View the full lesson at Basket Case (Green Day) TSL | JustinGuitar
You make a comment in this video that in this series of lessons the amp type was left on CLEAN and you added effects using the Tone Studio to get the desired result.
I left a post on the Justin Guitar Community that I am having trouble linking the Tone Studio with my Katana 50 Gen 3, so was wondering if you could make a video using the effects as programmed in the amp without using the Tone Studio?
There is a whole section on the Katana everything from unboxing to seting up Tone Studio
Thanks. Yes, I saw that, but it didnât really go into the specific effects. Justin admitted that he needed to review the manual etc⌠which he did obviously and made the series of patch videos. But I am looking for something more in depth on each of the pre-programmed effects. Iâll re-view the video to see if I just missed that.
OK - see what you mean now. There are lessons without videos listed which I did go through.
But, for example, it says under Effect Slot Overview:
Effect Slot 1: Booster & Mod
Booster what they say - they boost the signal, usually to create more distortion from the amp or to change the sound so it âcuts throughâ better for solos.
Mod is short for Modulation effects and includes things like Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Touch Wah, Octaver and more!
On the amp, Booster knob, there are 3 effects programmed, one each for the 3 different colored lights. What are they and how do you use them?
I have the same question for the Mod knob as well as the other effects.
Hello Tony,
hereâs some info I copied from the Boss website when I bought my Katana. It doesnât answer everything but Iâm sure youâll find it useful.
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EXPLORING THE CONTROLS AND FEATURES
Before crafting the perfect guitar tone, familiarize yourself with the amplifier control panel. The controls are split into four sections: Amplifier, Equalizer, Effects, and Tone Setting.
Amplifier Section
The Amplifier section includes Amp Type, Gain, and Volume. These are the most fundamental controls of the amp and impact the EQ and tone-shaping controls and their functions.
Amp Type allows you to select from five unique amp voicings and a variation within each preset. Each mode will revoice your Katana to the gain structure and EQ characteristics of the selected amp type. Clean will give you a simple, flat, Jazz Chorus-like pedal platform with a low gain range, whereas Brown will provide you with a thick, punchy classic rock voicing.
The Gain and Volume controls interact closely with each other. You can create a simple, clean tone by reducing the gain and boosting the volume or a driven tone by boosting the gain and reducing the volume.
EQ and Effects Panel
The EQ control panel is divided into three simple controls: Bass, Middle, and Treble. These controls will impact your ampâs general tone, allowing you to boost or cut each frequency band to shape your desired tone.
The Effects Panel is slightly more complex. It includes five controls, although two of them are on concentric stacked pot knobs. Think of them as two independent controls positioned on top of each other. These knobs control the broad range of effects included on the Katana including boost, modulation, delay, and reverb.
To engage an effect, roll the control knob clockwise from zero. The effect will become more prominent as the knob is rotated further. The buttons above each effect will scroll through different effect types for each knob. The details and parameters of these effects can be expanded and edited further through the BOSS Tone Studio app, which weâll discuss later in this article.
The number of effects included with Katana is substantial, and youâll be able to select from a broad range of classic BOSS tones, including multiple different overdrive, distortion, and fuzz effects, octavers, chorus, phaser, flanger, several delay types, and a range of classic reverb voicings.
Tone Setting
The final section of the amplifier is the Tone Setting section. These controls include four Channel buttons, a Panel button that you can use to save and recall presets, a Presence and Master control knob, and a Power Control selector. The Presence knob controls the clarity of the amplifierâs overall tone, the Master knob controls how much you can push/boost volume of the power amp, and the Power Control allows you to choose between several different wattage levels without spoiling original tone and response.
Also, unlike general attenuators, the unique BOSS Power Control can lower just the volume while keeping original dynamics, characteristics, and response intact. Setting the amp to a lower wattage allows you to drive it at lower volumes, which is perfect for testing various drive tones at home without annoying the neighbors.
Back Panel
The back panel of the Katana is also very comprehensive but will vary slightly depending on the model youâve purchased. The Katana will feature an effects loop to add additional effects pedals after the preamp stage of the amplifier, as well as a line out, recording out, and power amp in. There is also a foot control input for the addition of the GA-FC controller, an expression pedal, or a latched footswitch for a solo boost. Finally, a USB port connects Katana to your computer or smartphone to access Tone Studio and Tone Exchange.
Basic Operation
With the Katana set to Standby and the Gain, Volume, and Master controls fully defeated, hit the power switch on the right-hand side of the control panel. Make sure all five of the Effects knobs are fully defeated and that the EQ and Presence controls are at their midpoint.
