For me, power amp in with irs on, some people are suggesting it sounds muddy, but it’s really less forced and easier to listen to, with irs off it’s brighter but harsher, it’s like when comparing speakers, it’s easy to say the brighter sound is better because you immediately hear more of something, but more isn’t always best, personally I couldn’t play and listen as long with the irs off, it’s just too harsh and forced.
@@sixslinger9951 Believe me, it sounds rich and full in the room. It doesn't sound bad with IRs on, but you can definitely tell the difference with it off.
It can sound good either way… its up to you and the parameters you set. Also, a lot of people disregard the EQ and it is a lot of help when setting tones
Well you are both correct. With IR it sounded over processed and without IR sounded fizzy. You can’t use a patch that was originally created with Cab sim or IR turned on and through headphone or studio monitor and plug the device to a real cab and turn the IR and cab sim off and expect to get the exact same sound. Here is what you need to do: plug the device to the power amp in of katana, turn the IR and cab off and then start to make a new parch from scratch after you got as close as possible you your sound, include either 10 band or graphic EQ to the change where you usually put IR and shape your final sound by A/B ing your favourite recorded guitar song. It’s a little pain in the butt but you will be amazed with the result. I did exactly this with my Fender BJ which doesn’t even have a power amp in with an amazing result. Having said that in order to minimize the affect of the pre-amp I turn down the pre amp gain all the way to around 2 and use the master volume to emulate the power amp only. I also saved the EQ that took lots of time under name of “Fender BJ EQ” in my favourites so I can easily recall it and use it to create other patches.
@@sebastianvaldivieso27 Theoretically that should give you the same sound because studio monitor is flat response but honestly no matter what I did, I never ever could get the same sounds that I’m hearing through my headphone live. This is the greatest weakness of all modellers and profilers. Forget about all the advertisements, paid reviews etc. If you ever played through a real tube amp there is no technology that can create the same feeling in live situation. Only through headphones I must admit that they did the trick and it sounds amazing but in live situation you can only get close enough at best.
It's basically a return section of a fx loop bypassing the preamp section.you can do this with any amp that has a fx loop....but you definitely want to turn the cab section off because you already have a cab.....on your amp.
I leave the IR's on and use the regular input jack on the clean channel. I just think it sounds more lively. The bonus of this is I can make slight adjustments to my tone with the amp controls (bass, treble, mid, reverb).
I bought two Boss katana 50s … I put a cream back in one and a vintage 30 in the other… Changed both speakers!… Then I run into the power amp section from my FM nine… With the IR’s off…sounds great😝
I use it this way with my headrush Gigboard. What I do with an IR if my sound isn't exactly right is pull the IR down in the mix to about half way. Its kind of the best of both worlds and helps with some the hollowness I get from using the Katana. It gets some more natural sound out of it with using IR.
IR on or off is just another effect to me. I bought the Katana II because it's so flexible with my acoustic/electric. I also have a Boss mini. Use the chicken down to .5 amp for quiet practice, 25 amps to piss of my next door neighbors and 50 to piss of people driving by. (Note: They appear to be pissed off at my lack of playing skills, not at my volume levels, I think?) Thanks for the info.
I liked the IR's off with the power amp in (at least thru the Katana's speaker). The correct answer though is what sounds best to you and gets the right sound FOH.
Now that GEN3 is out I finally bought a Kat 50MK2 cheap on clearance mainly for the "Power Amp In" as a budget 12" "FRFR". I heard the "modeler cabs off" argument but it might sound better with them on. Sounds not bad through "Clean" too. Looking forward to trying the POD Express and Quilter through this awesome little cab.
Sorry for the question out of left field but was considering doing the same thing as you mentioned as using it as a powered speaker but with a Friedman IR-X. Would you care to share how did the katana sound as just as powered speaker with a modeler with the power amp in? Thank you.
Sorry for the question out of left field but was considering doing the same thing as you mentioned as using it as a powered speaker but with a Friedman IR-X. Would you care to share how did the katana sound as just as powered speaker with a modeler with the power amp in? Thank you.
I have the boss gt1000 and selecting the output to a katana power amp in, keeping the IR is the best way to(the katana also have IR in their setting so you are bypassing something that needed to be connected to work properly.
Intresting video. In my experience you can use the power amp in with IRs if you're a bedroom player and it does sound very good. In a band context tho, you need to turn the cab or IRs off, otherwise your sound will be muffled and wont cut trough the band unless you're going trough a PA (your singer will probably hate you if you do). However, the Katana and Helix are a great match
Can I plug a cable from the headphones audio interface to the power amp in in the boss katana if I'm using plug ins from neural dsp and I dont have monitor speakers?
I ended up doing a bunch of experimenting with this trying to use similar amps to those on the Boss Katana. I basically compared using the Guv'nor pedal in the boost section of the amp and compared it to a Guv'nor inside an amp sim. I found the way to get the same sounds (minus a difference in volume levels) was to turn off cap simulation in the amp sim. If you use the cab simulation in the amp sim, you're effectively using 2 cabinets running into each other: the cap sim and then whatever you have coming out of the Katana. In terms of it being fuzzy, I think there's a chance your levels are too high in your audio software, causing extra clipping maybe? Anyway, It's fine if you're fine with that tone, it's just also good to realize what's actually going on. Also, another handy note. I have the Mk3 Katana Head and the bloom option affects the power section, meaning you can use bloom on your amp sims if you plug into the FX return and it sounds great!
Know I’m late to the party but just I have had great success with and without cab simulators. Some presets I have are just amp models and others I tried using cabs and have gotten great tones both ways going in to the power amp in jack.
IRs off seems to get a very similar result as going direct into a mixing board or PA, bypassing an amp completely. Even with a pre-amp on, you still lose that 3-dimensional quality that a speaker voiced for guitar provides, which is exactly what the IRs are designed to emulate. At the end of the day, it's all subjective as to what sound you personally find more pleasing anyway, so I'm not going to argue with anyone who says they prefer the sound with IRs off, or who says they achieve preferable results by just post-EQing. But to say it's objectively designed to function that way is inaccurate - Boss obviously designed this "Power Amp In" feature to accommodate the use of IRs and modelers.
I would say , I like it better with the IRs off. With the IRs off you get better headroom and resonance which you would need once you play live with a drummer then mic it.
