Boss Katana Amps - User Reviews

Started by Elantric, October 11, 2016, 11:33:29 AM

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Elantric

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/22964267/
QuoteJust got my K100 1x12 & fired that sucker up tonight. Can't stop saying wow. Im stuck on clean and crunch & it's killing me. Great old marshall crunch a la free, zz top, cream. Amazing punch and clarity. If u told me it was solid state I wouldn't believe you. Never heard the punch and clarity out of an amp of this type. .. running beside my Princeton reverb (with a 12") and to me and what I do its tough to beat that amp, except maybe my '66 vibrolux reverb for bigger tones or my 1987 style Marshall copy but this little Boss has the richness tonewise with a lot more punch andclarity that a big boy amp has.
Twin reverb authoritive cleans available too from a small package, yes loud! And not just loud but punchy cut through a mix loud. can't see this not cutting a gig unless it was huge outdoor gig. You can't hook up a cab to it (unless u mod it), but the 12 in it sounds great, no muddyness, or cone cry. Built in effects I tried are sweet. I gotta try it at a gig first to really judge but really no doubt in my mind at this poiht.
I'm being real picky but I would like an XLR speaker emulated out for running live to board with just a mic cable.

pasha811

#26
Quote from: Elantric on November 09, 2016, 11:58:42 AM
GT-1 and GP-10 Amps and FX sound very similar

The factory presets on GT-1 are better

One thing i observe is the ease of interconnecting the latest Boss MFX pedals together in creative combinations with little effort  and still have usable results and low noise.

For GP-10 users, adding a GT-1 has many benefits

You can use any 13 pin guitar and feed the GP-10 GK input.

Then connect GP-10 Guitar Out jack to GT-1 Guitar In jack.

Then connect the GT-1 stereo Headphone out to the GP-10 Stereo Aux Input and feed GP-01 Stereo Outs to the PA or FRFR monitor, Or Katana Aux Input

You can run GP-10 for the hex PU and and GT-1 for the Normal Mag Pickups in parallel with lots of control using the built in expression pedals on GP-10, GT-1   

Huge sound, small footprint, and manageable at live gigs

Thanks Elantric, Cool mix. The best of both worlds I guess. Being GT-1 running on batteries less noise for sure.
With that connection you might want to add MIDI bay (Raspberry or MIDX-20) and control everything with one device (are you?) or
use the GP10 as a Guitar Modeler and FX and add your Mag PU via GT-1 (almost a VG99 dual channel...)
It's only a two foot-switch away. Two Guitarists in one, No Midi, less clutter on the floor... And the looper... Wow.

What if instead you use a serial connection? GP10 as Guitar Modeler into GT-1 for Multi-FX processing? Can the mono GP-10 output feed the GT-1 input? and then back to GP-10 aux-in?

What I like the most it's the flexibility of your parallel setup. For some gigs you can leave home one device for some you bring two. On stage you can effectively double your sound using both in parallel. 439 Euros for GP-10 (including GK-3) and 199 Euros for GT-1 makes less than what I paid the VG99 in 2011 (900) and increase portability (no bulky FC-300) with a great FX chain and Guitar Modeling Setup.
Katana 50 is 199 here and the Head is 399. So adding a Katana 50 (which I think shares the same good sound with the bigger brother) will be only 839! A complete flexible setup with less than the VG99 or 1039 with the Head (which nicely makes VG99 + GK3 new).

Great Elantric. Your posts are always food for thoughts.   
Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/

Elantric

Quote
What if instead you use a serial connection? GP10 as Guitar Modeler into GT-1 for Multi-FX processing? Can the mono GP-10 output feed the GT-1 input? and then back to GP-10 aux-in?