Turn the Power Control knob from Standby to 0.5 watts, raise the Gain control to around a quarter, and bring the volume control to its midpoint. Now raise the Master control while lightly strumming your guitar to get the amplifier to the desired volume.
Creating Tones
Now that the amp is turned on and functioning, itâs time to create some tones. Use the Amp Type knob and Variation switch to scroll through the different amp modes. For the sake of an example, select Clean; this amp mode is a very simple, natural-sounding voice.
Raise the gain control to around its midpoint to create a little bite and natural sparkle to your tone. Reduce the bass and boost the middle and treble EQ controls to create a classic âUS cleanâ style tone.
Adding Effects
Next, blend in some reverb by rotating the Reverb knob to around a quarter. You can also scroll through different Reverb voicings by pressing the LED button above the reverb control. You now have a simple, functional, classic guitar tone. Letâs add a bit more character by looking at the effects panel.
Add a little overdrive to your tone by rotating the Boost knob to around a quarter, and scroll through different boost, drive, and fuzz effects by pressing the LED button above the control knob.
Once youâre satisfied with the overdrive tone, letâs add a simple slapback delay to your tone. Rotate the delay knob and scroll through delay tones using the same method applied to the Boost control. Now press the Tap button four times to create a fast, tight slapback delay tone. The feedback of the delay effect can be altered by turning the delay knob up or down to taste.
Saving Tones
We now have a simple amp tone with a specific amp voicing and several effects. You can now save this tone as a preset that we can return to at any time using the Tone Settings buttons on the right-hand side of the control panel.
Press and hold CH1 to save this preset to that channel. If we make any adjustments or switch to other channels, we can press CH1 again to return to the tone we built. This applies to all the CH buttons on the control panel, so itâs easy to build and save basic amp tones without connecting the Katana to a computer and using Tone Studio.
Mastering the Amp Types
Katana is loaded with a comprehensive selection of amp types covering a wide range of musical genres. Depending on the series of Katana you are using, youâll have access to five to 12 unique amp models inspired by the worldâs most popular amps. From Katana MkII onwards, each amp type has a variation mode that offers an alternative version for each amp model. While the variations are subtly different, theyâre a great way to explore alternative tones.
The Acoustic amp type offers a super clean, very neutral amp tone, ideal for use with an acoustic guitar. The Class A/B power section of the Katana is perfect for this application, and the simple three-band EQ is incredibly dynamic in this mode, allowing you to craft a clear, articulate acoustic tone.
Clean
The Clean amp type is the perfect pedal platform. It offers rich, crystal-clear tones, ideal for articulate delays and ambient reverbs. Itâs also the perfect platform for stacking Katanaâs many built-in effects and using external stompboxes. Players who favor particularly aggressive distortions or wildly untamable doom fuzzes will find Katanaâs Clean voicing ideal for getting a complete range response from their pedals without the amplifier preamp pushing into overdrive and adding unwanted muddiness.
Crunch
The Crunch amp type perfectly emulates the tone of a driven tube amp. While this amp mode can be driven into pretty heavily saturated territory, itâs also great for an edge-of-breakup rock and roll-style clean tone. This mode still has enough clean headroom to take effects well without becoming overly muddy, but it also adds a bit more character and dynamic push than the Clean mode.
Lead
The Lead amp type is a thick, heavily saturated high-gain amp voicing. It is perfect for lead work, guitar solos, and melody lines that cut through the mix. This amp mode works best when pushing the gain relatively hard, and combined with an apparent digital delay and plate reverb, it recreates that classic, popular â80s valve amp tone very nicely.
Brown
The Brown amp type is inspired by Eddie Van Halenâs classic boutique-style, modded tube amp tone, aggressively played at full volume. Generations of guitarists have coveted this tone, and Katana offers it in an easily attenuable voicing. It is thick, hugely saturated, almost infinitely sustaining, and surprisingly dynamic.
Pushed
The new Pushed amp type captures the gritty sparkle of a vintage tube amp being pushed into natural break-up. Think of this mode as your 60-year-old collectible recording amp without the price tag or inherent buzzing. Like Crunch, this amp type takes pedals exceptionally well. Try partnering it with a boost and spring reverb to get some rich, dynamic vintage guitar tones. Itâs perfect with a Strat or Tele.