IMHO and having read someone's post on fractal's forum about measuring Katana's power amp response and comparing it with a tube amp power section, my thoughts are that the Katana has a flat EQ curve which the tube amp didn't, on which you can see clearly the frequencies that a guitar amp normally produces. That, in conjunction with guitar speakers adds to the final tone. So, when using amp sims with the Katana we're actually bringing sort of a full spectrum eq curve to a flat response power amp sim, but the only thing that's shaping the final tone is the Kat's speaker, which IMO is kind of flat too (because it has to reproduce different voices). In conclusion, at least for me, is that IR's sound muffled because although it is a different speaker, it tries to emulate one, but with a wider eq response. I have tried to put high and low cuts without any IR from my multi fx, along with some minor eq adjustments and I've found a very convincing power amp solution. So, for me, IR's doesn't sound good. BTW, power amp+preamp sims used, not only preamps. They sound weak. Full amp in the room experience is what I've got
Hi, I’ve been gigging with this exact rig for about a year. I’ve tried both ways many times but i really I think the Katana is not a good combo with the Pod Go. I tried every way but in the end I couldn’t get the tone. I’ve now gone to Line 6 power cab. It’s much, much better but not perfect as well. To be honest it’s very frustrating and I have a love hate affair with digital modellers. I’m nearly at the point of chucking it in and going back to tube. I still believe it’s the future but the Manufacturers need to get their shit together and provide more technical support. The work load of getting a great tone is ridiculous and you can get caught in the rabbit hole for months. Crazy
I share in this experience. I have a Pod Go. First I used it with a headrush 108 frfr speaker. This is my first dive into modelers and frfr speakers with impulse responses. The idea of having so many amp models to switch around in a small interface and not have to buy all these real speakers and cabinets to get their sounds was very appealing to me. In reality I always find tone shaping on the screen or on the computer to be a tedious experience. The headrush 108 at first didnt sound so great, i'm just so used to real guitar speakers in the room. I ended up returning the frfr and buying two nice studio monitor powered speakers. I think its sounds a little better, then I got some 3rd party IRs and it sounded a little better too. Still, it doesn't sound as good to me as just using a quality combo amp or head/cabinet in the room. I don't play out live but perhaps the modelers are amazing for that. I also think the headrush 108 is probably better than i gave it credit for and returned it before I had 3rd party IRs and more knowledge of using the Pod Go.
@@RichBischoff Yes, Richie, your correct in saying it’s a constant battle. It’s ok if your a bedroom guitarist and enjoy the tinkering but out gigging 3 times per week it’s draining. I don’t have guitar techs or support crew to get sound right for every venue. I like the Fender or reverb you demonstrated. Any suggestion for amps. I like a similar sound to you?
@@glennmartin4232 I'm still trying to figure amps out my friend. Thinking about getting a Princeton. It's small, but still has a lot of power for most gigs, plus the clean sound is amazing and they take pedals well.
@@RichBischoff if possible could you please do a review on the new Fender Super-reverb Tone Master. A lot of people very impressed but I would like to hear your opinion. Great videos and playing Rich Thank you
Definitely sounds muffled with the irs on. No doubt it would be something you want running front of house, however it may be worth sorting out the routing to have them bypassed when using your amp as a monitor onstage while still being active through FOH. Which I believe it can be done. Also, I can't help but notice how noisy your signal is in both settings. I think you would benefit with using the noisegate in the amp.
I had a similar experience and was also surprised at the fact that 2 sequential speakers (The first emulated and the second an actual speaker) doesn’t sound as I thought it would. There are very good combinations of speaker emulations with actual speakers that sound better than A single speaker signal chain. I do believe that these must be selected to be used together, however. In other words, there is some optimization needed. The Celestion F 12 X 200 is an option. It works similarly to the Kemper kone
I run two MK1 with Celestion F12-X200 and it is very potent!! Especially with acoustic sounds, Triple cone is good too but more for normal electric sounds FWIW
Could I use this with my Revv G20? Just use the speaker cable out from my G20 into the 'Power amp in' on the katana? How do I know what the ohms are for the speaker? Answers to any of these questions would be super helpful! Thanks!
@@RichBischoff I think so too. I’ve heard using the speaker out into the power amp in could destroy both amps. I can use the effect out on my G20, but I cannot have the IR’s come through the Katana. I am kind of disappointed, but I still think this will work for what I need it for.
Thanks for doing this video! I just ordered the ACS1 and I kept getting advice that cab sims should be turned off when using power amp in on the Katana but based on how your Helix performed with the IRs turned on, it sounded great. Gives me more confidence I can dial in a good tone with the ACS1
I'm not sure why you would want to put a cab sim on a signal that is going to go to another guitar cabinet/speaker. That would be a use-case for an FRFR monitor.
Wow ! Thanks ! I have a Katana 2 and didn't care for the sounds of my pedals through the amp, i was wondering what the power amp input was for.. now i know . Thanks again.
the Katana is not an FRFR with a twitter/high range like a PA speaker. so its gonna be a bit dark compared to a PA speaker. So good enough for some foldback for your stage. Another thing is swap the speaker to a triple cone celestian so u get closer to full range.
I have a Katana 100 Mk2 head and 212 cabinet. At first, I used the Boss Tone Studio to set the thing up and arrange the signal chain, etc. I found it very limiting as the effects loop in that app could only be put into the chain either right before the reverb or right after the reverb. This definitely did not work for me. I am not a huge fan of the Katana preamp and tone controls, or any of the onboard booster effects for that matter. My setup is a bit different. On my pedal board, I have a few high gain preamps (KSR Ceres, TC Electronics Dual Wreck, a couple others), a six band EQ, a couple different overdrives (an ancient Maxon OD-808 which is basically the predecessor to the original Tube Screamer, and a MXR EVH 5150), and a looper. I also have the Katana GA-FC footswitch on there. I now use an app called FX Floorboard to set up the Katana. This app allows me to arrange the internal signal chain any way I like. I put the effects loop send and return after the preamp and tone controls but before all the effects. Then I plug the output of my pedal board into the effects loop return. This way I can use the preamps and EQ on the pedal board to establish the tone the way I want it, and then use all the modulation, delay and reverb effects in the Katana, controlled by the Katana footswitch. The only gain or volume that does anything on the Katana is the master volume. I think the cab resonance works as well but I haven't actually tried it yet. Anyway, this works out pretty well for the most part. I do like the Katana power amp and the 212 cabinet is not terrible. 100 watts into that cabinet is... epic. But this system isn't perfect. It has a couple issues, for me anyway. While the Katana footswitch can turn effects on and off, it only does them by groups. I can turn the modulation effect on with the footswitch, but I cannot switch between a chorus and a flanger unless I get to the amp itself on the wonderfully hidden control panel so I can press that tiny button that changes the LED from green to yellow to red. I can't switch between delays that have a different delay rate without doing the same thing. I wish there was a way to say, hold the footswitch down for two seconds and it goes to the next effect. The other issue I have is that my looper pedal is on the same signal chain as everything else. It's at the end of the pedal board but internal to the katana, whatever I am playing on the looper goes through whatever effect I happen to have active. It would be nice if I could plug the output of the looper directly into the power amp in, so it bypasses the effects. But I believe if I do that it cuts off any signal coming from the preamp or effects. Or does it? Anyway, that's how I do it.
