot]

I'm surprised that no one has commented on this solution wise.
This problem is usually contributed to one or more of the following:

1. faulty speaker connection (only if the problem persists with or without anything connected to amp)
2. faulty ground wire or power supply
3. capacitor/ transistor running for extremely extended amount of time without cooling down.

I say that with a grain of salt only because sometimes manufacturers just dont construct something right at times. I just played a blackstar ID at guitar center a couple days ago and didnt have any problems, maybe you guys got a bad batch...? just my 2 sense. Keep in mind that Blackstar is new to modeling amps...bound to be bugs and set-backs.

Hi there @jrsoldja. I'm glad there's some life out there in Id Core land. Interesting that you've heard one that doesn't hiss. I haven't. When mine was delivered it came with a power supply with a UK three pin plug that had a plastic, i.e. not earthed, long pin. This was replaced within a week by Blackstar with a proper metal pinned one (but I've not looked inside it to see if it IS earthed.

Speaker hisses as soon as unit is switched on with nothing plugged in and doesn't get louder as you increase the volume or gain or change the settings. It also doesn't go away when the two noise gate OD 1 and OD2 are used.

Blackstar just say this hiss is a 'feature' of these amps. Must have been the result of extensive customer research that everyone but me wanted hiss in the background. I'm so behind the curve.

[jrsoldja]

I'm surprised that no one has commented on this solution wise.
This problem is usually contributed to one or more of the following:

1. faulty speaker connection (only if the problem persists with or without anything connected to amp)
2. faulty ground wire or power supply
3. capacitor/ transistor running for extremely extended amount of time without cooling down.

I say that with a grain of salt only because sometimes manufacturers just dont construct something right at times. I just played a blackstar ID at guitar center a couple days ago and didnt have any problems, maybe you guys got a bad batch...? just my 2 sense. Keep in mind that Blackstar is new to modeling amps...bound to be bugs and set-backs.

Hi there @jrsoldja. I'm glad there's some life out there in Id Core land. Interesting that you've heard one that doesn't hiss. I haven't. When mine was delivered it came with a power supply with a UK three pin plug that had a plastic, i.e. not earthed, long pin. This was replaced within a week by Blackstar with a proper metal pinned one (but I've not looked inside it to see if it IS earthed.

Speaker hisses as soon as unit is switched on with nothing plugged in and doesn't get louder as you increase the volume or gain or change the settings. It also doesn't go away when the two noise gate OD 1 and OD2 are used.

Blackstar just say this hiss is a 'feature' of these amps. Must have been the result of extensive customer research that everyone but me wanted hiss in the background. I'm so behind the curve.

Personally I don't think that is really a feature just a common occurrence of that amp. And I would probably try changing out the speaker or at least making sure that you have solid speaker connection. It could be the speaker honestly. When I played the half stack it was through a Marshall cab without any issues. But if it's not the speaker I would guess ground wire

[DavidGilnot]

Thanks jrsoldja. I'll look into it a bit more deeply. Why should a speaker hiss? This might be my chance to get bigger ones inside it . I had an IdCore 40 before this one and it had just the same hiss but also sounded a touch less boxy because of the bigger cones.

[jrsoldja]

Thanks jrsoldja. I'll look into it a bit more deeply. Why should a speaker hiss? This might be my chance to get bigger ones inside it . I had an IdCore 40 before this one and it had just the same hiss but also sounded a touch less boxy because of the bigger cones.

It sounds like to me that blackstar just produced a bad batch of speakers. Either that or their just not soldered properly...that would be the reason. Or its a ground wire lose. If you can...try pluging the amp into an external speaker cab (there should be a way you can do that while muting the stock speaker.) Either way try it. I would hate to see you replace the speakers for nothing. If for some reason you still get hiss, then you'll know it's the internals. I would open her up in that case and look at the wire connections.

[Danny_Two]

I had two ID10's, the background hiss was so bad I couldn't play at quiet volumes as it was so distracting. Sent the first one back as I assumed it was faulty, got the second one and realised that's how they are, sent that back to.

Now have a Fly3 and even that hisses, pops and cracks, although nowhere near the annoying level of the ID.

[Sonofarich]

I had two ID10's, the background hiss was so bad I couldn't play at quiet volumes as it was so distracting. Sent the first one back as I assumed it was faulty, got the second one and realised that's how they are, sent that back to.

Now have a Fly3 and even that hisses, pops and cracks, although nowhere near the annoying level of the ID.

FWIW...I have absolutely none of these issues with my Fly.

[moogpower]

Fender Rhodes & Blackstar ID CORE 40

Background
As a keyboard player I was looking for a very good sounding practise and recording amp to bring out the full growl and dynamics of my Fender Rhodes Stage Electric Piano. I've over the years tried out many amp's that was said to sound perfect on Rhodes, but all shared the same problem: a) They had to be cranked up ridiculously loud to start sounding good (not suitable for me) b) Being big, bulky and heavy.
When I found the Blackstar ID Core 40, it directly stole the show with it's amazing spot on sound for the Rhodes, a warm and full character without sounding to "mid-range rock guitar" that is really rare. On top of this the Super Wide Stereo sound and amazing effects sounding like on the record already, It simply blowed me and all other much bigger 10x more expensive amps away directly!

The background HISS/NOISE issue
1) Starting the amp, nothing plugged in: Total SILENCE
2) Plugging in a cable to: a) LINE IN, b) MP3/EXT IN, c) USB with all knobs set to "0": Major constant HISS/NOISE
3) Even tried other ID Core 10, 20 & 40's in the shop, all unfortunately had the same issue.
4) Heartbreaking for me to be honest but: I had to return mine until Blackstar solve this one.

