Airstep Kat Edition - Game Changer For Boss Katana Users!
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2024
- In todays video, I take a look at the new AIRSTEP Katana edition.
This small USB and Bluetooth pedal controller for the Boss Katana is an absolute game changer.
It is The Ultimate Footswitch for KATANA Amp
The Airstep Kat edition can switch channels and toggle effects of KATANA 50/100/Head/Artist MkII & I.
Modify Amp sound with BTS App for iOS and Android, Wirelessly!
No setup required, Plug and Play!
you can order your AIRSTEP Kat Edition here
AIRSTEP Kat Edition: xsonicaudio.co...
The Studio Rats are core band members Paul Drew on guitar/production/mixing, drummer James Ivey and Dan Hawkins on bass. They collaborate with singers and musicians to produce radio-ready songs.
At first I said "l don't really need that". Buy the end of clip "I've have to get one " good job Paul as always. Your the number one source for all things katana.
Yeah he really is!
I said the same to myself as well. *sighs*
Mine just arrived .. love it
Awesome! My only comment is that it would be great if the LED indicator on the Airstep buttons would change colour to match the Katana- so the way it is now, change an effect by long press, and the Katana switches from say yellow to red, but the Airstep stays green- would make sense to have the colour change so you could see where you are in the 3-cycle (green, yellow, red). I feel as if I could have been clearer, but hopefully this makes sense.
Agree on that.
I totally agree, why offer that option if you won’t be able to use it or know where you’re at in a live setting 🤷🏻♂️
Agreed, but that would add considerable cost. They likely had that $100 goal as a point where people would buy.
@@sundaynightdrunk hmmm that’s a very good point!!!
Can you use the Airstep simultaneously with the GA-FC?
I received mine today and I intend to use the GA-FC for the channel switching and the Airstep Kat to control the effects switching along with the katana air app on the fly with my Artist Mk2. Thanks for the tutorial. 👍
Duuuddde. Darren...sweet idea. I have the GA-FC and had also been considering the Airstep Kat. You just made this easy!
I have a few questions.
How did this turn out? I'm pretty interested in doing something similar.
Is it possible to use that configuration on non-Artist models? Specifically, the MKII 100w combo. If so, how would I set up to use both foot switches?
Thats a Spark, a boss katana 2 and now an air pedal that I've bought based on your videos 🤣 you are trustworthy and I like you a lot Paul, the wife's not so keen on me watching any more videos though.....
Yes! Need one soon. This will help when gigging for sure. Thanks for the demo.
I love that they made it work with the ipad version of Tone Studio. Boss should have done that from the beginning. The only thing holding me back on the Katana is that you cannot have multiple boosts in one chain, or multiple modulation pedals at once. For example, on my real pedal board, I always have two kinds of boost pedals and I can run them at the same time, but the Katana will only allow me to use one at a time. I also have a Vibrato, Tremolo, and a Phase shift pedal all at once, but with the Katana I can only use one FX and one Mod pedal at a time. Even the newer Fender Mustang GTX allows you to use more than one at a time in a chain, so I can’t understand why Boss limits the Katana (and effects boards like the GT-1) to only allow one of each at a time. But other than that, it’s fantastic.
Late response but I agree. A workaround for using 2 boosters is using the solo option. It has it's own equalizer which you can edit like working as a booster. So you can use your inbuilt regular booster plus the solo switch to boost even more.
Ordered mine already. I’m really excited. The Bluetooth feature is indeed a game changer.
Yo man, did u order it from the xsonic site and did it?
I think Game-Changer is correct. I've never used the Green, Red, Yellow settings of the effects blocks in a live setting because you'd have to walk to your amp and stop playing so you could press a button. That means I have to manage more than one patch, when the only thing different about the second one is that it has a different effect of some sort on it. Boss could easily build that capability into the Katana's firmware so you could do that from the GA-FC, so maybe we'll see that at some point. Being able to use BTS at a gig would be excellent. I've found programmable amps frustrating when the physical knob doesn't reflect or even show the actual value behind it. So your mids knob might be at 9 o'clock, but the channel is programmed with mids set to 3 o'clock. When you're at a soundcheck and you feel that your mids could just come down a notch, that's very difficult to achieve because the moment you touch the knob, your mids are going to jump down to 9 o'clock and you'll have lost your point of reference. I think Kempers have knobs that rotate infinitely and leds round the outside that show the current value, so when you turn a knob to the left, it reduces the value from its programmed point. Obviously that would bump the price of the Katana (although it would be a great feature on the Artist). Anyhow, although I'd never take a laptop to a gig (imagine telling the sound engineer to wait while Windows installs updates), I do have a tablet on my mic stand and BTS does allow you to see the current value of a parameter and nudge it up or down. Brilliant.