Perhaps it does sound better in the room with them on and to you but from this end, the "OFF" sounds better and to me. In my experience, running cab sims with an actual cab involved, as opposed to cab sims + monitors, stereo speakers or true FRFR speakers, usually precludes a truer-representation of my desired tone with the inclusion of unnecessary, excessive and unwanted "colorations". In other words/For example, the selected IR will be trying to force my Marshall 1960 cab to sound like whichever virtual cab has been programmed into the chain... when it isn't.
First off thanks for all the videos you put out. I have struggled with this same problem. I bought the GA FC and went old school pedals and put a mic in the front of the amp.... sounded awesome. But the Helix with the power amp and front of the house is a win. Especially if you are using a Variax. 1 Guitar, Katana, and Helix with a bag of cords...... Best setup hands down. As far as the IR or not it's really up to the patch. I use Revv Purple without IR's and it's really good. Keep up the good work brother!!
Also have the same experience. It’s hard to find a good sound without GTK core speaker simulation, need to adjust not only the amps controls but insert eqs to sound decent
Man this is just what i needed! I recently acquired an unpowered kemper amp and was looking at different output options. I also just happen to have a MKII Katana that I picked up used for cheap. I’m gonna try this through the power amp in asap ! Thanks for the info !!
You know it was designed to have them off because it has a ‘guitar speaker’ in the cab and not a ‘FRFR speaker’ (tweeter plus woofer plus crossover etc). You need to fully reprogram the patch for the non IR test. It still may not sound great as you need a full amp sim that combines preamp and poweramp and it is SS so...you do the best you can within these constraints. The Katana itself does not run IRs into its poweramp which may provide you with a clue to how it’s setup. I definitely do enjoy your channel.
I think some of this might be that Fletcher Munson at gig volume. At recording volumes, you want some extra high end, but at gig volume, the extra roll off helps balance the sound.
I was seriously thinking of getting a Fender Fr12 speaker cab to use with my pod go until I saw this video.Buying this amp with the power amp in jack should eliminate the need for FrFr speaker like Headrush or Fr12 unless I am missing something.
Old school with newtech,I'm in the same boat kinda have a katana that I eventually ended up liking I had a roller coaster ride with it even bought a small tube amp which sounded good now after 2.5 years with the katana I've been A and B comparing with the other amps and have honestly been able to match those sound by tweaking that katana back and forth to the point I couldn't tell a difference (I'm serious) I wouldn't have thought it would be close but i got a Aby switch and started doing it and mind blowing,I've heard guys say they nail any sound in the studio with them and I believe it now! It's real versatile as you demonstrated with the helix,yes sounds better with them on for sure and yeah I use the clean channel if using pedals ,nice playing by the way! now I want that artist head with that cab,and the 2x12 combo too
I'm in exactly the same position. I've owed a few Katanas. Also own a couple of Fender amps, my favorite being the Bassbreaker clean channel. I had the GA/FC but got fed up with using the laptop. Now I have a huge pedal board with about £700 worth of pedals. Still not happy though. Audio clicks from some pedals, some noise. Now looking at helix options, probably into the Katana.
If you run into the effects loop instead of the power amp in you can enable and adjust your speaker out global EQ to boost the mids and cut the lows and highs, simulating a more mid focused speaker (Vintage 30 etc). This makes bypassing the IR’s much more pleasing. Lastly, I find if I play with IR’s via power amp in it’s better to choose a 1x12 cab (say via Amplitube).
I use the power amp in of my spider valve with kemper and headrush- since the SV has a v30 i shut off cabs on kemper and it sounds phenonemal- seems like the katana has a neutral response speaker so turning the cab/ir off wont sound as ggod
Thank you. I'm coming back to the Katana because it's better sounding than the powercab with its closed back and directional projection for my bedroom jamming. Don't remember having the cabs on with power amp in, so glad you brought that info up. Cheers
Both sound good (RS) I don't know what IRS but I know my ears. I think both sound great. I think that both are useful You can use 1 mode with IRS for intros and solos And off for verses there seems to be space in the sound for vocals But I'm no expert on this subject
Ive commented on this in the past ,with them on it collects all the sound kind of like a stereo effect with them off it sounds like one side of things like a mono effect, so yeah on sounds better to me and ive explained why more of a stereo effect off mono effect,
Sounds better to me with them on. Much richer and more character, loving the double denim btw. Reminds me of queuing up for AC/DC tickets in 1979, double denim everywhere. Love your vids.
I tried the power amp in today on one with a GT 100 I agree it sounds better with the cab sims on, youtube doesn’t do it justice , all the natural mids are there you don’t get going into monitors
Great video! I use my Helix LT with my katana’s power amp as well, and I prefer the IRs on. It just sounds better to my ear and I’m able to tweak it to my liking a lot better. Like you said man, it’s subjective!
In my opinion this is not even a question. The BOSS manual clearly says this input bypasses everything (all modeling, which would include IR) and is designed for a multi-effects unit. Stacking Preamps or IRs would never be an idea BOSS would suggest. And, surely, BOSS understands that part of a multi-effects unit generally includes AMP and CAB / IR simulation. In the end, the POWER AMP IN turns the Katana into an FRFR Amp / Speaker tuned for a guitar.
Weird, I was just experimenting with an Omec and BiasFx into the power amp in, and naturally I assumed the IR should be off, but now I'm not so sure. It actually sounds better with them on IMO.
Thank you for explanation. I am struggeling with using Boss RC-5 loop station and the Katana 50 MKII. But I guess the power AMP IN cannot be used für loop station and only for amp modelling. Is the only proper way with using the AMP fx: REC OUT - Looper - AUX IN and then connect external speaker/headphones? Do you have another tip to use the looper?
My looper always just goes to the input on my amp. Unless you want an aby box to split the signal where the looper goes to one amp and your live playing goes to another. But maybe the rc 5 already had those capabilities.
Of course your IRs should be on if you are going to the power amp in. You’re using Katana as an FRFR speaker. What amp or cab would it sound like? Whatever the helix is sending. If you had an amp in house, you’d turn your amp/cab/IRs off in the Helix.
I just found out about the amp in option so it bypasses all eq options so you can use amp sims for eq?? Would it be better to use this with amp sims orr speakers I’ve heard it needs speakers like studio ones or a cabinet but this basically is the cab is it not?? I sound so dumb I should just get a fender twin or something🫣 would be straight to the point knob turn knob turn
I could use amplitube5 for example; via the audio interface and from the audio interface to the boss katana power amp in as a feedback or power to amplitube 5 ?
