The blackstar ht-1r amps.

skunkwerx

I can’t remember and I may have confused myself. 

Is the ht-1r all valve or half solid state?

If my memory serves, I seem to remember the ht-1 metal being half solid state, but unsure about the normal ht-1. 

Regardless, I’m after a portable amp that would take pedals well. 
I currently run my chain straight into the front of a clean solid state katana.
Or I use the amps dirt for metal tones and just run the effects that work well into a dirty amp such as an octave on occasion.

But I’ve been wondering if its worth getting a lil tubey amp to play with. 

I actually had an Ht-1 metal for a day...but didnt like it much. Felt too muddy, and to my surprise 1 watt of distortion was too loud for the bedroom.

So wise ones, my thinking is that running the amp clean with distortion pedals going in may allow me full on distortion but at much lower volumes than if the amps distortion was cranked..

Or am I way off here?
(Never owned a tube or hybrid amp before).  

darthed1981

I've tried an HT1R in a store.

They may be valve but they aren't a patch on a Katana, in terms of versatility or sound.  

Which Katana do you have that isn't portable?  I use the 50 and you can carry it for miles.

richardhomer

@ICBM understands the circuit far better than me - but IIRC - the hybrid circuit derives ‘some’ of its distortion from the pre-amp valve.

What I think is widely accepted, is that it’s not ‘really’ an ‘all’ valve amp. That said, they respond well to playing dynamics - they ‘feel’ valve-like under the fingers.

richardhomer

darthed1981 said:

I've tried an HT1R in a store.

They may be valve but they aren't a patch on a Katana, in terms of versatility or sound.  

Which Katana do you have that isn't portable?  I use the 50 and you can carry it for miles.

Though the HT1R can sound good:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mxDr2jPrYgA

ICBM

richardhomer said:

@ICBM understands the circuit far better than me - but IIRC - the hybrid circuit derives ‘some’ of its distortion from the pre-amp valve.

What I think is widely accepted, is that it’s not ‘really’ an ‘all’ valve amp. That said, they respond well to playing dynamics - they ‘feel’ valve-like under the fingers.

That's correct. It's a hybrid, but the two most critical parts - where the distortion is generated, and the power output - are valve. The solid-state parts are essentially a 'Tube Screamer type' circuit in front of the valve, but which does not add distortion of its own until the valve is already heavily distorted and is then masked by it, and the phase inverter which also does not add distortion. (And the reverb.) The final output is push-pull valve stage with a normal output transformer connected straight to the speaker.

So although it's not "all valve", it's not a hybrid in the sense of a Marshall Valvestate - it's more complicated and clever in that it uses the valves where you need them most. In fact, it's basically a similar signal path to having a Tube Screamer as a clean boost into the front of a valve amp, with a solid-state unit in the FX loop.

I actually like the HT-1R best of the Blackstar amps I've played - it still has that rather dark, tight tone that they all seem to, but it's not as pronounced. It also has a nice overdriven sound if you use the *clean* mode and crank the gain all the way up - I prefer it to the actual overdrive mode, even with the master volume turned down.

skunkwerx

darthed1981 said:

I've tried an HT1R in a store.

They may be valve but they aren't a patch on a Katana, in terms of versatility or sound.  

Which Katana do you have that isn't portable?  I use the 50 and you can carry it for miles.

Ahh its all plumbed in you see... 

Mainly a weak excuse to buy stuff I probably don’t need... lol. 

Legionreturns

Fwiw I had an ht5r head and used it side by side with my katana head into the same cab for a while. The Blackstar was the one that got sold after extensive testing. 

ecc83

ICBM has pretty much nailed the HT-1 design philosophy, it is in fact very similar to most of the Bstr amps in that it uses low noise, no microphony , 'last forever' op amps to get the input signal up by about 12dB then uses mostly a double triode to get OD sounds. Plus of course the tiny OP stage runs into distortion pretty quickly (tho', as has been said, one watt can still be quite loud!) Do note, you could build a power soak in a tin the size of a 20s fag packet! (or a 2oz baccy tin. Remember those?!)

FWIW My son, THE guitarist, did not like the HT-5 but did like an HT-1 but only using the clean channel over driven!

Dave.

darthed1981

richardhomer said:

darthed1981 said:

I've tried an HT1R in a store.

They may be valve but they aren't a patch on a Katana, in terms of versatility or sound.  

Which Katana do you have that isn't portable?  I use the 50 and you can carry it for miles.

