Series One 200 Vs. VHT Pittbull

[Operative]

I'm considering switching my VHT Pittbull for a Blackstar Series One 200, mainly because I want more saturation for lead sounds without needing an OD pedal, and also because I'm interested in the possibilities of getting a TC Electronic rack processor to handle all the effects and switching with MIDI.

Can anyone with experience of the two amps offer any thoughts on how they compare in terms of tone and feel?

Thanks.

[Icarus]

I personally had a pitbull a few years ago and really didnt care for it at all. felt sterile and too stiff. I've also had Krank Rev1, Bogner, Triple Rec and a few others. I recently switched to the S1-200 after selling My Mesa Triple Rec.
I've not had the 200 for very long(2 weeks or so) but i'm already finding some awesome tones that i couldnt find in other amps. I'm not a super 'loyal to one company' guy who will only use one make of amps, i've had lots and tried lots and i'm not afraid to get rid of them if they are not working for me.
I really like the clarity while using real high gain settings you get with the Blackstar, something ive been looking for for a while. OD2 is where you'll get your screaming leads with a crazy amount of sustain, every note staying crystal clear.
The only slight niggles i have are, a) no footswitchable loop, which some may not need and b) EQ sharing. They are nothing major and i can get around them but in a perfect world.......

I mainly play hardcore/rock with my band but also metal and shred stuff, i would recommend these for sure!

[Operative]

Interesting. See, I like the VHT's stiffness for rhythm, and I love its clarity, I love how there's no noise, and I really love that kind of punch in the guts thump it has. I'm starting to think I'd like a little more sponginess in my rhythm tones, and I definitely need more saturation on lead tones, so.... hmm.

I suppose what I'm skeptical about with the Blackstar is the quality of the sound: clarity, punch, etc. A while back, I got to thinking that I couldn't justify the cost of the VHT and went to try out a Peavey 5150. A 5150 was my first tube amp, and I loved it at the time but, man, I tried this thing out and it just sounded piss weak compared to the VHT. Noisy, too. Since that experience, I've been kind of nervous about ditching the VHT, even though it lacks a few things I'm starting to want. I think I'd go with an Ultra Lead if I had that sort of cash, but even then it lacks MIDI. Sigh!

Anyway, thanks for your views!

[Icarus]

the 5150 was my first amp too, i tried the krank and it blew the 5150 out of the water. I got round to trying the 6505 and that sucked, soo much gain but noisey and no clean channel. If you get the opportunity to try the blackstar, go for it, it has a superb rhythm tone. I dont really dig V30's - hate those spikey mids so i use a krank rev cab with eminence V12 legends instead of the blackstar cab, and i get a huge thump with it. If you need features like the midi options and a great clean channel, i would still say go for the blackstar but if all you use it the crunch channels with not much lead playing then keep your pitbull. In my opinion, the pitbull just didnt cut it, especially in lead tones.

[Operative]

So you seem to be saying that the Blackstar has the clarity and punch that I'm used to. That's good. Is it possible, on the S1-200, to dial in a tone which has some of the VHT characteristics?

[Icarus]

I think you could get pretty close, using OD2 as a rhythm channel.

[seef]

One thing is for sure! The S1-200 has clarity and punch! Oh boy, its having lots of punch!!
On the clean channel I love to use my ESP Horizon with just the single-coil, its crystal clear whatever you play and has so much attack!