In theory, when going into the power amp in, the Katana is acting as a speaker cabinet, but not as an FRFR speaker. So, you should , in theory turn off the modeling cab IRs. Otherwise you’ll have the sound of two cabinets (the modeled one and the Katana’s). It would be like having two cabinets, one after the other. If you have the cabinet IRs off, it is like having an amp going into the Katana’s speaker cabinet, which is technically correct. Now, If you go to FOH, they have an FRFR speaker, so you’d keep the cab IRs on. That way there is one amp and one cab, both coming from the modeler. If you want to use the katana as the monitor on stage and also run to front of house, the cord should go from the modeler to front of house, and the other cord go from the modeler to the katana. Then, keep the IR cabinet on so that the front of house sounds right, even though the Katana monitor will sound like two cabinets.
Dang, Rich!! Killer riffage, Bro. Wow. You were cookin' in this one. And personally.... I thought the I-Rs (On) sounded way better, through the input jack, than with I-Rs off. I like the clean in as well - but still like the input jack with I-Rs off... better. Cool explanation and demo of all the options. Much warmer to me. I agree with you on that. Nice set-up and killer tone.
Hmm. There seems to be more headroom with the IR’s off. A bit more clarity as well. The risk of course is some fizzyness but I’d wager you would need to adjust the eq on both the katana’s power amp section (using their boss software) and in the individual pedalboard presets. Also, a question worthy of an update I think : how has the MKII’s new firmware update - particularly impacted your setup?
The color is not added with the power amp for it just amplifies the frequencies. I think it has more to do with the speakers. Frequencies can be limited by the speaker. I had the same type of problem with Peavey VIP3. The Peavey speaker was jack of all trades, but master of none. It can decently do acoustic, electric, and bass, but not great. I switched it to EV and then to Celestion Neo. These two speakers made the amp sound great for electric, but not for acoustic and bass. I also used a keyboard speaker. The keyboard speaker gave the flatest response and made acoustic and bass sound great, but not for electric. At this price point, I do not think Boss can afford to put in a flat response hi-fi speaker. If you hook up the Katana speaker to an amp and listen to your favorite guitar music, such as Van Halen, you can hear the difference in the speaker of the guitar sounds. Getting a better speaker will bring out more accurate frequencies. Budget guitar modeling amps seem to have okay speakers, but not great.
Hey, I was wondering what would be the better way of using a multi-effect pedal with the katana. Use the preamp and the rest of the effects from the pedal and plug in into the power amp in on the katana, or disable the preamp on the pedal and plug in into the channel on the katana using the clean channel. Thanks for response!
Personal preferences, basically use your ears and decide which way you like best. If I use Helix. I like going power amp in, as it is more reflective of what I dialed in on my studio monitors.
So would a headphone jack out be considered having IR built in. I’m not wanting to debate just curious. Thanks for the video. I think it sounded great either way.
Maybe you can help me , i bought a mk2 head to run into my kat 50 mk2 EX, from the speaker out on the head - to the power amp in on the the 50 mk2 ex. Sounds good either way to me pretty awesome
Hi, if i took the dual output of my USB Audio Interface that runs the audio of guitar sims like Amplitube on the computer and summed that up in a mono Y adapter to go into the Power Amp In jack that would work fine yeah? Instead of the audio out from the USB Audio Interface going to a normal stereo hifi amplifier and then to some Focal bookshelf speaker as it is now I would feed it into the Katana. Preferred the IR's on btw, sounded better to me.
Did you try this in the end ? I have an interface also with dual output for studio monitors but I was thinking just to connect my katana as the output . Some say it works some say it’s not great .
@@TheSwiftSoldier90 Yeah tried it and it works, it was better then running through the hi fi, barely use the Katana now though, or Amplitube, just using my Rocker 30 Head and Badcat 4x12 mainly again.
@@Zarthaz1 ah sweet thanks for letting me know mate. i do have a katana 100watt head and cab which i recently brought. i dont know why because i have always played guitar mostly through interface and used amplitude, guitar rig or bias fx. but im hoping i could still use the interface and output through the amp instead of two studio monitors. Did you ever connect your katana via usb ?? i know you can use the katana software to dial in some tones but i did see someone mention you can use amplitube without the interface and use the katana usb alone . . i would try it myself but im still waiting on my ibanez jem to arrive so i currently have no guitars here haaha
@@TheSwiftSoldier90 Only used USB to update the firmware, not fiddled with loading in alternate tones from the net. I am not sure about Amplitube and USB connection alone.
For me, power amp in with irs on, some people are suggesting it sounds muddy, but it’s really less forced and easier to listen to, with irs off it’s brighter but harsher, it’s like when comparing speakers, it’s easy to say the brighter sound is better because you immediately hear more of something, but more isn’t always best, personally I couldn’t play and listen as long with the irs off, it’s just too harsh and forced.
I have to say, it sounds more open with the IR's off. IMO. It sounds muffled with the IR's on.
What he said
Agreed
to my ears it sounds thinner with IR's off , at least from this video recording.
@@sixslinger9951 Believe me, it sounds rich and full in the room. It doesn't sound bad with IRs on, but you can definitely tell the difference with it off.
It can sound good either way… its up to you and the parameters you set. Also, a lot of people disregard the EQ and it is a lot of help when setting tones
Well you are both correct. With IR it sounded over processed and without IR sounded fizzy. You can’t use a patch that was originally created with Cab sim or IR turned on and through headphone or studio monitor and plug the device to a real cab and turn the IR and cab sim off and expect to get the exact same sound. Here is what you need to do: plug the device to the power amp in of katana, turn the IR and cab off and then start to make a new parch from scratch after you got as close as possible you your sound, include either 10 band or graphic EQ to the change where you usually put IR and shape your final sound by A/B ing your favourite recorded guitar song. It’s a little pain in the butt but you will be amazed with the result. I did exactly this with my Fender BJ which doesn’t even have a power amp in with an amazing result. Having said that in order to minimize the affect of the pre-amp I turn down the pre amp gain all the way to around 2 and use the master volume to emulate the power amp only. I also saved the EQ that took lots of time under name of “Fender BJ EQ” in my favourites so I can easily recall it and use it to create other patches.
Can i use a patch that was originally created with an IR through an studio monitor? That’s how can i get a flat or non affected sound?
@@sebastianvaldivieso27 Theoretically that should give you the same sound because studio monitor is flat response but honestly no matter what I did, I never ever could get the same sounds that I’m hearing through my headphone live. This is the greatest weakness of all modellers and profilers. Forget about all the advertisements, paid reviews etc. If you ever played through a real tube amp there is no technology that can create the same feeling in live situation. Only through headphones I must admit that they did the trick and it sounds amazing but in live situation you can only get close enough at best.
It's basically a return section of a fx loop bypassing the preamp section.you can do this with any amp that has a fx loop....but you definitely want to turn the cab section off because you already have a cab.....on your amp.
no, the katana also has a FX loop and if you use the fx in plug it will sound different.
Totally makes sense; IR on on your modeller, and power amp in...and give FOH a copy of the same input for the fronts.
I leave the IR's on and use the regular input jack on the clean channel. I just think it sounds more lively. The bonus of this is I can make slight adjustments to my tone with the amp controls (bass, treble, mid, reverb).
