Blackstar Dept 10 Dual Distortion

The Blackstar Dept 10 Dual Distortion is a high-gain distortion pedal and valve recording preamp from Blackstar, released in 2021 as the final pedal in the three-pedal Dept. 10 series¹. Like the rest of the range, it is driven at its core by an ECC83 (12AX7) triode valve running at over 200 volts, which is far more voltage than a typical distortion pedal uses and gives it the character of an amp preamp section rather than a simple clipping circuit¹²³. Delicious Audio described it as "a high-gain pedal driven by an ECC83 Triode Valve" and "a formidable sounding valve distortion pedal and a world-class valve recording preamp"⁴.

The pedal is designed to work two ways: as a front-end distortion on a pedalboard, or as a complete amp-style preamp that feeds a PA, a set of headphones or a computer via its built-in speaker simulation. Gearnews noted that the Dual Drive and Dual Distortion "give you crunch/overdrive plus a clean channel, so you can use them just like" an amp².

Channels, voices and controls

The Dual Distortion has two channels, each with two switchable voices⁴. The two channels share a single EQ section with bass, middle and treble controls plus Blackstar's ISF control, which sweeps between British- and American-style tones⁵.

Channel 1 sticks to Clean and Crunch, while channel 2 steps up to the two distortion voices⁴. Pedal of the Day summed up the layout: "There's so much range and versatility in these two channels"¹. The ISF tone control is the one knob that shapes the whole character of the gain: Gearnews described it as going "between American and British voicing"².

For players comparing it within Blackstar's own line, Delicious Audio called it the more aggressive sibling of the Dept. 10 Dual Drive, the lower-gain two-channel pedal launched alongside it⁴. Blackstar's earlier valve distortion pedals such as the HT-DISTX and the Gus G signature HT-Blackfire took a similar two-channel valve approach, and the compact LT Dist and LT Metal cover the solid-state end of the company's distortion range.

Outputs, effects loop and Cab Rig

The rear and side panels carry the connections that let the pedal work as a full recording front end⁶⁷²:

• 1/4-inch instrument input and 1/4-inch output⁶
• 1/4-inch send and return effects loop⁶
• Low-latency USB recording output⁴²
• XLR output²
• Stereo 1/4-inch Cab Rig output on the side²
• Headphone output for capturing tones directly¹

The effects loop means delay and reverb pedals can sit after the distortion stages instead of in front of them, which keeps time-based effects cleaner at high gain⁴⁵.

Cab Rig is Blackstar's DSP speaker simulator. Pedal of the Day described it as "a next-generation DSP speaker simulator that reproduces the sound and feel of a miked up guitar cab in incredible detail"¹. Three Cab Rig patches can be saved onto the pedal itself and recalled with a three-way toggle switch⁴², so a player can store different cabinet and mic setups and switch between them without touching a computer.

What reviewers said

Guitar World's verdict on the pair highlighted "superb DI sounds" and "authentic valve tones", concluding that "for usability, value and quality of tones, these are two of the best gear releases of recent years"⁸.

In December 2021, MusicRadar filmed Gus G demoing the Dual Distortion as a valve preamp pedal, reporting that "the Dual Distortion offers a lot for heavy rock and metal players" and that he was "definitely impressed with the flexibility offered too"⁹. MusicRadar's own review of the pair noted that all three Dept 10 pedals have valve-driven preamp sections, with the Dual Drive and Dual Distortion both offering two channels and two switchable voices per channel⁶.

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