Blackstar Unveils the Beam Control and Beam Mini Wireless Rig

Expanding on the company’s highly regarded Beam Mini smart amplifier, Blackstar has announced two new launches. First, there’s the Beam Control, a dedicated Bluetooth foot controller engineered for all Beam range products. In addition, Blackstar has introduced the Beam Mini Wireless Rig, a fully integrated, cable-free guitar package that integrates the Beam Mini amp, Blackstar’s Airwire i58 wireless instrument system, and the new Beam Control Bluetooth footswitch into a dedicated protective carry case.

Developed to eliminate cable clutter and give guitarists seamless, hands-free command over their sound, Beam Control links directly to Beam units via an out-of-the-box Bluetooth connection, allowing players to switch sounds and effects wirelessly without taking their hands off the instrument. The device expands the interactive capabilities of Blackstar’s home-focused Beam series.

Beam Control connects directly to Beam hardware in seconds with zero setup programming required, making it the only foot controller designed to work straight out of the box with the Beam lineup. The unit addresses the demands of home practice and rehearsal environments by removing trailing cables between the amp and player, eliminating trip hazards, keeping living spaces organized, and allowing musicians the freedom to place their Beam amplifier wherever desired.

To provide players with complete performance flexibility across a wide range of musical contexts and playing styles, Beam Control incorporates three dedicated operational modes that transform how musicians interact with their sound in real time. In Patch Mode, guitarists can instantly cycle through the five pre-stored sound patches on their Beam amplifier, executing effortless, instantaneous transitions between rhythm beds, pristine clean tones, and high-gain lead voicings without breaking musical flow. When direct sonic manipulation is needed during a song, FX Mode reframes the foot controller as a traditional pedalboard layout, empowering players to engage or bypass individual effects on the fly within whichever patch is currently active. For players requiring a completely tailored workflow, Custom Mode interfaces with the companion Beam app to enable granular mapping across the hardware, allowing musicians to assign each individual footswitch to their exact functional preferences and craft a personalized control setup uniquely tuned to how they play.

Engineered for portability and ergonomics, the foot controller features a compact, ultra-lightweight chassis weighing just 0.22 kg. It includes an integrated expression pedal input for expanded external control and is powered by a built-in USB-C rechargeable battery that provides up to 12 hours of continuous play time on a single charge.

Beam Control carries a $74.99 street price. Key features include:

• Compatibility: Dedicated foot controller engineered for all Blackstar Beam products
• Connectivity: Direct Bluetooth wireless connection; zero programming required straight out of the box
• Control Modes: Three dedicated modes: Patch Mode, FX Mode, and Custom Mode
• Patch Switching: Direct access across five stored hardware patches
• FX Switching: Individual on/off effect toggling within active patches
• App Integration: Custom footswitch assignment and mapping via the Beam app
• External Expression: Expression pedal input included
• Battery & Power: Internal USB-C rechargeable battery providing up to 12 hours of operational use

The Beam Mini Wireless Rig is an all-in-one solution engineered to eliminate setup clutter, reduce floor-cable hazards, and deliver extended mobile playing capability.

Arriving in a dedicated travel case, the bundle brings together Blackstar’s Beam Mini smart guitar amplifier, the Airwire i58 5.8GHz instrument transmission system, and the Beam Control Bluetooth foot controller. By combining low-latency wireless instrument connectivity, native open-source neural profile loading, and rechargeable battery operation across all hardware units, Blackstar targets modern guitarists seeking an unencumbered practice and performance ecosystem in a single grab-and-go package.

The core of the system is the Beam Mini smart guitar amplifier, which features an IP66-rated enclosure for dust and water resistance. Tone generation is driven by advanced component-level modeling alongside Blackstar’s patented Infinite Shape Feature (ISF) tone control. Spatial sound projection is handled via Super Wide Stereo technology, engineered to create an immersive playing experience as well as high-definition Bluetooth music playback for standard listening.

Expanding its digital footprint, the Beam Mini is the first hardware amplifier to natively load NAM A2 (Neural Amp Modeler) captures. Through a direct partnership with TONE3000, players can browse, audition, and wirelessly transfer thousands of community-crafted profiles straight to the amplifier using the free companion Beam app. In addition, the Beam ecosystem embeds Moises real-time stem separation technology directly into the practice routine, giving musicians the ability to isolate, attenuate, or completely remove original guitar tracks from commercial songs to generate custom play-along backing tracks on the fly.

Instrument connectivity is handled by the Airwire i58 system, which broadcasts across the 5.8GHz frequency band to steer clear of crowded Wi-Fi networks. The system operates with under six milliseconds of latency, supports an operational range of up to 35 meters, and includes switchable Cable Tone emulation to recreate the characteristic capacitive high-frequency roll-off of traditional copper cables. Hands-free command is maintained through the Beam Control wireless foot controller, which pairs over Bluetooth without requiring manual routing or programming. Operating in Patch, FX, or custom app-defined footswitch layouts, it allows users to switch presets and toggle any of the amplifier's 35-plus studio-quality effects seamlessly.

Designed for off-grid operation, the rig provides independent, rechargeable runtimes: up to 18 hours of play time from the Beam Mini amplifier, 12 hours from the Beam Control footswitch, and nine hours from the Airwire i58 wireless unit. All components pack into an impact-resistant, vegan-leather-finished carry case fitted with a heavy-duty handle and an internal zippered storage section designed for guitar accessories.

Beam Mini Wireless Rig carries a street price of $459.99. Features include:

• Rig Components: Beam Mini smart guitar amplifier, Airwire i58 wireless instrument system, Beam Control Bluetooth foot controller, and custom hard carry case
• Amp Modeling & Effects: Component-level digital modeling, patented ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) control, and 35+ onboard studio-grade effects
• NAM Support: World's first hardware amplifier to natively load NAM A2 (Neural Amp Modeler) profiles; access to thousands of captures via TONE3000 partnership
• Practice Integration: Moises real-time stem-separation technology for song isolation and backing-track generation
• Audio & Audio Playback: Super Wide Stereo technology with Bluetooth streaming capability
• Durability Rating: IP66 dust- and water-resistant rating on the Beam Mini amplifier
• Wireless Instrument Band: 5.8GHz frequency band to mitigate standard Wi-Fi interference
• Footswitch Switching Modes: Patch mode, FX mode, and custom layout configuration via the Beam app
• Rechargeable Battery Life: Up to 18 hours (Beam Mini), up to 12 hours (Beam Control), and up to nine hours (Airwire i58)
• Case Construction: Impact-resistant shell with vegan leather exterior finish, rugged carrying handle, and zippered internal accessory pouch