I bought two Boss katana 50s … I put a cream back in one and a vintage 30 in the other… Changed both speakers!… Then I run into the power amp section from my FM nine… With the IR’s off…sounds great😝
I use it this way with my headrush Gigboard. What I do with an IR if my sound isn't exactly right is pull the IR down in the mix to about half way. Its kind of the best of both worlds and helps with some the hollowness I get from using the Katana. It gets some more natural sound out of it with using IR.
IR on or off is just another effect to me. I bought the Katana II because it's so flexible with my acoustic/electric. I also have a Boss mini. Use the chicken down to .5 amp for quiet practice, 25 amps to piss of my next door neighbors and 50 to piss of people driving by. (Note: They appear to be pissed off at my lack of playing skills, not at my volume levels, I think?) Thanks for the info.
I liked the IR's off with the power amp in (at least thru the Katana's speaker). The correct answer though is what sounds best to you and gets the right sound FOH.
Now that GEN3 is out I finally bought a Kat 50MK2 cheap on clearance mainly for the "Power Amp In" as a budget 12" "FRFR". I heard the "modeler cabs off" argument but it might sound better with them on. Sounds not bad through "Clean" too. Looking forward to trying the POD Express and Quilter through this awesome little cab.
Sorry for the question out of left field but was considering doing the same thing as you mentioned as using it as a powered speaker but with a Friedman IR-X.
Would you care to share how did the katana sound as just as powered speaker with a modeler with the power amp in?
Thank you.
Sorry for the question out of left field but was considering doing the same thing as you mentioned as using it as a powered speaker but with a Friedman IR-X.
Would you care to share how did the katana sound as just as powered speaker with a modeler with the power amp in?
Thank you.
@@RobbieNewberry never got a full check out of POD Express thru Kat50 power amp in at full volume, but at low volume it didn't sound horrible.
@@jimmyjames2022
Ok thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you showed it going into the clean channel. I have the MK1 and it doesn’t have the power amp in. Good information.
I have both amps, and if anything version one is a good monitor for on stage, while running to front of house with helix.
I have the boss gt1000 and selecting the output to a katana power amp in, keeping the IR is the best way to(the katana also have IR in their setting so you are bypassing something that needed to be connected to work properly.
Intresting video. In my experience you can use the power amp in with IRs if you're a bedroom player and it does sound very good. In a band context tho, you need to turn the cab or IRs off, otherwise your sound will be muffled and wont cut trough the band unless you're going trough a PA (your singer will probably hate you if you do). However, the Katana and Helix are a great match
Can I plug a cable from the headphones audio interface to the power amp in in the boss katana if I'm using plug ins from neural dsp and I dont have monitor speakers?
Thanks!
I ended up doing a bunch of experimenting with this trying to use similar amps to those on the Boss Katana. I basically compared using the Guv'nor pedal in the boost section of the amp and compared it to a Guv'nor inside an amp sim. I found the way to get the same sounds (minus a difference in volume levels) was to turn off cap simulation in the amp sim. If you use the cab simulation in the amp sim, you're effectively using 2 cabinets running into each other: the cap sim and then whatever you have coming out of the Katana.
In terms of it being fuzzy, I think there's a chance your levels are too high in your audio software, causing extra clipping maybe?
Anyway, It's fine if you're fine with that tone, it's just also good to realize what's actually going on.
Also, another handy note. I have the Mk3 Katana Head and the bloom option affects the power section, meaning you can use bloom on your amp sims if you plug into the FX return and it sounds great!
Know I’m late to the party but just I have had great success with and without cab simulators. Some presets I have are just amp models and others I tried using cabs and have gotten great tones both ways going in to the power amp in jack.
I agree with you 100% the cabinet IR’s should be left on, What would be the point if you couldn’t emulate other cabinets
It definitely defeats the purpose of getting a pod go. IRs are one of the most fun things to play with
IRs off seems to get a very similar result as going direct into a mixing board or PA, bypassing an amp completely. Even with a pre-amp on, you still lose that 3-dimensional quality that a speaker voiced for guitar provides, which is exactly what the IRs are designed to emulate. At the end of the day, it's all subjective as to what sound you personally find more pleasing anyway, so I'm not going to argue with anyone who says they prefer the sound with IRs off, or who says they achieve preferable results by just post-EQing. But to say it's objectively designed to function that way is inaccurate - Boss obviously designed this "Power Amp In" feature to accommodate the use of IRs and modelers.
What is recommended is you turn off IRs and add a EQ pedal on modeler and have a high and low cut only letting the frequencies a guitar amp would have
I would say , I like it better with the IRs off. With the IRs off you get better headroom and resonance which you would need once you play live with a drummer then mic it.
IMHO and having read someone's post on fractal's forum about measuring Katana's power amp response and comparing it with a tube amp power section, my thoughts are that the Katana has a flat EQ curve which the tube amp didn't, on which you can see clearly the frequencies that a guitar amp normally produces. That, in conjunction with guitar speakers adds to the final tone. So, when using amp sims with the Katana we're actually bringing sort of a full spectrum eq curve to a flat response power amp sim, but the only thing that's shaping the final tone is the Kat's speaker, which IMO is kind of flat too (because it has to reproduce different voices). In conclusion, at least for me, is that IR's sound muffled because although it is a different speaker, it tries to emulate one, but with a wider eq response. I have tried to put high and low cuts without any IR from my multi fx, along with some minor eq adjustments and I've found a very convincing power amp solution. So, for me, IR's doesn't sound good. BTW, power amp+preamp sims used, not only preamps. They sound weak. Full amp in the room experience is what I've got
Hi, I’ve been gigging with this exact rig for about a year. I’ve tried both ways many times but i really I think the Katana is not a good combo with the Pod Go. I tried every way but in the end I couldn’t get the tone. I’ve now gone to Line 6 power cab.
It’s much, much better but not perfect as well.
To be honest it’s very frustrating and I have a love hate affair with digital modellers.
I’m nearly at the point of chucking it in and going back to tube. I still believe it’s the future but the
Manufacturers need to get their shit together
and provide more technical support. The work load of getting a great tone is ridiculous and you can get caught in the rabbit hole for months. Crazy
It's a constant battle. I'm getting ready to buy another tube amp.
I share in this experience. I have a Pod Go. First I used it with a headrush 108 frfr speaker. This is my first dive into modelers and frfr speakers with impulse responses. The idea of having so many amp models to switch around in a small interface and not have to buy all these real speakers and cabinets to get their sounds was very appealing to me. In reality I always find tone shaping on the screen or on the computer to be a tedious experience. The headrush 108 at first didnt sound so great, i'm just so used to real guitar speakers in the room. I ended up returning the frfr and buying two nice studio monitor powered speakers. I think its sounds a little better, then I got some 3rd party IRs and it sounded a little better too. Still, it doesn't sound as good to me as just using a quality combo amp or head/cabinet in the room. I don't play out live but perhaps the modelers are amazing for that. I also think the headrush 108 is probably better than i gave it credit for and returned it before I had 3rd party IRs and more knowledge of using the Pod Go.