Advanced Effects Manipulation
Katana is loaded with a full complement of the most popular BOSS effects straight from the amplifierâs control panel. The Effects panel includes five categories: Boost, Modulation, Effects, Delay, and Reverb. Each of these categories can be explored via the LED button above the control knob. Pressing the knob will cycle through a selection of effects for each category, and manipulating the control knob will affect several parameters for each effect.
Try stacking multiple effects to create expansive guitar tones. When building these chains, use the Clean amp type for maximum clarity. Now try adding overdrive via the Boost control knob and a phaser using the Mod control knob. Adjust the Modulation knob to define the rate of the phaser. The result is a thick, psychedelic wash of sound. Add a delay and use the tap tempo by rhythmically pressing the LED button above the Delay control. Finally, add some reverb to make the finished tone more cohesive.
You can also control Katanaâs broad range of effects using external footswitches like the GA-FC Foot Controller, the FS series of switches, and any BOSS expression pedals, like the EV-30.
Performance Optimization
Whether performing live or practicing at home, the versatile Power Control feature allows you to optimize your amp tone and dynamics for any situation. Depending on the Katana model, the Power Control section of the amplifier can be set to any one of three unique wattages. Using Power Control, if the headroom varies, dynamics and response will vary accordingly.
This is extremely useful for practicing at low volumes in a home environment while still utilizing the same amp tones that you would at a gig or in a recording. With a lower wattage, the Katana will drive at lower volumes, and any additional effects will react the same way as the amp cranked at a performance.
Advanced Footswitch Techniques
The BOSS Katana is not only packed to the brim with great-sounding amp models and effects, but it also has a few clever tricks for easily controlling those effects and features with footswitches and expression pedals.
The GA-FC is a great way to get more out of your Katana. It includes six individual footswitches that can be used to control individual effects in the same way as a regular stompbox. It also allows you to switch between the four assignable channel presets on Katana, simultaneously switching multiple parameters and effects.
In addition, the GA-FC has two inputs for extra external footswitches or expression pedals, and the Katana amplifier itself has its own dedicated expression pedal input. The Katana can be an incredibly versatile beast with these additional controllers available and assignable to any effect or effect parameter within Tone Studio.
For example, the GA-FCâs additional expression inputs could be used to add the BOSS FS-6 two-button foot controller. A widespread use for this would be assigning one footswitch to control the Solo mode, adding a volume boost to your amp for solos, and the second footswitch to Tap Tempo, giving you easy access to quickly alter the delay time on delay effects.
Alternatively, the GA-FC could be supplemented with a single footswitch, such as the FS-5U, and an expression pedal, such as the EV-30. The footswitch could then scroll between two different assignments for the expression pedal. For example, it could select between wah and delay feedback so that the Expression pedal could control one or the other depending on the setting.
Expression pedals can be assigned to control any effect parameter within Katana. From chorus modulation rate to pitch to volume to gain, this is a handy function for creating complex effects without investing in expensive external equipment.
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Thank you for going through the effort to find this. I have the Reference Manual from BOSS but it doesnât go into detail on the effect types either. I will review this info and experiment with the amp. Thanks again!
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Iâm going to guess that your main issue is that youâre not familiar with the individual effects?
The various manuals/guides will be written on the assumption that the user knows what the effects are, as itâs a lot of information to put in a manual, which the majority of users wonât need.
Iâd suggest you do some experimenting.
Iâll give some pointers, just running through the signal chain I can get on my Katana:GO.
Boost (encompasses Distortion/Overdrive/Drive/Boost/Fuzz) are all about boosting/amplifying the signal, which at the minimal end simply boosts the signal slightly mostly giving a bit more âdepthâ to the tone, going all the way to the extreme end, with the signal fully saturated and giving that out right crunch tone.
In actual pedal format, different boosts give a different tones. Iâve got quite a few Fuzz pedals, and they all give subtly different tones, and although a couple can do that out and out âfuzzâ sound, I prefer them providing a bit subtle boost.
A T-Screamer is probably a safe place to start with experimenting, as the Tube Screamer is a classic Fuzz/Boost pedal. If you want to play with outright harsh fuzz, Muff Fuzz (aka Muff Driver) is a good start. Or you could go for some classic Distortion (aka DS-1). RAT is also worth trying, or if you want dark tones, the Metal options are worth trying.
EQ aka Equalizer is all about filtering frequencies. Too much bass/booming, drop the lower frequencies. Want more highs, boost the highs. Although for most guitar work, youâll most likely want to boost the middle frequencies a bit.
Modulation is a very varied category, and basically covers anything not covered in the more specific categories of effects.
Iâd suggest trying each one, and googling for information if youâre not sure what it actually does.
