Incoming! ( Katana )

[Buckeyedog]

My OCD sounds great through the clean channel.

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I got a Timmy od pedal. Haven't used it in months.
The built in OD of the Katana seems like it goes from 0 to 5 with barely moving the knob!
Gonna have to run my pedal again soon.

You can get it right with the software
It works well but yes I dig my real OD 808 much more

 

[Ventura]

I got a Timmy od pedal. Haven't used it in months.
The built in OD of the Katana seems like it goes from 0 to 5 with barely moving the knob!
Gonna have to run my pedal again soon.

 

[sytharnia1560]

Got mine about a week ago. Sounds pretty good. Actually, is the best sounding amp I've ever played... that cost $350, new. The jury's still out for me. There's a highend bite to it that's difficult to dial out. I have a feeling the secret to unlocking really great tone out of this thing is the deep editing software, especially the graphic EQ. It sounds pretty good though.

man its amazing how all our ears hear different things. I am constantly trying to dial in more high end bite....pretty sure I have some frequency loss, not surprising i guess as I get old

 

[oldmtlhed]

OKAY. Here we go. My initial impression:

I had several hours of quality "Katana time" today. I learned some things.
First of all, I will say this: I LIKE IT.
I can work with it. Funny thing is, it was easier to get a modern metal tone than it was
to get a CLEAN that I liked. I have discovered that my 4x12 cab is dark. It does great on the
low-end, but it's not easy to get the glassy highs that give the presence. Mid-range is overpowering
on this amp. I was consistently having to dial-down the mids to get it to blend correctly.
Again, the speaker cab has a lot to do with this. My cab is dark and barky. I don't mind that,
it just means I have to tweak everything to match it.
I spent most of the time today working on the clean channel. ( Balancing the EQ, and adding effects
that I like. ) The clean channel has far less headroom than the LEAD channel, so I had to crank the
amp volume all the way up. On the lead setting, I run it in the middle.
Then I use the Master volume to finish it off.
So here is the first NEGATIVE thing I noticed about the KATANA:
The on-board factory-loaded effects are not that great. They sound more like a "novelty", than anything
I would consider "musical". All three Reverbs pretty much suck. The Delay is not terrible, but the Chorus
is pretty bad. I like a "deep" chorus, with a slow "rate". I just couldn't get a Chorus or Reverb sound that
I liked. I ended up switching them OFF, and running those effects using my G*Major.
The G*Major effects are worlds better than what is in the KATANA.
I might be able to use the PC editing software to tweak the on-board effects and make them use-able.
I will certainly be trying that soon. If I can't make the on-board effects work to my satisfaction, I will
just make patches in my rack unit to compliment the amp channels. I already know that combination
sounds great!

To sum up my initial impression of this amp... I would say it's pretty cool!
It's fun to play with, I can get some great tones out of it, it has very good flexibility, it sounds great
loud and also at low volumes, and it takes pedals and effects well.
This thing would be great for gigging. On the 100-watt setting, it's plenty loud enough.
It's easy to transport, and the audience wouldn't know it's not a $4,000 tube amp. Some fans know gear,
but most do not. They just go to socialize, watch the band, and hear the music. ( And drink! )


I can see where the KATANA would not replace a high-end tube amp.
It's definitely NOT a high-end tube amp. But for the cheap price, and what it CAN do.... it's awesome.
I think it is exactly what I need at this point in my life, to get me interested in playing again.
I am glad I got it. I will keep it.
I think what everyone said about it is pretty close to the mark.
I feel the differences in tone people are hearing has a lot to do with the speakers/cab.
Different speakers make a big difference in the overall tone. My 4x12 cab is dark, but I like that.
I would rather have PHAT low-end, and smoother highs. ( Instead of weak low-end, and harsh highs. )

SO... over the next few days... I will be experimenting with the EFFECTS.
On the higher gain stuff, the Katana has a bit of a hum. Thankfully, the G*Major has a great Noise GATE.
On the CLEAN setting, it's not really a factor. But when you start stacking gain-stages, you can't avoid it.
I guess in that respect, it's just like a tube amp!

Another thing I really like about it is it runs cool. I played with it for hours, and it never got hot.
Well... that's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I will have more to say about it once I get the software
up and running, and hook it to my PC.

 

[Shask]

Yeah, I think the software will help a lot. On the amp the effects have like 1 knob, but in the software each effect usually has 5-7 different controls to dial it in. There are also other types you can't select on the amp alone, like the digital delay, analog delay, tape delay, etc.....

There is a noise gate you can turn on in the software also. It works very well.

 

[oldmtlhed]

Yeah, I think the software will help a lot. On the amp the effects have like 1 knob, but in the software each effect usually has 5-7 different controls to dial it in. There are also other types you can't select on the amp alone, like the digital delay, analog delay, tape delay, etc.....
There is a noise gate you can turn on in the software also. It works very well.