@@RichBischoff Yes, Richie, your correct in saying it’s a constant battle. It’s ok if your a bedroom guitarist and enjoy the tinkering but out gigging 3 times per week it’s draining. I don’t have guitar techs or support crew to get sound right for every venue. I like the Fender or reverb you demonstrated. Any suggestion for amps. I like a similar sound to you?
@@glennmartin4232 I'm still trying to figure amps out my friend. Thinking about getting a Princeton. It's small, but still has a lot of power for most gigs, plus the clean sound is amazing and they take pedals well.
@@RichBischoff if possible could you please do a review on the new Fender Super-reverb Tone Master. A lot of people very impressed but I would like to hear your opinion.
Great videos and playing Rich
Thank you
I kind of like the tone without the cabinet IR's. Totally usable. Nothing wrong with either.
I have a katana mk2 never tried the power amp in jack will do from now on... IRs on for me!👍
Definitely sounds muffled with the irs on. No doubt it would be something you want running front of house, however it may be worth sorting out the routing to have them bypassed when using your amp as a monitor onstage while still being active through FOH. Which I believe it can be done. Also, I can't help but notice how noisy your signal is in both settings. I think you would benefit with using the noisegate in the amp.
I had a similar experience and was also surprised at the fact that 2 sequential speakers (The first emulated and the second an actual speaker) doesn’t sound as I thought it would. There are very good combinations of speaker emulations with actual speakers that sound better than A single speaker signal chain.
I do believe that these must be selected to be used together, however.
In other words, there is some optimization needed.
The Celestion F 12 X 200 is an option. It works similarly to the Kemper kone
I run two MK1 with Celestion F12-X200 and it is very potent!! Especially with acoustic sounds, Triple cone is good too but more for normal electric sounds FWIW
Could I use this with my Revv G20? Just use the speaker cable out from my G20 into the 'Power amp in' on the katana? How do I know what the ohms are for the speaker? Answers to any of these questions would be super helpful! Thanks!
I think you would need to buy a regular speaker cab.
@@RichBischoff I think so too. I’ve heard using the speaker out into the power amp in could destroy both amps. I can use the effect out on my G20, but I cannot have the IR’s come through the Katana. I am kind of disappointed, but I still think this will work for what I need it for.
Thanks for doing this video! I just ordered the ACS1 and I kept getting advice that cab sims should be turned off when using power amp in on the Katana but based on how your Helix performed with the IRs turned on, it sounded great. Gives me more confidence I can dial in a good tone with the ACS1
I'm not sure why you would want to put a cab sim on a signal that is going to go to another guitar cabinet/speaker. That would be a use-case for an FRFR monitor.
Wow ! Thanks ! I have a Katana 2 and didn't care for the sounds of my pedals through the amp, i was wondering what the power amp input was for.. now i know . Thanks again.
the Katana is not an FRFR with a twitter/high range like a PA speaker. so its gonna be a bit dark compared to a PA speaker. So good enough for some foldback for your stage. Another thing is swap the speaker to a triple cone celestian so u get closer to full range.
Tweeters are the enemy of the guitar tone.
@@blackie75 DEPENDS on tone. sparkly fender a bit is good. a bit
I have a Katana 100 Mk2 head and 212 cabinet. At first, I used the Boss Tone Studio to set the thing up and arrange the signal chain, etc. I found it very limiting as the effects loop in that app could only be put into the chain either right before the reverb or right after the reverb. This definitely did not work for me. I am not a huge fan of the Katana preamp and tone controls, or any of the onboard booster effects for that matter. My setup is a bit different. On my pedal board, I have a few high gain preamps (KSR Ceres, TC Electronics Dual Wreck, a couple others), a six band EQ, a couple different overdrives (an ancient Maxon OD-808 which is basically the predecessor to the original Tube Screamer, and a MXR EVH 5150), and a looper. I also have the Katana GA-FC footswitch on there. I now use an app called FX Floorboard to set up the Katana. This app allows me to arrange the internal signal chain any way I like. I put the effects loop send and return after the preamp and tone controls but before all the effects. Then I plug the output of my pedal board into the effects loop return. This way I can use the preamps and EQ on the pedal board to establish the tone the way I want it, and then use all the modulation, delay and reverb effects in the Katana, controlled by the Katana footswitch. The only gain or volume that does anything on the Katana is the master volume. I think the cab resonance works as well but I haven't actually tried it yet. Anyway, this works out pretty well for the most part. I do like the Katana power amp and the 212 cabinet is not terrible. 100 watts into that cabinet is... epic.
But this system isn't perfect. It has a couple issues, for me anyway. While the Katana footswitch can turn effects on and off, it only does them by groups. I can turn the modulation effect on with the footswitch, but I cannot switch between a chorus and a flanger unless I get to the amp itself on the wonderfully hidden control panel so I can press that tiny button that changes the LED from green to yellow to red. I can't switch between delays that have a different delay rate without doing the same thing. I wish there was a way to say, hold the footswitch down for two seconds and it goes to the next effect.
The other issue I have is that my looper pedal is on the same signal chain as everything else. It's at the end of the pedal board but internal to the katana, whatever I am playing on the looper goes through whatever effect I happen to have active. It would be nice if I could plug the output of the looper directly into the power amp in, so it bypasses the effects. But I believe if I do that it cuts off any signal coming from the preamp or effects. Or does it?
Anyway, that's how I do it.
Perhaps it does sound better in the room with them on and to you but from this end, the "OFF" sounds better and to me.
In my experience, running cab sims with an actual cab involved, as opposed to cab sims + monitors, stereo speakers or true FRFR speakers, usually precludes a truer-representation of my desired tone with the inclusion of unnecessary, excessive and unwanted "colorations".
In other words/For example, the selected IR will be trying to force my Marshall 1960 cab to sound like whichever virtual cab has been programmed into the chain... when it isn't.
First off thanks for all the videos you put out. I have struggled with this same problem. I bought the GA FC and went old school pedals and put a mic in the front of the amp.... sounded awesome. But the Helix with the power amp and front of the house is a win. Especially if you are using a Variax. 1 Guitar, Katana, and Helix with a bag of cords...... Best setup hands down. As far as the IR or not it's really up to the patch. I use Revv Purple without IR's and it's really good. Keep up the good work brother!!
Also have the same experience. It’s hard to find a good sound without GTK core speaker simulation, need to adjust not only the amps controls but insert eqs to sound decent
Man this is just what i needed! I recently acquired an unpowered kemper amp and was looking at different output options. I also just happen to have a MKII Katana that I picked up used for cheap. I’m gonna try this through the power amp in asap ! Thanks for the info !!