Yes - that works very well


Also Folks are using GP-10 for guitar modeling alone, and feeding separate MFX for amp modeling (GT-1,Kemper,Axe-FX, etc)


Example

Read Merman's GP-10 > Kemper rig
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=11506.msg85389#msg85389

Elantric

#28
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/22966442/
QuoteI just received it so still honeymoon phase and I jumped the gun on stuff before , soooo... grain of salt. But order one from Sweetwater or MF and return if you don't like it. Not a toy, not a booteek amp, but a useable/versatile tool with some great sounds. Typically Boss/Roland products have been reliable. I think it's solid. I briefly owned a Friedman DS mini.and I just traded off a Mesa Mk V 35 and like the Katana 100 better and it's more versatile and a simple portable gig solution (100 1x12). It weighs the same as my Princeton reverb and just slightly larger physically. I'm into basic vintage rock tones (give me a cranked vintage Marshall tone, a blackface clean, and a boost of some sort and I'm very happy - I just can't do it like Eric Johnson does with a multi amp setup). The Katana is hitting these bases very well imo, not perfect but very good. I like to have a little verb for some ambiance and an effect or two occasionally, but I don't need a lot of bells and whistles, just something that sounds great and works. This amp may not give a lot of players what they need like midi, stereo outs, speaker outs, etc but this amp covers what I need to have fun at a gig, rehearsal, and at home.


http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/22966987/
QuoteNothing cheap about my K100 112 Combo except the price. Solid build with quality control knobs and buttons. I even like the stock speaker.....sounds great! The only way to know is to try one out for yourself...


Elantric

#29
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/22970855/


QuoteMy take after three jams with the Katana.

I was worried I'd miss my super champ xd. I mostly used the Marshall 7 setting and moved around as needed for other songs. I liked the effects, but pretty much stuck to the reverb and delay. I'd been wanting to upgrade for a while because some nights the xd just couldn't keep up or cut through the mix (on a full night we'll have three guitars, drums, bass, and keys going).

I have a Yamaha thrC at home and was one of those who was hoping the thr100 would've been a giggable version of the original thr platform. When I saw the Katana I took a leap of faith and ordered it as soon as it was in stock. At that point there were only a small handful of reviews on YouTube.

I've been more than pleased. In fact, for the price point, I'm amazed. Boss really thought this one out and provided a package that meets the needs of those of us who wanted a solid state platform with just enough options to provide a reasonably large palette. My other requirements were more flexibility than the XD, either through presets or footswitchable channels and a line out to go to the board for mixing and recording our jams.

My biggest complaint is that the indicators for the effect are green, amber, and red. I'm a little color blind and in the band room (where we relive our adolescence with over the top black lights, light bars, and lasers) all the colors look the same. I can't be the only guy experiencing this.

I'd also appreciate a way to access another bank or two of presets to save a batch or two of less frequently used tones. That said, four presets and the panel are enough to meet my needs almost every time. I also like how you can tweak a preset without reverting to full panel. On my thr if I move a knob while in a preset the preset cancels. On the Katana only that knob becomes active. This is a very cool feature.

I'm a hobbyist who goes to a weekly jam with likeminded guys who are happy to play in the basement and drink a few beers. The Katana, for my needs, is as close to perfect an amp I could find in the under $500 category.

I'm excited to see how Yamaha responds.

jwhitcomb3

Hey Elantric,

Thanks for all the info on the Katana! I have a Quilter MicroPro Mach 2 8", and had been thinking of getting the Quilter HD 12" cabinet for it. Now it occurs to me I could get the Katana KTN-100 for less money and have far more options. As a quilter MicroPro Mach 2 owner and a Katana KTN-100 owner, would you recommend going for the Katana? How do they compare in terms of basic amp sound?

Thanks,

Jonathan

vtgearhead

Incredibly enough, my local music store had the K100 1-12 combo on the floor.  Dragged the Les Paul down there this afternoon and spent about 1/2 hour with it.  Impressions?  Sound-wise it's really, really good.  Couldn't open it up for very long in the store, but the overdriven tones are sweet with almost no obvious digital buzz.  As reported by the man himself, it passes the Elantric sonic-fadeout test with flying colors (that was the point where I was politely asked to "keep it down").  The clean and edge-of-breakup tones are just as nice in person as they are on the various video demos.  Build wise, not as chintzy as my short-lived Marshall CODE but nowhere near as solid as the Blackstar ID:60 112.  I wasn't as impressed with the control feel as others appear to be, but with care in handling I'm sure it will hold up ok.  Didn't have a chance to dive deeply into the effects, but the stock settings seemed useful and reverb is particularly smooth. 

