Blackstar HT5R questions

Woodandwires · September 2023

Hi all, a couple of questions for the amp gurus amongst you, I have just bought an older Blackstar HT5R with the chrome telecaster type control knobs, and an extra cabinet. I have been on the Blackstar website, forum etc. read endless reviews but unless I am being really dumb(which is highly likely) there is no power scaling on this model. If that is the case would I be right in assuming that a “ Lazy Bear” attenuator would work? And to use headphones for silent practice I need to disconnect the speaker! Which I thought was a no no with a tube amp. Any help and assistance would be greatly received, and apologies if this has been done to death before. I could not find anything when I searched.

ecc83 · September 2023

No the Lazy Bear AFAICT is just a low power (0.5W) signal pot that goes in the FX loop. Its main use it to make Master volume controls less 'twitchy'.

The HT-5 gets its headphone feed PRE the PI and so the drive to the OP stage is gated off and safe. But why would you diss' the speaker anyway?

You could use a simple 20W "L Pad" as a power soak. I don't know if anyone makes one with jacks for such a purpose?

Beer into water to make if you can drill metal and solder.

Dave.

Woodandwires · September 2023

Thanks Dave, making an L pad would be beyond me! Can someone please point me in the right direction on where to find such a beast.

Grumpyrocker · September 2023

When I had a HT5R I put a JHS Little Black Box (volume knob) in the loop. It then let me gun the preamp at lower volumes. This let me have crunch on the clean channel and the drive channel sounded better.

The HT5 really could do with a master volume.

ecc83 · September 2023

Grumpyrocker said:

When I had a HT5R I put a JHS Little Black Box (volume knob) in the loop. It then let me gun the preamp at lower volumes. This let me have crunch on the clean channel and the drive channel sounded better.

The HT5 really could do with a master volume.

I don't have a current schematic but the circuit I have has effectively two 'master' volumes. One clean and one OD. They both control the level to the PI.

Dave.

Grumpyrocker · September 2023

The problem is you can't crank the clean volume into overdrive at home. But putting the volume control in the loop let's you do that.

Also the taper on the dirt channel is poor. And I found it also benefited from a volume control in the loop.

This is the MK2 btw.

Woodandwires · September 2023

This isn’t mine, but mine is exactly the same as this, which I believe is a mark one.

here is what Blackstar say about the Blackstar HT-5R:

When the original HT-5 was launched it quickly became one of the most successful studio and practice amps ever designed. Packing all the great tone and innovative features of the award winning HT valve pedals into a two channel, foot switchable valve amp format with a unique push-pull power amp design it was an instant classic.

The current HT5R now features a whole host of new features:

Digital stereo reverb as found on the HT Venue Series and HT-1 adding a rich depth to any playing style.
Dedicated Tone control on the Clean Channel providing even greater tonal flexibility over the HT-5R's shimmering cleans.
12" Blackbird 50 Watt speaker, custom designed by Blackstar
State-of-the-art enhanced speaker emulated ouput for perfectly capturing valve tone to tape or disk
Stereo MP3/Line Input perfect for practice
The speaker emulated output can now be used at the same time as the internal speaker/extension cab, providing headphone free monitoring or the choice to blend a mic'd speaker and emulated signal together for unrivaled usability when recording at home or in the studio.

Specifications

1x ECC83 and 1x12BH7
Unique push pull power amp design
Award winning HT Pedal preamp
Two footswitchable channels
12" Blackbird 50 custom designed speaker
Enhanced tone controls
Patent-applied-for Infinite Shape Feature (ISF)
Digital Stereo Reverb
Fully equipped for studio or practice
Speaker emulated output with 1x12 or 4x12 voicing
Effects loop with effects level switch
Footswitch included
Cool vintage styling
Stereo MP3

ecc83 · September 2023

Grumpyrocker said:

The problem is you can't crank the clean volume into overdrive at home. But putting the volume control in the loop let's you do that.

Also the taper on the dirt channel is poor. And I found it also benefited from a volume control in the loop.

This is the MK2 btw.

Heh! YCPAOTPAOTT.

Dave.

Danny1969 · September 2023

The HT5 actually sounds much better if you boost the level in the loop. I did hundreds of gigs with mine, always with a GT10 in the loop boosting the level.
I added an extra socket to mine so I could use the emulated output without cutting out the output to the speaker. The headphone amp in an HT5 is a standard paralleled opamp design using NE5532's, you can just tap off a feed from there.

Another thing that really opens these amps up is a decent 12" speaker in a larger cab. If you compared my rig against a standard HT5 combo you wouldn't think it was the same amp. My cab has a Celestion Lead 75 speaker in it and it's a perfect match for the HT5 ...