You know it was designed to have them off because it has a ‘guitar speaker’ in the cab and not a ‘FRFR speaker’ (tweeter plus woofer plus crossover etc). You need to fully reprogram the patch for the non IR test. It still may not sound great as you need a full amp sim that combines preamp and poweramp and it is SS so...you do the best you can within these constraints. The Katana itself does not run IRs into its poweramp which may provide you with a clue to how it’s setup. I definitely do enjoy your channel.
Are the katana speakers amp speAkers or frfr speakers 🤔.
The katana is a modeling amp so why wouldn't they be flat(frfr) as possible?
Excellent demo for the power amp in v direct to clean channel. (irs on sounds better too)
I favour the IR’s on, however it would be interesting to hear with a competing band. Would the IR’s off cut through more ?
I think some of this might be that Fletcher Munson at gig volume. At recording volumes, you want some extra high end, but at gig volume, the extra roll off helps balance the sound.
Depends on what you and your ear like will determine the sound you are chasing
Sounds good. I'm running opposite, my katana into my head rush with the IRs on
killer video, answered all my questions, sounds like its win win power amp in, ir's on, totally right
I was seriously thinking of getting a Fender Fr12 speaker cab to use with my pod go until I saw this video.Buying this amp with the power amp in jack should eliminate the need for FrFr speaker like Headrush or Fr12 unless I am missing something.
Old school with newtech,I'm in the same boat kinda have a katana that I eventually ended up liking I had a roller coaster ride with it even bought a small tube amp which sounded good now after 2.5 years with the katana I've been A and B comparing with the other amps and have honestly been able to match those sound by tweaking that katana back and forth to the point I couldn't tell a difference (I'm serious) I wouldn't have thought it would be close but i got a Aby switch and started doing it and mind blowing,I've heard guys say they nail any sound in the studio with them and I believe it now! It's real versatile as you demonstrated with the helix,yes sounds better with them on for sure and yeah I use the clean channel if using pedals ,nice playing by the way! now I want that artist head with that cab,and the 2x12 combo too
I'm in exactly the same position. I've owed a few Katanas. Also own a couple of Fender amps, my favorite being the Bassbreaker clean channel. I had the GA/FC but got fed up with using the laptop. Now I have a huge pedal board with about £700 worth of pedals. Still not happy though. Audio clicks from some pedals, some noise. Now looking at helix options, probably into the Katana.
Yup, on sounds. Smoother! Thank you for this informative video.
The power amp in is great for using amp modelers live. Just turn off the cabinet simulation in the modeler, or it’ll sound muffled.
If you run into the effects loop instead of the power amp in you can enable and adjust your speaker out global EQ to boost the mids and cut the lows and highs, simulating a more mid focused speaker (Vintage 30 etc). This makes bypassing the IR’s much more pleasing. Lastly, I find if I play with IR’s via power amp in it’s better to choose a 1x12 cab (say via Amplitube).
The Katana doesn't have an effects loop though, right?
@@blackie75the 100w has, 50w doesn’t.
I use the power amp in of my spider valve with kemper and headrush- since the SV has a v30 i shut off cabs on kemper and it sounds phenonemal- seems like the katana has a neutral response speaker so turning the cab/ir off wont sound as ggod
That was exactly what I was searching for! Thanks mate!
Thank you. Just what I needed and no bullcrap!!! I like it with power amp in and IRs ON!!! I use a Zoom G6....surprisingly good and very inexpensive.
Thank you. I'm coming back to the Katana because it's better sounding than the powercab with its closed back and directional projection for my bedroom jamming. Don't remember having the cabs on with power amp in, so glad you brought that info up. Cheers
Both sound good (RS) I don't know what IRS but I know my ears.
I think both sound great.
I think that both are useful
You can use 1 mode with IRS for intros and solos
And off for verses there seems to be space in the sound for vocals
But I'm no expert on this subject
Ive commented on this in the past ,with them on it collects all the sound kind of like a stereo effect with them off it sounds like one side of things like a mono effect, so yeah on sounds better to me and ive explained why more of a stereo effect off mono effect,
Just picked up a used headrush gigboard for a couple of hundred euro. Can’t wait to test it with the power amp in on my katana Artist
Sounds better to me with them on. Much richer and more character, loving the double denim btw. Reminds me of queuing up for AC/DC tickets in 1979, double denim everywhere. Love your vids.
Thanks man, my daughters are my stylist, and they say 70s early 80s are back 🤣
My Katana doesn’t have a Power Amp in, I think it’s a “lesser” model than your. Thanks for the info
yeah, you need the mkii
I just did this with a 130w peavey special 2x12.
IR on sounds great
Edit, I was using neural dsp plugins from lapt
I tried the power amp in today on one with a GT 100 I agree it sounds better with the cab sims on, youtube doesn’t do it justice , all the natural mids are there you don’t get going into monitors
There is an amp model on the GT 100 called Power drive , I A/B with the brown channel it’s almost exactly the same with the cabs on
Great video! I use my Helix LT with my katana’s power amp as well, and I prefer the IRs on. It just sounds better to my ear and I’m able to tweak it to my liking a lot better. Like you said man, it’s subjective!
In my opinion this is not even a question. The BOSS manual clearly says this input bypasses everything (all modeling, which would include IR) and is designed for a multi-effects unit. Stacking Preamps or IRs would never be an idea BOSS would suggest. And, surely, BOSS understands that part of a multi-effects unit generally includes AMP and CAB / IR simulation. In the end, the POWER AMP IN turns the Katana into an FRFR Amp / Speaker tuned for a guitar.
Agreed
Weird, I was just experimenting with an Omec and BiasFx into the power amp in, and naturally I assumed the IR should be off, but now I'm not so sure. It actually sounds better with them on IMO.
Sounds better off in my opinion . Great video
Thank you for explanation.
I am struggeling with using Boss RC-5 loop station and the Katana 50 MKII. But I guess the power AMP IN cannot be used für loop station and only for amp modelling.
Is the only proper way with using the AMP fx: REC OUT - Looper - AUX IN and then connect external speaker/headphones?
Do you have another tip to use the looper?
My looper always just goes to the input on my amp. Unless you want an aby box to split the signal where the looper goes to one amp and your live playing goes to another. But maybe the rc 5 already had those capabilities.
Of course your IRs should be on if you are going to the power amp in. You’re using Katana as an FRFR speaker. What amp or cab would it sound like? Whatever the helix is sending. If you had an amp in house, you’d turn your amp/cab/IRs off in the Helix.
I just found out about the amp in option so it bypasses all eq options so you can use amp sims for eq?? Would it be better to use this with amp sims orr speakers I’ve heard it needs speakers like studio ones or a cabinet but this basically is the cab is it not?? I sound so dumb I should just get a fender twin or something🫣 would be straight to the point knob turn knob turn
I could use amplitube5 for example; via the audio interface and from the audio interface to the boss katana power amp in as a feedback or power to amplitube 5 ?
