Boss Katana NOT cutting through,......

AdamHarkusBlog

kennedydream1980 said:

adamlovesgin said:

Rocker said:

I seem to remember that someone posted setting the master at max and using the channel and guitar controls to adjust volume levels. Might have been on a Blackstar but same might apply here....

Yeah maybe I do need to control volume with the volume control rather than have the master and volume maxed and controlling it with the gain control.

Maybe Maxing the volume and gain is pushing it too far!

For live gigs I've been running my 2 combos with Master Vol on full, Gain at 9 oclock and volume at 1 oclock. That's on the Clean channel with pedals, all EQ at 12 oclock. That's on the 50watt power setting.

Sound advice, apart from the drummer changing kit, the only other difference was exactly that.

I'm going back to controlling volume with the channel volume (Master Maxed) and gain up at around 9-12 ish.

Let see how it goes.

Grunfeld

adamlovesgin said:

I'm going to investigate backing off the volume control and upping the gain to half, while keeping the master at Max.
It sounds like what it is, maxed, and struggling.
I think I just need to increase the clean channel gain to give me more oompf.

Yes, there might be some mileage in that. 
I remember when I changed from the JVM to the Orange that I couldn't just play the way I used to.  I definitely had to change the way I used OD pedals -- right to the point where I went through a dozen of them before working out that I had to back the level on the pedal(s) down a fair bit to stop the amp over-compressing (which wasn't a problem with valves). 
And I definitely had to play with the ratio of channel gain to MV gain.  Once I'd got my head around the new amp though all was more than fine.  e.g. if the CR120 died tomorrow I'd go straight out and replace it.
Good luck, just experiment.  

Voxman

To help you cut through the mix get yourself a BBE Sonic Stomp Maximiser or a 7 band EQ...or even both. Best secret weapons a guitarist can have. I use them in the fx loop of my Vox Valvetronix AD120VTX and you wouldn't believe the difference. 

p90fool

Voxman said:

To help you cut through the mix get yourself a BBE Sonic Stomp Maximiser or a 7 band EQ...or even both. 

The Katana has very powerful and flexible channel and global FX and EQ, I also tried a graphic, compressor and volume pedal in the loop in a failed attempt make it respond like a 200 quid valve head.

It was like asking NASA to figure out a way to drive you to the shops. 

Modellista

I don't get the fuss here. It's a sub £200 amp which sounds great out of the box but isn't going to be all things to all men. No idea why people run the master at maximum. Doesn't sound good to me and you get a lot of compression in the power stage which doesn't help matters

I suggest using the 50w mode and have gain, channel and master all at noon. If that's not loud enough, bump up the channel and master volumes in equal measure. 

I've gigged mine on stages large and small. It does eventually run out of headroom if you push it too hard as you would expect, but mic'd up that's not a problem. 

It's not a valve amp and doesn't behave as such. Use it as it's meant to be used - fair enough you can back off the guitar volume a bit to control things but really the amp adjustments should be used to sculpt the sound to taste. 

I've never had to delve into the global EQ settings and it has sounded fine from the start. Either these problems user error (like the bizarre insistence on running master at max) or perhaps at some point they made a mistake with the factory programming. 

Plectrum

modellista said:

I've gigged mine on stages large and small. It does eventually run out of headroom if you push it too hard as you would expect, but mic'd up that's not a problem.

You could gig one of those tiny micro amps if you put a mike in front of it Not everyone wants to to mike up for a gig down the Dog And Duck though.

Voxman

p90fool said:

Voxman said:

To help you cut through the mix get yourself a BBE Sonic Stomp Maximiser or a 7 band EQ...or even both. 

The Katana has very powerful and flexible channel and global FX and EQ, I also tried a graphic, compressor and volume pedal in the loop in a failed attempt make it respond like a 200 quid valve head.

It was like asking NASA to figure out a way to drive you to the shops. 

BBESSM - its different - try one & see. 

timhulio

Is the amp on the floor? Stick it on a crate.

Thought about a neodymium speaker? They're somewhat bright, but properly loud.

p90fool

Voxman said:

p90fool said:

Voxman said:

To help you cut through the mix get yourself a BBE Sonic Stomp Maximiser or a 7 band EQ...or even both. 

The Katana has very powerful and flexible channel and global FX and EQ, I also tried a graphic, compressor and volume pedal in the loop in a failed attempt make it respond like a 200 quid valve head.

It was like asking NASA to figure out a way to drive you to the shops. 

BBESSM - its different - try one & see. 