One huge black mark is the lack of 5-pin MIDI support.  I have a feeling that it can support MIDI messaging over USB in the same manner as the GP-10, but Roland has decided for marketing reasons not to have it enumerate as a class-compliant MIDI device.  Would appreciate someone trying a Katana with the MIDX-10/20 or RaspberryPi bridge and posting their observations.

If I can sell some of my unused gear I'll pick one up soon-ish.

Elantric

#32
QuoteAs a quilter MicroPro Mach 2 owner and a Katana KTN-100 owner, would you recommend going for the Katana? How do they compare in terms of basic amp sound?

Tone / Feel of Katana 100-112 vs Quilter Micro Pro Mach2 are so similar that I'm thinking of selling my Quilter.

The Katana wins out due to having built in usable FX and the suburb GA-FC Footswitch

Roland GA-FC Footswitch - provides:
- Remote access to 5 Channels (CH1, CH2, CH3, CH4, Panel (manual settings))
- Remote Tap Tempo
- Remote Switchable FX
- Remote Switchable External FX Loop


KATANA FAQ
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=19048.0

Elantric

#33
QuoteWould appreciate someone trying a Katana with the MIDX-10/20 or RaspberryPi bridge and posting their observations.

I hope to try that this weekend

- Happy to read your Katana review SNHirsch!
QuoteBuild wise, not as chintzy as my short-lived Marshall CODE but nowhere near as solid as the Blackstar ID:60 112.

I can add Katana 100-112 at $325 is nowhere near the price ($499) of the Blackstar ID:60 112 either
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ID60Combo

I got my Katana 100-112 for $295 by picking up the telephone and negotiating a deal


vtgearhead

Quote from: Elantric on November 11, 2016, 12:25:50 PM
I hope to try that this weekend

- Happy to read your Katana review SNHirsch!
I can add Katana 100-112 at $325 is nowhere near the price ($499) of the Blackstar ID:60 112 either
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ID60Combo

Yes, absolutely true.  I was just trying to place build quality and physical control feel on the spectrum with those as endpoints.
Quote
I got my Katana 100-112 for $295 by picking up the telephone and negotiating a deal

If I can sell my GR-55 I know just who to call.  Would also be great if a VGuitar deal for Katana were to materialize.  Just sayin'.

vtgearhead

Just read the block diagram and noticed send and return are early in the signal path.  I prefer to have a loop just ahead of the power amp, but it doesn't seem possible on the Katana.  Am I missing something?

jwhitcomb3

Thanks! Time to call my Sweetwater rep!

Quote from: Elantric on November 11, 2016, 12:24:36 PM
Tone / Feel of Katana 100-112 vs Quilter Micro Pro Mach2 are so similar that I'm thinking of selling my Quilter.

The Katana wins out due to having built in usable FX and the suburb GA-FC Footswitch

Elantric

#37
QuoteJust read the block diagram and noticed send and return are early in the signal path.  I prefer to have a loop just ahead of the power amp, but it doesn't seem possible on the Katana.  Am I missing something?

The Katana Block Diagram is misleading

There are three possible signal chains - assignable using the Boss Tone Studio


* You can't change the placement of the reverb. It is always placed after AMP and the other effects.

* The EFFECT LOOP SEND/RETURN jacks are always placed right after AMP - but before any other FX assigned AFTER the AMP Block

Read the Katana BTS Manual
https://static.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/BTS_KATANA_e01_W.pdf

Boss Katana Amp FAQ
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=19048.0

QuoteLooks like the Effects block always being after the send/return.

