Though playing through a huge rig can be supremely satisfying, it's not really practical for jamming at home. Boss has birthed a new 10-W combo amp that packs tube-like Katana tones and effects into a battery-powered compact frame.
Tube amps have a special place in the hearts and minds of guitarists old and new. There's just something magical about the way they move air that solid-state amps can't reproduce. At least that's how it used to be.
The relentless quick-march of modeling technology development has kept biting at the heels of these tone monarchs for the last few years, adding more and more converts to the player roster – including many tube diehards.
Not only do modeling amps offer pretty darn convincing emulations of favorites and icons, but they're roadie-friendly too. That's because, instead of having to haul a collection of different heavy heads, cabs and combos to venues or studios, a single unit can put multiple amp tones and effects at your fingertips.
FX titan Boss joined the modeling amp party in 2016 with its Katana line, with the signature "class defying sound" proving a winner for bedroom noodlers, gigging professionals and studio rats alike – despite serious competition from the likes of Kemper and Positive Grid.
The Roland brand has now launched an update to a compact and portable model released in 2017, which was competitively priced to make "serious Katana tone accessible to everyone." The new Mini X builds on its ancestor's feature set but outputs at 10 watts (instead of 7 W) and dials in six sonic flavors across three classic amp types. The high-gain Brown option, the overdriven Crunch setting and the dynamic Clean mode each get a tonal variation, with the lattermost offering the kind of uncolored sound that electro-acoustic or bass players will appreciate.
Like the original Mini, the X features a multi-stage analog gain circuit for "highly expressive tones with immersive depth and dimension." But this update has been built around the Boss Tube Logic design for a full-fat tube-like response and tones through the custom 5-inch speaker, "including searing high-gain solo sounds and tight metal rhythm tones dripping with saturation and harmonic complexity."
Two effects sections are included that offer a total of 10 FX between them. These sections operate independently of one another, which enables two effects to run simultaneously – meaning you could dial in some tasty wah with added verb or rock a phaser with delay, for example. The X also comes with an analog tone stack for natural three-band EQ tweaking.
Though Bluetooth has been added to the recipe, this is for streaming in backing/jam tracks from a smartphone only. The compact Katana doesn't appear to allow customization through the Katana family's user-friendly tone-shaping app, and you'll need to plug your instrument into the input jack – no wireless shenanigans here. You'll also need to cable up headphones for quiet playing. A handy guitar/bass tuner has also been included.
Where the Mini model runs on AA-sized batteries, the new portable amp sports a USB-rechargeable nickel-metal hydride battery that's reckoned good for 10 hours of use for every 3 hours plugged in.
The 11.3 x 7.8 x 5.7-inch (287 x 200 x 145-mm) Boss Katana-Mini X goes on sale from next month for US$149.99, which makes it cheaper than the Spark Mini but Positive Grid's portable smart amp does feature two speakers and works with the excellent Spark app.
Product page: Katana-Mini X