Blackstar DEPT.10 Boost Valve Effect Pedal w. EQ

Blackstar DEPT.10 Boost Valve Effect Pedal w. EQ
Product no: 9000-0082-8933 Bax Music Warranty: This product comes with a 3-year warranty.

General

Outfitted with a class-A gain-stage, the DEPT.10 Boost by Blackstar doesn't just provide a natural tube-tone booster effect but sets players up with the remarkably potent, passive James-Baxandall 2-band EQ. As a result, you're getting the sweet break up of a single ECC83 preamp valve as well as ample room for subtle playing dynamics and, since the 12AX7-style valve runs on a forceful 200-Volt current, it's able to shape the ethereal, exclusive sound of a real valve amp. Thoughtfully designed in the UK, Blackstar's DEPT.10 Boost is beautifully compact and pedalboard-space-friendly.

Specifications

Product features

Adapter included	yes
Centre positive/negative	centre negative
Sustainable product	not specified
Mini pedal	no
True bypass	not specified
Power supply plug	barrel 2.1 mm (inner diameter)
Type of tone control	hi + lo shelf
Type of distortion	clean boost
Can be powered by battery	no
Voltage	9 V

Weight and dimensions including packaging

Weight (incl. packaging)	537 gr
Dimensions (incl. packaging)	13,5 x 12,0 x 8,5 cm

Product specifications

Blackstar valve effect pedal
model: DEPT.10 Boost
effects: booster, equaliser
with 1x ECC83 (12AX7) valve for organic and dynamic sound and breakup
class A gain stage for rich overtones, natural compression and little noise
passive James-Baxandall 2-band EQ
built-in buffer/line driver for maximum signal integrity when using long cables
controls: boost, low, high
switches: on/off
connections:
- input: mono jack
- output: mono jack
compact, solid construction
power supply: 9V DC, 500mA (included)

Write a review

Simon H December 4, 2023

Wrote the following about Blackstar DEPT.10 Boost Valve Effect Pedal w. EQ

Saw this boost on That Pedal Show, it was Black Friday, the price was fantastic so into the basket it went.

Great service from Bax, with the pedal arriving as expected early Tuesday morning. The pedal is a robust and looks great on my board, one of my band mates said it looked like it was from Apple, high praise indeed! After much home testing I ended up putting it after my other gain pedals but before modulation. I run a clean high headroom valve amp, turning the Dept 10 Boost up beyond 9 o'clock was just too much volume boost into my amp, but even at those lower boost levels the the impact on my clean sound is warm but retaining superb dynamics. Boosting the output from other drive pedal gives them a nice lift and touch more presence. The EQ is subtle but very effective, live a use a slight bass cut and treble boost.

I have now used the pedal at a rehearsal and live last weekend. The live sound, once fully dialled in, was superb, working well with the other pedals in my set-up and adding some of the elusive 'feel' under the fingers so that I was actually thinking about my picking and using of the volume control on the guitar.

The only reason why I haven't given 5 stars is the supplied power supply, it is a 2 pin model that has to be plugged into a 3 pin adaptor (my Palmer pedal board PSU only goes up to 300mA per outlet and the Dept 10 Boost needs 500mA) the fit is a bit loose and altogether its about 7-8cm high, so not only a good candidate for getting kicked out (its a loose fit) on stage, its also the perfect beer catcher at a lively gig. I'll now be looking to upgrade my PSU so I can power the Dept 10 Boost without using the wall wart. May the GAS continue!