Mine’s on the way…can’t wait. Thanks for the demo.
hey man, have you received it?
This channel always helps me find what I need
Great demo, thanks. I bought a Mk1 50 when they were released and have been considering the upgrade to Mk2 100w mostly for the GAFC. I ordered the Airstep on its release date and you've inadvertently answered a question I had as to whether you can change presents/effects quickly enough for live. Cheers!
How is the air step working for your katana 50? I am considering it
@@aidanodonoghue4792 did you try it?
Amazing, Airstep solved my wah problem!! If you plug your pedalboard in, overdrives would be in chain before wah and wah doesent sound good. But if you use Katana librarian mobile app where you can custom how ever you want the order in chain (not just these 7 or 8 that katana offers), and you plugg in overdrives in effects loop and set that send/return goes right after wah, problem is solved!
Now bought an airstep, I already have GA FC and was expecting airstep to replace it, but aha, I think I can use both, one for channel changes and the other for individual effect switching, trialing to see if it helps having both, thanks for the SR channel
I only wish they had a LED that changed color or separate LED's that showed which booster or mod you had selected. Also two more switches to turn the loop on and off for a solo boost and tap tempo thus freeing up the delay switch to choose between different length delays. There's my two cents.. you may keep the change :)
The coloured LEDs to show which mod was active occurred to me too. Hard to imagine it adding that much to the cost.
Thanks for this Paul, I just ordered one for my 50 MkII.
Excellent video. The Katana 50 is fantastic. This pedal was a a game changer
Fascinating how things are developing with 3rd party companies adding functionality and nudging manufacturers to innovate further. I have a Spark 40 and recently added a dedicated Bluetooth foot switch and the ease of use has expanded hugely. What’s not to like?
It truly is fantastic. I have been so eager to have BTS on my iPad (Boss why?). But I chose to get the Airstep Smart version for its fuller features, especially MIDI.
Good video and well explained. I have one in order and agree this is a game changer. I often want to change the effects, like a different Boost for solo or something. I know I could use a different channel for that but as it is now I use my four channels for distorted guitar, clean guitar, bass and acoustic guitar and that's it on my 50 MKII. It's kind of strange that Boss haven't developed a similar pedal since there are som many effects and choices in the Amp. Well done Xsonic!
Point to note: if you use the Volume and Expression inputs on your GA-FC, you’ll need a rethink because Airstep doesn’t have them. You have an expression pedal input on the back of the amp, but I find being able to control the master volume of the amp with a pedal is really useful. Probably not a deal breaker for me considering the other advantages of the Airstep.
Great point! You have avoided several potential customers being disappointed. I’m perfectly happy with my GA-FC. Well done 👍.
I was thinking the same, but the image on their website seems to show expression inputs. Wait and see, I guess.
@@MrvlZmb ok thanks, now I can see there are two different products. Airstep Kat, USD99, no expression inputs, only works with Katana. Airstep, USD259, two expression inputs, MIDI in/out, works with everything, including Katana.
@@philbrannigan5854 Yikes, that’s a big price jump.
Those are all things that could theoretically be free software updates for those of us who already have the ga-fc.
Amazing! I need one of these for my Kat50!
Thank you. That was very informative.
2:50 sounds like GnR yesterday
Really cool features definitely a better deal than GAFC. But already own a Boss GAFC and got 3rd party app on the phone to tweak the tone studio via USB.
If it were midi instead of USB I'll get it also could have the 2 exp pedal extension.
Max USB cable length is 16 feet (I believe) - so you'll have to be on a smaller stage for this to work. Still, I wish I had known about this before I bought my GAFC recently.
I hear you.. I just purchased a couple FS-5U's to expand my GA-FC!! ahhh Poo... lol
Hi, thank's, but i'm not all understand. I'm french it's not easy for me. But i like your video, great playing, good sound. Manuel
Why are using your katana on stage again? I mean it’s loud enough but I use my Marshall live.
