The new Unity range from Blackstar has been much discussed over the past few months—and looking at this rig, from the outset it’s clear why. The lightweight amp comes in a durable carry bag along with an FS-13 footswitch: The FS-12 version, with added features, is also available at an added cost. The unit can be rackmounted if you wish—again, a rack adaptor is available for a fee—and boasts an impressive 700 watts output. In its armoury is a tube-emulation Response control and three types of drive and chorus, plusoctave and compression options. We’re only scraping the surface here—read on for the full low-down.