Dialing In the Blackstar Amped 1 – What I’ve Learned (and Some Starting Points for You)

SwiftReason

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Here's the thing... I think the Blackstar Amped 1 is an excellent piece of gear — but it's often misunderstood.

Most of the time, that’s because players don’t know how to really dial it in. It’s not designed to be a full-featured amp modeler or a traditional tube head — it’s a modern pedal platform that thrives when used with your pedalboard, not instead of it.

That said, I’ve been using the Amped 1 as my primary amp, and after a lot of experimenting (plus a little help from AI), I’ve zeroed in on amp voicing + response combinations and CabRig settings that make a massive difference.

What makes it special?
  • It goes direct to FOH via XLR with CabRig, while still powering a real guitar cab at the same time
  • It all fits on my pedalboard — light, compact, fast to set up/tear down
  • It reacts beautifully to a well-planned pedal chain — especially overdrives, verbs, and modulation

My Setup (for context)
I need a rig that’s:
  • Dynamic
  • Clear with ambient effects
  • Capable of rich drive when needed
  • Still mix-friendly for live FOH

Amped 1:
  • Voice: UK
  • Response: EL34
  • Gain: 9–10 o’clock (Vox-like edge of breakup)
  • Volume: 1–2 o’clock (Power amp saturation)
  • Bass: 10 o'clock
  • Middle: 1–2 o'clock
  • Treble: 12–1 o,clock
CabRig:
  • Cab: 2x12 Classic UK Combo (Open Back)
  • Mic: 57 - Dynamic 57, Off-center (Axis button selected)
  • Cab Level: +4.6 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 3.0
  • Low: 0.0
  • Low Mids: 0.0
  • High Mids: -1.5 to -2.0
  • High: +2.0 to +2.5
  • Hi-Cut: 7.0
  • Room: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.5 dB

This gives me a great Marshall-meets-Vox-style pedal platform, and with my pedalboard I can shape anything from shimmering cleans to gritty leads.



Suggested Starting Points for Amp Emulations


If you're chasing specific amp tones, here are some tested Voice + Response + CabRig combinations to get you close quickly:



Amped 1 VOX Emulation Settings



Amped 1 Settings (UK + EL84)
  • Voice:UK
    • Closest to Vox’s British tone stack.
  • Response:EL84
    • Vox compression, chime and harmonics.
  • Gain:10 o’clock
    • Keeps you at edge-of-breakup with clarity.
  • Volume:1:30 to 2 o’clock
    • Boosts power amp response for natural feel.
  • Bass:11 o’clock
    • Tightens up the low end.
  • Middle:1-2 o’clock
    • Adds Vox-style midrange complexity.
  • Treble:12-1 o’clock
    • Delivers that signature sparkle
CabRig Settings
  • Cabinet: 2x12 Classic UK Combo (DC30 is a 2x12)
  • Mic: 57 – Dynamic, Off-center
  • Cabinet Level: +4.4 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 2.5
  • Low: +0.5 to +1.0
  • Low Mids: +0.5 to +1.0
  • High Mids: 0.0
  • High: +2.0
  • Hi-Cut: 6.5 to 7.0
  • Room Type: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.0 to -2.5 dB
  • Master: 0.0dB (Unity for FOH)


Key Vox Traits Replicated
  • Chimey highs and vocal mids
  • Touch-sensitive edge-of-breakup
  • Tight low end with open feel
Your Setup Leans Vox AC30 When:
  • Gain is kept low (9–10 o’clock) → clean headroom
  • Volume is pushed (1–2 o’clock) → amp compression/saturation
  • CabRig cab is 2x12 Open Back → same layout as a real AC30
  • EQ is tight in the bass and lifted in the high mids/highs
You Can Push It Toward AC15 Feel By:
  • Slightly increasing Gain (~10:30–11:00)
  • Slightly reducing Volume for more sag
  • Adding more Room Level in CabRig to simulate roomier, smaller amp feel
  • Choosing a Ribbon mic (if available) for smoother response


