Boss Katana 50 MKII - Footswitch options

darthed1981 · November 2021

robmac5150 said:

I have a Blackstar HT5 for £250 Im about to put up for sale

Mk1 or 2?

darthed1981 · November 2021

Lestratcaster said:

Not really a fan of Blackstar amps lol. I know its not me using it but its me that has to hear it every week on a stream!

If you ever have a learner on a very tight budget it's hard to beat a Squier Bullet with a Fly 3, and with deals an ID core can be great.

Lestratcaster · November 2021

andy_k said:

darthed1981 said:

andy_k said:

I think both Code 25, and K50 are using 10 inch speakers, the Code 50, and the K100 are both quite a bit bigger and use 12 inch speakers, which makes them more giggable.

The Katana 50 has a 12 inch speaker - the 100 just has a slightly different one to soak up the extra power.

K50 can handle small pub gigs just fine, but of course the 100 is louder, just not much, and it's a bit bigger and heavier with it, so loses a bit of portability.

I haven't actually seen a K50, only the pics of the range, and I was thinking the size meant it used a smaller one than the 100, the Code 25 I had was considerably smaller than my Code 50, and would not have worked as a gigging amp, but my K100 combo is slightly smaller than my Code 50, both 12 inch speakers, K100 is open back,Code 50 is a closed box, IMO K100 head wins the whole game, haven't had mine through a 4 x 12 yet though, neighbours.

Not sure if he'll fancy a head and cab setup, if he did get a half stack he'd need an attenuator or load box cab sim thing and maybe run his headphones into it perhaps? Then again if he does get a 1/2 stack he can take it out live at the same time....

Lestratcaster · November 2021

darthed1981 said:

Lestratcaster said:

Not really a fan of Blackstar amps lol. I know its not me using it but its me that has to hear it every week on a stream!

If you ever have a learner on a very tight budget it's hard to beat a Squier Bullet with a Fly 3, and with deals an ID core can be great.

I will take that into consideration. I didn't mention it but this particular learner is a teenager coming on 16 soon and his family aren't exactly poor. He's already been promised a new guitar next year if he sticks to the lessons, and is already getting some gear this Christmas. So I'd like him to have the best possible amp he can afford.

darthed1981 · November 2021

Lestratcaster said:

darthed1981 said:

Lestratcaster said:

Not really a fan of Blackstar amps lol. I know its not me using it but its me that has to hear it every week on a stream!

If you ever have a learner on a very tight budget it's hard to beat a Squier Bullet with a Fly 3, and with deals an ID core can be great.

I will take that into consideration. I didn't mention it but this particular learner is a teenager coming on 16 soon and his family aren't exactly poor. He's already been promised a new guitar next year if he sticks to the lessons, and is already getting some gear this Christmas. So I'd like him to have the best possible amp he can afford.

Sorry yes I sort of meant going forwards.

For your current student I stand by my Katana 50 recommendation:)

Lestratcaster · November 2021

darthed1981 said:

Lestratcaster said:

darthed1981 said:

Lestratcaster said:

Not really a fan of Blackstar amps lol. I know its not me using it but its me that has to hear it every week on a stream!

If you ever have a learner on a very tight budget it's hard to beat a Squier Bullet with a Fly 3, and with deals an ID core can be great.

I will take that into consideration. I didn't mention it but this particular learner is a teenager coming on 16 soon and his family aren't exactly poor. He's already been promised a new guitar next year if he sticks to the lessons, and is already getting some gear this Christmas. So I'd like him to have the best possible amp he can afford.

Sorry yes I sort of meant going forwards.

For your current student I stand by my Katana 50 recommendation:)

Hard to see past my own 2 recommendations really....just thought I'd ask if there was anything else in a similar quality range that's slightly cheaper as we all like to save a bit of money. If he has a great sounding guitar into an equally great sounding amp he will enjoy playing the instrument and love his lessons more.

Power-Beef · November 2021

I have a Pro Jr (Gen 2, MIM) that I bought from new and still have the original box. Other than the valves it's all original. I live in a flat now and it's a bit loud for my environment. It's never been gigged, only gently used at home. It's a bit sentimental as it's my first "grown up" amp from new, but if there is a young man out there who might benefit from it, PM me before I change my mind

Barquentine · November 2021

I have a Katana 50 Mk1 I've been meaning to sell. Very little use as I don't care for it although lots of people love them. I could do a good deal but it would have to be collected - I'm in Brighton.

