Our journey through the Dept. 10 Series of valve pedals from Blackstar Amplification continues today, as we take a gander at the Dual Drive. This one is touted as “the best valve drive pedal you will ever own and a world-class valve recording preamp”, and they’re not too far off. Featuring 3 Crunch/Overdrive voices alongside the clean channel, Blackstar’s patented ISF control, low latency USB, XLR out and Dept. 10’s proprietary Cab Rig simulator technology, there’s not a lot this red menace can’t do. Let’s dive in a bit deeper, shall we…?

Like all Dept. 10 pedals, the Dual Drive is powered at its core by an ECC83 tube (luckily, they all have that perfectly-placed guard to protect it). Channel 1’s Clean and Crunch modes let you move from clean, to boost to overdrive; Channel 2 then takes you from super crunch right up to screaming lead and beyond with ease. There’s so much range and versatility in these two channels – if you can’t find the sound that’s in your head here, you might want to take up the bassoon, or perhaps the triangle. There’s something for everyone with this list of parameters and options, which include separate Gain and Level controls for each side, along with a shared Bass-Middle-Treble EQ section.

Blackstar’s patented ISF control works in conjunction with the EQ section, allowing you to choose the exact tone signature you prefer. Fully CCW is a more American characteristic with a tight bottom end and more aggressive middle, while fully CW has a British characteristic, more ‘woody’ and less aggressive. The Dept. 10 Dual Drive also includes Cab Rig, a next-generation DSP speaker simulator that reproduces the sound and feel of a miked up guitar cab in incredible detail. You can take it further and deep-dive using the accompanying free software and capture the incredible tones via USB / XLR out or headphones.There’s even a built-in effects loop allows for effortless integration with your pedalboard, which when used with the XLR D.I. makes for a great sounding and flexible backup amp.

As we continue to take a look at this Dept. 10 Series of pedals, it’s clear that the amount of research and testing that went into these three pedals was massive and precise, resulting in some incredible effects machines. The Blackstar Amplification Dual Drive provides a wonderful range of boost and overdrive options, as well as routing, USB, XLR and headphone connectivity, performing perfectly in any musical situation. We looked at the Boost pedal yesterday, and tomorrow we’ve got the Dual Distortion for you – click here for more info on these pedals, and don’t forget to check out our demo video below!

GET EXCLUSIVE UPDATES, CONTEST INFO, SEE OUR LATEST DEMO VIDEOS AND MORE: