Katana MKII or Pedal Baby, which one to pick?

[GÜMERSINDO]

Hey folks! Although one is a full head and other just a power amp I´m in the fence of getting of these.

Long story short; due to financial issues I had to sell most of my gear downgrading just to a POD HD 400+Mooer Baby Bomb+Cheap 2x12 cab. Honestly, I don´t gel with it; PODs are great for recording (with external IR´s of course), but I don´t like feel when it comes to playing so I just wonder if replacing the Baby Bomb for a better poweramp would make drastic differences.

With that said, in a simmilar price range I could buy one of the new Katana Heads which has impressed me how good sounds (at least in YT videos) and all the features that have.

What do you think guys? What rig would sound better?
POD HD+Orange Pedal Baby+Cab
VS
Boss Katana+Cab

Thanks in advance.
Cheers!

 

[GoldDragon]

The katana feels like a real amp. If you get that, you can mate it with your 2x12 and sell the rest of your stuff.

 

[GÜMERSINDO]

The katana feels like a real amp. If you get that, you can mate it with your 2x12 and sell the rest of your stuff.

That´s what most of people comment about Katanas, and that´s what appeal the most to me (above any feature) the "feel" thing. Anyways I´m curious about how would work my old L6 multifx with an orange poweramp.

 

[ATRguitar91]

I bounce between a pedal power amp like your Baby Bomb and a Rocktron Velocity. There'll be differences, but I think you'd get more mileage out of a preamp change.

Going from the Pod to the Katana is swapping one digital solution for another digital solution. If feel is your concern, an analog preamp might be an optimal solution for you. There a lot that can be had cheaply, and it can be easily integrated into your existing setup.

If the goal is simplicity, it's gonna be hard to beat the Katana head. But it seems to me you're just not keen on digital sound through an amp and cab. Depending on your budget you might be able to find a cheap tube head and use your pod for effects only.

 

[op1e]

I don't even know if you can change channels thru the Katana's midi thru an external unit. This is whats been holding me back. They have something weird going on with their midi that you may need an external device to translate with. I really hate the idea off having to pay $130 for that stupid little GA FC when other units can do so much more.

 

[Shask]

I like my Katana head more than I ever liked my HD500 back in the day. The HD500 was so tweaky and had weird faults that it drove me to buy a Fractal Axe-FX, lol. I like my Katana as much as my Axe-FX, but it is different of course. I think the Katana has the best feel of the cheaper digital units, and it is just versatile enough with the software editor to do what you need. It really is quite amazing for what it is. The switching and routing are limited compared to a POD or or similar full mutli-FX unit, but it has a good general overall tone and feel. However, you have to tweak the software to get the best out of it.

 

[Shask]

I don't even know if you can change channels thru the Katana's midi thru an external unit. This is whats been holding me back. They have something weird going on with their midi that you may need an external device to translate with. I really hate the idea off having to pay $130 for that stupid little GA FC when other units can do so much more.

I know you can select the 8 presets, and turn some effects on/off. I am not sure of the extent past that. They added a ton of switching control options in the Ver. 3 update, but I have never looked at it very closely since I don't use it in that way. I have a GA-FC with mine, so I just use that. I have a Behringer FCB1010, but it is hooked up to my Axe-FX.

 

[op1e]

Hmm, be interesting to know if you can stomp box with the FCB1010. I would buy the GA FC reluctantly cause it is simple and small. I just don't like the idea of having to hit the button all the way at the end, then hit one of the preset switches to stomp an effect, then have to go back and hit the button at the end again, then hit the preset button to go to clean. I would get ADD AF on stage lol.

 

[Shask]

Hmm, be interesting to know if you can stomp box with the FCB1010. I would buy the GA FC reluctantly cause it is simple and small. I just don't like the idea of having to hit the button all the way at the end, then hit one of the preset switches to stomp an effect, then have to go back and hit the button at the end again, then hit the preset button to go to clean. I would get ADD AF on stage lol.

I found this image online:

According to that, you should be able to send PCs on one switch on your MIDI controller, and CCs on another switch, if your footswitch is capable of that.

Thee FCB1010 should be able to do it. I havent tried it, but I do something similar with my Axe-FX. I have some banks where I have the top row doing presets, and the bottom row doing FX on/off, and other banks where I have the top row doing presets, and the bottom row doing scenes. It shouldn't be hard to assign a row to PCs, and a row to CCs.

The most annoying thing I can see would be the pedal effects, like assigning a Wah. Seems like you would have to use a button to turn it on, and then move the pedal. There is no auto-on by movement like the Axe-FX has.

 

[GoldDragon]

I like my Katana head more than I ever liked my HD500 back in the day. The HD500 was so tweaky and had weird faults that it drove me to buy a Fractal Axe-FX, lol. I like my Katana as much as my Axe-FX, but it is different of course. I think the Katana has the best feel of the cheaper digital units, and it is just versatile enough with the software editor to do what you need. It really is quite amazing for what it is. The switching and routing are limited compared to a POD or or similar full mutli-FX unit, but it has a good general overall tone and feel. However, you have to tweak the software to get the best out of it.

I tested a Katana head and decided not to buy it. The tones were good, and I could make it work for me, but I already have a Gt100 which has katana tones in it.