@@WhiteDove73-888 I don't usually use my Artist onstage. I have lots of tube heads I usually use with a 212 or 412 cab. But for some fill-in gigs and/or rehearsals I just wanted a quick all around solution without needing to lug a pedalboard or separate multi FX unit.
was guna get the boss one to go with my head - but you sold me on this one buying tomorow
this is really good. been waiting for this. hopefully soon, they'll add a foot pedal or at least thru a cable from this unit. thanks!
This is awesome! I have the 50, so this works out well! I have not been able to run the Boss Tone Studio because my computer is ancient and all I have is an iPhone. I was about to get an Android phone, but now I don’t need to. Thanks!
Thx Paul, great video as always, just put my order in. Now to sell my GAFC😊
Thanks for the demo, it's exactly what i needed for my setup! :-)
Two things about this...
- Being able to change the individual effect using the footswitch is absolutely a game changer. Can't do that with a GA-FC. But some kind of indication of which effect you are using... the LED on the Airstep changing to the same color as the LED on the amp... would be very nice.
- Can the footswitches be programmed with any effects we want to group together or are we stuck switch 1 being the booster group, switch 2 being the Mod group, switch 3 being the FX group, etc.? I don't use any of the distortions or overdrives in my Katana. It would be great if I could set switch 1 up to be say, either pedal volume or pedal wah. Can we do that or would I have one switch I can't use because it has nothing but boosters in it? I already have that issue with my GA-FC.
Pulled the trigger just an hour ago 👏🏻
Wow, what a great idea from Aurstep! My Katana 50 mk2 likey!
What is that badass Tele???? Love the Airstep. Just what I need. Great sounds, btw.
Great Demo 🎸🎸
Does it Also Work With The Katana Air ??
Does the AIRSTEP Kat help facilitate a looper pedal to work with the MKII 50? I was very disappointed to learn that the Boss RC-1 Loop Station that I recently purchased, was better utilized as a paper weight and I should have gotten the 100-amp model.
You just sold another one. LOL. Thanks a bunch sir!
Hey Paul you made a great video, can I requests you a video for the MIDI functionality?
New subscriber here
😅
Best foot pedal for my katana mkii.
Id love to see you demo the Line 6 Catalyst series...
Paul. Great videos. Studio Rats are my go to for my Katana. I hope I can frame my question correctly.
If I understand you the Airstep has to use the USB port to do the patch and effects switching modes.
The bluetooth uses Katana Air to essentially allow you to deep dive the BTS with your phone/tablet.
So here's the question:
Can I connect via bluetooth to my latptop computer (which has bt) to use the standard BTS interface or do I have to either use Katana Air, OR unplug the Airstep and plug the amp's USB into my laptop?
Would be nice if it was an either/or (USB of GA-FC port) to connect it, but hogging the one USB is problematic.
How are you recording your Katana? What outputs are you using? Thanks for the videos!
the price of these is close to double the cost of the boss pedal..Thomann 139.00 up to 169.0 on other sites.
I have been pretty happy with my 100H Mk2, and recently have been looking at getting a GAFC for it.... The thing is I record via the USB, and while I like the ability to switch 'modes' .... I can already set up 8 controllable banks of sounds, which is more than enough at any given time. I think Id be correct in saying that this is great for the 50's, but not so much if you have one of the 100's, especially if you want to record while playing. I think Im still going to get a GAFC.
Great vid!... really clearly went through all the features and helped me make a decision based on how I would be using it. If I had bought this and found out that I couldn't record while using it I would have not been pleased... THANKYOU!.
(edit)
But what is a game-changer if you didn't know!..... You can actually use any duel (stereo cable) footswitch to control 'Bank and channel'. You only have access to the first two channels in each bank, but it is four in total... I have only just found out about this after watching this and getting a hankering for a footswitch... and actually checking what other connections are on the back of the chassis.... and then plugging an old Marshall duel FS in. It's labelled pretty clearly.
Its a cheaper option still... and it might just be what you're looking for.
I read somewhere that you can activate/access the booster and mod at the same time on MK1 with the airstep. If that is true, this is the real deal!
That Airstep should work with Mark I too as well, or i fail to see why it would not.
But you can already control the katana with your phone via USB. :o
Just get a fitting connector, the Katana librarian app and enable otg mode on your phone. You'll even get hidden amps like the Plexi.
I don't see how this s better than the ga-fc when you have a katana head.
The only standalone is switching the effects in one channel but you lose the additional inputs for expression pedals the ga-fc has.
Bluetooth.
It looks good and is a bit cheaper than the GAFC but seems the main difference is being able to switch between the three different colour effects but frankly pushing the button the the front of the amp isn’t that hard. The bluetooth thing is pretty good although if you don’t want to take your expensive IPAD to gigs I have found that my £80 (on Amazon) android tablet is smaller and using the juca nery ap on that (plugged into the amp) is way more intuitive than the boss tone studio ap. Good demo …the long and short is that the main advantage seems to be price. On the Katana artist you can also long press any channel to get the solo function and long press the effect button to enter tap time mode.
Thanks nice review.I want to use this with GAFC for only EFFECT control.
I wish this can be connected to GAFC.
News flash!!! Boss Katana Bass amp works with bluetooth, once you buy the Boss bluetooth dongle, so you can use Airstep to control your amp.
Only for Katana bass amp at the moment though 😀
Excellent, thanks!
Ok I'm buying this.
Nice but the usb port is delicate
An accidental push or pull in a live situation would destroy the usb socket
Does this thing work via blue tooth with the katana dongle in gen 3?
Great video and device!
It's definitely a great piece of gear but how do you direct record if the USB port is being used by the airstep?
So if the usb socket is now being used by this pedal, does this mean that instead of being able to directly record into a DAW users will have to mic the amp instead?
Awesome thank you
Does it come with the USB cable? If so, how long is it?
Absolutely amazing, considering returning my 100w for a 50w since I mostly got the big brother to use the pedal.
Is there any way to get a splitter/dual USB, so for instance to record through USB while having the functionality of the airstep?
Not sure if they raised the price or what, as people wrote it is cheaper than GA-FC. It is too expensive, 185 Euro at Thomann while GA-FC is just 120. Maybe it is different in US, I don't know.
Unless I'm mistaken I noticed the LEDs on the footswitch don't change when you change between green, red, yellow options on the amp. What a missed open goal if that is the case. I would find that v confusing if gigging.
Was gonna point same out. As the led does not act the same as the amp, you won't know what boost your on for example. Be great if they added that in.
Great again thanks, is the CME wiki uhost an alternative just to get the last function only ( to get librarian running on my iPad at last )
But sure the air step seems to have great features for just a bit more than the CME wiki device and would replace my ga fc.
Is this a new product Paul, or is it purely coincidental that someone put you onto it as Line 6 try to claw a bit of market share back with their new thing? Kat just keeps getting better doesn't it!
This is actually new hardware and firmware fresh out of the oven. The various Airstep versions for katana & WAZA air, Yamaha thr and spark all have wireless connectivity only, This adds usb specifically for the katana. The full Airstep also will support this functionality and more having extra midi I/o and usb. I’ve been using the big one since august and would highly recommend that. Has dual TRS relay switching as well for normal amps and is super versatile. If you’re ever running multiple amps would do the trick.
Looks cool, but I see a lot of tap dancing and having to look back at the amp to see what's happening. Okay on the Artist with it's front facing controls, but with the top facing controls? Hmmm.
This is terrific news. Thanks! I have a question as well... can reverb be added as an always-on effect without requiring the footswitch assignment? I never turn it off and it would be nice not to have to dedicate a footswitch to something that is never touched. Thanks again.
Why can't studio see my Katana. I followed the steps but studio says not hooked up amp. Cable is right and I get all the way through the steps and it says it can't see my amp. Peace
Does it mean that if you use the Airstep you are forced to use the Katana Air mobile app, or is there a way to use the Airstep and PC Tone Studio at the same time? Thanks!
So with this, can I download patches from tone studio and save them as a pre set on the amp? Sorry I’m late to the katana party lol just about to upgrade to the 50 from a peavy studio pro that’s like 20 years old 😂
Hi got question for you, what do think of Boss katana Artist and Katana head.I try 50 watts and 100 watts amp and I can't stand open back speaker and it lacks bottom end and tightness and i been think about Buying Boss katana head or Artist if sound awesome and I will buy it.
At first I thought this unit is fantastic and a good price. Then I thought what can it do for me that my current setup of an android plugged direct running the katana app can’t?
Thank you for this informative video! Question: Do I still have the capability to use an expression pedal plugged into the foot pedal port on the Katana 50 MK II when using the Airstep?