Amped 1 Fender Blackface Emulation Settings



Amped 1 Settings (USA + 6L6)
  • Voice:USA
    • Gives you a scooped-mid, sparkly top-end tone reminiscent of blackface Fenders.
  • Response:6L6
    • Replicates the power tube feel – high headroom, clean bloom and spongy response.
  • Gain:9 o’clock
    • Keeps it clean and open.
  • Volume:2 o’clock
    • Gives you that touch-sensitive feel.
  • Bass: 10-11 o’clock
  • Middle: 10-11 o’clock
  • Treble: 1-2 o’clock
CabRig Settings
  • Cabinet: 1x12 Classic USA Open Back (or 2x12 Vintage Open)
  • Mic: 57 – Dynamic, Off-center
  • Cabinet Level: +3.8 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 2.5
  • Low: +0.5 to +1.0
  • Low Mids: -1.0 to -1.5
  • High Mids: 0.0 to +0.5
  • High: +2.0
  • Hi-Cut: 7.0
  • Room Type: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.0 to -2.5 dB
Master: 0.0dB (Unity for FOH)



Amped 1 Marshall Emulation Settings



Amped 1 Settings (UK + EL34)
  • Voice:UK
    • Best matches the British EL34 tone stack (Marshall DNA).
  • Response:EL34
    • Iconic Marshall tube type – bold, tight, mid-heavy.
  • Gain:12-1 o’clock
    • Natural amp distortion begins here (especially for Plexi or JCM800).
  • Volume:1-2 o’clock
    • Simulates pushed power section breakup.
  • Bass:10 o’clock
    • Keeps low end punchy without mud.
  • Middle:2 o’clock
    • Marshall lives in the mids.
  • Treble:2 o’clock
    • Top-end bite – essential for cut.
CabRig Settings
  • Cabinet: 4x12 Classic UK
  • Mic: 57 – Dynamic, On-center
  • Cabinet Level: +4.8 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 3.0
  • Low: 0.0
  • Low Mids: +1.0
  • High Mids: +0.5 to +1.0
  • High: +2.0 to +2.5
  • Hi-Cut: 6.5 to 7.0
  • Room Type: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.0 to -2.5 dB
  • Master: 0.0dB (Unity for FOH)


Amped 1 Matchless Emulation Settings



Amped 1 Settings (UK + EL84)
  • Voice: UK
  • Response: EL84
  • Gain: 10 o’clock
  • Volume: 1:30 to 2 o’clock
  • Bass: 11 o’clock
  • Middle: 1-2 o’clock
  • Treble: 12-1 o’clock
CabRig Settings
  • Cabinet: 2x12 Classic UK Combo (DC30 is a 2x12)
  • Mic: 57 – Dynamic, Off-center
  • Cabinet Level: +4.4 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 2.5
  • Low: +0.5 to +1.0
  • Low Mids: +0.5 to +1.0
  • High Mids: 0.0
  • High: +2.0
  • Hi-Cut: 6.5 to 7.0
  • Room Type: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.0 to -2.5 dB
  • Master: 0.0dB (Unity for FOH)
✅ Matchless Tone Traits You’ll Achieve

  • Full, responsive midrange
  • Slightly compressed feel with great note bloom
  • Ambient effects (reverb/delay) will feel lush and controlled
Pedal platform is excellent — particularly with modulation and boosters

I hope this guide has helped you in some way better understand how to dial in a Blackstar Amped 1. I'm sure you could use these settings with an Amped 2 or 3 as well. I'm not sure what the CabRig settings look like for those but it should be fairly close.
 
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That's a great write up!

I was surprised to find I liked the sound of the Amped 1 more than my Orange Rocker 15 tube amp. Takes pedals better and it just sounds better IMO.

I mostly used mine to amplify modelers. I liked even with the full power amp modeling using the EL34 mode as it added a bit of bass and scooped the mids a bit.
 
That's a great write up!

I was surprised to find I liked the sound of the Amped 1 more than my Orange Rocker 15 tube amp. Takes pedals better and it just sounds better IMO.

I mostly used mine to amplify modelers. I liked even with the full power amp modeling using the EL34 mode as it added a bit of bass and scooped the mids a bit.
I honestly don't know why more people aren't using them.
 