The most common ones that youâre likely to use, are Tremolo, and Compressor.
However once you try some others, youâll likely recognise where theyâve been used in some classic songs. Thing like Chorus were popular in 80s rock/pop, or Wahs used to create a swooping sound (Wah is basically an EQ pedal, that filters and amplifies a varying frequency range depending on pedal position).
Rotary can be fun to play with, although I find watching videos of itâs origins in the Leslie Speaker more interesting.
Delay/Reverb are fairly similar.
Reverb is used to recreate that slight echo/ambience/reverb you get when playing in a small place (aka a very short delay), whereas Delay is about a longer replay of the signal, and can be seconds long.
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You are correct, I am not familiar with effects and thanks for providing the descriptions. I will review and experiment.
However, I still have my basic question: on the BOSS 50, there are pre-programmed effects and I have yet to find any documentation as to what they are. I know you can get into each one through the Tone Studio software, but out of the box, as a stand alone amplifier, when I turn the Booster knob off â0â, the light turns green - what effect is that? When I push the Booster effect button to change the color to orange - what effect is that? Same for the others. Again, Iâm having a problem getting the Tone Studio program to connect with my amp so I canât âlook insideâ yet.
Thanks again for all the comments.
I follow this thread and read the posts with a lot of interest.
Again, Iâm impressed by how helpful and supportive this community is and more advanced members share their knowledge and experience.
I have lots of Green Day songs on my wishlist, and finding the iconic sound is a constant struggle for me (not a techie at all 
).
Playing/messing around and experimenting with my amp can be a lot of fun too, but I guess my fingers should spend more time on the strings of my guitar rather than fumbling around with all the knobs and possible settings of my amp for hours and hours.
So every help and advice for a shortcut here is very much appreciated.
Thanks a lot for all the helpful contributions in this thread 
Ah. I canât help you there.
How are you trying to connect, via PC, or Phone App?
Iâm using an older laptop with Windows 10. As Gunhild says I received helpful suggestions to my post on Justin Guitar Community and will be trying again later today.
OK, got to spend some time on this yesterday. Hereâs the series of steps I took:
Plug amp in, connect it to the laptop, switch on standby and master knob at minimum, turn amp on.
Open BOSS Tone Studio
Message: Choose a device to connect with - KATANA3 - OK
Message: You are using an older version of Katana Gen 3, upgrade to the latest version - OK
I read somewhere that the USB driver on the amp needs to be set to KATANA3/Vendor; that statement is not in the KATANA 3 System Program (VER107) update instructions, but the driver selection instruction is. So I disconnected the amp from the computer and turned it off. I then held the BOOSTER button down and turned the amp on. Waited about a minute and turned it off again.
Master knob is still at minimum, hold TAP button, turn amp on. Effects lights flash approx once per second.
Connect amp to laptop - KATANA3 shows up as E: drive on file explorer.
In the meantime I downloaded the KATANA3_sys_V107.zip file and opened it to get the KATANA3_sys_V107 file folder.
Open E: drive in file explorer and drag KATANA3_sys_V107 file folder into it. âCopy completeâ window shows.
Right click on KATANA3 E: drive, click on Eject - E: window closes. âSafe to remove hardwareâ message.
NOTE: up to this time the effects lights are flashing approx 1 per second.
Disconnect amp from computer - effects lights now flash approx twice as fast.
The instruction step 7 says that the effects indicators âlight upâ while the update is in progress and when finished they flash slowly, but that is not what I experienced.
I let it run about a minute and turned the amp off per step 8.
I then went through the first steps above and got the same âusing an older versionâ message so the upgrade didnât work.
I know this isnât the place to request help for a software issue, but I do appreciate your help!
My issue got resolved! Someone provided a video of the program upgrade procedure that I was able to follow and got the Tone Studio connected to my amp (see my post on the Justin guitar community). So I was able to see the âdefaultâ effects and they are:
Booster: Blues driver, overdrive, distortion (green, red, orange typ)
MOD: Chorus, Phaser, Flanger
Delay: Digital, Analog, Tape
FX: Tremolo, T. Wah, Octaver
Reverb: Plate, Spring, Hall
So now when I experiment with the Booster on Red, I am using an overdrive effect and so on. To me its important to know what Iâm using when playing around with it.
Thanks, everyone, for your helpful comments!
@TonyD
Thanks for listing the effects and colours, Tony.
I have an Artist Gen 3 and itâll be useful to know what the different effects are. (Assuming the colours are the same on all models)