Blackstar Dept. 10 AMPED 2 100-watt Guitar Amplifier Pedal (2023)

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A Stellar Floorboard Amp with Ear-grabbing Effects

The Dept. 10 AMPED 2 is a floorboard amplifier that packs 100 watts of pure Blackstar tone in a stompbox-sized enclosure that will fit easily on your pedalboard. AMPED 2 was designed to re-create the tone and feel of a traditional tube amp, with three distinct preamp voices — USA, UK, and Classic — for maximum sonic versatility. Three different power amp responses ensure an authentic amp-like feel to match the AMPED 2's killer tone. You get four pedal-style effects, including Drive, Modulation, Delay, and Reverb, plus a high-quality effects loop, MIDI control, and 9V pedal power outputs. To top it off, this guitar amplifier pedal includes Blackstar's next-gen Cab Rig DSP speaker simulation. You can connect Dept. 10 AMPED 2 to an 8- or 16-ohm speaker cabinet, or you can choose to route a studio-quality mic'd-cab tone straight to your DAW via USB-C.

Sonically flexible 100-watt guitar amplifier

At its heart, Dept. 10 AMPED 2 is a great-sounding 100-watt guitar amplifier jam-packed with sonic flexibility. The 3-way Voice switch changes the sound of your preamp. USA was inspired by '60s-era American-style amps coveted for their clean, dynamic sound; it's an ideal pedal platform. UK recalls the much-loved Class A amplifiers that defined the British Invasion, churning out everything from clean to warm to overdriven. Lastly, Classic is based on Blackstar's award-winning cascaded tube overdrive with a traditional British-style passive tone stack — the perfect choice for crunchy rhythms and gritty leads. AMPED 2 also includes a bevy of Power Amp controls. The 3-way Response switch enables you to tailor the amp's feel with EL84, EL34, and 6L6 characteristics. You also get a 3-way Power switch that selects between 100W, 20W, and 1W, allowing you to use AMPED 2 for large-scale gigs, at-home practice, and everything in between.

Four outstanding stompbox-style effects

The Blackstar Dept. 10 AMPED 2 includes four pedal-style effects: Drive, Modulation, Delay, and Reverb. Drive is placed before AMPED 2's preamp section in your signal chain, and includes Boost, Drive, and Fuzz options, plus Drive, Tone, and Level knobs, and a Drive footswitch for toggling the effect on and off. Modulation includes three effect types: Chorus/Flanger, Tremolo, and Phaser, plus a Mod footswitch for engaging and disengaging the effect. Delay includes three effect types: Linear, Analogue, and Shimmer, plus an independent Delay footswitch and a Tap footswitch for synching to the tempo or bpm of a song. Reverb includes three effect types: Room, Spring, and Plate, plus a dedicated Reverb footswitch. The guitarists here at Sweetwater are duly impressed by the quality of AMPED 2's effects — it's a terrific all-in-one solution for lightweight fly gigs.

Next-generation CabRig speaker simulation

Rather than force you to lug an unwieldy cabinet around, Blackstar loaded the Dept. 10 AMPED 2 with top-notch speaker simulation. Dubbed Cab Rig, AMPED 2's cab sim technology replicates the sound and feel of a mic'd guitar cab with exacting detail. While IR-based speaker simulations provide a realistic snapshot of a raging cab, they often possess inherent latency, as well as phase issues, when you mix more than one together. Cab Rig's advanced speaker simulation algorithm re-creates a speaker, cabinet, mic, and room with zero latency or phase mismatches. You get your choice of cabs and microphones, both on- and off-axis, along with room characteristics, and absolute control over how much or little of this you blend in. And everything can be accessed using Blackstar's powerful Architect software. To top it off, AMPED 2 enables you to route your mic'd-cab sound through a balanced mono XLR output, a stereo TRS headphones output, or through the unit's built-in 4-in/2-out USB-C audio interface. A 3-way selector switch and Level knob offer even more flexibility.

Blackstar Dept. 10 AMPED 2 Guitar Amplifier Pedal Features:

• Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, and Master knobs give you basic sound-shaping options
• 3-way Voice switch (USA, UK, and Classic) changes the sound of the preamp
• 3-way Response switch tailors the feel of the power amp with EL84, EL34, and 6L6 characteristics
• 3-way Power switch selects between 100W, 20W, and 1W
• 4 footswitchable pedal-style effects: Drive, Modulation, Delay, and Reverb
• Tap footswitch synchronizes effects to the tempo or bpm of a song
• Cab Rig speaker simulation re-creates a speaker, cabinet, mic, and room with zero latency or phase mismatches
• Architect software allows you to deep dive into Cab Rig's features
• Balanced mono XLR output, stereo TRS headphones output, and built-in 4-in/2-out USB-C audio interface
• 3-way Cab Rig selector switch and Level knob offer even more flexibility
• 2 x 9V DC outputs allow powering external pedals up to a combined 500mA
• 8- and 16-ohm speaker cabinet outputs
• Effects loop for integrating your pedalboard and rackmount gear
• MIDI I/O for sending and receiving MIDI CC messages
• Built-in tuner