@@jonrogers1497 the Ex has line out but it’s not speaker out, it’s for recording. The impedance of a line out jack is much higher than a speaker jack, it won’t drive a speaker.
Since the plastic walls are rather thin, I would put a metal washer or some self-made one from a scrap piece of plastic between the jacks and the walls on the inside. Helps to distribute the forces from plugging in and pulling out so you don't end up cracking your housing.
TIP: When soldering the speakers turn the amp on its side so the speakers are facing down. If any solder drips then it wont drip on to the PCB. Better still try and re-use the speaker connectors that were cut off at the start or buy some new ones (it will be worth it). If you have to solder: Do it outside the amp.
@@TheGuitarGeek it's a warranty void already anyway don't sweat it and get Boss to send another one ahahahahaha!! I'm sure they're having a laugh while also biting their fingers all the way to the end of the video lol!!
Finally you did the mod! Thank you!👍🏻 I think the Air is still a perfect practice amp! I have the normal Katana 100 but I still often use the Air to practice!
Great video. When I was a kid I did this with my Boombox so it could drive large speakers at home but could still be used portably. It worked almost exactly the same as you showed in this video. You could probably do this with just about anything with stereo speakers on it.
OG hero- love the scarlet ghost avatar to boot. was the boombox the one with little speakers that popped off to spread out when parked at home, with the pull-out tape deck you could use as a walkman? (ie shockwave the decepticon) ... had that on my uncle's old speakers held together with electric tape until i learned to solder- thanks radioshack!
Thanks, I just did this modification to my Katana Air and it sounds great. I was considering selling it and getting the Katana Air Ex but opted for this mod instead and I am super happy with the result.
Warranty void! For such a simple mod that so cheap to do at home, I'm really surprised that Boss didn't do this from the factory because with their economies of scale it would cost them even less! Although maybe a purpose move to not overlap with their own other products?
Warranty void! Awesome video Andy! It always blows my mind a bit that the speaker in the signal chain makes such a difference. It’s often an afterthought. You’d never guess you were playing a tiny little home practice amp. I’d love to see a comparison between the Katana Air and the Spark.
Correct me, if I'm wrong, but I think, that it is also important to use external cabinet of same impedance as internal speakers are of. Otherwise you could damage the power amp section.
Great video - as always on your channel! In your Thomann-Parts-List you have referenced a wrong jack socket: it should be NMJ4HC-S instead of NMJ2 HC-S which is not switchable and not available at Thomann Germany.
I’m very impressed that it works so well and was so loud. Yet I’m Disappointed that Boss doesn’t have a single jack for external Speaker cabinet to be used . Would make this traveling amp near perfect idea. This might change my purchase of this amp.
Warranty definitely voided! Fun vid Andy, thanks! I recently ran the amp out to newly installed external speaker socket on a 5w/8" spkr Champ wannabe and ran it through a 12" Celestion G12H cab (not forgetting to use speaker cable and always making sure either the 8" or 12" speaker was connected to give the amp load). Amazing how loud 5 tube watts can be, especially in a cab with lots of air - so best of both worlds, either funky boxy 8" or bigger cleaner louder 12"...simple cheap mod with big payback. Cheers
Warranty void!! Thanks Andy for your demonstration and the mods you did a perfect job I thought the speakers might have blown but brother you pulled it off! Have a wonderful day mate!
Did this to a late 90s Kustom reissue tuck n roll combo a few years back and it has been one of my favorite amps since. Run it through eminence swamp thangs and it is so loud.
Very cool mate, well done. I love how you have spazzy different coloured wires everywhere because it's just what you had laying around at the time. I do the same. I been watching your vids for ages but only just noticed I wasn't subscribed, so now I am. And warranty void!
Nice mod. Another option would be a stereo/mono auto connect - one cable mono with both channels, two cables stereo. Also, the speakers in Air is not guitar speakers. I would like to hear your mod into FRFR speakers, like studio monitors or a PA. Another interesting mod would be: removing the speakers, put the electronics into a small box. Powered by a boss plug, center neg from a power supply. Voila, a pedalboard amp!
