Boss Katana Bass ...

[rafitoprtx]

By comparison, I run an SWR 350 into an 8ohm Goliath Jr. 210, so I'm pushing about 175 watts (?), and I am plenty loud enough for any gig I do. My hesitation is that I already have a Boss GT1000 CORE, as the center of my tone shaping. Do I really need the Katana?

I use a GT1000 core too. I'm assuming that boos will create a set up with the core like they did with their guitar katana.

 

[BruceG63]

I havent gotten into the editing of my Katana 210 yet as im happy with all the sounds I get by just turning a few knobs here and there.Boss has really made it where all you need the amp,cable,footpedal and cable and your bass.Thats it!

 

[BruceG63]

Has anybody else on here gotten to edit any new tones/sounds or played live with with them yet and hear how they compare to other bass combos?

 

[monkeyxx]

Not exactly 100% relevant, maybe 25% relevant, but I have never enjoyed the Rumble series. In person, playing them myself, hearing other people playing them, hearing them on any recording or video. Kind of horrible... "To me." Just sounds like glassy mud, a wet fart kind of tone.

Anyway, I love the Katana guitar amps, very much, so I'm nearly on board with the bass amps just on reputation and similar experience, alone. Boss is killing the effect pedal market these days too, they have gone above and beyond with the 500 series, space echos, guitar synths, 200 series, and etc, the new releases are something else.

 

[BruceG63]

Not exactly 100% relevant, maybe 25% relevant, but I have never enjoyed the Rumble series. In person, playing them myself, hearing other people playing them, hearing them on any recording or video. Kind of horrible... "To me." Just sounds like glassy mud, a wet fart kind of tone.

Anyway, I love the Katana guitar amps, very much, so I'm nearly on board with the bass amps just on reputation and similar experience, alone. Boss is killing the effect pedal market these days too, they have gone above and beyond with the 500 series, space echos, guitar synths, 200 series, and etc, the new releases are something else.

On that same train of thought Ive never understood why some players and im talking about the bulk of us that arent playing stadiums,pro sports venues you know most likely 90% of us or better feel like like we need 800 watts or more in a bass amp.In the mid 80s I played in a Hair Metal band where the 2 guitars players one had a 100 watt Mesa SOB head and the other an old Sound City 100 watt both with a 412 cab.I was using a Mesa D180[probably about a 150 watts] into to a Mesa 215 cab.I kept up with the guitars just fine.For pa we had a front loaded[homemade cabs] 18 and 15 per side for bass with a evm 10 per side for mids and a peavey horn per side for highs.The pa amp that ran the bass bins was a Peavey CS800 that was an honest 400 watts per side into 4 ohms x over around 150 hz or a little higher,the 10s i think were crossed into the horns about 2500 hz or somewhere in there.So each sub averaged say a 100 to 150 watts with the red lights[max] rarely hit.My point is any one of those subs out front averaging 100 to a 150 watts would have been more than enough volume for a bass player on stage and I mean those 18s and 15s were putting out some serious bottom.Again with only 200 watts max class ab! But now 40 years later as onstage volumes are going down we need 800 watts or more more class d.Sorry but IMHO that doesnt make much sense at all.Please I understand getting away from tubes,getting lighter,smaller more cost effective all that but why does the wattage have to go 300 to 500% in a bass amp to accomplish the same thing when stage volumes have come way down in the past decade or so.For you out there that use class d bass amps and have great luck with them,enjoy them,use them and carry on but if watts are watts why do you need 300 to 500% more power than a typical class ab bass amp to accomplish the same thing? Thats my 2 cents thrown into the hat but who am I?

 

[gumtown]

Need those higher powered amps to drive high power/low efficiency speakers. (LoL)

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

On that same train of thought Ive never understood why some players and im talking about the bulk of us that arent playing stadiums,pro sports venues you know most likely 90% of us or better feel like like we need 800 watts or more in a bass amp.In the mid 80s I played in a Hair Metal band where the 2 guitars players one had a 100 watt Mesa SOB head and the other an old Sound City 100 watt both with a 412 cab.I was using a Mesa D180[probably about a 150 watts] into to a Mesa 215 cab.I kept up with the guitars just fine.For pa we had a front loaded[homemade cabs] 18 and 15 per side for bass with a evm 10 per side for mids and a peavey horn per side for highs.The pa amp that ran the bass bins was a Peavey CS800 that was an honest 400 watts per side into 4 ohms x over around 150 hz or a little higher,the 10s i think were crossed into the horns about 2500 hz or somewhere in there.So each sub averaged say a 100 to 150 watts with the red lights[max] rarely hit.My point is any one of those subs out front averaging 100 to a 150 watts would have been more than enough volume for a bass player on stage and I mean those 18s and 15s were putting out some serious bottom.Again with only 200 watts max class ab! But now 40 years later as onstage volumes are going down we need 800 watts or more more class d.Sorry but IMHO that doesnt make much sense at all.Please I understand getting away from tubes,getting lighter,smaller more cost effective all that but why does the wattage have to go 300 to 500% in a bass amp to accomplish the same thing when stage volumes have come way down in the past decade or so.For you out there that use class d bass amps and have great luck with them,enjoy them,use them and carry on but if watts are watts why do you need 300 to 500% more power than a typical class ab bass amp to accomplish the same thing? Thats my 2 cents thrown into the hat but who am I?

