Blackstar amPlug 2 FLY Bass Headphone Amp with 3 Voices and 6 Rhythm Loops
The amPlug 2 FLY Bass plugs into the output jack of your bass and turns any pair of headphones into a practice rig. It is based on Blackstar's FLY Bass amplifier, so the voicing comes from a real bass amp rather than a generic headphone box.
- Three voices: Classic, Modern and Overdrive, selectable on the unit.
- Tone control: one knob to move the sound brighter or darker inside each voice.
- Six rhythm loops: built-in patterns with tap tempo, so you set the speed by ear and play along instead of practising in silence.
- Up to 17 hours of battery life: enough for a long run of short sessions before you think about batteries again.
- Auxiliary input jack: feed in a phone or music player and learn parts straight off the recording through the same headphones.
- Nothing to set up: no combo, no lead and no room needed, which makes it useful backstage before a set or in a hotel room on the road.
Bass practice normally means a combo, a lead and enough room to make noise. The Blackstar amPlug 2 FLY Bass removes all three. It plugs directly into the jack socket on your bass, takes an ordinary pair of headphones, and gives you the sound of the FLY Bass amplifier it is based on.
Three voices and a tone control
Voice selection covers Classic, Modern and Overdrive. The two clean voices give you different characters to work with, and Overdrive brings in dirt when a line needs more push. The single Tone knob then moves the sound brighter or darker, which is enough to match the amPlug to whichever bass is plugged into it.
Six rhythm loops with tap tempo
Six rhythm loops are built in. Tap the tempo at the speed you want, find a groove and play. It is a small feature that changes how practice feels, because you are playing against time rather than into a void.
Battery life and playing along
Battery life runs to 17 hours, so the unit stays useful on tour, in a hotel room or while you wait for a rehearsal room. The auxiliary input jack takes a phone or music player and mixes it with your bass through the same headphones, so working out a part needs nothing else in the signal path.
Why the FLY name matters here
Blackstar's FLY series built its reputation on getting a large sound out of a very small enclosure. The amPlug 2 FLY Bass carries that voicing into a headphone amp, which is why it sounds fuller than its size suggests.