We’ve all come to terms with the concept of mini amps that punch well above their weight, but Blackstar’s BEAM Mini – first debuted at NAMM – has officially launched and looks set to seriously up the ante, offering a mini amp/modeler with Tone3000 NAM capture support and AI stem separation.
What does all the jargon mean? Well, NAM stands for Neural Amp Model, which essentially means users will have access to a library of over 200,000 amp/rig captures available from Tone3000’s massive open source library.
Article continues belowAll of which means that when it comes to the BEAM Mini’s tonal range, the options are pretty much endless.
Meanwhile, Moises AI stem separation enables players to isolate or remove instruments from tracks on playback (similar to JBL’s BandBox), so you can isolate guitars to learn parts and then play along to the track with the original parts removed.
A significant caveat is that this is not available at launch, but will be coming in an August software update.
Then you’ve got the other mini amp staples: Bluetooth streaming, battery power (up to 18 hours), app support, 35 studio grade effects, headphone output, audio interface capabilities, user patch library (in addition to the NAM capabilities), IR CabRig speaker/mic emulation and IP66 weatherproofing. You can even record vocals via the headset mic hook-up.
Despite the app editing capabilities, there’s still a surprising amount of control available on the unit itself, with Patch, Gain, EQ, FX and Volume buttons, plus the oversized SpeedDial (perhaps inspired by the hefty wheel on the Positive Grid Spark GO), which is multifunctional.
The diminutive cabinet itself is also worth mentioning, featuring two 60mm full-range drivers, two passive bass radiators and Blackstar’s Super Wide Stereo tech to “create an immersive, room-filling tone you won’t believe is coming from something this small.”
This all obviously sounds like marketing hyperbole, but is genuinely impressive in action. Everyone from the GW team who got their hands and ears on one of these at NAMM was seriously impressed by its sonic capabilities.
All in all, it’s the first time we’ve seen a tiny mini amp from a trusted amp builder that combines this level of cutting-edge tech into such an impressive-sounding unit. Indeed, the early word from our reviewer Pete Emery is that “it's easily the best mini-amp on the market right now”.
Positive Grid has long stolen a march on the more traditional builders, but if the BEAM delivers on its promises it looks like the Spark GO is about to get some serious competition.
At $229, it’s priced right between Positive Grid’s Spark Mini and GO platforms, too.
For more information, head to Blackstar.