This is my pedal board and how I use the Amped 1.

PedalBoard.jpg
 
How about the gain knob, is it active in "flat" mode?

Seriously considering ditching my mk2 Katana head for one of these, since I mainly use it as a straight-up power amp for modelers or external preamps.

How loud does it get? I've read it's Class D, while the Class AB Katana has lots of thump if needed, and my band has a hard-hitting beast of a drummer.

Would the Amped1 be loud enough? I keep the Katana around 10 o clock on its 100W setting and have no problems cutting through.
 
That's a great write up!

I was surprised to find I liked the sound of the Amped 1 more than my Orange Rocker 15 tube amp. Takes pedals better and it just sounds better IMO.

I mostly used mine to amplify modelers. I liked even with the full power amp modeling using the EL34 mode as it added a bit of bass and scooped the mids a bit.
Here's the thing... I think the Blackstar Amped 1 is an excellent piece of gear — but it's often misunderstood.

Most of the time, that’s because players don’t know how to really dial it in. It’s not designed to be a full-featured amp modeler or a traditional tube head — it’s a modern pedal platform that thrives when used with your pedalboard, not instead of it.

That said, I’ve been using the Amped 1 as my primary amp, and after a lot of experimenting (plus a little help from AI), I’ve zeroed in on amp voicing + response combinations and CabRig settings that make a massive difference.

What makes it special?
  • It goes direct to FOH via XLR with CabRig, while still powering a real guitar cab at the same time
  • It all fits on my pedalboard — light, compact, fast to set up/tear down
  • It reacts beautifully to a well-planned pedal chain — especially overdrives, verbs, and modulation

My Setup (for context)
I need a rig that’s:
  • Dynamic
  • Clear with ambient effects
  • Capable of rich drive when needed
  • Still mix-friendly for live FOH

Amped 1:
  • Voice: UK
  • Response: EL34
  • Gain: 9–10 o’clock (Vox-like edge of breakup)
  • Volume: 1–2 o’clock (Power amp saturation)
  • Bass: 10 o'clock
  • Middle: 1–2 o'clock
  • Treble: 12–1 o,clock
CabRig:
  • Cab: 2x12 Classic UK Combo (Open Back)
  • Mic: 57 - Dynamic 57, Off-center (Axis button selected)
  • Cab Level: +4.6 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 3.0
  • Low: 0.0
  • Low Mids: 0.0
  • High Mids: -1.5 to -2.0
  • High: +2.0 to +2.5
  • Hi-Cut: 7.0
  • Room: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.5 dB

This gives me a great Marshall-meets-Vox-style pedal platform, and with my pedalboard I can shape anything from shimmering cleans to gritty leads.



Suggested Starting Points for Amp Emulations


If you're chasing specific amp tones, here are some tested Voice + Response + CabRig combinations to get you close quickly:



Amped 1 VOX Emulation Settings



Amped 1 Settings (UK + EL84)
  • Voice:UK
    • Closest to Vox’s British tone stack.
  • Response:EL84
    • Vox compression, chime and harmonics.
  • Gain:10 o’clock
    • Keeps you at edge-of-breakup with clarity.
  • Volume:1:30 to 2 o’clock
    • Boosts power amp response for natural feel.
  • Bass:11 o’clock
    • Tightens up the low end.
  • Middle:1-2 o’clock
    • Adds Vox-style midrange complexity.
  • Treble:12-1 o’clock
    • Delivers that signature sparkle
CabRig Settings
  • Cabinet: 2x12 Classic UK Combo (DC30 is a 2x12)
  • Mic: 57 – Dynamic, Off-center
  • Cabinet Level: +4.4 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 2.5
  • Low: +0.5 to +1.0
  • Low Mids: +0.5 to +1.0
  • High Mids: 0.0
  • High: +2.0
  • Hi-Cut: 6.5 to 7.0
  • Room Type: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.0 to -2.5 dB
  • Master: 0.0dB (Unity for FOH)