Consider EFFECT CHAIN 3 - where only the Reverb is after the FX Loop

As an aid to understand the Katana 100 / Head -
Anytime you launch Boss Tone Studio and see the "AMP" block - remember in reality its the "AMP> EXT. FX LOOP" - they are the same block in the Katana

vtgearhead

Thanks.  Does the "master" block have a role in tone-shaping or is it intended to represent a software controlled gain stage (e.g. "Volume")?  The documentation doesn't discuss this anywhere, nor does it indicate where "Gain" and "Volume" are logically placed. My goal is to insert an EQ after any stages that introduce distortion or overdrive effects.


Elantric

#39
QuoteDoes the "master" block have a role in tone-shaping



The only control on the far right under software control is the Presence knob which I feel must be part of the Tone Equalizer (AMP block) in the DSP.

hardware wise, the internal DSP feeds a DAC and the analog Line Level signal hits the Power Amp hardware circuit, which the POWER CONTROL and MASTER VOLUME are located.

Both POWER CONTROL (watts) and MASTER VOLUME settings are analog controls, neither can be stored to internal memory.

POWER CONTROL (watts) and MASTER VOLUME react same as similar named controls on a modern A/B class Tube Amp

For example compare:

POWER AMP SETTING (A)  - with the POWER CONTROL @ (50 watts), and MASTER VOLUME @ "10"

vs

POWER AMP SETTING (B)  - with the POWER CONTROL @ (100 watts), and MASTER VOLUME @ "5"


The result is both POWER AMP SETTINGS (A) & (B) will have similar SPL decibel level at the speaker, however I observe:

* POWER AMP SETTING (A) will be more distorted, because the MASTER VOLUME on "10" will "drive" the Class A/B power Amp into saturation  / clipping smooth distortion.
   
* POWER AMP SETTING (B) will be less distorted , because the MASTER VOLUME on "5" will have less less "drive" feeding the Class A/B power Amp and with POWER CONTROL set to 100 watts, the Katana delivers  more clean headroom.


Jeff Slingluff ( Guitar Product Manager for Roland / Boss US) explained this at The Gear Page 
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/22956088/

QuoteReally appreciate you swinging by to answer questions. On demo's I've seen people use both the volume and the master to control overall volume. Do you recommend using the volume to affect "power amp distortion" and fine tuning with the master volume?

Jeff Slingluff wrote>
Yes, absolutely. The thing that is unique about WAZA, Blues Cube, and Katana is that they are designed to capture all the power amp stuff we love about classic amps. There is a ton of effort going on inside Katana to reproduce the tone and experience of vintage transformers, capacitors, phase inverters, and even the dynamic interaction that occurs between the speaker and amplifier like it would in a typical tube amp.

BOSS intention is to give you an amp that has power amp sound and feel but with level control. I tend to tell people to start off with it on ten and work your way backward. Imagine if you were to put a Katana 100 head in an A/B switcher with an actual vintage Plexi. The plexi has no master volume and in tube amps the last stage clips first. I set the Channel and Master on Max to get that same thunderous dynamic power amp thing I love then back down (or not) the volume via the power control.

If you have a tube amp you love try doing the same thing for fun. As guitar players we love classic tones like Eddie, Jimi, and Page and not one of them had a master volume on there amp. You can run the WAZA, Blues Cube, or Katana pushing the power amp but they all have the power control feature to maintain the tone but at a lower wattage.

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/22956545/
QuoteHey Jeff, What is the major Tube Logic difference between the Katana and Blues Cubes?

The Tube-Logic portion of both amps is basically the same. But there are some differences worth noting. The first is simply sonic choice of the amp set. For example: A Blues Cube Artist starts with a sound set based on more of an American 6L6 design. The Katana leans more towards EL34's. The next major difference is in the hardware. The Blues Cube series is a discrete class A/B design and the Katana is an IC class A/B design. The physical power amps for both are class A/B and both dynamically interact with the live speaker as do tube amps.