Lestratcaster · November 2021

Power-Beef said:

I have a Pro Jr (Gen 2, MIM) that I bought from new and still have the original box. Other than the valves it's all original. I live in a flat now and it's a bit loud for my environment. It's never been gigged, only gently used at home. It's a bit sentimental as it's my first "grown up" amp from new, but if there is a young man out there who might benefit from it, PM me before I change my mind

Think he'd prefer a Marshall type amp or the Katana but thanks for the offer.

Lestratcaster · November 2021

Barquentine said:

I have a Katana 50 Mk1 I've been meaning to sell. Very little use as I don't care for it although lots of people love them. I could do a good deal but it would have to be collected - I'm in Brighton.

Hmm, I have a mate who did live down in Brighton but moved back to London (where I am based) a few months ago!

Barquentine · November 2021

Lestratcaster said:

Barquentine said:

I have a Katana 50 Mk1 I've been meaning to sell. Very little use as I don't care for it although lots of people love them. I could do a good deal but it would have to be collected - I'm in Brighton.

Hmm, I have a mate who did live down in Brighton but moved back to London (where I am based) a few months ago!

If someone can come and get it I'd let it go for £100. I've seen a few for sale around £150.

andy_k · November 2021

Lestratcaster said:

andy_k said:

darthed1981 said:

andy_k said:

I think both Code 25, and K50 are using 10 inch speakers, the Code 50, and the K100 are both quite a bit bigger and use 12 inch speakers, which makes them more giggable.

The Katana 50 has a 12 inch speaker - the 100 just has a slightly different one to soak up the extra power.

K50 can handle small pub gigs just fine, but of course the 100 is louder, just not much, and it's a bit bigger and heavier with it, so loses a bit of portability.

I haven't actually seen a K50, only the pics of the range, and I was thinking the size meant it used a smaller one than the 100, the Code 25 I had was considerably smaller than my Code 50, and would not have worked as a gigging amp, but my K100 combo is slightly smaller than my Code 50, both 12 inch speakers, K100 is open back,Code 50 is a closed box, IMO K100 head wins the whole game, haven't had mine through a 4 x 12 yet though, neighbours.

Not sure if he'll fancy a head and cab setup, if he did get a half stack he'd need an attenuator or load box cab sim thing and maybe run his headphones into it perhaps? Then again if he does get a 1/2 stack he can take it out live at the same time....

Just to clarify, the K100 head has a built in 5 inch speaker, hidden behind the faceplate. It operates at half watt mode as a combo. The advantage is that there is more than enough power to fill a large gig, down the road, when attached to ANY form of speaker cab.
Lots of places have 4 x 12s hanging around for decoration, so the K100 head can be a very compact option, if one came up second hand, with the footswitch, within budget, I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend it.

Lestratcaster · November 2021

Barquentine said:

Lestratcaster said:

Barquentine said:

I have a Katana 50 Mk1 I've been meaning to sell. Very little use as I don't care for it although lots of people love them. I could do a good deal but it would have to be collected - I'm in Brighton.

Hmm, I have a mate who did live down in Brighton but moved back to London (where I am based) a few months ago!

If someone can come and get it I'd let it go for £100. I've seen a few for sale around £150.

Ok I'll let the parent know about it to see if they're possibly interested. Thanks.

Lestratcaster · November 2021

andy_k said:

Lestratcaster said:

andy_k said:

darthed1981 said:

andy_k said:

I think both Code 25, and K50 are using 10 inch speakers, the Code 50, and the K100 are both quite a bit bigger and use 12 inch speakers, which makes them more giggable.

The Katana 50 has a 12 inch speaker - the 100 just has a slightly different one to soak up the extra power.

K50 can handle small pub gigs just fine, but of course the 100 is louder, just not much, and it's a bit bigger and heavier with it, so loses a bit of portability.

I haven't actually seen a K50, only the pics of the range, and I was thinking the size meant it used a smaller one than the 100, the Code 25 I had was considerably smaller than my Code 50, and would not have worked as a gigging amp, but my K100 combo is slightly smaller than my Code 50, both 12 inch speakers, K100 is open back,Code 50 is a closed box, IMO K100 head wins the whole game, haven't had mine through a 4 x 12 yet though, neighbours.

Not sure if he'll fancy a head and cab setup, if he did get a half stack he'd need an attenuator or load box cab sim thing and maybe run his headphones into it perhaps? Then again if he does get a 1/2 stack he can take it out live at the same time....

Just to clarify, the K100 head has a built in 5 inch speaker, hidden behind the faceplate. It operates at half watt mode as a combo. The advantage is that there is more than enough power to fill a large gig, down the road, when attached to ANY form of speaker cab.
Lots of places have 4 x 12s hanging around for decoration, so the K100 head can be a very compact option, if one came up second hand, with the footswitch, within budget, I wouldn't hesitate to reccomend it.