Blackstar Support
A conversation with the very friendly Blackstar team has since then been started on this matter though I really love this amp so much and want it back some day, when there is a solution or a newer amp out that dont have this issue.
Still unfortunately not got any feedback on my matter, that I obviously seem to share with so many other ID Core owners...

Solution?
As a Rhodes player I find this little amp to loud in my studio and even at "4" it was way to loud for me, so I was thinking:
If I had the circuit diagram on the ID CORE, could a potentiometer be tweaked or a resistor value changed on the PCB for the speaker amp circuit, so the pre-amplification for the speakers that today seems to be on an unhealthy high level could be decreased slightly (forgive me here all rock guitar dudes who always need to stay on top of the drummer).
By this mod the overall volume will be lower; yes, BUT the noise/hiss floor will also be lower meaning the amp for the speakers will have a lower starting point at volume "0" than today.

The question to Blackstar is simple: Could this be a feasible solution/mod (yes, I will void my warranty) or future update on newer amps?
This though the hiss seem to come from the speaker amp, NOT the LINE IN amp and/or the DSP modelling chain that beautifully mimics all the lovely amp-models. Another evidence on my theory is that plugging in HEADPHONES there is NO HISS.

Still waiting for a reply from Blackstar on this (maybe simple) quick fix...

[jrsoldja]

Fender Rhodes & Blackstar ID CORE 40

Background
As a keyboard player I was looking for a very good sounding practise and recording amp to bring out the full growl and dynamics of my Fender Rhodes Stage Electric Piano. I've over the years tried out many amp's that was said to sound perfect on Rhodes, but all shared the same problem: a) They had to be cranked up ridiculously loud to start sounding good (not suitable for me) b) Being big, bulky and heavy.
When I found the Blackstar ID Core 40, it directly stole the show with it's amazing spot on sound for the Rhodes, a warm and full character without sounding to "mid-range rock guitar" that is really rare. On top of this the Super Wide Stereo sound and amazing effects sounding like on the record already, It simply blowed me and all other much bigger 10x more expensive amps away directly!

The background HISS/NOISE issue
1) Starting the amp, nothing plugged in: Total SILENCE
2) Plugging in a cable to: a) LINE IN, b) MP3/EXT IN, c) USB with all knobs set to "0": Major constant HISS/NOISE
3) Even tried other ID Core 10, 20 & 40's in the shop, all unfortunately had the same issue.
4) Heartbreaking for me to be honest but: I had to return mine until Blackstar solve this one.

Blackstar Support
A conversation with the very friendly Blackstar team has since then been started on this matter though I really love this amp so much and want it back some day, when there is a solution or a newer amp out that dont have this issue.
Still unfortunately not got any feedback on my matter, that I obviously seem to share with so many other ID Core owners...

Solution?
As a Rhodes player I find this little amp to loud in my studio and even at "4" it was way to loud for me, so I was thinking:
If I had the circuit diagram on the ID CORE, could a potentiometer be tweaked or a resistor value changed on the PCB for the speaker amp circuit, so the pre-amplification for the speakers that today seems to be on an unhealthy high level could be decreased slightly (forgive me here all rock guitar dudes who always need to stay on top of the drummer).
By this mod the overall volume will be lower; yes, BUT the noise/hiss floor will also be lower meaning the amp for the speakers will have a lower starting point at volume "0" than today.

The question to Blackstar is simple: Could this be a feasible solution/mod (yes, I will void my warranty) or future update on newer amps?
This though the hiss seem to come from the speaker amp, NOT the LINE IN amp and/or the DSP modelling chain that beautifully mimics all the lovely amp-models. Another evidence on my theory is that plugging in HEADPHONES there is NO HISS.

Still waiting for a reply from Blackstar on this (maybe simple) quick fix...

I might not be a Blackstar rep but from what everyone is having a problem with I'm almost certain its the speaker or speaker connects that is the problem. Everything points to that. If it sounds fine in a direct out or a headphone situation... Then obviously it's not the power output or modeling issure. I've played the id100 head though a Marshall cab with no issues at all...

[Emster]

I don't seem to have fizz unless excessive delay or reverb. However I did have similar problem with seeming static pop while playing. I was thinking of returning amp, but happened to try with pair of headphones. I have no idea why, but the static pop stopped. Came back after week or so, but headphone plug in dig the trick again. I can live with that minor annoyance as like the rest of the package quite a bit.

[moogpower]

A honest and good answer received from Blackstar now on my issue. I hereby rest my case as a keyboard player and wish Blackstar all the best with their wonderful amps, hoping our roads may cross someday in the future again.

"Thank you for contacting us.
We are constantly looking at ways to improve our designs for future products, something which is evident in our latest releases - ID:Core 100 and 150.

Our core market area is amplification for Guitars. These ID:Core amplifiers have been designed and manufactured to be at the forefront of amplification in this section of the market, and the ID:Core range is growing from strength to strength. There are users that can successfully use the ID:Core amplifiers for their chosen application outside of guitars, but unfortunately in your scenario it appears this is not the case.

We fully appreciate the feedback in regards to using this amplifier for keyboards and electric pianos, and it has been fed back to the research and development teams. These amplifiers are designed for guitars, and as a result may not have the desired features or responses that a keyboardist, such as yourself, requires.

Our digital team have confirmed that there is currently no capability of any 'mod' being carried out on the ID:Core amplifiers.

Our team are continuing to develop our products on a day to day basis, and as I have stated in a previous message, I'm certain that having provided them with your comments and information that they will look into this further when developing the ID:Core range.

Our circuit diagrams and technical specifications are often classified and release of this information to the end user is prohibited.

We apologise that we could not resolve your issue at the current time, but thank you for contacting us."