What to choose? Boss Katana Amp, Tube Amp or else

I think you have the right feature set for the Katana 100, it doesn't come with looper but it has input for a backside FX so a looper pedal works fine (or any other pedal). The 50 does not have an FX input in the back end, and if I understand correctly the frontside input is not optimal for using a lot of pedals because the amp effects will be applied on top of the pedal effects. There are ways around it, as described here but it's a bit of a hassle.[br][br]

I have been educating myself a bit and do see how a looper can be really useful even at my beginner stage. Right now I spend almost all of my practice time on the acoustic and barely pick up the electric, so for now I am not feeling the need for it. [br][br]

Now, if I go with a very clean setting on the amp, with maybe just a little reverb, do you think a looper going front-side might sound ok?

I'm fortunate to have three 2x12" combo amps with optional RF bypass loop alternate input, but I also use my loopers with everything from my smaller Blackstar ID:Core 40 practice amp which doesn't -very similar in concept & execution to the Katana 50, my Fender Acoustasonic acoustic guitar amp, and even my Blackstar Fly 3s.

Sounds "OK" is one of those individual perception judgements. Electronically, no it's not "optimal". But front instrument input still gets the job done & sounds good enough for looper practice purposes to my undoubtedly age affected presbycusis hearing. As practice should be clean most of the time in any case to avoid obscuring mistakes (ref: Chris S & Hele I), it's really moot for my purpose on those smaller amps. It's not like a Chorus or Delay pedal won't work without bypass, or necessarily even sound 'bad'. But people are strange cattle hearing what they want to hear much of the time as becomes evident in the endless tube vs digital tube emulation arguments.

Just for the sake of exmple, here is a tiny Blackstar Fly 3 taking pedals through the instrument input. More than acceptable [u]in its role[/u] I'd say. It's not like it'd be used for anything else in the way of 'performance' but playing to family or friends at home or busking on an [u]ultra[/u] tight budget?

If I were using a looper in support or effects pedals, of which I have quite a few, for professional public gigging performances or recording to that same end -I don't, and on a much louder amp it might become a consideration, but in my home studio? I do this for enjoyment. Pragmatism & convenience overrule perfection/optimal deployed to my primary purpose. Appreciate Y&OMMV.

Got mine today Dave

This might answer your Looper question

Pedals

Thanks ManX and Bill. I think the main takeaway is that the order of the pedals and effects matters, and effects applied further in the sequence will be applied over the top of the previous effects.

So, the looper will "inherit" everything that happens in front of it, but anything later in the chain would not be included in the loop. If I want my loop to include chorus, I need to use a chorus effect in front of the looper.

There are two ways to accomplish this. One is to put the looper behind everything else using a backend interface. If you do that, then your chorus could come from a pedal on the front side, or it could come from an amp FX setting. It wouldn't matter which one because the effect would be pushed to the looper. If the looper is plugged into the front side, you would need the chorus to come from a pedal earlier in sequence, before the looper. A chorus effect produced by the amp would not make it into the loop.

If you usually want a pretty clean sound on your loop then you are probably fine without having the back end interface.

Am I pretty close?

Originally Posted by: William MG

Got mine today Dave

This might answer your Looper question

Pedals

Did you have to apply the noise suppression fro Tone Studio?

We are like kids with new toys Dave lol

I actually read a post and thought you had asked about running the amp on clean, to which I was going to agree with, but then I thought "hold on". How would it sound if the Blues Driver was run through various amp effects.

So have a listen. It really comes down to personal preference. And then I thought about your question on chorus into the Looper and made a follow up just to be sure I was giving accurate info.

Haven't gotten into the Tone app yet, maybe later today

https://youtu.be/_yC7-tjguFA

https://youtu.be/7NVS-CKJhN0

PS not sure why my phone went sideways but it will give you the idea

Definitely enjoying your new toy, which is what it's all about! I am learning from watching your experiments, and enjoying the hell out of it.

I bought a Katana 50w, but my Strat Squier could not get on with it. I don't know if it's the shielding or what - I swapped out the pups, checked the amp was fine etc - but the constant buzzing hum was too much, and had to sell it on. I've just bought a Vox VT40X, which I know doesn't fight with guitar. Has more than enough amp sounds and effects to keep me happy while I develop my playing. Looking forward to picking it up later this week.

Good luck with the new amp Craig, I think you will enjoy the Valvetronix amp. And at 40 watts it will have some poke!