Ah right, that's cool, a speaker inside an amp head? Could futureproof anything he wants to do in the future i.e gigs. The days of lugging 4x12's are dying out I would have thought with so many bands going down the digital route. I know I certainly don't miss carrying them up and down stairs!

HAL9000 · November 2021

The latest iteration of the Marshall MG series are reasonably priced, have a few (but not too many) effects, and are reasonably intuitive to use. Come in all sorts of prices and wattages from 10W up to 100W. I believe some of the older versions had a tendency to catch fire but that all got sorted out several years ago.

Lestratcaster · November 2021

I used to own an MG15 and it sounds crap compared to a DSL! Well, I think so anyway. Maybe the newer line sounds better, I'll check 'em out but hard to see past a DSL5 or a Katana 50.

rossi · November 2021

Fender Champion 40 will cover most needs if not all .

Lestratcaster · December 2022

** I updated the title and opening lines of the thread, the learner in question is now getting the Katana 50 MKII amp.

I don't think it comes with a footswitch however so need options in what to get to allow them to switch between 2 amp types. I.e clean and dirty.

I think you save them under Tone Settings CH1 and CH2?

There one here but it costs like £31 to ship from the US.

British Style Two Button Footswitch for Amps - StewMac

Would something like this work?

Hosa FSC-385 Guitar-style, Dual-latching footswitch | eBay

BillDL · December 2022

You can store 4 presets on the Katana 50 MkII. The user manual can be confusing because it includes details and images that pertain to the 100 watt combo and head and also the "Artist" variant. The 50 Watt MkII should power up in "Panel" mode, which is like standard analogue amp functionality where you just adjust the Amp Type, EQ, gain and master volume, and add effects manually. You can switch to preset mode using the top panel buttons at the right. If it is using any of the presets you can press the Panel button on the right to change back into manual mode. The presets are stored in Bank A Channels 1 and 2 and Bank B Channels 1 and 2. To switch between these all you need is a simple non-branded 2-button latching footswitch with a cable that terminates in a stereo (referred to as TRS - Tip/Ring/Sleeve) 1/4" jack. One switch will change banks from A to B and the other will switch channels from 1 to 2. The simplest footswitch won't have LEDs but the LEDs on the top panel of the amp reflect the status. You can get an unbranded footswitch in a metal case without LEDs for about £15. This one for £11.50 from Thomann works:

https://www.thomann.de/gb/lead_foot_fs2.htm

but obviously it wouldn't be worth buying that unless you were buying other items that took it over the free shipping threshold.

The "Hosa" brand one you linked to on eBay will work just the same, but instead of having a fixed cable you have to connect a 1/4" stereo cable of your own. A standard guitar cable is mono (TR - Tip/Ring only). A stereo (TRS) cable is easily available and cheap.

TGI, who supply loads of accessories like gig bags, stands, etc, to guitar retailers make a simple footswitch that sells from between about £16 and £25 without shipping. If you do a google search for "TGI Dual Latching Footswitch" and then start looking at prices including and excluding shipping for the TGFS2 you will see that there can be quite a variation of price for exactly the same very genereic thing.

Lestratcaster · December 2022

Ah, I wasn't aware that the Hosa branded one didn't come with a cable, thanks for pointing that out. Sourcing a 1/4" stereo TRS cable shouldn't be too hard. Will hunt around for the TGI ones PMT sell one for about £20 I think.

Just want something quick n easy to setup and for the learner to use, CH1 is clean and CH2 is one of the dirty amps. 1 button to switch between the two. They'd need to be in preset mode when they use the amp right? As we learn songs that require a switch during the song between sounds.
They said they'd bring the amp in (as they got it as a Christmas present) so if I can get that footswitch prior then plug it all in and help them set it all up and show them how to use all the settings that'd be good.

BillDL · December 2022

The four factory presets on the Katana 50 MkII are quite extreme and are definitely not the more subtle kind I would use, and nor would they be immediately useful to a lot of other users. You can obviously overwrite the presets and restore them later, but you can also connect the amp to a computer using a USB cable and use their Tone Studio software to endlessly tweak parameters and arrive at suitable modifications to keep for the presets. I don't use the presets. I tend to use the built-in reverb but none of the other effects unless I'm just messing around. I just use the amp in "panel" mode and get a good clean or crunch tone, and if I want to switch to a lead channel I turn up my guitar volume and/or switch on an overdrive pedal. I realise I'm not making full use of the amp's features. If I was gigging and chose to use that amp I would have already spend some time configuring four good base presets for live use and would use a two-button footswitch, but I don't.