No need, I went back to real amps  

Voxman

p90fool said:

Voxman said:

p90fool said:

Voxman said:

To help you cut through the mix get yourself a BBE Sonic Stomp Maximiser or a 7 band EQ...or even both. 

The Katana has very powerful and flexible channel and global FX and EQ, I also tried a graphic, compressor and volume pedal in the loop in a failed attempt make it respond like a 200 quid valve head.

It was like asking NASA to figure out a way to drive you to the shops. 

BBESSM - its different - try one & see. 

No need, I went back to real amps  

Fair enough.  But a BBESSM will make even that sound better in a band mix too. Which amp did you go for?

p90fool

@Voxman I've used BBE sonic maximizers in studios over the years and still have a software version now. I'm not a fan tbh, I find them very fatiguing. 

I just went back to my trusty Jet City amps, they're just plug and play, and cost less than the pedals I needed in the loop of the Katana to try and get the same feel.  

Voxman

p90fool said:

@Voxman I've used BBE sonic maximizers in studios over the years and still have a software version now. I'm not a fan tbh, I find them very fatiguing. 

I just went back to my trusty Jet City amps, they're just plug and play, and cost less than the pedals I needed in the loop of the Katana to try and get the same feel.  

Heard good things about Jet City amps but not found one to try yet.

AdamHarkusBlog

Well well well.

Here's the update.....

It had nothing to do with gain, volume or master at all...

At a full band rehearsal I got everyone to be quiet, played an A chord.... Horrible reverb everywhere!!!  (No reverb on the amp or pedals, completely dry). Just a massive BRANNNNGGG tailing off on everything I played.

My first thought was it was just the room... but once I folded down the little amp leg/stand it was 100% better!!!

Played an a chord again, much, MUCH better, yeah there was still a little room reverb but that's to be expected...

Then we all started up again, and I was punching through again.

The Katana lives another day

Maybe it was because it'd lost the small screw from the leg so it was causing vibrations?

I take back all I said about it 

midlifecrisis

that small leg thing is IMHO a really bad design, it doesnt tilt the amp up that much and if you move it its likely to collapse. also i find it really fiddly to set up so i dont bother. A much better design is the one on the laney cub 12, much more substantial and takes a second to use it. Other than that i love my katana

Jez6345789

I am going to keep flying the Katana flag a good thing for not a lot of money. 

That said, everyone uses these things differently and I followed p90fools woes in a previous thread and I appreciate how frustrated we can all get about things when you know what you want but cant get to it.

p90fool

@Jez6345789 I still miss my Katana, I can see me picking up a 50 for around the house when there are a few more cheap used ones around. 
It's still a great tool to have around for jamming and rehearsing and it does things none of my other amps do.  

JayGee

I wouldn’t want to be without my Katana.

I sometimes think I might have bought the wrong one (extra size/weight over the 1x12 combo, lack of MIDI compared with the head which would also be more convenient for the backup role) but that’s as far as it goes, and I still think it’s probably the best value for money guitar-related purchase I’ve made in 30 years or so...

flying_pie

I played a Katana 100 head through a Laney 4x12 at rehearsal last week. It had no problems whatsoever cutting through drums, keyboards and bass. If anything it also cut through my vocals a bit although I didn't mess around with the settings and a bit less treble would probably have fixed that. 

I have to say I was quite impressed. I've since read up and know how the effects work so well play around more if I'm in the same room next week.

bloodandtears

Plectrum said:

modellista said:

I've gigged mine on stages large and small. It does eventually run out of headroom if you push it too hard as you would expect, but mic'd up that's not a problem.

You could gig one of those tiny micro amps if you put a mike in front of it Not everyone wants to to mike up for a gig down the Dog And Duck though.

D'ya know I've never understand bands that don't mic up guitar amps.. 

Guitarists often have to stand right infront the backline amp/cab..  why not benefit from the spread of the PA, even in the dog and duck.

JayGee

bloodandtears said:

D'ya know I've never understand bands that don't mic up guitar amps..  

Guitarists often have to stand right infront the backline amp/cab..  why not benefit from the spread of the PA, even in the dog and duck.

It’s a nice idea but (for my band at least) breaks down in the face of needing more monitors (or IEMs), a mixer capable of delivering multiple monitor mixes, and somebody competent enough to drive it properly because our singer gets grumpy if you put any guitar in his monitor mix and I get grumpy if I can’t hear enough of my guitar...

Great in bigger venues where you can have more, better, more flexible monitoring (and someone to run it for you) but not really practical in pubs...