Image: https://www.thesuperheroesonline.co.uk/Blackstars.JPG

The eagle eyed might spot the cab is actually the fabled king of unreliable amps mentioned in the "most unreliable amp ever thread" with the guts taken out and a piece of wood covering the hole where the controls used to be.

All in all these little amps are superb for the money, fantastically reliable and amazingly quiet in terms of noise floor. I still have my 2

ecc83 · September 2023

Danny1969 said:

The HT5 actually sounds much better if you boost the level in the loop. I did hundreds of gigs with mine, always with a GT10 in the loop boosting the level.
I added an extra socket to mine so I could use the emulated output without cutting out the output to the speaker. The headphone amp in an HT5 is a standard paralleled opamp design using NE5532's, you can just tap off a feed from there.

Another thing that really opens these amps up is a decent 12" speaker in a larger cab. If you compared my rig against a standard HT5 combo you wouldn't think it was the same amp. My cab has a Celestion Lead 75 speaker in it and it's a perfect match for the HT5 ...

The eagle eyed might spot the cab is actually the fabled king of unreliable amps mentioned in the "most unreliable amp ever thread" with the guts taken out and a piece of wood covering the hole where the controls used to be.

All in all these little amps are superb for the money, fantastically reliable and amazingly quiet in terms of noise floor. I still have my 2

There have been many Blackstar knockers over the years. My view is that if the HT-5 design had originated in America and from one of the 'Big Names' there, it would have been hailed as a design triumph*. It is a strange fact that we brits love to shoot down our own people!

*It IS a design triumph of course. There is nothing else quite like it although I have not seen the insides of the 'Buggers' rip off!

Dave.

thecolourbox · September 2023

I vaguely remember from when I had one of these, that the power switch was Off/Standby/On, and that the Standby option enabled you to use headphones/line out without engaging the speaker. I don't think I'd have imagined that so could be worth a look?

Woodandwires · September 2023

@thecolourbox i have read that too, I will have to try it. On the only other occasion I have tried, I plugged the headphones in ( to the correct socket) but the speakers was still going. Hence the question earlier. This mark one model appears to have some “quirks”.

ecc83 · September 2023

Ah, there was some bother with the headphone gating circuit on the very early models. It is a simple mod. Transistors don't always have the gain the suppliers claim for them!

Dave.

Woodandwires · September 2023

@ecc83 given you were there at the gestation of the HT5R what would be your suggestion foe a replacement/speaker upgrade and/preamp valve for home use classic rock

ecc83 · September 2023

Woodandwires said:

@ecc83 given you were there at the gestation of the HT5R what would be your suggestion foe a replacement/speaker upgrade and/preamp valve for home use classic rock

Not the bloke to ask Woody! My work at B's was servicing, mainly pedals and assisting with production tests including lashing up various test jigs.

I am clinically deaf, got 2 aids. Was not that bad when with B's but honestly had little or no discrimination of subtle tone differences. 9In any case,k loudspeaker qualities are rather subjective, about the only real agreement is that the Rocket 50 is ***t! ICBM will give you his choices but Rifty might disagree! I doubt you can go far wrong with a Greenback or Creamback?

Mind you, I did build a rig that showed that there is really VERY little difference between different brands of 12AX7! The Five is rather unique in that position anyway. The valve is not the actual 'front end' an op amp gives about 12dB of extra, very low noise, hum free gain and, AFAIK never wears out!

Dave.

ecc83 · September 2023

Sorry for the typos, just had drops in my one good eye!

Dave.

Woodandwires · September 2023

Many thanks

ICBM · September 2023

Actually the Celestion G12T-75 as mentioned by Danny1969 would be a good choice - normally, this speaker is quite hollow-sounding with a deep, loose bottom-end, scooped mids and a buzzy top-end, especially at low power levels... but that’s exactly what this amp needs, it’s otherwise rather stiff, middy and dark-sounding.

If you’re going to change the preamp valve I would try a Tung-Sol 12AX7 - they’re among the brightest and clearest. If you’re feeling brave, you could try a 12AT7, which has less gain and a noticeably cleaner, less middy tone - but it will run one of the anode resistors very close to its power rating and carries a risk of it failing.

Also - if a valve amp has a headphone jack, then it’s safe to use with the speaker disconnected as long as the jack has a plug in it - the power output must then be muted, because otherwise sound would still come out of the speaker!

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Blackstar HT5R questions

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here is what Blackstar say about the Blackstar HT-5R:

Specifications