In theory, when going into the power amp in, the Katana is acting as a speaker cabinet, but not as an FRFR speaker. So, you should , in theory turn off the modeling cab IRs. Otherwise you’ll have the sound of two cabinets (the modeled one and the Katana’s). It would be like having two cabinets, one after the other. If you have the cabinet IRs off, it is like having an amp going into the Katana’s speaker cabinet, which is technically correct. Now, If you go to FOH, they have an FRFR speaker, so you’d keep the cab IRs on. That way there is one amp and one cab, both coming from the modeler. If you want to use the katana as the monitor on stage and also run to front of house, the cord should go from the modeler to front of house, and the other cord go from the modeler to the katana. Then, keep the IR cabinet on so that the front of house sounds right, even though the Katana monitor will sound like two cabinets.
I run my gx100 headphone out to the power amp in and it sounds great. Line out to front of house🤘
Dang, Rich!! Killer riffage, Bro. Wow. You were cookin' in this one. And personally.... I thought the I-Rs (On) sounded way better, through the input jack, than with I-Rs off. I like the clean in as well - but still like the input jack with I-Rs off... better. Cool explanation and demo of all the options. Much warmer to me. I agree with you on that. Nice set-up and killer tone.
Thanks Jimmy.
Just been messing around with the delayed button for u2 sounds It’s great
you can get the same effect by connecting your effects processor to the aux input, i do that with my crappy ss marshall
I love this Amp and your a very good guitar player my friend. And I own this Amp and I play a Gibson sg special.
If you plug into the power amp input on the katana what input needs to be plugged in on the helix side?
I have the Mark/1 I must say it’s a really good amp
Could you show me where I connect when it comes from the katana to the helix, please?
I think jts a matter of taste. The oower amp in is not a frfr. It has a bit if colour to it so is more of a powered cab.
So is it possible to connect an amp head to the power amp in of katana, and use it as a cabinet?
Hmm. There seems to be more headroom with the IR’s off. A bit more clarity as well. The risk of course is some fizzyness but I’d wager you would need to adjust the eq on both the katana’s power amp section (using their boss software) and in the individual pedalboard presets. Also, a question worthy of an update I think : how has the MKII’s new firmware update - particularly impacted your setup?
Hi, thanks, did you try running it into the clean channel with just the effects on.
Yes I have
@@RichBischoff Not good?
The color is not added with the power amp for it just amplifies the frequencies. I think it has more to do with the speakers. Frequencies can be limited by the speaker. I had the same type of problem with Peavey VIP3. The Peavey speaker was jack of all trades, but master of none. It can decently do acoustic, electric, and bass, but not great. I switched it to EV and then to Celestion Neo. These two speakers made the amp sound great for electric, but not for acoustic and bass. I also used a keyboard speaker. The keyboard speaker gave the flatest response and made acoustic and bass sound great, but not for electric. At this price point, I do not think Boss can afford to put in a flat response hi-fi speaker. If you hook up the Katana speaker to an amp and listen to your favorite guitar music, such as Van Halen, you can hear the difference in the speaker of the guitar sounds. Getting a better speaker will bring out more accurate frequencies. Budget guitar modeling amps seem to have okay speakers, but not great.
Good video! wondering about using this amp clean as a pedal platform. This helps.
My fave way to use it. See my other katana gig vlog vids.
Hey, I was wondering what would be the better way of using a multi-effect pedal with the katana. Use the preamp and the rest of the effects from the pedal and plug in into the power amp in on the katana, or disable the preamp on the pedal and plug in into the channel on the katana using the clean channel. Thanks for response!
Personal preferences, basically use your ears and decide which way you like best. If I use Helix. I like going power amp in, as it is more reflective of what I dialed in on my studio monitors.
@@RichBischoff Ok cheers man! I use the Boss GT1. Had any experience with that? Just picked it up
So would a headphone jack out be considered having IR built in. I’m not wanting to debate just curious. Thanks for the video. I think it sounded great either way.
Maybe you can help me , i bought a mk2 head to run into my kat 50 mk2 EX, from the speaker out on the head - to the power amp in on the the 50 mk2 ex. Sounds good either way to me pretty awesome
I'm new to all this stuff. What is a cabinet IR?
how does compare to the real amp? which one is closer? IR on or off through the katana?
Have you tried the Joyo American Sound thru the katana power amp in???
No, but only because I have so many other modelers. I bet it would sound great though.
Can you put an IR loader after the line out then plug it into the power amp in to use the built in eq/effects?
Can you use cabinet simulations on the Power Amp in connection, or are they just pedalboard effects? (distortion, delay, etc)
You should watch the video.
If you run your effects pedal Into a katana artist with the waza speaker, it should go Into the return with the IR/ cab sims off.
Cool review ,for me without İRi sound is more open and has a covered blanket feeling with İR when you use power amp in.
Hi, if i took the dual output of my USB Audio Interface that runs the audio of guitar sims like Amplitube on the computer and summed that up in a mono Y adapter to go into the Power Amp In jack that would work fine yeah? Instead of the audio out from the USB Audio Interface going to a normal stereo hifi amplifier and then to some Focal bookshelf speaker as it is now I would feed it into the Katana. Preferred the IR's on btw, sounded better to me.
Did you try this in the end ?
I have an interface also with dual output for studio monitors but I was thinking just to connect my katana as the output . Some say it works some say it’s not great .
@@TheSwiftSoldier90 Yeah tried it and it works, it was better then running through the hi fi, barely use the Katana now though, or Amplitube, just using my Rocker 30 Head and Badcat 4x12 mainly again.
@@Zarthaz1 ah sweet thanks for letting me know mate. i do have a katana 100watt head and cab which i recently brought. i dont know why because i have always played guitar mostly through interface and used amplitude, guitar rig or bias fx. but im hoping i could still use the interface and output through the amp instead of two studio monitors.
Did you ever connect your katana via usb ?? i know you can use the katana software to dial in some tones but i did see someone mention you can use amplitube without the interface and use the katana usb alone . . i would try it myself but im still waiting on my ibanez jem to arrive so i currently have no guitars here haaha
@@TheSwiftSoldier90 Only used USB to update the firmware, not fiddled with loading in alternate tones from the net. I am not sure about Amplitube and USB connection alone.
No way. Sounds muddy as hell with the cabs on, cos your double cabbing. It ain't a frfr speaker
Do you know if I should plug my pedal Metal zone directly in the power amp in*
I have a MkI artist it doesn’t have a power amp in just an effects return, I ran my GT 100 with the cab models on and it sounded horrible
What happen if i plug my guitar in to a distortion pedal on the power amp input of my boss katana amp?
can you run Neural Dsp amp sims from computer to the katana?