NAD - Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 20

[Steve Mavronis]

I'm a new owner of the Blackstar ID:Core Stereo 20. I bought it two Fridays ago after watching all the YouTube demos and reviews. I'm 55 and always been a home player, so this turns out to be a pretty fantastic little modeling amp especially for being considered entry level but it seems more than that. Compared to other solid state modeling amps I've had its packed with features making it the best bang for the buck out there. I'm 'supposedly' using it as a secondary amp to my (other brand) 6W hand-wired combo tube amp (no headphones) to give me some better home volume levels and silent practicing too. But it seems Like my ID:Core 20 is becoming my main amp lately! I'm using it so much every day because it's just fun to play, period. Good job Blackstar and thanks for making this amp. It truly fits into my lifestyle.

I have it next to my computer testing it with PC connectivity via its USB connection by using the universal ASIO4ALL input/output configurable driver. I got it to work in Cockos Reaper, Riffworks T4 and Presonus Studio One 2 recording programs so far. I'm new at that so just experimenting. I guess my iPhone 5s is next if I get the Apple Camera Connection Kit/Lightning to USB Camera adapter.

Also I have a Y-splitter audio cable adapter on my PC speaker jack so I can send any multimedia output into the amp's MP3/Line-in jack (DAW recording playback, MP3/YouTube sources, etc.) through its speakers or headphones. This amp is great for practicing or when I'm learning or tabbing a song from MP3 from the Blackstar Insider software speed trainer, or from guitar performance video at various pitch retaining speeds using VLC Media Player and GuitarPro 6. BTW, even though Insider is officially spec'd for Windows 7/8, it works just fine on my Windows Vista PC.

In retrospect it's weird that I started with solid state practice amps to a low watt tube amp and now back full circle to a digital practice amp again - and I don't even need my pedals! I love Blackstar in general and maybe I'll try one of the HT1-series combo amps in the future, although even a 1W tube amp 'might' still be too loud, I don't know. But I should try one maybe...

[maartmo]

Hi,

i was wondering how you're progessing... I tried the asio4all drivers. Though i did manage to record in Studio One the recording is out of sync. Did you experience any problems with that?

[Steve Mavronis]

I didn't do much with recording yet besides establish the ASIO connection with ASIO4ALL. I did a test recording just a few seconds of one track. I've never used DAW software before so its all new to me. But in principle it works. What do you mean out of sync? I followed this Blackstar video on PC recording (they have a MAC recording setup tutorial too) where Steve Marks mentions you should 'disable' the amp sound driver in your PC audio playback and recording tabs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw9rygUt-vk

I use a stereo audio cable from my PC sound card speaker jack to the ID:Core line-in jack so I can hear backing tracks, etc., from the amp through headphones plugged into it. When I played guitar and recording I'm only hearing the amp (I think) with no latency and listen to the recording playback afterwards.

Overall this amp has been great for me. It feels strange because I started out with several solid state amps with modeling features, then went to a 6W all-tube amp (without headphones support) using my pedalboard for FX, and now I'm back using this ID:Core amp which does it all. I miss my pedals because I hand built one of them yet the Stereo 20 puts my tube amp and pedals into semi-retirement but in a good way. \m/