The Steel Guitar Forum

Just picked up a new Katana 100 from my friends at Mayberry Music in Jonesboro, Illinois yesterday. Fantastic sounding amp with some really great features. The only fly in the ointment is the Boss Tone Center Website that really gave me a pain. I tried downloading the drivers and all the additional crap that goes with it and could never get it downloaded to any of my two computers. One is the Windows 10 platform and the other is Mac platform. I updated everything on both of them, some new drivers and other assorted items necessary to download this monstrosity of a web site. All the drivers that Boss has for the Kantana 100 were supposedly there for download for both programs. Not happening Joe! I put it on the back burner and decided to wait until my sanity came back for another shot at it. I really like all the settings on it. Makes my steel sound excellent. Wanted to ask the group if anyone else had run into this brick wall! Naturally the videos on YOUTube make it look effortless. Not happening Joe! Does anyone have any ideas how to avoid the pitfalls of this program? Actually I could live without this but it looks like a good option. (sans the Boss Tone Center.). Thanks in advance for your comments and info!

When I bought my Katana 100 mk 2 I inadvertently downloaded the software and drivers for the mk 1 (just named Katana 100). I got frustrated because the darned tone studio wouldn't work. I installed and uninstalled it several times cursing Roland for its lousy software. I then discovered the Katana 100 mk 2 links and downloaded the software from there. Everything works great. Make sure that you have the correct version of the software for the model you have (Katana 100 or Katana 100 mk 2). I hope this helps you get on the right track. I use the tone studio for the extra eq options. It has a parametric eq as well as a graphic eq. I also tried some of the patches available from tone central.

The tone studio app is REALLY Slow to start up. Be patient.

Karlis

Tom Rhodes wrote:Just picked up a new Katana 100 from my friends at Mayberry Music in Jonesboro, Illinois yesterday. Fantastic sounding amp with some really great features. The only fly in the ointment is the Boss Tone Center Website that really gave me a pain. I tried downloading the drivers and all the additional crap that goes with it and could never get it downloaded to any of my two computers. One is the Windows 10 platform and the other is Mac platform. I updated everything on both of them, some new drivers and other assorted items necessary to download this monstrosity of a web site. All the drivers that Boss has for the Kantana 100 were supposedly there for download for both programs. Not happening Joe! I put it on the back burner and decided to wait until my sanity came back for another shot at it. I really like all the settings on it. Makes my steel sound excellent. Wanted to ask the group if anyone else had run into this brick wall! Naturally the videos on YOUTube make it look effortless. Not happening Joe! Does anyone have any ideas how to avoid the pitfalls of this program? Actually I could live without this but it looks like a good option. (sans the Boss Tone Center.). Thanks in advance for your comments and info!

Did you buy that single neck Shobud from Floyd?

Tom Rhodes wrote:Just picked up a new Katana 100 from my friends at Mayberry Music in Jonesboro, Illinois yesterday. Fantastic sounding amp with some really great features. The only fly in the ointment is the Boss Tone Center Website that really gave me a pain. I tried downloading the drivers and all the additional crap that goes with it and could never get it downloaded to any of my two computers. One is the Windows 10 platform and the other is Mac platform. I updated everything on both of them, some new drivers and other assorted items necessary to download this monstrosity of a web site. All the drivers that Boss has for the Kantana 100 were supposedly there for download for both programs. Not happening Joe! I put it on the back burner and decided to wait until my sanity came back for another shot at it. I really like all the settings on it. Makes my steel sound excellent. Wanted to ask the group if anyone else had run into this brick wall! Naturally the videos on YOUTube make it look effortless. Not happening Joe! Does anyone have any ideas how to avoid the pitfalls of this program? Actually I could live without this but it looks like a good option. (sans the Boss Tone Center.). Thanks in advance for your comments and info!

Tom, have you tried this again? I just got through all of this nonsense, and it was worth it. PM me if I can help.

I used my Katana 100 for about 4 years without connecting it to a computer. It worked pretty well, but has a pronounced "honk" with my steel (Carter SD-10 with XR-16, Hilton VP) that I can't seem to cure with the panel controls. It sounds fine thru headphones, or from the direct-out. But the sound with the stock speaker just bugs me. I thought about swapping the speaker (TT-12), but can't justify that for an amp I bought used for $230.

I finally decided to man-up and get it working with my Windows 10 PC. It took me a couple of tries to download the "right stuff" from the Boss web site. The Boss Tone Studio won't work unless the amp's firmware is up to date, so I had to install KATANA SYSTEM PROGRAM (VER.4.00). I was nervous about this step, since interrupting it can leave the amp in a state that requires service. In the end it took just a few minutes. Phew!