Though the HT1R can sound good:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mxDr2jPrYgA

It can indeed.

It is also really rather cute, I have to admit a fondness for little baby amps, my wife would love it if I got a teeny tiny amp instead of the Katana in my living room I suspect!

ICBM

ecc83 said:

FWIW My son, THE guitarist, did not like the HT-5 but did like an HT-1 but only using the clean channel over driven!

I really wanted to like the HT-5 because of its footswitchable channels, better EQ, FX loop and slightly more usable power - but I just didn't like the sound of it. I really tried, but the HT-1 just sounds better.

I also preferred the HT-20 to the HT-5 - at least when fitted with a good speaker! - but I won't own one because of that awful ugly bodge with the master and reverb knobs above each other - shallow I know . But it would piss me off, as would the lack of a standby switch probably. (Yes, I know... )

darthed1981

Seeing we are having another Blackstar thread, anyone know how their business is going currently?

The marmite effect their sound has in the forum notwithstanding, I'd hate to see them go under.

I think their little starter amps (the Fly, the small ID Cores, and yes the HT1R) are great bits of kit, really only the super-cheapness of the Katana 50 can be held against them IMHO (and the hiss on the Cores).

HHwarner

I use a HT1 R head for home practice. I think its a good home amp but still pretty loud. Like ICBM said, the clean channel with the Gain wound up, a bit of Reverb, sounds great but still pretty loud for home use. I should imagine the Clean channel set with lower gain and used with pedals would be manageable. I did have both the 1R and 5R and had to decide which one to keep. I also didnt like the 5R but was hoping to like it as it was more versatile. In the end though the 1R won. For the money you can pick em up for second hand you cant really go wrong.

darthed1981

HHwarner said:

In the end though the 1R won. For the money you can pick em up for second hand you cant really go wrong.

Someone is selling one in the town I live for £140 and he hasn't even cleaned it for the picture on eBay - that seems way too much for one to me...?

HHwarner

darthed1981 said:

HHwarner said:

In the end though the 1R won. For the money you can pick em up for second hand you cant really go wrong.

Someone is selling one in the town I live for £140 and he hasn't even cleaned it for the picture on eBay - that seems way too much for one to me...?

Yes you can pick a good un up for £100 dude ;-)

darthed1981

HHwarner said:

darthed1981 said:

HHwarner said:

In the end though the 1R won. For the money you can pick em up for second hand you cant really go wrong.

Someone is selling one in the town I live for £140 and he hasn't even cleaned it for the picture on eBay - that seems way too much for one to me...?

Yes you can pick a good un up for £100 dude ;-)

See that's what I thought.

I kinda want one at that price, you cant argue with it for that.

minefields

HHwarner said:

darthed1981 said:

HHwarner said:

In the end though the 1R won. For the money you can pick em up for second hand you cant really go wrong.

Someone is selling one in the town I live for £140 and he hasn't even cleaned it for the picture on eBay - that seems way too much for one to me...?

Yes you can pick a good un up for £100 dude ;-)

There's a second HT-1 without the reverb  on Richtone for £129. Not a bad price from a shop.

Legionreturns

I sold my ht5r head for £150

jrc2806

Striking whilst the iron is hot I have a ht-1r combo that I have been meaning to get round to posting. In great condition as has spent most of its life in its box (as I play mainly acoustic now). I will post details this evening when I can take some pics. Cheers.

lovestrat74

Love my H|T1-R. Great sounding little valve amp. Picked mine up for £100 second hand

Legionreturns

I have a Tubemeister 5 head coming, which I hope will be a nice little alternative to the Kat with the Redbox built in. 

ecc83

ICBM said:

ecc83 said:

FWIW My son, THE guitarist, did not like the HT-5 but did like an HT-1 but only using the clean channel over driven!

I really wanted to like the HT-5 because of its footswitchable channels, better EQ, FX loop and slightly more usable power - but I just didn't like the sound of it. I really tried, but the HT-1 just sounds better.

I also preferred the HT-20 to the HT-5 - at least when fitted with a good speaker! - but I won't own one because of that awful ugly bodge with the master and reverb knobs above each other - shallow I know . But it would piss me off, as would the lack of a standby switch probably. (Yes, I know... )

It HAS got a standby function! You just yank the guitar jack out of the input!

Have you ever gigged one IC? We have one running into a Greenback (old HiWatt combo cab) but son has never used it outside of the house. I would bet it would be ok for 'rock' sound in a pub but would struggle for cleans?

Dave.