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Boss Katana 500 head


Bigwan

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3 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Just looking at the 210 combo. Even that is rated quite low.

160 W Continuous (RMS)
300 W Peak. 

 

 

That's AB though, not class d. 

 

To be fair, they're proper loud. I havent had mine past half way in 2 loud bands at both practice and gigging. But yes, from a marketing point of view I found that a weird decision too.

Edited by la bam
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2 minutes ago, la bam said:

 

That's AB though, not class d. 

 

To be fair, they're proper loud. I havent had mine past half way in 2 loud bands at both practice and gigging. But yes, from a marketing point of view I found that a weird decision too.

Yeah, but it does seem quite low for a gigging combo.

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So, if I am reading the manual right, you have four possible tone settings? Firstly, whatever is set "live" on the front panel and then three presets?  And then you also have three effects you can add in, combining as many as you like at one time?

Edited by franzbassist
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12 minutes ago, franzbassist said:

I bought one.  Arrived today. It's amazing.

Please report on how loud it is when you can. I suspect it's got quite a bit of poke.

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4 minutes ago, eude said:

Please report on how loud it is when you can. I suspect it's got quite a bit of poke.

Yep, it's very loud and there's an amazing weight to the sound.  Best digital power section I've used (and I've used a lot!).

 

There's so much going on I'm a loss to know where to start right now, but I'll try and review in a few days.

 

The cab calibration is amazing.  The effects sound lush and are endlessly tweakable using the software. Low and High pass filters.  Preset shapes. Vintage and Modern tones.

 

I bought the footswitch as well, which will be a game changer for live use.

 

I was giggling like a kid at Christmas when I started playing!

 

 

 

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12 hours ago, franzbassist said:

Yep, it's very loud and there's an amazing weight to the sound.  Best digital power section I've used (and I've used a lot!).

 

There's so much going on I'm a loss to know where to start right now, but I'll try and review in a few days.

 

The cab calibration is amazing.  The effects sound lush and are endlessly tweakable using the software. Low and High pass filters.  Preset shapes. Vintage and Modern tones.

 

I bought the footswitch as well, which will be a game changer for live use.

 

I was giggling like a kid at Christmas when I started playing!

 

 

 

Nice!! What cab are you using it with?

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A few more thoughts.

  • Why no tuner built in? With so many LEDs surely they could have found room for one or three more?
  • You can change the frequency centres for two band mids from 20Hz up to 10kHz, but not the bass and treble
  • The editing software is glitch free and easy to use
  • You can choose the signal path so you have fx before or after drive section
  • I would highly recommend the footswitch so you can switch between what's set on the front panel and the three presets, mute, and also turn on/off the switch drive/compression/fx channels individually
  • The fan is quiet
  • The amp is loud

 

Speaking of effects, this is what's in the amp:

on the "comp" control 7 compressors and 3 limiters

on the "drive control" 13 drive/fuzz/distortion

on the "fx" control: graphic eq / parametric eq / chorus / flanger / phaser / touch wah / octaver / pitch shifter / harmonist / bass synth / auto wah / heavy octaver / slicer / uni-v / tremolo / vibrato / rotary / ring mod / slow gear / humanizer / enhancer / bass simulator /defretter

 

Should keep folks busy.

 

Edited by franzbassist
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I wish Roland would do away with the Katana moniker, even Boss is a dilution IMO. Don’t really understand why they do that. Amp looks great though, possibly a tuner will be added with a firmware update?

Edited by franzbassist
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9 minutes ago, ped said:

I wish Roland would do away with the Katana moniker, even Boss is a dilution IMO. Don’t really understand why they do that. Amp looks great though, possibly a tuner will be added with a firmware update?

 

Yes, "Katana, to slice through any mix"! 😄

 

As to a tuner, I noticed there is a "reserved" slot in the FX list, so maybe that is for a tuner? 🤞

 

Sorry Ped, edited your post my mistake when I meant to quote it!  (I need more coffee!)

Edited by franzbassist
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On my combo you can set up a library where you can save and upload or download any sounds or settings you make onto your PC. It's fantastic for multiple bands etc. Just load up for that gig before you set off and all your sounds and settings are there without needing to take any pedals or laptops or anything. 

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20 hours ago, la bam said:

On my combo you can set up a library where you can save and upload or download any sounds or settings you make onto your PC. It's fantastic for multiple bands etc. Just load up for that gig before you set off and all your sounds and settings are there without needing to take any pedals or laptops or anything. 

 

You can do this on the head too.  You're limited to three presets and whatever is set on the front panel, but it's still a tidy solution.

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2 hours ago, franzbassist said:

 

You can do this on the head too.  You're limited to three presets and whatever is set on the front panel, but it's still a tidy solution.

 

Yes, it's brilliant, you can create sub folders and different files etc and make hundreds of different patches, all retrievable at the click of a button. 

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Would love to try this with my various Neo cabs. I had a Katana 210 combo. Excellent amp, but just not for me as a gigging amp. (Too heavy and more features than I would ever use).

 

Can anyone explain Boss pricing policy on Heads & Combos. You seem to get better value on combos? This is similar to Fender Rumbles. I bought a  T C Electronic 250 210 combo a few years back for just a few more quid than the head? 

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On 26/04/2024 at 21:21, franzbassist said:

The cab calibration is amazing. 

I'd love to know more about how this works. Information is scant and I haven't found a decent demonstration video... yet.

 

Does the amp have a microphone to "listen" to the test tone? Does it flatten or sweeten the cab's profile so every cab you use is neutral/consistent?

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1 minute ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

I'd love to know more about how this works. Information is scant and I haven't found a decent demonstration video... yet.

Does the amp have a microphone to "listen" to the test tone? Does it flatten or sweeten the cab's profile so every cab you use is neutral/consistent?

 

Honestly not sure how it works but yes, it sends a range of test signals through the speaker.  You can use it on the entire frequency range or just the low frequency range (no specs on this in the manual).

 

I've only tried it once so far, on full frequency, and it just seemed to tighten the cab up and make it more articulate.

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Does it have the "1 watt" practice mode like the combos do?

 

I'm really, really keen for one of the katana amps, either the combo or head and cab and I am finding it very hard to choose at the moment.

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Posted (edited)

One thing that does irk me a little. Why the USB Type-B port?

 

I get that it stops people from accidentally plugging a power adaptor into the USB port. But it's arguably the most hated of all USB port designs and more prone to failure. I frequently see posts on Line 6 Helix forums/FB groups from people saying the little plastic tongue has fallen out of the port rendering it unusable, and I live in fear of the same thing happening to my Helix LT.

Edited by Greg Edwards69
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