Paul, how does the Air version of Tone Studio compare to the regular version? Is the feature set the same? Can I achieve whatever I can in the regular version with the Air version? If so this is a great workaround to get a tablet version of Tone Studio which I’ve been wanting for some time now.
Hi, thank's, but i'm not all understand. I'm french it's not easy for me. But i like your video, great playing
So can there be a cheaper Bluetooth USB dongle that we can plug into the USB port to get the app functionality? I already have the GA-FC so while I agree the extra functionality from the Airstep is very nice I'm okay with what I have but I would totally pick up a dongle to get app support!
My phone can't pair with the airstep nobody can tell me what to do i tried a tablet also and it won't sync
Hey! Can we connect the airstep kat wirelessly to the amp or we need the cable? Thx!
I order an Artist mkii, but confused which footswtich to grab, only planing to use it for live gigs.
hi thanks for the content. I have problem with my AIRSTEP KAT. When I plug in to my Katana 50 Mk2 using the original cable, I switch On th amp, switch On the Airsteps, the light letter 'I' is not on. I have check the manual asking to restart the amp, but still doesn't works. I have fully charge the AIRSTEP to green. Please advice, thanks
How am I just now hearing about this?
What happens if you change an effect while on preset 1, then move to preset 2; upon returning to preset 1 it should still be the way you set it up originally, right? Just like on tone studio or on the panel, changes dont save unless you specifically save them. I would assume its the same with the airstep.
Thx for this video! I love my Katana and with the AIRSTEP it gets even better. But I would still like to connect it to my computer (where it is showing up as Katana, Katana 1 and Katana 2). Is there an adapter available so that I connect from the USB on the Katana both to the computer and the AIRSTEP?
There are usb hubs designed to allow computers to access multiple drives, mice &c. You could try connecting both to a hub. Whether the Katana itself could handle simultaneous communication w/ the Airstep & Tone Studio or a DAW on the computer is a different question. Can you currently use Tone Studio to control the amp while recording into the DAW? It might be possible to connect the Airstep to the computer to control Tone Studio which would control the amp.
What's specifically is the game changer??
is this compatible with Katana 50 MKII? i have Boss FS-6 but not enough to explore.
I have a Katana Bass 110; is the AIRSTEP Kat Edition compatible with this combo? Thanks for the review.
Hi, I love your Videos…!
Need some help with my Airstep Kat …
For some reason I Can’t understand how to update the firmware… and only get this message…”Error
The update failed, please restart the application and try again.
Exit “
I’m using the App Airstep Updater .
All my connections are good, Bluetooth ect…I’m able to use the Katana Air and Katana Librarian Apps on my iPhone witch prove my connections …
What do I need to do ? Also witch Firmware do I need.. ? I have the lasted update on my Katana Amp …
Could you please help..?
Thank you very much !
Is the Airstep Kat compatible with Boss Katana 50IIEx? 100MKII? Thanks
Can you quickly turn on/off delay as other effects or need to to hold the button?
Does the Airstep need to be connected to your phone via Bluetooth to operate or can it be operated completely without a phone connected at all?
Would a normal Airstep or Airstep Lite work instead of this?
How do I use my Airstep and Katana as my sound card into my Mac at the same time via USB?
Can you save new patches or overwrite with it? Also, what about power?
Hey Paul - just had a quick question - I have an Artist MKII and just wondering if the tone studio for that is the same as the the one that’s on tablet for the air? I’m planning on buying the airstep but wondering if I’ll lose festers and set ups for using a diff tone studio if it is different that is. Thanks!!
From this & other YT vids----No, not the same. Substantial overlap, but some features will be missing. This is a Boss issue as the amps themselves are different. Airstep is 3rd party filling in some of the gaps left by Boss. You could check features of the the Katana Air & it's Tone Studio to see what you'd lose.
I like it.
I originally set up my Katana 50 with mac OS. Can i use my android system phone as well as my Ipad to operate the Airstep and katana or am I restricted to only mac OS?
I am assuming the air step will work with Katana mk1
i think you may have the price mixed up with the GA-FC?
Hey! I know I’m in the wrong video, but I’m thinking about getting two of the boss katana 100 utilizing the stereo mode. But can I do two delays in parallell this way, without any pedals? What would be the best way to play with parallell delay ala The Edge (U2) without spending hundreds of bucks on two delay pedals and a signal splitter?
I have a MK1 50. Can I switch through all four presets, or do you have to change banks first? TIA
Can you use library via this pedal?