Questions about running Blackstar valve distortion pedal through solid-state amp

[ibanezjacksonline6engl]

Hi
I just had a few questions about a pedal I'm going to buy. It's a Blackstar HT DistX pedal. It has a 12AX7 (ECC83) tube in in. I will be running it through a Line 6 Spider IV 75 amp.
I wondered:
a. Will it sound good (and better than the amp) through my Line 6, or will it make it sound worse than the amp's gain?
b. Will it send my amp into clipping, due to the Line 6 being solid state?
c. Will it still react and sound like a tube amp, even through the Line 6?

I'm looking for an improvement on the Line 6 sound, without buying a new amp. The Line 6 sounds awful.

I though I would ask more knowlegable people than me, rather than splash £100 out on it to find it's not going to do it's job properly.

[mobiusr]

Hi
I just had a few questions about a pedal I'm going to buy. It's a Blackstar HT DistX pedal. It has a 12AX7 (ECC83) tube in in. I will be running it through a Line 6 Spider IV 75 amp.
I wondered:
a. Will it sound good (and better than the amp) through my Line 6, or will it make it sound worse than the amp's gain?
b. Will it send my amp into clipping, due to the Line 6 being solid state?
c. Will it still react and sound like a tube amp, even through the Line 6?

I'm looking for an improvement on the Line 6 sound, without buying a new amp. The Line 6 sounds awful.

I though I would ask more knowlegable people than me, rather than splash £100 out on it to find it's not going to do it's job properly.

1. Dont buy a distortion pedal
2. keep living with the bad tone for a couple of months.
3. save your money
4. sell your amp. together buy something good
5. ??????
6. Profit

[Grim]

a. Most likely it will sound good... It is Blackstar
b. No
c. No

[Rich#6]

Does the spider have a REAL clean channel that does not go thru the amp's preamp? If no then the pedal with sound like shit.

[Spivonious]

1. Dont buy a distortion pedal
2. keep living with the bad tone for a couple of months.
3. save your money
4. sell your amp. together buy something good
5. ??????
6. Profit

Another Daily WTF reader?

To the OP: Save your money and get a tube amp if you're after that sound. Even a cheap Peavey ValveKing will give you what you want.

[rocksoldier]

It certainly could help, I even like my DOD Yngwie overdrive in front of modelers. Same thing with the TS9 I had. But you must try for yourself to decide.

[Newc]

Don't run it into the preamp. Run it into the FX Return to bypass the preamp section (where all the models are) and go straight to the power section.

However, it's still going to sound like a tube pedal into a solid state power amp. What you want is a tube power amp.

However, if the pedal only has one tube in it, don't expect miracles either way.


Work with the Line6. Adjust an EQ here and there.

[rocksoldier]

I disagree, I tried a Blackstar distortion into the fx return of a solid state amp, and it didn't sound as good as in front of it.

[Newc]

As long as the amp's input is set up to receive line-level signals without toasting anything, or as long as the pedal sends out instrument-level signals instead of line level, you can do that. However, most amps are set up for instrument (much lower) signal level inputs, and most pedals are set up to send line level signals.
It might sound good for a few minutes, until you overload the input circuitry and bake the amp or the pedal.

[rocksoldier]

A distortion pedal can't be line level, can it? It's supposed to be used in front of an amp.

[tomanyjacksons]

Another Daily WTF reader?

To the OP: Save your money and get a tube amp if you're after that sound. Even a cheap Peavey ValveKing will give you what you want.

I would have to say stay away from Valvekings mine's not even a year old and I have had it in for waranty work twice for the dumbist stuff plus when you run any kind of pedal through them they don't all that great. Look for a good used amp, I got lucky and found a Sovtek Mig-100 for $50, and have loved the improvement in sound quality and fullness. Good luck and not trying to step on your toes Spivonious, I just want to help a fellow JCF member avoid all the hassles I've been dealing with. Happy fourth man.

[Grim]

It will work fine assuming there is a clean channel. I think it goes through the preamp but I think it will work fine just the same.

[toejam]

A distortion pedal can't be line level, can it? It's supposed to be used in front of an amp.

Correct, pedals are instrument level. A lot of rack effects are line level.

[AlexL]

Keep in mind that a single preamp tube will not give you true tube distortion. You need a minimum of two tubes (like the Seymour Duncan pedals) to do that.

- E.

[rocksoldier]

Keep in mind that a single preamp tube will not give you true tube distortion. You need a minimum of two tubes (like the Seymour Duncan pedals) to do that.

- E.

Why is that so?