A few things to factor in to this; first bass frequencies is require more wattage to reproduce then guitar amps, 2nd is the mesa d180 is a loud tube amp and to reach comparable perceived volume you'd need about a 500 watt solidstate class ab amp it has less difference between class ab and class d, 3rd the older speaker cab designs where more efficient to louder volumes at lower wattage but also had smaller frequency response range new cab designs have way more frequency response but as a result require more wattage to reach similar volume levels more wattage also has the benefit of clean headroom a good analogy would be of two cars going 100 mph for example take a Toyota Corolla and a Ferrari both will reach 100 mph but the ferrari wont break a sweat.

 

[BruceG63]

A few things to factor in to this; first bass frequencies is require more wattage to reproduce then guitar amps, 2nd is the mesa d180 is a loud tube amp and to reach comparable perceived volume you'd need about a 500 watt solidstate class ab amp it has less difference between class ab and class d, 3rd the older speaker cab designs where more efficient to louder volumes at lower wattage but also had smaller frequency response range new cab designs have way more frequency response but as a result require more wattage to reach similar volume levels more wattage also has the benefit of clean headroom a good analogy would be of two cars going 100 mph for example take a Toyota Corolla and a Ferrari both will reach 100 mph but the ferrari wont break a sweat.

You make some good points but the reason I brought up the 100 watt guitar amps is that nowadays very few of us are using amps and cabs like that.Most bands I see are using lower powered 112 combos,in ear monitors etc and really bringing the stage volume down to where it is all very workable for band members and soundman alike to get a better sound.In the eighties that band I was in had some insane stage volume where we turned the drums and vocals up in the monitors to match the bass and 100 watt half stacks just making everything worse.So now that stage volumes have come way down we need to have 800 to 1200 watt bass amps.Really.I understand the headroom thing but if class d watts are the equal to everything else I think 3 to 400 watts would be plenty for the lower stage volumes that bands are using now.

 

[67goat]

Okay. From an engineering standpoint, what does the class AB power mean to the layperson? How does it compare to class D in a practical aspect?

I’m going to preorder the 110 but at almost 17kg (37.4 lbs) it is almost as heavy as my Markbass 210.

To the layperson, probably nothing. From an engineering standpoint, it depends on how the amp is intended to be used. D class amps are more efficient, but they also introduce more distortion (and generally of the variety that we don't like) because of the fast on/off switching of the diodes. A/B is less efficient, but maintains hifi at higher levels.

Basically, if you have two amps rated for the same wattage, you would be able to push the A/B amp harder without distortion than the D class amp. That being said, this can be accommodated for by using higher rated class D amps but listing the capability lower so they don't go into distortion.

Class D amps have gotten a lot better than when they were introduced. If you are not diming your amp and pushing it into distortion, then sonically you wouldn't know whether it was A/B class or D Class just from listening to it.

So, if my amp was rated for actual watts and I planned to dime it all the time, I would probably want A/B Class amps. If the amp was not intended to be pushed, or used amps that were actually rated higher than what was advertised, I would probably go with D class amps for efficiency and heat reduction.

At least, that is my understanding of it.

 

[67goat]

I think it depends on the quality of the effects (which the other competitors you listed lack) which sounded pretty good to me. Only will really know when I play it in person though. I'm by a few large guitar centers so I bet I'll be able to test.

And I do think solid state watts are louder.

Lastly the competitors you mentioned aren't rated that much higher until you connect an extension cab.

I think the Boss will be popular and compete well.

You think solid state watts are louder than what?

In real terms, if you are putting out the same watts into speakers with the same efficiency, you will get the same volume. Tube amps at the same rating are louder than solid state amps because you can push the farther past their limits and still get a good sound.

Solid state amps will start hard clipping in a way that does not sound good to most people once they saturate. Tube amps soft clip, which sounds better to our ears, so you can push them further past their ratings while still sounding good.

 

[monkeyxx]

I saw a metal band yesterday with a little Orange Tiny something on a big 8x10 bass cab, guitar has one or two half stacks... it works!

Also, so glad that stage volumes have come down, a return to sanity.

I love practicing with my e-drums lately because the entire band can play quieter, it's wonderful.

Also, I am a "fan" of big block, high power amps on any instrument. It's not that I necessarily need to be that loud, just the firmness and solidity of the low end, the power section in general.

Big power amps have a different sound to clipping tubes/transitors/transformers. Also, pushing a big power amp sounds huge, when you use attenuation. An 800W amp is not necessarily a "bad" thing.

Being a jerk and flapping people's duodenums with your jet engine SPL might be a bad thing.

 

[mbell75]

Just played the 210 today and really liked it. Its too much for my current needs but I have been thinking about getting the 110. I might get one if the Peavey amp I got instead doesnt work out. the Katana reminds me a lot of the Blackstar Unity bass amps. Nice to have another option aside from the usual suspects. Much more versatile tone-wise than the Rumble or Ampeg RB offerings, both of which Ive had and returned.