Oh cool. Thanks for the info.
Yeah, you need more than "1 knob" to adjust effects.
I was reading the manual for my G*Major last night. OMG... I forgot how powerful that unit is.
You can adjust EVERYTHING.
But I have a feeling.... once I get the software up and running, I might be able to work with the
on-board Katana effects. I'm going to try and get that going today.

 

[oldmtlhed]

This is the EQ settings I use for my heavy rhythm tone.
AMP setting is: LEAD ( Presence is at 12-o'clock straight up )

 

[sytharnia1560]

yeah hooking it up to a computer and messing with the settings is a must. I didn't really like mine at all until I got in an tweaked it

 

[oldmtlhed]

yeah hooking it up to a computer and messing with the settings is a must. I didn't really like mine at all until I got in an tweaked it

How RIGHT you are!

I got it hooked to my PC, and spent the next 3 hours tweaking.
After awhile, the dreaded "ear fatigue" set in.
So I had to walk-away, but at least I got ONE channel sorted out.
I found a NEW "reverb" that I like. It's called ROOM. It was in the TONE STUDIO.
I also tweaked the CHORUS to my liking. I slowed the "rate" way down, and increased the "depth".
I was also able to adjust the mix-level, which worked great.

Now... the BAD NEWS:
My old tc electronic G*major is dead.
I had it on, but it was in "bypass" mode. ( It was still connected in the LOOP )
After awhile, no sound came out of the amp. The it came back again.
Then it went out again. ( You get the idea )
Every time the sound went off, the front PANEL on the G*major blanked-out.
The lights stayed on, so I know it wasn't losing power. It's most likely a problem with circuit voltage.
Going out of range, and tripping the CPU. It's old. Maybe it needs new CAPS or something. I dunno.
I'm not an electronics tech, but I know a little bit about this stuff.

Anyway... i'm glad I got the KATANA hooked up to the computer.
Because I no longer have the G*major as an option.
The silver-lining is: this simplifies my rig. It will work exactly the way I wanted it to.
I will just make 4 separate tone patches, and save them to the KATANA.
I will use the footswitch to select between them. Simple as that. Exactly what I wanted.
So I am happy.

 

[neuroop]

That's too bad

Now you of all people can buy a new effects unit!

 

[Zachalou]

Cool, id like one, might settle for the mini now so I have something as a practice amp

 

[oldmtlhed]

That's too bad
Now you of all people can buy a new effects unit!

Luckily, I won't need to.
The KATANA has enough effects to play with. So i'm good.
The Tone Studio software is nice.

 

[oldmtlhed]

DAY 3 ( Katana diaries )

UGH.

I spent all day today working on making custom channel patches using the TONE STUDIO.
Ear-fatigue is a real thing. As I was making the patches, It was sounding pretty good. I made 1 patch
the other day, and I made 3 more today. After I got done, I unplugged it from the computer, and tested it out.
The footswitch worked great. All my patches were easily accessible. I tested them out at different volume levels.
The BAD news:
They all sounded like shit. And I don't even know why, or what I can do to fix it.
Some of it is the EQ levels. It sounds okay at low volume, but when I turn it up a bit, the low-end is boomy.
So I will have to go back in and re-EQ everything, to bring the low-end down.
Another problem is: some of the effects just plain suck. I don't even know what all the settings mean.
There is no explanation for what they do. I adjust them, and listen for changes, and sometimes it doesn't seem
to do anything. Other settings make drastic changes.
The more I mess with this thing, the more frustrated I am. This thing has TOO MANY options!
It's hard to get good tones out of this thing. It also has weird noises. Like artifacts or something.
When my pick hits the strings, there is a "clicking" noise along with the note I am playing.
Like a pick-attack that is too sharp/harsh. On 2 patches, it's not noticeable. On 2 other patches, it's there.
I can see now... I will be spending way more time "fiddling" with this thing, than actually "playing" it.
It has tons of features, but it doesn't do anything all that well. I initially thought this thing was priced too cheap.
Now, I think it's priced exactly right. Because it's not all that great.
I will keep working with it, maybe I can figure it out one day. Who knows. I'm not going to return it.
I'll spend some more time with it. I haven't even had it a week yet, so I can't give up on it yet.
But I can see why these things pop-up on the used market.
People buy them, can't get them to sound decent, so they put them up for sale.
All the glowing reviews make me wonder if all the people who LOVE this thing... are all guys who play blues and old
rock-N-roll. I read a few reviews that said the KATANA is not good for modern metal. Now I know why.
It is not easy to dial-up a modern metal tone that sounds organic.

Anyway.... it is what it is. If I paid a lot of money for this thing, I would be putting it back in the box RIGHT NOW.
I would ship this sucker BACK tomorrow. But since it wasn't expensive, it's worth keeping. At least for awhile.
It will be a challenge to see if I can smooth it out, and make it work.
I think the problem could be ME. I might have just fiddled with it too much. The poor thing probably feels molested.

