About this app
KatanaMan connects to your Boss Katana guitar amplifier via a USB cable. It allows direct control of many of the amp’s extensive features. Amp models, boost types, effects devices as well as basic amp controls can be selected and set from your device (phone or tablet) to create your desired tone.
Tones can be saved on your device as ‘patches’ for later use, and subsequently re-loaded into the amp with ease. The number of patches that can be saved on your device is limited only by the available storage.
Katana amplifier settings can be ‘tweaked’ and saved ‘on the fly’ making KatanaMan an ideal tool for the home guitarist, as well as practice sessions, studio work, on-stage performances etc.
Some of the effects are disabled in KatanaMan Lite - for the full range, and more features see KatanaMan Pro.
Connection Requirements:
In order to connect your phone or tablet to your Katana amplifier you will require:
- A Katana 100 amplifier (Katana 50 will also work but some features may not be available)
- A USB cable suited to your amplifier. See your amp’s documentation for details.
- An OTG cable adapter (assuming that your phone / tablet has a mini USB socket)
- Your Android device must support OTG / ‘Host Mode’
Not all Android devices are capable of talking to the Katana amplifier.
It is recommended that you use the KatanaMan Free version ensure that your device is suitable (see below for instructions on connecting to your amp)
Features
Supported boost types:
All Katana boost types are supported
Supported effects:
Chorus, Flanger, AutoWah, PedalWah, Compressor, GraphicEQ, ParametricEQ, SlowGear, Octave, Tremolo, Uni-V, Acoustic Guitar Sim
General Amp Settings
Noise Gate
Patches
The ability to save the current tone as a named patch. Patches can subsequently be re-loaded to your amp simply by tapping on the patch file. Patches can also be saved into the amp’s ‘Tone Setting Channels’ by long pressing the appropriate physical button on the amp.
Related Apps
See the KatanaSync app for quick back-up and restore of your KatanaMan data..
Tips For Connecting to your Katana amplifier
The myriad of permutations of hardware types and Android versions means that there is no single guaranteed approach to establishing a connection between your device and the Katana amplifier. Therefore, be prepared to do a little experimentation to find the approach that best works for your situation. However, if you follow these steps, establishing a connection should be straightforward.
1.Ensure that your OTG cable adapter works with your device. Using the OTG adapter, connect a USB memory stick to your device and ensure that it is recognised by Android, and that you can view the contents (eg using a ‘file manager’ app).
2.Download and install KatanaMan.
3.Ensure that KatanaMan is not running - ie not simply ‘minimised’, but stopped using the ’X’ icon in the top right of the app window. (If in doubt - re-start your device).
4.Connect the Katana amp to your device, using the appropriate cable (and OTG adapter if required), and turn the amp on.
5.Wait for a few seconds.
6.Android should prompt you as to what you want to happen with the USB connection. Choose to load KatanaMan, and select this as the default option if given the opportunity.
7.KatanaMan should then load and automatically connect to the amplifier. This can take up to a minute - but usually occurs within 20 seconds. You will know when the connection is successful as the sliders on the amp view in the app will jump up from the 0 position to represent whatever the current knob positions are on your amp.
8.After this, KatanaMan should automatically load and connect each time you plug in the cable from the amp.
9.If you load a different version of KatanaMan onto your device, be sure to uninstall the old version first. Otherwise, the old version may continue to be loaded when the cable is plugged in.