Key Vox Traits Replicated
  • Chimey highs and vocal mids
  • Touch-sensitive edge-of-breakup
  • Tight low end with open feel
Your Setup Leans Vox AC30 When:
  • Gain is kept low (9–10 o’clock) → clean headroom
  • Volume is pushed (1–2 o’clock) → amp compression/saturation
  • CabRig cab is 2x12 Open Back → same layout as a real AC30
  • EQ is tight in the bass and lifted in the high mids/highs
You Can Push It Toward AC15 Feel By:
  • Slightly increasing Gain (~10:30–11:00)
  • Slightly reducing Volume for more sag
  • Adding more Room Level in CabRig to simulate roomier, smaller amp feel
  • Choosing a Ribbon mic (if available) for smoother response


Amped 1 Fender Blackface Emulation Settings



Amped 1 Settings (USA + 6L6)
  • Voice:USA
    • Gives you a scooped-mid, sparkly top-end tone reminiscent of blackface Fenders.
  • Response:6L6
    • Replicates the power tube feel – high headroom, clean bloom and spongy response.
  • Gain:9 o’clock
    • Keeps it clean and open.
  • Volume:2 o’clock
    • Gives you that touch-sensitive feel.
  • Bass: 10-11 o’clock
  • Middle: 10-11 o’clock
  • Treble: 1-2 o’clock
CabRig Settings
  • Cabinet: 1x12 Classic USA Open Back (or 2x12 Vintage Open)
  • Mic: 57 – Dynamic, Off-center
  • Cabinet Level: +3.8 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 2.5
  • Low: +0.5 to +1.0
  • Low Mids: -1.0 to -1.5
  • High Mids: 0.0 to +0.5
  • High: +2.0
  • Hi-Cut: 7.0
  • Room Type: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.0 to -2.5 dB
Master: 0.0dB (Unity for FOH)



Amped 1 Marshall Emulation Settings



Amped 1 Settings (UK + EL34)
  • Voice:UK
    • Best matches the British EL34 tone stack (Marshall DNA).
  • Response:EL34
    • Iconic Marshall tube type – bold, tight, mid-heavy.
  • Gain:12-1 o’clock
    • Natural amp distortion begins here (especially for Plexi or JCM800).
  • Volume:1-2 o’clock
    • Simulates pushed power section breakup.
  • Bass:10 o’clock
    • Keeps low end punchy without mud.
  • Middle:2 o’clock
    • Marshall lives in the mids.
  • Treble:2 o’clock
    • Top-end bite – essential for cut.
CabRig Settings
  • Cabinet: 4x12 Classic UK
  • Mic: 57 – Dynamic, On-center
  • Cabinet Level: +4.8 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 3.0
  • Low: 0.0
  • Low Mids: +1.0
  • High Mids: +0.5 to +1.0
  • High: +2.0 to +2.5
  • Hi-Cut: 6.5 to 7.0
  • Room Type: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.0 to -2.5 dB
  • Master: 0.0dB (Unity for FOH)


Amped 1 Matchless Emulation Settings



Amped 1 Settings (UK + EL84)
  • Voice: UK
  • Response: EL84
  • Gain: 10 o’clock
  • Volume: 1:30 to 2 o’clock
  • Bass: 11 o’clock
  • Middle: 1-2 o’clock
  • Treble: 12-1 o’clock
CabRig Settings
  • Cabinet: 2x12 Classic UK Combo (DC30 is a 2x12)
  • Mic: 57 – Dynamic, Off-center
  • Cabinet Level: +4.4 dB
  • Lo-Cut: 2.5
  • Low: +0.5 to +1.0
  • Low Mids: +0.5 to +1.0
  • High Mids: 0.0
  • High: +2.0
  • Hi-Cut: 6.5 to 7.0
  • Room Type: Medium Dampened
  • Stereo Width: Wide
  • Room Level: -2.0 to -2.5 dB
  • Master: 0.0dB (Unity for FOH)
✅ Matchless Tone Traits You’ll Achieve

  • Full, responsive midrange
  • Slightly compressed feel with great note bloom
  • Ambient effects (reverb/delay) will feel lush and controlled
Pedal platform is excellent — particularly with modulation and boosters