 

[errrrrl]

I've read people say good things about the Sneaky Amps patches, probably worth trying it first if you were serious about returning. How do the stock sounds sound with your od808 in front? Maybe just don't use the built in effects? I know many won't agree with me but it's worth testing a Peavey Vypyr if your goal is metal... most music stores have them and they are pretty cheap and do metal pretty well. I think your comment on guys that play blues and old rock and roll might be true for a large percentage of Katana reviews. And at the same time I would not recommend a vypyr for blues or classic rock, its strength is metal (not 80s hair metal). Good luck!

 

[indespise]

^ This. I regularly see used VIP 2 combos for $100-$120, and VIP 3's for around $200- even new they're only $200 and $300, respectively. Yeah, the pedal is expensive (doesn't bother me since I don't use effects anyways), and there's no speaker out, but they're still excellent bargains IMO. And with a soldering gun and a little bit of know how I'm sure you could add a speaker out.

 

[Shask]

You probably just need a break from it. That is why I use the Katana, an actual Mesa Recto with pedals, and an Axe-FX rack. I get sick of all of them if that is all I play, so I rotate around. I have the same issues with the Axe-FX II you are describing, and it was $2000+. That is just the side-effect of having something with so many options. You can tweak and tweak, but then everything changes when you change the volume level. That is why people say dial them in at the volume you play on playing. The Fletcher-Munsen effect is dramatic on these types of units, and it is normal to adjust the lows and highs as you up the volume level.

I actually set the BMT all at noon on mine, and dialed it in using the Parametric EQ. That way my basic tone is there, but I can still adjust BMT up and down depending on the day, and volume I am playing at. If you are getting too sharp of a pick attack, maybe try a different OD boost. Usually boost pedals are what drive the sharp attack.

I still love mine for metal sounds. You just have to dial in your boosts and EQs correctly, for the volume level you typically play at. However, even with tube amps, I typically use an OD boost, and EQ pedals in the loop, so I am pretty good at dialing up my sound on about anything.

 

[oldmtlhed]

You probably just need a break from it. That is why I use the Katana, an actual Mesa Recto with pedals, and an Axe-FX rack. I get sick of all of them if that is all I play, so I rotate around. I have the same issues with the Axe-FX II you are describing, and it was $2000+. That is just the side-effect of having something with so many options. You can tweak and tweak, but then everything changes when you change the volume level. That is why people say dial them in at the volume you plan on playing. The Fletcher-Munsen effect is dramatic on these types of units, and it is normal to adjust the lows and highs as you up the volume level.
I actually set the BMT all at noon on mine, and dialed it in using the Parametric EQ. That way my basic tone is there, but I can still adjust BMT up and down depending on the day, and volume I am playing at. If you are getting too sharp of a pick attack, maybe try a different OD boost. Usually boost pedals are what drive the sharp attack.
I still love mine for metal sounds. You just have to dial in your boosts and EQs correctly, for the volume level you typically play at. However, even with tube amps, I typically use an OD boost, and EQ pedals in the loop, so I am pretty good at dialing up my sound on about anything.

BINGO. You nailed it.
Everything you said here is absolutely TRUE.

I tweaked everything for low volume. Then I turned the volume up a bit more, and the EQ was way off.
I need to "baseline" my patches, and use my MXR EQ in the loop to adjust it according to the volume.
That should get me closer.

 

[oldmtlhed]

I know many won't agree with me but it's worth testing a Peavey Vypyr if your goal is metal... most music stores have them and they are pretty cheap and do metal pretty well. I think your comment on guys that play blues and old rock and roll might be true for a large percentage of Katana reviews. And at the same time I would not recommend a vypyr for blues or classic rock, its strength is metal (not 80s hair metal). Good luck!

I studied the Vypyr for a bit, and it has pros and cons, like everything.
My local music store is small, and they don't have shit. So I can't "try" anything.
If Vypyr came in a HEAD configuration, I might be interested. I don't really want a "combo".
( I want to use my 4x12 cab that I paid good money for 25 years ago. ) LoL
I HATE paying money for something, only to have it sitting around collecting dust.
Which is exactly what my 4x12 cab has been doing for the past 10 years.


I read a lot of negative reviews for the Vypyr line.
Including some that said the amps are cheaply made, and not reliable.
I didn't read any reviews of the Katana failing, only people complaining that the TONE STUDIO didn't work
when these first came out. Now the software problem is fixed, and everything works as advertised.

Who knows if KATANA is reliable or not. It's a new product. Time will tell.
I still think it's a good platform for "plugging stuff into".
If I don't like the metal tones, maybe I will just get a BE-OD pedal and run it in the LOOP with the Katana clean channel.
But that is later down the road. For now... I will work with what I have.

 

[Mailman1971]

It gets deceiving especially when dialing for hours.

I usually have my drummer (Who actually knows GREAT guitar tones from just being around it for years) Help me out.

He will sit there. Fresh ears.... and tell me honestly.... "Too bright.... meh? Too deep.... Too muddy...etc"

I always 2nd guess myself on new gear after dicking with it for a long time.

Nice to get that other set of ears involved.