| The Blackstar IDCORE Page How a $40 used Practice Amp from a Pawn Shop Can be Useful for Amp Modeling |
The Blackstar IDCORE series of amplifiers came out sometime around 2013-2014ish. They are a line of modeling amplifiers made by Blackstar amplification designed to me intuitive to use for your average guitarist, computer editable using special software, and provide some supurb sound despite it coming from 2 5" speakers in a specially built cabinet that gives it a very wide and 3D Stereo sound. I bought mine at a pawn shop for $41 after they could not find the power adapter for it, so I bought one at the local Goodwill for $1 - which was really just a power brick for a Iomega ZIp Drive (7.5 volts DC, lol). I still use mine as a practice amplifier to this very day with my own presets put on it. However, my Mini USB Jack broke.....so I might be looking at replacing that soon.
The IDCORE 10 uses a preset model that involves SWITCHING between the six amp models using a rotary switch, and then saving a group of effects with them. So each amp model you can assign one from three specific effects groups to get it to sound how you want. It can also be edited using a Mini-USB jack and special Blackstar software. I bought my IDCORE 10 at a Pawn Shop for $45 when they could not find the power supply for it. I then found out that you can use an IOMEGA Zip Drive power supply with it (which I bought for a $0.99 at Goodwill), which I have been using with this amplifier for years. I still used to jam out on it in the livingroom as late as 2024 until it started being used to prop up a chair for awhile. It's since been replaced by the Boss Katana. I get the basic idea of this modeling amplifier is as a practice amp for students, kids who want to sound like their heroes, and guys like me who just want a rinky dink little practice amp at home to kick back with and not have to worry about messing with presets as much.Accessing/Using Patches on the ID CORE 10 THere are SIX Presets to pick from: Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD 1, and OD 2. The Amp Models are modified using the Gain and Tone Controls, the latter of which works as sort of an overall "sweep" control that shifts through various timbres to bring you where you want to be sound-wise. The effects are: Modulation (Phaser/Chorus/Flanger/Tremolo), Delay (Analog/Digital/Ping Pong/etc), and Reverb (PLate, Spring, Ambient, Hall) - and you can pick one of 4 using a digital encoder marked "A/B/C/D" and the "Tap Tempo" button to change the rate, and a Mix knob to change how much effect is added. When the amplifier first "boots up", it will drop you in "Manual Mode" which means effects are not activated, but the amp models are. You just press the "Manual" button to turn the effects on the selected preset of the six on and off. |