I hope this guide has helped you in some way better understand how to dial in a Blackstar Amped 1. I'm sure you could use these settings with an Amped 2 or 3 as well. I'm not sure what the CabRig settings look like for those but it should be fairly close.
Fantastic write up & Thanks for that ! I was wondering about this as I'm looking to use the Amped 1 as main amp playing through backline or house traditional 1x12 or 2x12 speaker cabs. I travel & want to leave my amps & pedal board behind ! I can get by playing live with just reverb, clean & overdriven tone & simple is what I'm after. If you wouldn't mind I have a few questions on your set up if I understand your post correctly.
1. what speaker cabinet are you playing through & when using just a traditional cab do the cab rig settings on the amped 1 still work on the 8-16 ohm speaker output jack ?
2. Have you used it just with a speaker cab without going to FOH or a PA, if so how does it sound ?
3. When using on stage will the presets work like a 2 channel amp or pedals ? In other words can I stomp on it & get dirty, all I need is a clean channel & a mid gain overdriven channel I can control a lot with guitar volume/tone controls or at least I could with my tube amps.
Thanks
 
Would be interesting to find out if the Amped 1 could at least somewhat imitate a Model T power section with the "flat" voicing and the KT88 or even "linear" setting.
 
Putting this puppy on the end of a pedal board is pretty sweet. I use it as a versatile tube amp simulator and use the headphone outs.

The Dual Drive/Distortion pedals offer amp simulation but it ‘s a bit more limited. I’d like to see Blackstar Dept. 10 release a cheaper version minus the built in power amplifier. Something a bit smaller and lighter that could be used with headphones, studio, etc. There are products somewhat like this but I really like the direct sound that CabRig offers and I like Blackstar’s power amplifier sounds. Folks may say have issues with their preamp tones because they are too smooth or don’t cut through a live mix but I don’t share that feeling. My ears are pretty sensitive in the upper midrange (2.5khz-4khz). Unless in a live setting played fairly loud and competing against a lot of other instruments and sounds, I actually prefer the refined sounds. To me, it is much closer to a finished production when recording and fits right in without a need to polish the heck out of it to get that final sound laid down

I’m not trying to convert anyone to loving Blackstar… I’m just sharing how I use it and my results. One final word about Blackstar support and reliability, I’ve never had a Blackstar product fail over the past 12 years. Amps, pedals, combos, heads… all fine. I will say that the plugin headphone amp I bought was cheaply built but that was the exception in my experience.

I did engage with Blackstar support over some initial issues I experienced with the two Dept. 10 Dual Drive/Dist pedals. They were responsive and went as far as setting up a testing layout to match mine and attempting to replicate it. It turned out to be user error on my part but they stuck with it for 2-3 weeks trying to see if it was a design or firmware based problem. I found them gracious, knowledgeable and actually appreciative of their fans and customers. Of course that just my personal experience and it might not be the same for others. In contrast I have experienced terrible support from Fender on one occasion which I believe illustrates that even solid brands have occasional missteps. I do wish Blackstar wasn’t put down so much because they shoot for something different yet similar in their tones.

If I recall correctly this fundamental desire to take the classic Marshall tones in a slightly tweaked direction was why the Marshall Engineers left Marshall and started their own company. Until Marshall recently and finally changed distributors and US prices dropped and became more equitable to UK and Euro prices, Blackstar was offering less expensive solutions from practice amps to stacks. Just my opinion though and plenty of folks see them as something akin to cheap (insert country name here) imports and have little positive to say. Personally, I like Blackstar and wish them all the best. I’d like to see them issue new Artisan line amp products and Series One amps that take things to the next level and incorporated some of the weight saving measures taken with the St. James line and involve their Dept. 10 with the features and design.
 
Last edited:
How about the gain knob, is it active in "flat" mode?

Seriously considering ditching my mk2 Katana head for one of these, since I mainly use it as a straight-up power amp for modelers or external preamps.

How loud does it get? I've read it's Class D, while the Class AB Katana has lots of thump if needed, and my band has a hard-hitting beast of a drummer.

