Katana amp with GR-55 - which unit's amps & effects?

Started by clarkey, August 28, 2017, 03:29:46 AM

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clarkey

Hi folks,
Apologies if this thread is not new - not found anything via search in Katana or GR-55 forums...
 
I'm a long-term GR-55 user and new Katana 100-112 owner (currently as a straight amp and GR-55 monitor amp via the clean channel) and am thinking about how to exploit the obvious strengths of the Katana - and curious about how other GR-55 users have evolved using these units together.

My gigging sound-set is fairly conservative for classic blues/rock/soul/R&B covers - a Strat (L&G Legacy Tribute with GK-3) driving modelled guitars (Strat, P90-LP, Tele, Acoustics), with regular & slide tunings, through clean & crunch variations of a Twin Reverb amp model, with relatively few synth pads & keys layered. I have fewer than 20 patches and 6 cover 80% of the typical set - though only 3 are straight regular-tuned Guitar Pickups + Amp & Effects that could be replaced by the Katana alone.

Before the GR-55 I used a Variax 300 & GT-8, so, I like Roland amps & effects. Given the quality of the Katana's amps and effects, I am tempted to reduce the GR-55's role to that of a 'Variax + synth' with everything else being in the Katana for use via GK-equipped or regular guitar, with effects switching via a GAFC, which I have on order.

There seem to be three basic directions of travel:

  • As-is: Retaining Amp & Effects within the GR-55, together with any Guitar Tone / Tuning & Synth layers
  • Simplify GR-55 patches & use the Guitar Out and the Katana's Amps & Effects for the normal pickup/modelled guitar processing (though patch synch/mapping might prove challenging across the two devices?)
  • Replace the GR-55 with a modern Variax and sort occasional layered synth duties without a GK3, as tracking speed isn't too critical
I see pros and cons for each approach and I'd welcome any feedback from others who have considered / experimented.
Best,
Keith..
G&L Legacy Tribute GK-3, PRS SE254 P90 GK-3, GR55, Katana 100-112

gumtown

Option 2 sounds like it might be the way to go, use the GR-55 guitar out to the Katana input.
And the GR-55 main out to either desk/P.A or to the Katana Aux in.
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

clarkey

Quote from: gumtown on August 28, 2017, 04:13:24 AM
Option 2 sounds like it might be the way to go, use the GR-55 guitar out to the Katana input.
And the GR-55 main out to either desk/P.A or to the Katana Aux in.
Thanks gumtown, good call on the GR-55 - Katana plumbing - I'm sorting a cable to move the GR-55 mains to the Katana aux-in.

As for the choice of which amps & effects to use between GR-55 & Katana, I'd forgotten the both option, until I just read one of Elantric's experiments in the user reviews thread.

My old GT8 provided dual amps, allowing me to run a clean Twin amp with stereo chorus together with more crunchy tones, to increase punch and thickness, which is now possible again!  :)

So, time to read-up on the MIDI control threads to see how best to MIDI-enable my Katana combo and sort a simple solution for mapping GR-55 patches to the appropriate parallel Katana amp patches to be called-up in a gig-friendly manner.

Meanwhile, I can start recreating my GT8 dual amp patches via your excellent FloorBoard apps!  ;D 
G&L Legacy Tribute GK-3, PRS SE254 P90 GK-3, GR55, Katana 100-112