Personally I would photocopy the user manual, or print a PDF copy, and score out all the sections that do not apply to the Katana 50 MkII. It's easier to read through that way.

https://www.boss.info/global/support/by_product/katana-50_mk2/owners_manuals/

https://static.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/KTN-Mk2_eng03_W.pdf

It would also be a good idea to download the user guide for the Tone Studio software if it is going to be used:

https://static.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/BTS_KTN-Mk2_eng03_W.pdf

Roland has a few "Quick Start" videos, but they cover more than just the 50 MkII, so you have to be selective when watching:

https://www.roland.com/us/rtv/quick_start/katana_quick_start/

Lestratcaster · December 2022

Hmm he might have been better off getting the Marshall DSL!! Much simpler to use but he wants to gig in the near future and usually does his lessons online, and has a mixer/interface setup so can use the Katana's direct out to plug straight into the mixer.

I suppose he could have 4 preset sounds, clean, crunch, main rhythm distortion and lead sound with some effects. Usually that's what I use on my Kemper. Or he could just use his volume knob on his guitar.

Thanks for the links though I'm pretty sure we'll figure it out, he has some crappy Harley Benton practice amp so deserved a nice upgrade. The distortion channel on it is terrible.

BillDL · December 2022

It's always going to be difficult gauging the preset sounds unless you are actually in a space where you can turn it up to gig volume and mic it or use the direct out and run it through a PA, so don't be put off by the fact that I don't find the presets useful for my own playing preferences. The four presets can be modified and stored to overwrite the factory ones quite easily after setting up a sound in "panel" mode (just hold down the respective channel/bank button for more than a second to store), and restoring them all to original is just as easy i.e. hold the "panel" button, power on, and wait until the lights stop blinking.

Lestratcaster · December 2022

Ok thanks for your help, will let you know how we get on.

I mean, he could use a distortion pedal to switch between sounds but I'd imagine for the money these amps cost he'd want to use the built-in overdrive.

And as a separate question - for the direct/recording out what type of cable do we use to connect to wherever it needs to go? TRS or a TS?

BillDL · December 2022

The socket on the amp for the headphones/direct out is a stereo one. None of the effects are stereo (eg. stereo chorus or stereo ping-pong delay) and the amp only has one speaker that couldn't take advantage of stereo anyway, but the stereo socket doubles for headphones or mixing desk/PA, so you would be just as well using a stereo (TRS) instrument cable. By all means try it with an ordinary mono guitar cable though. It may well work for how it is going to be used.

Lestratcaster · December 2022

Hmmm ok, I was initially going to use a TS guitar cable, when he brings it in to have a play with. We were going to A/B the mic'd speaker sound with an SM57 and then go direct and see what is better.

He usually mic's his amp speaker for online lessons via the Yamaha MG06. But then if the direct out sounds good he can go straight into the desk. On my DSL5cr I used the line out but it didn't sound too good, that was with a TS guitar cable though.

PAL · December 2022

Lestratcaster said:

**UPDATED THREAD**

Said student is now getting the Boss Katana 50 MKII amp. I'm not sure it comes with a footswitch however. There's options like the Boss FS2 latching switch and the Airstep but they're quite expensive.

What other options are there for a cheap and "will do the job" of switching between two channels (i.e clean/dirty)? I have watched a few YouTube videos and believe you save the Tone Settings under Ch1 and Ch2. Like this video:

Something like this might do the job but it costs more than the item to ship from the US

British Style Two Button Footswitch for Amps - StewMac

**ORIGINAL POST**

One of my guitar students is looking for a decent amp, preferably a combo one but anything that will have a nice tube overdrive sound as that's what he'll be using most of the time. But the facility to switch to clean is required too.

I would think for budget he's not looking to spend more than £200-300, and not too loud either, well...maybe if he gets gigging in a band but we're not talking big stages. It'll be mainly for home use.

A recording/direct out connection would be handy too as we actually do most of our lessons online. His parents are buying him a mixer/interface for Christmas so if he can have an amp he can run directly into this it'd be cool.

I already suggested a Marshall DSL5 combo or the Boss Katana 50w but are there any others out there that are slightly less money?

Hi. Cheap isn't the way to go unfortunately. Yes the Airstep is not cheap but it will transform the Katana 50 MK II into a very versatile amp. It will allow access to all for channels then allow you to turn off effects. Check out the Airstep video by The Studio Rats . If you want cheap any latching footswitch can change the two channels but for versatility it costs more.
Hope this helps.