Would the Amped1 be loud enough? I keep the Katana around 10 o clock on its 100W setting and have no problems cutting through.
Hmm I haven't tried that yet. If I get a chance I will let you know. Amped 1 is really great for modelers and preamps due to the flat/linear settings. The Amped 1 gets LOUD. You get the full 100W when pushing a cab. You shouldn't have any issues cutting through.
 
Fantastic write up & Thanks for that ! I was wondering about this as I'm looking to use the Amped 1 as main amp playing through backline or house traditional 1x12 or 2x12 speaker cabs. I travel & want to leave my amps & pedal board behind ! I can get by playing live with just reverb, clean & overdriven tone & simple is what I'm after. If you wouldn't mind I have a few questions on your set up if I understand your post correctly.
1. what speaker cabinet are you playing through & when using just a traditional cab do the cab rig settings on the amped 1 still work on the 8-16 ohm speaker output jack ?
2. Have you used it just with a speaker cab without going to FOH or a PA, if so how does it sound ?
3. When using on stage will the presets work like a 2 channel amp or pedals ? In other words can I stomp on it & get dirty, all I need is a clean channel & a mid gain overdriven channel I can control a lot with guitar volume/tone controls or at least I could with my tube amps.
Thanks
1. I have a Blackstar HT212 Mk2 cab. Any cab will do though! The CabRig settings do not affect the cab output, only the balanced XLR or TRS line out on the side of the unit since the CabRig is designed to emulate a guitar cabinet.
2. I have use with both a cabinet and FOH/PA both individually and at the same time. This is one of the things I love about the versatility of the Amped 1. It sounds great when you have it dialed in.
3. It stores only one preset if you are using the preset footswitch. So I would dial in a setting with the preset off and then use the preset as a second channel of sorts.
 
UPDATE 5/24/2025

I spent some time building more presets for the Amped 1. Here is a summary of the presets. I also created actual patch files that you can load without having to put settings into cabrig yourself. All the files and a written guide with screenshots are in my google drive which I've set to share.

👉 Blackstar Amped 1 Patches 👈

Clean & Chime

1. Vox-Style EL84 Chime
Open, sparkly, and dynamic with rich mids — classic Vox tone.
Use for: Indie, worship, cinematic clean builds.

2. Matchless DC30-Inspired
Class A brilliance and chime with extra harmonic depth.
Use for: Post-rock, melodic lead, clean indie textures.

3. Fender Blackface Clean
Glass-clear highs, scooped mids, and lush low-end.
Use for: Ambient, funk, blues, clean worship.

4. Hiwatt DR103
Massive clean headroom with fast transients and punch.
Use for: Gilmour-style cleans, delay stacking, edge-of-breakup drive.


Crunch & Classic Rock

5. EL34 Vox-Punch Hybrid
Blends Vox sparkle with Marshall weight and bite.
Use for: Pop punk, alt rock, articulate rhythm.

6. Orange-Style British Drive
Gritty, mid-forward tone with fuzzy warmth.
Use for: Garage rock, indie fuzz, classic breakup.

7. Fender Tweed Deluxe
Mid-forward, saggy, vintage-style American crunch.
Use for: Early rock, blues, raw overdrive.

8. Marshall Plexi (Super Lead 1959)
Bright, loud, and aggressive — a full-stack rock machine.
Use for: Classic rock, power chords, hard rhythm.

9. Trainwreck Express
Hyper touch-sensitive amp feel with rich breakup.
Use for: Expressive lead, clean-to-mean with guitar volume.


High Gain & Boutique

10. Marshall Crunch Rock
Tight, focused mid-gain tone with vintage authority.
Use for: Alt rock, rhythm leads, 70s/80s crunch.

11. Soldano SLO-100
Smooth, fat saturation with tight low end and clarity.
Use for: Lead tones, modern fusion, 80s metal.

12. Dumble Overdrive Special
Boutique smooth drive with complex mids and dynamic bloom.
Use for: Soulful lead work, expressive chord playing.

13. Bogner Ecstasy
Modern boutique high gain — clear, tight, and wide.
Use for: Rock/metal, prog, articulate gain stacking.
 
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