What I thought was weird about the katana head:

* When you would change eq of one channel and then switch to another channel, everything would get wiped out. I think you have to remember to save the settings. It wasn't obvious how to A-B between two settings. On a normal multi channel amp you have dedicated knobs for different channels.

*In my testing, the wattage control didn't have any affect on the tone. It just changed the range of the volume control. I was hoping there was some kind of tube amp simulation linked to the volume knob, but I didn't hear it if there was.

*There wasn't a resonance control on the amp. The GT100 has a resonance block, I'm not sure how they implement this in the katana or if it can be changed in the software.

*The control panel is up facing, which is what you see on a combo amp, not typical for a head. It was on a 4x12 and sitting down it was a pita to adjust. I had it sitting on its face which meant I couldnt use the built in practice speaker and all the cables were sprouting from the top.

But its only $300. Pretty amazing what it can do. If I was gigging, I would get one of these and use whatever cab was at the venue or just run direct.

 

[Shask]

I tested a Katana head and decided not to buy it. The tones were good, and I could make it work for me, but I already have a Gt100 which has katana tones in it.

What I thought was weird about the katana head:

* When you would change eq of one channel and then switch to another channel, everything would get wiped out. I think you have to remember to save the settings. It wasn't obvious how to A-B between two settings. On a normal multi channel amp you have dedicated knobs for different channels.

*In my testing, the wattage control didn't have any affect on the tone. It just changed the range of the volume control. I was hoping there was some kind of tube amp simulation linked to the volume knob, but I didn't hear it if there was.

*There wasn't a resonance control on the amp. The GT100 has a resonance block, I'm not sure how they implement this in the katana or if it can be changed in the software.

*The control panel is up facing, which is what you see on a combo amp, not typical for a head. It was on a 4x12 and sitting down it was a pita to adjust. I had it sitting on its face which meant I couldnt use the built in practice speaker and all the cables were sprouting from the top.

But its only $300. Pretty amazing what it can do. If I was gigging, I would get one of these and use whatever cab was at the venue or just run direct.

I am not sure what you mean about the knobs and channels. I think I always treated it as 4 presets from day 1. I always thought of it as a processor, and not like a multi-channel amp. It is basically a limited multi-FX processor shaped like an amp.

The wattage control mostly affects volume. I don't notice much of a tone change, like there is additional extra modeling, but I do notice the higher settings do tend to sound a little more full. I figured it was because of having more headroom.

They added a resonance setting in Version 2. You have to select it in software. That was one of the best improvements they have made, but in 4 major revisions, they have improved it quite a bit over time.

I never cared about where the knobs were, lol. I mostly tweaked my settings on the laptop, saved them, and just select them as presets on the GA-FC.

 

[ekulggats]

I really like my Katana MKII. I have the 100 watt combo but the head/cab is excellent, even better if anything.

You can get some really monster tones out of it without any outboard pedals. The Brown channel with gain at 4' Oclock, and the 'boost' on the Red setting at minimum gets you a really great modern tone. The added modes really open up the territory you can cover with it, gets really loud and I'd be totally fine playing it live.

 

[GÜMERSINDO]

Thanks guys for the replies. I´ve noticed that MKII has a dedicated poweramp plug + cab response controls so you can use as standalone poweramp which I think is a cool feature. Wonder If any of you knows how does it compare to the pedal baby, both seems to be AB type.

 

[Shask]

Thanks guys for the replies. I´ve noticed that MKII has a dedicated poweramp plug + cab response controls so you can use as standalone poweramp which I think is a cool feature. Wonder If any of you knows how does it compare to the pedal baby, both seems to be AB type.

For Mark 1, in the Version 4 update they added that ability also. You have to turn it on while holding down the Ch3 and Ch4 buttons, and they will flash, and it goes into a poweramp-only mode.

 

[sleewell]

quilter. i love both of mine.

 

[GÜMERSINDO]

For Mark 1, in the Version 4 update they added that ability also. You have to turn it on while holding down the Ch3 and Ch4 buttons, and they will flash, and it goes into a poweramp-only mode.

Didn´t know MK1 was also capable. Maybe I should check craiglist for a used one, since MK2 was released prices are dropping.

 

[Shask]

Didn´t know MK1 was also capable. Maybe I should check craiglist for a used one, since MK2 was released prices are dropping.

Yeah, I have had mine since Version 1, and have seen all the updates come and go. I watch all the new features, even if I don't use them all. They have added a lot of useful features since Version 1. Not so much sounds, but definitely improvements in usability.

 

[Corporial Bodies]

Hi so I have a orange pedal baby 100 and a orange 212 ppc cab, running into it I'm using the headrush gig board, I really like this setup and the headrush to me sounds good and loud enough for me to gig with and obviously the orange pedal baby is really light when compared with the tube heads I've had in the past. I tried a katana head and respective 2x12 cab and to be honest, to me, it was kind of meh, I didn't really get the "sounds like a really amp" thing they market this as. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it was bad, just not for me, I much preferred the sound and feel from the pedal baby and the headrush, I've also tried my old pod xt through it and got some good sounds.

 

[Wolfhorsky]

I think Katana amp in pedal format (Let’s say: Katana Floor) would be very cool. No additional footswitch, cables and nonsense. And onboard tuner. Check please.