A Cutting-edge Gen 3 Update to the Katana’s Flagship Head
The BOSS Katana Artist Head Gen 3 leads the charge of BOSS’s revamped line of Katana amplifiers, taking the series to new sonic heights complete with the company’s evolved Tube Logic technology. This 100-watt amplifier head is equipped with a sweeping sonic arsenal of six amplifier voices (including a new Pushed voice), six voice variations, and the Gen 3 addition of a Bloom switch to sharpen up your sound. Next, five independent stompbox-inspired effects sections provide you with plenty of delay, reverb, and modulation options to sculpt your dream tone, and you even get a dedicated Solo section with its own boost and delay. Picky about your EQ? This Katana comes equipped with a powerful 3-band EQ, 3-way Contour control, Resonance, and Presence controls for serious studio-grade tone-shaping potential. These features alone would make the Katana Artist Head Gen 3 an amp to be reckoned with. Still, the truth is they’re not the half of it: an onboard Power Control, eight Tone Setting memories, Stereo Expand functionality, cab-sim-equipped Line Out/headphone/USB outs, upgraded BOSS Tone Studio app, and scores of other features cement the BOSS Katana Artist Head Gen 3 as a masterwork of modern amplifier engineering.
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What’s new for Gen 3?
The Katana Gen 3 series comes swinging right out of the gate with a newly evolved and enhanced iteration of BOSS’s revered Tube Logic technology, capturing all the harmonic nuance and dynamic feel of a true tube amplifier. These improvements elevate all the Katana series’ prior amplifier models to a whole new level of valve-inspired realism, but the technology is truly on full display in Gen 3’s all-new amplifier type: Pushed.
Engineered to exactly replicate the ever-coveted edge-of-breakup sound, the Pushed amp character artfully embodies the touch-sensitive gain characteristics and lively dynamics of a clean tube combo cranked to its breaking point. Moreover, Gen 3 introduces a Bloom switch that Sweetwater guitarists favor for its ability to sharpen your Katana’s edge with a more focused attack and a rich, enveloping bass response. Finally, the Katana’s third generation comes complete with a whole host of improvements to the BOSS Tone Studio, including UI and editing upgrades for a quicker, more straightforward workflow.
12 amp voices to explore
In addition to Gen 3’s new Pushed amp, this Katana contains all five of the MkII series’ time-tested amplifier voices, optimized by BOSS’s evolved Tube Logic technology. Lead, Crunch, and Pushed are all aimed to please dirt-obsessed players with a wealth of remarkably tubelike tones, and you even get a “Brown” voice that delivers screaming ’80s hard-rock sounds in spades. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Katana Gen 3 series boasts a lush, full-bodied Clean voice and an Acoustic voice to accommodate your acoustic-electric arsenal. It all adds up to a grand total of six amplifiers to choose from, but that’s only half the story — a Variation switch effectively doubles the amp tones at your disposal with distinct sonic spins on each amp’s sound.
Wireless control via BOSS’s optional Bluetooth adapter
While previous Katana amplifiers required a USB connection to access the editor, each model in the third generation now comes equipped with a dedicated jack on the back to connect with the optional BOSS BT-Dual Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adapter. This adapter allows you to make instant edits to your Katana’s tone straight from your mobile device. Plus, you can also use it to stream songs and backing tracks to make the most of your woodshedding sessions!
Variable Solo boost
Moving from rhythms to lead work usually requires an output boost to achieve parity levels. Traditionally, this has been accomplished with clean boosts, overdrives, volume pedals, and our personal favorite — the 10-foot-long jump to reach the amp’s master volume at the last possible second. The BOSS Katana Artist Head Gen 3 gives you a footswitchable Solo boost with adjustable output to boost your level to center stage and return you to sensible rhythm levels.
Power Amp In(put)
Got a floor unit or tube preamp you can’t live without? You can access all 100 watts of the Katana Artist Head Gen 3’s Class AB power section using the power amp input. Here, you bypass everything before the power amp, so what you hear is exactly what you expect — only live and in living color.
Cab-emulated outputs for silent recording and performance
While the Katana Artist Head Gen 3 offers a Power Control for getting cranked-amp tone at a low volume level, you can achieve truly silent operation onstage or in the studio by connecting the amp's line output to a line input on your recording device or a PA. Cab emulation is available on the USB and headphone outputs, as well, so however you choose to monitor your Artist Head Gen 3, it'll feel like you're standing in front of an amp. Selectable cab resonance (Vintage/Modern/Deep) and Air Feel miking emulation (direct, distant, or blended) allow you to tailor emulated tones to taste.
Powered by the Gen 3 BOSS Tone Studio editor
Upgraded with an enhanced UI and editing options for Gen 3, the Katana Artist Head Gen 3 supports over 60 timeless BOSS effects, and you can load an entire series of them for instant access. The amp's Booster/Mod, FX/Delay, and Reverb controls give you easy 1-knob access to up to five simultaneous effects types, with a color-coded button to switch between preset effects. To completely customize your effects and amp settings, connect the Artist Head Gen 3 to your computer via USB and load up the Tone Studio software. Here, you can create your own setup or download setups created by pro guitarists at the BOSS Tone Studio website. Best of all, the Katana Artist Head Gen 3 can store multiple custom amp and effects profiles for instant recall, making this head a versatile multichannel amplifier.
BOSS Katana Artist Head Gen 3 Features:
- Gen 3 update to BOSS’s beloved line of Katana amplifiers
- Feature-packed amp head, equipped with 100W of gig-ready Class AB power
- Upgraded with evolved Tube Logic technology to deliver the most valve-like tone and feel possible
- 6 onboard amp characters to explore, from the new edge-of-breakup Pushed tone to Katana classics like Clean, Brown, Lead, Crunch, and Acoustic
- Each amplifier voice sports a single variation, adding up to a total of 12 amps to choose from
- Gen 3 Bloom switch sharpens up your attack and adds a dynamic edge to your low-end response
- Optional BOSS BT-Dual Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adapter available separately, offering wireless access to the Katana’s editing and streaming capabilities
- 5 independent FX sections supply you with myriad reverb, delay, and modulation options
- Dedicated Solo section with delay/boost when you’re ready to let loose with a choice lead or solo
- Extensive EQ options include a 3-band EQ, 3-way Contour switch, Resonance knob, Presence control, and 3 Global EQ options
- 3 cabinet resonance options impart a sense of lifelike depth to your tone
- Power Control scales down your amp’s output to achieve cranked tones at manageable volumes
- Stereo Expand makes linking up a 2nd Katana amp for sweet stereo sounds a breeze
- FX loop accommodates all your favorite pedals
- Cab-sim-equipped stereo headphone jack, XLR and 1/4-in. line outs, and USB out
- 3 Air Feel options to fine-tune your cab sim sounds
- MIDI compatible for complex remote-controlled rigs
- Gen 3 upgraded BOSS Tone Studio sports an enhanced UI, improved editing tools, and much more
