After unveiling the ID:X Floor – a new floor-based digital amp modeller – Blackstar has offered up something for the practice amp enthusiasts with its new Beam Mini desktop amp.
Designed for electric, bass and acoustic guitar players after portability and intuitive controls without sacrificing tone, the Beam Mini packs in Blackstar’s advanced digital modelling and powerful DSP into a small, portable, acoustically tuned cab for the classic Blackstar sound anywhere.
Loaded with two 60mm full-range drivers – as well as two passive bass radiators and Blackstar’s Super Wide Stereo technology – the Beam Mini is said to offer an “expansive, room-filling sound that belies its dimensions”.
Harnessing component-level modelling, Blackstar says the digital Beam Mini even offers up the dynamic feel of tube amps, despite its tiny size.
It also features 12 amp models – six Blackstar designs and six Ampton recreations of classic amps – as well as three bass amps, two acoustic voices, an acoustic simulator, and of course, Blackstar’s patented ISF control, which essentially allows the user to blend between British and American-style voicings.
Intuitive operation is key to the Beam Mini’s design, with a simple, large SpeedDial and Light Beam Display, offering “instant visual feedback” without having to navigate menus. There is, however, a Beam app, through which users are given deeper editing and creative options, as well as a growing library of amps, cabs, mics and pedal models, and thousands of user- and artist-generated patches.
Credit: Blackstar
Beam Mini also features XpressFX, which allows the user to adjust the intensity of multiple effects simultaneously with the single movement of the SpeedDial. It also sports a studio-quality mic input for recording guitar and vocals together, as well as Blackstar’s IR-driven CabRig technology.
Portability isn’t just served by its light weight and form factor; the rechargeable Beam Mini also features an IP66 dust-tight and weatherproof design, and offers over 18 hours of playtime on a single charge.
The Beam Mini is available now priced at $299.99.
For more info, head to Blackstar.
Credit: Blackstar
Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of Guitar World, Total Guitar, Metal Hammer and MusicRadar.