Pedals that stack with the Blackstar Idcore 40 V3

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)

Catalinbread VariOboost's bright balances out the warm tone

Goes in front of the amp

fills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (warm → bright)

Where this leans warm, Xotic EP Booster answers back bright

Goes in front of the amp

pushes an already-dirty tonePushes an already-dirty tone harder and tightens it up. (high gain → mid-forward)

Keeley Red Dirt Overdrive takes that high gain character and pushes it toward mid-forward

Goes in front of the amp

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.

Put TC Electronic SCF Gold SE Stereo after Blackstar Idcore 40 V3 in the signal chain, clear of Blackstar Idcore 40 V3's own gain stage

Goes in front of the amp

shapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain.

Blackstar Idcore 40 V3 leans toward high gain, and that's a real, usable character to pair with

Goes in front of the amp

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → ambient)

Run Boss RV-6 Reverb in Blackstar Idcore 40 V3's effects loop, clear of Blackstar Idcore 40 V3's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop

sits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor. (high gain → slapback)

Keep MXR Analog Delay in Blackstar Idcore 40 V3's effects loop, clear of Blackstar Idcore 40 V3's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)

Sits in the amp's effects loop