THE FEATURES In addition to sharing a common Master Volume , the two channels also share the Treble , Middle , and Bass controls , sort of . One of the coolest things about this amp , especially in a studio setting is the fact that the tone controls behave differently depending on the channel you ’ ve selected . And Channel I , these controls are designed to behave like a mid- ‘ 60s Fender tube amp . When Channel II is selected the Middle control is inactive at the 12:00 position and functions as a mid-cut or boost as you turn it down or up .
The power amp section offers further control via the 50W , Sag , and 2W toggle . Worship guitar players and sound techs will appreciate the 2W mode which attenuates the amp down to 2 watts , which is still more than loud enough to wake neighbors if need be ! Sag mode also leverages Blackstar ’ s proprietary Dynamic Power Reduction technology to generate the feel and sound of power supply sag . At low to medium volume levels this enables you to leverage the headroom of 50 watts but get more of the feel and sound of the amp being pushed .
The back panel sports a mono Effects Loop , a ¼ ” jack for the included footswitch ( Channel and Boost ), and as well a range of direct out options . Where the XLR out is just mono , the stereo TRS ¼ ” output is ideal for headphones and direct out , be it for studio or stage . The USB
B connection can be used for direct recording as well as connecting to Blackstar ’ s CAB RIG software which is part of their proprietary Architect application . In turn , a three-way switch enables you to toggle between three ‘ onboard ’ presets you can modify or overwrite via CAB RIG .
Another one of the cool things about the St . James line is that they feature an internal reactive load so can still leverage the tube power amp section without having to use a speaker . Powering up the amp , but keeping the Standby switch engaged enables to you set the Master Volume control to taste , which is great for a silent stage . The 2W output power mode is ideal if you want to leverage the built-in speaker and the direct out options .
Noting how much I love the sound coming out of the amp itself , I found several shortcomings in the direct out department , many of which can and hopefully will be addressed in future updates to Blackstar ’ s proprietary CAB RIG software . CAB RIG has a great feature set which enables to load and pan dual speaker sims , mics , four band EQs , as well as room mic options . Per Kenny ’ s suggestion I found the 1x12 Modern USA Combo to be the closest to the sound coming out of the amp . While this was closest , I was unable to replicate the sound of the amp or something that I liked as much . Since CAB RIG utilizes proprietary speaker sims , I didn ’ t have the option of loading third party IRs . In days past , Kemper forced you to convert IRs before being able to use them , so I ’ m sure the smart folks at Blackstar could find a similar solution .
When going direct out , you ’ ll also need to be most mindful of the fact that the amp does not have a ground lift switch . Most DI boxes have one , but if you use a TRS to dual TS cable directly into an audio interface there is no way to defeat a ground hum like the one I got . Noting that the awesome range of sculptable tones makes this one of the best sounding amps I ’ ve ever played ( studio or otherwise ), to capture the tube goodness that oozes out of the proprietary Celestion speaker , grab a mic and you ’ ll be good to go !
CONCLUSION The Blackstar St . James 50 / EL34 delivers an awesome tube amp experience , even with the tone controls in the same position , which is no small feat . While you probably won ’ t need as many , thanks in part to the onboard reverb , it is also an excellent pedal platform . And while we ’ re at it , the classic fawn Tolex makes for a sharp dressed amp . If you ’ re looking for a great tube amp that won ’ t break your back , there ’ s a lot to love about St . James !
50 / EL34 or 50 / 6L6 1x12 ” Combo $ 1,299.99 MAP 50 / EL34 or 50 / 6L6 Head + 2x12 ” Cab $ 1,949.98 MAP BlackstarAmps . com