Tube-Logic is about capturing the experience and sound of vintage transformers, power tubes, phases inverters and that whole dynamic power amp thing tube amps do.

Jeff S.


vtgearhead

Interesting.  They are actually using a solid-state, analog power amplifier to introduce overdrive?  Certainly a properly designed circuit using power MOSFETs can be made to "soft clip" like a tube amplifier, but you wouldn't have the core saturation of the output transformer (not sure how critical that is).  Katana topology is quite different from the Blackstar, Mustang and Marshall CORE.   

I'm sorely tempted to grab one.

mchad

Quote from: Elantric on November 11, 2016, 12:25:50 PM
I hope to try that this weekend

This would be awesome if the MIDX10 and 20 work in this situation.

vtgearhead

Anyone with a Katana and MIDX-10 or 20 have a chance to test the combination?  Doesn't need to be anything fancy, even if it responds to patch change from 1-->2 that will be good information.

GuitarBuilder

I'll try but I doubt it will.  The KATANA USB connection seems to be primarily designed for audio and BTS.
"There's no-one left alive, it must be a draw"  Peter Gabriel 1973

Elantric

#44
QuoteOne huge black mark is the lack of 5-pin MIDI support.  I have a feeling that it can support MIDI messaging over USB in the same manner as the GP-10, but Roland has decided for marketing reasons not to have it enumerate as a class-compliant MIDI device.  Would appreciate someone trying a Katana with the MIDX-10/20 or RaspberryPi bridge and posting their observations.

IMHO  - the roadblock is lack of correct USB Class Enumeration on the Boss Katana - (same as the Boss GT-1 as well)

but I figure with the proper USB data packet snooper utility,

https://wiki.wireshark.org/CaptureSetup/USB
https://www.wireshark.org/docs/dfref/u/usbaudio.html
hopefully the Katana Combos with an upgraded MIDX-10 / MIDX-20 will respond to the same MIDI messages as the Katana Head 
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=17561.msg139922#msg139922
but this will be limited to the following



mchad

Quote from: Elantric on November 15, 2016, 10:54:36 AM
IMHO  - the roadblock is lack of correct USB Class Enumeration on the Boss Katana - (same as the Boss GT-1 as well)

but I figure with the proper USB data packet snooper utility,

https://wiki.wireshark.org/CaptureSetup/USB
https://www.wireshark.org/docs/dfref/u/usbaudio.html
hopefully the Katana Combos with an upgraded MIDX-10 will respond to the same MIDI messages as the Katana Head 

but this will be limited to the following


Sounds promising.

mchad


I just bought a 100w 1x12. $500 in Australia. Sold a bunch of stuff to get it so all good.

I needed a new amp so I no longer have to take out my old Sessionette 75. They called them Stewards in the US I think. A very nice sounding 80's SS amp.

Elantric

#48

QuoteI needed a new amp so I no longer have to take out my old Sessionette 75. They called them Stewards in the US I think. A very nice sounding 80's SS amp.

actually the stewart amps and DIs were a different company
http://www.stewartaudio.com/products.php?category_id=5


but i once met Mr. Stewart Ward, the UK designer of the Award Sessionette 75 amp at the Morley booth at NAMM 20 years ago, smart guy!
https://www.award-session.com/award-session_manuals.html
The Award  / Session Sessionette 75's were legendary for their tone
http://www.award-session.com/
http://www.award-session.com/award-session_history.html

Stewart Ward also designed the Jerry Donahue JD-20 pedal which was being sold in USA by Morley
http://www.award-session.com/pdfs/manuals/JD20%20Manual.pdf
 
http://planetbotch.blogspot.com/2015/01/session-sessionette-guitar-amps-in-1980s.html




QuoteI just bought a 100w 1x12. $500 in Australia. Sold a bunch of stuff to get it so all good.



Congratulations on your new Katana 100-112
(I still love mine)

I think you will find Katana sounds better than the Sessionette 75

vtgearhead