The Blackstar HT-DISTX is an ultra-high gain distortion pedal aimed at metal and drop-tuned playing, part of Blackstar's HT line of valve-driven stompboxes1. It sits in the distortion family alongside its siblings the HT-Dual and HT-METAL, and it is built around a genuine valve design that Blackstar says responds like a valve amp, with a speaker-emulated output2.
What it does
The HT-DISTX is built to deliver heavy, saturated distortion from a valve stage rather than solid-state clipping. Guitar World's buying guide describes it as featuring a genuine valve design that "also responds like a valve amp, giving you some of the best speaker-emulate"2, meaning the pedal's output is shaped to behave like a miked guitar speaker rather than a raw distorted signal. That makes it usable straight into a recording interface or a clean power amp, not just into the front of a guitar amp.
Blackstar's own description of the pedal's character, as quoted by Premier Guitar, is "pure valve filth," and the reviewer added, "they don't lie"1.
Controls and tone shaping
The pedal carries a 3-band EQ plus Blackstar's ISF control, which together shape the character of the distortion1. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the pair easy to work with:
"The 3-band EQ and ISF control make it easy to find your particular brand of fierce."
The same review noted that the pedal does not demand constant gain adjustment: "The pedal is still versatile enough that you don't need to fuss over a quantum of gain. Just kick it on and use the 3-band EQ and ISF control"1. In practice, that means the HT-DISTX can work as a set-and-forget heavy rhythm channel as well as a gain-stacking tool.
Where it sits in Blackstar's range
The HT-DISTX belongs to Blackstar's HT pedal line, which pairs valve stages with speaker-emulated outputs. Related pages on this site cover the HT-Dual, the HT-METAL, the Gus G. signature HT-Blackfire, and the later, more affordable LT Dist, LT Metal and LT Dual solid-state pedals. Blackstar has since moved further into valve preamp pedals with the Dept 10 Dual Distortion, which pairs an ECC83 valve stage with DSP speaker simulation.
Videos
ProGuitarShopDemos
The Tone King
9800Studios
Questions
What is the Blackstar HT-DISTX for?
Premier Guitar describes it as a pedal designed for ultra-high gain metal and drop-tuning string pummeling. It uses a genuine valve design that Blackstar says responds like a valve amp, and it carries a speaker-emulated output so it can feed a recording setup or a power amp in the way a valve amp's output would.
What does the ISF control do on the HT-DISTX?
The HT-DISTX pairs a 3-band EQ with Blackstar's ISF control for tone shaping. Premier Guitar's reviewer found the combination made it easy to dial in a range of heavy tones, and noted the pedal was versatile enough that you don't need to fuss over a quantum of gain: just kick it on and use the 3-band EQ and ISF control.
Sources (2)
- Blackstar HT Series Pedals Review: DIST, BOOST, DRIVE, Premier Guitar, 2008-09-11
- Totally Gnarly: Five Modern Effect Pedals That Recreate Gritty '80s Sounds, Guitar World, 2013-02-13