BillDL · December 2022

The Airstep Katana Edition footswitch certainly does "unlock" the features of the 50 Watt model that would normally only have been available on the 100 Watt model using their GA-FC footswitch. In addition to being able to switch between Channel 1 Banks A and B and Channel 2 Banks A and B, as is available using a standard cheap two button latching footswitch, it also allows you to access the effects including reverb and delay. Additionally you can use an app on a mobile phone or tablet to connect wirelessly with the footswitch, which is obviously connected to the amplifier, and tweak settings rather than having to connect the amp to a computer and use the software provided by Boss. Well explained HERE starting with the 50 watt amp.

The downside of a non-branded generic 2-button footswitch with no LEDs is that you (a) have to switch between channels with one switch and then between banks with the other switch, and (b) other than by looking at the amplifier's top panel there is no indication on the footswitch whether you are in Ch 1 or 2 or bank A or B. The Boss FS-6 (I think) footswitch is still a dual footswitch but I believe it has LED indicators to remind you where you are. Otherwise the functionality with the 50 watt amp is just the same as with a generic dual footswitch.

The Airstep footswitch allows you to use one less foot-click to change channels and banks, which makes live use much more fluent. One of the aspects of "unlocking" the 50 Watt amp using the Airstep footswitch is the question of how often you would actually need to turn the effects on or off during a live show. The only option of actually adjusting the effects' parameters after you have turned them on using the footswitch is a tap-tempo option on the switch when you have accessed the delay effect. You can't increase or decrease any of the settings for the other effects from the footswitch. You obviously have the four presets that can be configured for for different types of playing. That might seem quite restrictive by comparison with the 100 Watt version that has 4 channels with an A and B for each, i.e. 8 presets to switch between, but how many different preset sounds would a student who is just breaking into live playing need at his or her disposal without getting pretty confused or having to do a tap dance in the middle of a song to turn on chorus and delay?

One thing that does put me off the Airstep is that it uses the small USB connector on the footswitch to connect with the amp's USB socket. It looks like it is one of the sockets as found on a lot of digital cameras. As many of us are accutely aware, it doesn't take much of a jerk to dislodge one of those connectors and the sockets can be damaged very easily in so doing, and the USB cables aren't nearly as resilient as normal instrument cables. One would have to be very careful with that footswitch to amp cable in live use on a darkened stage.

Lestratcaster · December 2022

PAL said:

Lestratcaster said:

**UPDATED THREAD**

Said student is now getting the Boss Katana 50 MKII amp. I'm not sure it comes with a footswitch however. There's options like the Boss FS2 latching switch and the Airstep but they're quite expensive.

What other options are there for a cheap and "will do the job" of switching between two channels (i.e clean/dirty)? I have watched a few YouTube videos and believe you save the Tone Settings under Ch1 and Ch2. Like this video:

Something like this might do the job but it costs more than the item to ship from the US

British Style Two Button Footswitch for Amps - StewMac

**ORIGINAL POST**

One of my guitar students is looking for a decent amp, preferably a combo one but anything that will have a nice tube overdrive sound as that's what he'll be using most of the time. But the facility to switch to clean is required too.

I would think for budget he's not looking to spend more than £200-300, and not too loud either, well...maybe if he gets gigging in a band but we're not talking big stages. It'll be mainly for home use.

A recording/direct out connection would be handy too as we actually do most of our lessons online. His parents are buying him a mixer/interface for Christmas so if he can have an amp he can run directly into this it'd be cool.

I already suggested a Marshall DSL5 combo or the Boss Katana 50w but are there any others out there that are slightly less money?

Hi. Cheap isn't the way to go unfortunately. Yes the Airstep is not cheap but it will transform the Katana 50 MK II into a very versatile amp. It will allow access to all for channels then allow you to turn off effects. Check out the Airstep video by The Studio Rats . If you want cheap any latching footswitch can change the two channels but for versatility it costs more.
Hope this helps.

Hmm this site is selling the Airstep for £60 which isn't too bad, I think it ships from the US though so I don't know how much it will cost on top of that.

AIRSTEP Kat Edition | Purchase | XSONIC (xsonicaudio.com)

I suppose as a tutor I can write it off as a teaching expense if I say its for myself. If they're going to spend money on a decent amp they may as well make full use of its facilities. He does plan to play live one day so may as well get the stuff that will do the stuff he needs for futureproofing.

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Boss Katana 50 MKII - Footswitch options

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