Blackstar ID:X Floor Three

Blackstar describes the ID:X Floor range as "High-performance advanced DSP modellers for electric, bass and acoustic guitars with pro sound, intuitive controls and full connectivity"¹, and says the modeling uses component-level digital emulation to "capture the true character of valve amps"². Guitar World's reviewer found the results hold up against pricier competition, with "amp and cab models that surpass some expensive units from bigger brands," while noting it is "lacking a little in terms of features" compared with the Boss GX series³.

Where it came from

All three versions share the same sounds. In Guitar World's review: "there's also the Floor Two, which features three footswitches and an expression pedal, and the Floor One, which has no expression pedal"³. MusicRadar's guide named the Floor Two its pick for beginners in its October 2026 multi-effects roundup⁷.

The controls: Voice switch, ISF knob and eight footswitches

Blackstar says the ID:X Floor range is "Designed for musicians, not menu divers," with a knob-driven interface¹. Amp selection is the core of that: MusicRadar's review describes "a six-way rotary Voice switch allied to a button that selects one of three banks of six," giving 18 amp voices in total across the banks⁷⁸. Guitar World's reviewer notes you can also select your voice with the left-most knob³.

Next to the Voice control sits Blackstar's ISF knob, "designed to morph from British to US sound," which MusicRadar's reviewer describes as offering extra tonal variation on top of the voice selection⁷.

The eight footswitches are split across two rows³:

• Bottom row: channel switching, preset banking, tap tempo and the tuner³. MusicRadar adds that the fourth lower-row footswitch offers tap tempo or calls up the tuner⁷.
• Upper row: switches the pre-effects, modulation, delay and reverb blocks on and off within a patch³⁷.

The built-in expression pedal gives real-time control over virtually any parameter¹. Guitar World's reviewer found the build solid overall: "The entire chassis is metal, alongside all metal footswitches, which lend it that weight. The expression pedal is plastic"³.

There is also a Manual mode "where the sounds are purely down to the position of the physical knobs and switches," as MusicRadar's review puts it, for players who would rather treat the unit like an amp than scroll patches⁷.

Effects and signal flow

Guitar World's buying guide counts 35 effects in the Floor Three⁶. The chain is fixed but logical, per MusicRadar's review: one effect sits before the amp block, with modulation, delay and reverb after it⁷. The modulation slot covers chorus, flangers, phasers, tremolos, UniVibe and vibrato, and there are five different types each of delay and reverb⁷. MusicRadar also lists a noise gate among the features⁷.

Each amp pairs with Blackstar's CabRig IR-based speaker simulation, "that offers a selection of cabs with adjustable mic'ing and room options"⁷.

Power and connections

The Floor Three "Uses a standard 9V 500mA pedalboard friendly power supply," per Blackstar's product page², which Guitar World's reviewer confirms means it can be run from a pedalboard power supply rather than a dedicated adapter³.

The rear panel is well connected. Guitar World's review lists the sockets: "Input, send, return, output, headphones, XLR (L/mono), XLR R, MIDI in, MIDI thru, line in, USB-C"³. The stereo XLR outputs are for connecting straight to a PA system³, and the unit works as a 2-in/4-out audio interface over USB³². MIDI In and Thru are on board¹, and the Floor Three adds an effects loop, expanded MIDI and upgraded patch and effects switching over the smaller models¹.

For external audio, there is a stereo line input, but MusicRadar's review is clear that "Bluetooth streaming is not supported"⁷.

What reviewers said

Guitar World's reviewer came away impressed by the core sound, finding "amp and cab models that surpass some expensive units from bigger brands," while conceding it trails the Boss GX series on features overall³. MusicRadar's review highlights the practical layout: the fixed effects order, the Manual mode option and the hardware FX loop, 99 presets, tuner, tap tempo and noise gate⁷.

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