Now I have NINE channel settings, including PANEL, plus two sets of 4 channels. I'm dialing in a better sound with the Tone Studio's flexible Graphic and Parametric EQ. Still tweaking it, but it's definitely approaching the sweet-spot in my head. Thumbs up on the Plate Reverb, especially low-cut and high-cut adjustments.

Everything you need is here:
https://www.boss.info/global/support/by ... s_drivers/

See "Download File" at the bottom of each page.

Might as well start by installing the Windows 10 driver:
KATANA DRIVER VER.1.0.0 FOR WINDOWS 10
https://tinyurl.com/27t8ma4w
"Your computer automatically downloads the Windows(R) 10 driver from the Internet when a product requiring the driver is connected to the computer."

KATANA SYSTEM PROGRAM (VER.4.00):
https://tinyurl.com/556jm47x

BOSS TONE STUDIO FOR KATANA VER.4.0.0 FOR WINDOWS:
https://tinyurl.com/ymvfjnrz

What an excellent advertisement for buying an old, reliable, REPAIRABLE Peavey amp with no G*d**n software!!

Steven Paris wrote:What an excellent advertisement for buying an old, reliable, REPAIRABLE Peavey amp with no G*d**n software!!

I know what you mean. I have a Peavy LTD-400 with EVM-15L speaker and a nice road case sitting in a spare room in my basement. It needs a trip to the "Peavey Spa" in Meridian, MS. Great sounding amp, but as time marches on I'm not real motivated to carry it up the stairs.

The Katana's headphone jack and aux-in are indespensable to my practice routine. Its DI/line-out with speaker cab emulation records nicely. I can pick nits with this amp, but for 230 bucks I'm pretty happy.

I have one and love it. I also traded for a Spark amp by positive grid. It weighs 7 lbs and sounds great. Best studio amp I've ever owned. Like the Katana it has unlimited effects for download. Out of the box it is a great sounding amp with the best Verb and delay I've heard in a long time. It has two 4 inch speakers, is 40 watts stereo.

Whatever you have to do to figure it out, do it. The Katana 100 is easily the most versatile guitar amp ever. I can finally plug my acoustic, electric, and pedal steel guitars into one amp and get very good quality sounds for each at the tap of a footswitch.

What an excellent advertisement for buying an old, reliable, REPAIRABLE Peavey amp with no G*d**n software!!

Steven, Exactly my thoughts as well. If weight is a problem, i have a 4 pound Victory V4 The Duchess tube amp with 4 preamp tubes, and 180 watts of class D output with.....

no G*d**n software!!

that i use occasionally.

https://www.victoryamps.com/product/v4- ... guitar-amp

I actually put this little amp inside my Rick Johnson speaker cabinet, equipped with a Celestion Copperback Neodymium 12" speaker, and I still carry one lite unit. I can get a great sound at bedroom or bandstand volume. I have used this little amp at the University of Michigan Hospital Hospitality Room. We played there for a medical convention. It's one good size room. It makes a great Praise Band guitar or steel amplifier. I love this little amp, and power to spare.....or quiet as a mouse, for that over excited preacher, that's "getting ready to close."

Tom, i sure wish you much luck in figuring out your amp's computer issues.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... ht=victory

I find it funny that if Buddy Emmons or Tommy White ect. endorsed the Katana, every one would own one.

I dunno Bill, not me.... I don't think i own any gear that's actually endorsed by any major players. Maybe my Peterson Tuner. My logic is that most super pickers can play through, or play on any brand out there, and sound fantastic. But yeah... i see what ya mean, everyday on the forum. Nothing wrong with it i 'spose. Buddy has endorsed several major brands, the now discontinued Fender SteelKing amplifier comes to mind. The SteelKing never really did catch on with very many pickers, it's heavy weight not withstanding. Those who own the Fender SteelKing, do seem to like them.
I had a SteelKing, it was the last Solid State {non tube} amp i ever owned. I had to put it into a split cab in order to move the thing..... seriously. I myself just couldn't warm up to it, so I sold it right here on the forum a few years back. Sold the head, cabinet, speaker, cover and all. I see i sold the original speaker for $75, wow??? I didn't hate that amp that badly. But anyways, buddy sounded so so great through his SteelKing. So much for buying what the "Super Pickers" use.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... ght=fender

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... ght=fender

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... ght=fender

The days of the back breaking amps are over. To many small powerful amps are out there. No more big heavy effects racks to carry around. My Katana has it all built in as does the Spark. The Spark has the best out of the box Verb and delay I've heard in a long time and it weighs 7lb. Both sound very tubeish.