 

[P Cheen]

Just played the 210 today and really liked it. Its too much for my current needs but I have been thinking about getting the 110. I might get one if the Peavey amp I got instead doesnt work out. the Katana reminds me a lot of the Blackstar Unity bass amps. Nice to have another option aside from the usual suspects. Much more versatile tone-wise than the Rumble or Ampeg RB offerings, both of which Ive had and returned.

What Ampeg RB amp did you have? I’ve narrowed down my choices for a combo between an RB-112 and the Katana 110. A little bit leaning towards the Boss at this point…

 

[mbell75]

What Ampeg RB amp did you have? I’ve narrowed down my choices for a combo between an RB-112 and the Katana 110. A little bit leaning towards the Boss at this point…

I had the RB 110. It was nice enough but limited in variety of tones. The Katana offers way more variety, plus effects and I like that it’s an A/B power section rather than Class D. The Ampeg combos don’t nail the classic Ampeg sound IMO but I guess I shouldn’t expect them to as they are made by Yamaha. I’m probably going to pick up the Katana 110.

Also, whatever default setting they have on the last preset on the Katana amp sounds a lot like an Ampeg. Better than the Ampeg amp I had actually.

 

[Cave Puppy]

What Ampeg RB amp did you have? I’ve narrowed down my choices for a combo between an RB-112 and the Katana 110. A little bit leaning towards the Boss at this point…

Boss would be higher quality. If these are anything like the DB series by Roland from the '90s, they are good to go. I had a DB500 (the one with the 12" speaker) that was my workhorse for YEARS! It was only "160 watts" but never had it up past 3 or 4 in any band situation I was in.

 

[P Cheen]

Well there we have it. FINALLY pulled the trigger on the 110. I’ve been so indecisive for 2 months on what combo to get it’s ridiculous.
Going to use it for home and studio only so I don’t mind the single driver.
Should be here Monday and I’ll be pairing it with either a P bass or a Kiloton 5.

Thanks everybody!

 

[BruceG63]

Well there we have it. FINALLY pulled the trigger on the 110. I’ve been so indecisive for 2 months on what combo to get it’s ridiculous.
Going to use it for home and studio only so I don’t mind the single driver.
Should be here Monday and I’ll be pairing it with either a P bass or a Kiloton 5.

Thanks everybody!

Ive been loving my 210.Let us know how the 110 works for you.

 

[P Cheen]

Ive been loving my 210.Let us know how the 110 works for you.

Definitely. Two months ago I had bought the Markbass Ninja 102P-IV (500W 2x10 with the Little Mark IV) because it was $300 off from GC/MF but– as I had predicted– it was overkill for my needs. I also found the 2x10 to be way too trebly, especially since at the time I was using my Dingwall with it. I had to dime the Old School knob to compensate for too much presence.
Hopefully this Katana 110 is the end-all be-all for my needs.

Down the line I may experiment with speakers, who knows.

 

[mbell75]

I have officially joined the club! Excellent amp, my favorite yet, love everything about it. Posted more details in my NAD thread.

 

[agedhorse]

On that same train of thought Ive never understood why some players and im talking about the bulk of us that arent playing stadiums,pro sports venues you know most likely 90% of us or better feel like like we need 800 watts or more in a bass amp.In the mid 80s I played in a Hair Metal band where the 2 guitars players one had a 100 watt Mesa SOB head and the other an old Sound City 100 watt both with a 412 cab.I was using a Mesa D180[probably about a 150 watts] into to a Mesa 215 cab.I kept up with the guitars just fine.For pa we had a front loaded[homemade cabs] 18 and 15 per side for bass with a evm 10 per side for mids and a peavey horn per side for highs.The pa amp that ran the bass bins was a Peavey CS800 that was an honest 400 watts per side into 4 ohms x over around 150 hz or a little higher,the 10s i think were crossed into the horns about 2500 hz or somewhere in there.So each sub averaged say a 100 to 150 watts with the red lights[max] rarely hit.My point is any one of those subs out front averaging 100 to a 150 watts would have been more than enough volume for a bass player on stage and I mean those 18s and 15s were putting out some serious bottom.Again with only 200 watts max class ab! But now 40 years later as onstage volumes are going down we need 800 watts or more more class d.Sorry but IMHO that doesnt make much sense at all.Please I understand getting away from tubes,getting lighter,smaller more cost effective all that but why does the wattage have to go 300 to 500% in a bass amp to accomplish the same thing when stage volumes have come way down in the past decade or so.For you out there that use class d bass amps and have great luck with them,enjoy them,use them and carry on but if watts are watts why do you need 300 to 500% more power than a typical class ab bass amp to accomplish the same thing? Thats my 2 cents thrown into the hat but who am I?

What you are missing here is that in many cases, music has gotten louder and with greater low frequency extension, or that players are demanding greater performance and low frequency extension out of smaller cabinets which decreases sensitivity compared with the “good ‘ol days”.