Last updated: August 31, 2026. Beam Mini specs below come from Blackstar's own product page; all sources are listed at the end.
If you read our Stratus vs Beam Solo comparison, you know the setup: Blackstar and Chaos Audio both build around the open Neural Amp Modeler format and the same TONE3000 library, so their gear and ours are less rivals than roommates. The $229.99 Beam Mini is the Beam family's desktop member — a 24-watt stereo speaker-amp the size of a large coffee can that loads NAM captures natively, runs 18+ hours on a battery, and is literally weatherproof. The Stratus is the family's opposite pole: no speaker, all rig. Here's the honest breakdown — and why the AI in each box tells you exactly who it's for.
The short version
- Beam Mini is the NAM library with a speaker attached. Component-modeled Blackstar and Ampton amps, 35+ effects, CabRig, Super Wide Stereo from two drivers and two bass radiators, Bluetooth playback, an 18+ hour battery, and an IP66 rating — real amp captures on a desk, a porch, or a beach for $229.99.
- Stratus is the same library with a pedalboard attached. Mono 1/4" out to any amp or FRFR, a free-order effects chain, a 5-minute looper, MIDI, and 14 hands-free presets — the gig-shaped way to run the identical captures.
- Two AIs, two jobs. Beam Mini integrates Moises AI stem separation — strip the guitar out of any song and play the part yourself (arriving via update in August 2026). The Stratus AI FX Builder writes brand-new effects as DSP code. One AI helps you practice music that exists; the other helps you make sounds that don't.
Side by side
| Chaos Audio Stratus | Blackstar Beam Mini | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299 | $229.99 |
| What it is | Multi-effects + NAM amp-modeling pedal with a generative AI effects builder | 24W stereo desktop amp + Bluetooth speaker with NAM support |
| Makes sound on its own? | No — runs into an amp, FRFR, or interface | Yes — 2 full-range drivers + 2 passive bass radiators, Super Wide Stereo |
| NAM support | Native NAM A2-Lite — the core amp engine | Native — first guitar amp to load NAM captures (per Blackstar) |
| Tone library | TONE3000 in-app: 500,000+ free captures and IRs | TONE3000 via the Beam app (Blackstar cites 200,000+) |
| Onboard amp models | NAM captures are the amps | 11 electric amps (Blackstar + Ampton component models) + 4 bass/acoustic voices, CabRig + In The Room |
| Effects | 19 free, any order; premium from $14.90; unlimited AI-built | 35+ effects via XpressFX and the Beam app |
| AI | AI FX Builder — writes new FAUST DSP effects; 30 free builds/month | Moises AI stem separation — isolate or remove instruments from songs (update, Aug 2026) |
| Looper | 5 minutes, unlimited overdubs | None |
| Output to a rig | Mono 1/4" — amp, FRFR, or interface | 3.5mm headphone/line out — it is the speaker |
| Vocals | No mic input | TRRS headset-mic input |
| Recording | Free VST/AU plugin versions of your effects (limited DAW support) | USB-C audio interface; Ableton Live Lite included |
| Bluetooth | App control (iOS/Android) | Hi-fi music playback + Beam app control |
| MIDI / presets | Full USB-MIDI map; 128 presets, 14 hands-free | No MIDI; patches via SpeedDial and app, shareable with the community |
| Power | 9V DC 400 mA+ or USB-C | Rechargeable battery, 18+ hours |
| Durability & size | Aircraft-grade aluminum, 11.6 oz | IP66 weather-rated, 1.65 lb, 6" × 3.5" × 3.1" |
| Best for | The board and the stage | The desk, the backyard, the trip — practice anywhere with real captures |
Same library, third room
With the Beam family, Blackstar has NAM covered for headphones (Beam Solo) and now the desktop (Beam Mini) — both through the same open format and TONE3000 partnership the Stratus is built on. Guitar World called the Mini the best mini practice amp they'd tried, and the spec sheet backs the praise: component-level Ampton amp models with fully interactive tone stacks, CabRig's In The Room simulation, a sealed acoustically-tuned cabinet that plays far bigger than its footprint, an 18-hour battery, and an IP66 rating that means a rained-out porch jam isn't a hardware emergency. As a place for real amp captures to live at home, it's terrific — and at $229.99, it undercuts almost everything with a NAM badge.
Two AIs, two philosophies
Here's the fun contrast. Beam Mini's AI feature is Moises stem separation: feed it any song and it isolates or removes instruments, so you can lift the guitar out of a classic track and take the seat yourself. That's a genuinely great practice tool — AI applied to learning music that exists. The Stratus AI FX Builder points the same technology at creation: describe an effect, and it writes new FAUST DSP code, runs it through multiple rounds of compilation checks, automated code review, and audio testing (~95% of builds deliver), and sends it to your pedal — 30 free builds a month, source code visible in Advanced Mode. Practice AI and creation AI aren't competitors; honestly, they'd get along great in the same house.
Practice vs stage
Like its headphone sibling, the Beam Mini doesn't pretend to be a rig: its output is a 3.5mm jack because it is the speaker, and there's no looper, MIDI, or footswitching — it's a grab-and-play companion, brilliantly executed. The Stratus is the inverse: silent on its own, deep on a board — free-order chain, 5-minute looper with unlimited overdubs, full USB-MIDI, 14 hands-free presets, aircraft-grade aluminum built for stage abuse. The capture you fall for on the Mini's speakers loads straight onto the Stratus for rehearsal night. That's the whole point of an open format.
Cost of ownership
Beam Mini: $229.99 with everything included — amps, effects, Ableton Live Lite, and free tones from TONE3000 and the Beam community. Stratus: $299 with 19 effects free, premium from $14.90 (22-effect bundle $99), the same half-million free captures, and 30 free AI builds monthly. Together they're $529 — a desk amp and a stage rig sharing one tone library, which is why (as with the Beam Solo) "both" is a completely rational answer.
Which should you buy?
Buy the Beam Mini if: you want real NAM captures coming out of an actual speaker on your desk — with Bluetooth jams, an all-day battery, weatherproofing, and (soon) an AI that pulls the guitar part out of any song so you can play it. Best-in-class at $229.99.
Buy the Stratus if: you're building the rig those captures deserve — the chain, the looper, the MIDI, and the only AI in hardware that invents new effects. That's the pedal we built.
Buy both if: your practice happens at the desk and your gigs happen everywhere else. One library, two rooms, $529 all-in.
Sources
- Blackstar — Beam Mini product page (price, full spec table, NAM/TONE3000, Moises AI, battery, IP66, dimensions)
- Guitar World — Beam Mini review (driver detail, weight, verdict)
- Premier Guitar — Beam Mini launch (street price, Moises integration)
- TONE3000 — NAM Architecture 2 (A2) (test methodology and results; code and data are open source)
- Chaos Audio — Stratus product page (Stratus specs and pricing)
Got the desk covered and ready for the stage? The Stratus is $299 with free US shipping — and your first 30 AI builds are on us every month.