Originally Posted by: craigbrown1805

I bought a Katana 50w, but my Strat Squier could not get on with it. I don't know if it's the shielding or what - I swapped out the pups, checked the amp was fine etc - but the constant buzzing hum was too much, and had to sell it on. I've just bought a Vox VT40X, which I know doesn't fight with guitar. Has more than enough amp sounds and effects to keep me happy while I develop my playing. Looking forward to picking it up later this week.

I had a tough time deciding between the Vox VT20X, Vox VT40x, and Katana 50 Mk ii. Went with the Katana, and like I was telling Bill earlier in this thread was initially pretty surprised by the buzzing hum. The Noise Suppressor from the Boss Tone Studio took care of the problem 100%. Surprised this is not something Roland took care of in the amp rather than requiring you to download a setting from the software.

I'm sure you'll enjoy the Vox, though.

Dave...

I had a serious noise problem with my Katana and Squier. Eventually, I worked out that I needed to muck around with the noise suppressor but I had to push the software settings so hard that the note decay sounded weird and processed. I've just sold it up and bought a Vox VT40X in its place, an amp I know will work with my guitar.

Originally Posted by: William MG

I am hoping fuzz, but after reading what Dave posted....

Dave, thanks for the heads up. I had not heard this mentioned by the various YouTube reviewers but once pointed out by yourself I found this video.

Is this the hum you are having with yours?

Noisy Katana MK2

Originally Posted by: craigbrown1805

I've just sold it up and bought a Vox VT40X in its place, an amp I know will work with my guitar.

Congratulations Craig. Sounds like you're very much 'the happy camper' now.

Vox have really done their homework and included some rather tasty features in that amp in a class which is hotly contested and competitively priced. I like the VT40X's selectable amp model emulation & choices particularly, really outstanding in an amp at that price point, along with its effects interface on-off & toggle ergonomic generally. Have you had it long enough to try out the bias shift and Class switching sufficiently to offer a opinon of if it works as Vox intimate in the manual?

Be interested to hear what you think of it in comparison with your Katana 50 experience when you're comfortably familiar enough with it.

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It's not been delivered yet! I think it'll arrive on WednesdayI'd actually bought an ex-demo 100 watt version which was listed cheaper than a new 40 watt. The shop contacted me to say that the 100watt had some bad scratches on it, so they weren't keen to sell it after all and sked if I wanted a replacement. I politely asked if they'd do me a new 40 watt for the same price of the ex-demo, which they agreed to! So, I'm £60 up on a new Vox! Tbh, the 100 watt was probably too much amp for my needs which are almost completely house-bound, so I think I struck lucky. I'd mucked around with the 40 watt in the shop but I didn't get to the bias settings, though reviews have said that you can really dial in a nice warm driven tube sound using them. I foresee an evening being burned on investigating it's possibilities.

Originally Posted by: manXcat

Congratulations Craig. Sounds like you're very much 'the happy camper' now.

Vox have really done their homework and included some rather tasty features in that amp in a class which is hotly contested and competitively priced. I like the VT40X's selectable amp model emulation & choices particularly, really outstanding in an amp at that price point, along with its effects interface on-off & toggle ergonomic generally. Have you had it long enough to try out the bias shift and Class switching sufficiently to offer a opinon of if it works as Vox intimate in the manual?

Be interested to hear what you think of it in comparison with your Katana 50 experience when you're comfortably familiar enough with it.

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Very good buying.

100W is inarguably overkill for the home even on an urban block, but it sure can be fun to let rip occasionally, with neighbourly consideration. In a solid state, turning it down doesn't present any tonal compromise as all tube does, and of course no warmup which I really like in a practice amp where you just want to pick up the guitar off its stand ad hoc in passing and start playing. They're bigger and heavier as a portability consideration, although single speaker versions aren't too cumbersome.

40W is a practical solid state choice for output and size for portability aound the home. But you already know that from your Katana. I was using my 40W ID:Core (my original amp) for the first time in a while yesterday, and it suprised me how loud it can get. Most of the time I'm either on a 3W Fly 3 for convenience or other extreme 120W 260TVP to make some noise. That VOX is particularly interesting to me as a hybrid with a pre-amp tube but solid state tube modelling, Being an early Beatles fan, I'd love that selectable option of a VOX AC15 or AC30 chime done by VOX in a VOX in that package. 11 selectable emulations, 20 with Tone Room. Solid state tube emulation is getting very good IMPE of TVP in the ID Series. I think you're going to love your VT40X.