The warranty void is a bad thing. Actually, my HB-80R has a mono out to a cabinet. I don't know what it is, but to me, this sounds like cheap little plastic speakers. I know it's not the HB-cab, that actually sounds great, so there must be a different reason.
The reason is that the speakers on the Katana Air are most likely hi-fi speakers, not guitar cabinet speakers. So the guitar cabs are receiving the signal that was tailored to a very different type of speaker.
Clever. No one should ever try this WARRANTY VOID, but could you do this mod without soldering if you just put the quick connect terminals on the new jack and a second set of wires with quick connect terminals from jacks to the internal speakers? Or would the quick connect terminals not work on the new jack? Thanks for sharing.
I tried that at first but the spades did. It fit as one side was too small. Buying new spade connectors is an option of course but I won’t be undoing this mod on my amp
I did this mod with a cheap Behringer 30W practice amp I got a while back for something to do. FYI the internal speaker sounded like a$$. Worked out fine. Ran it into my Marshall 4x12 for kicks, and it sound like a$$ through a 4x12 ;)
Warranty Void. Cool mod but isn’t the speakers in the Katana Air FRFR speakers? I’m not sure, just asking. If they are, wouldn’t this mod be better served by using a PA speaker?
Thank you for the confirmation of my idea for that exact mod to my Blackstar ID Core 40 stereo amp which I got for under $100 a couple of years ago. Another few bucks and I'll have a more versatile amp which I plan to plug into my surround system for a more well rounded sound.. I only play in my room so this along with a switching box I'll custom build for the purpose, will do the trick quite nicely thank you. and Yes the sub woofer is included in the surround system. Actually there two subs so a bit of boom boom from a my guitar may be there too..
the new EX is the same amp with bigger speakers. Im now wondering if I should re house my air into a new wooden cab ad go one better than the EX and use 6.5 ich speakers
Need external speakers because near impossible to get away from small plastic box sound of internal speakers. Years ago I put a similar mod to my Vox AC1 (9 v battery, 1 watt with a tailwind). It drove my friend's JBL PA speakers surprisingly well. Thanks for vid
I use an 1/8" to 1/4" adapter in the headphone/record out port. Keep the volume on the katana air low for better sound quality (because it's solid state) while using the other amps volume to crank it up. Or use an aux chord. You can run it through a home stereo system, car system or whatever. Perhaps a Bluetooth adapter would work in other scenarios. I've even used a cassette adapter. Be advised that if you're playing through something other than an instrument speaker it may cause damage or failure if you run it too loud
They can be found virtually everywhere and have been used/sold for decades. An aux chord is an 1/8"×1/8" male to male chord. Some car stereos come with a port for these. You might find one at any dollar store or even gas station. The 1/8" to 1/4" isn't as easy but Walmart or bimart should have it. You can plug an aux chord into it and it turns the 1/8" male into a 1/4" male for house stereos or whatever. The cassette adapter looks like a cassette tape with a wire coming out and a 1/8" male plug on the end. Helpful when connecting to older house and car stereos. Walmart or bimart might have them. If any of these places don't Amazon will. If you live somewhere where sound is illegal these adapters make it possible to drive to open space and play as loud as you like. If you just want to piss off all the crybabys in the campground or electronics department of a store by playing live punk rock or metal or maybe draw attention to yourself in an unfamiliar town by performing through a car system these adapters make all that possible. Adapters make it possible to use otherwise outdated equipment which is nice because the "outdated" stuff is louder more reliable and higher quality not to mention plentiful and cheap. Be warned...companies are writing programs that block adapters. That's why cell phones have never had a "line out" port. They want to sell you internet for your house, your phone, and your car instead of using one connection. They want to sell you cable even though you can watch everything you ever wanted on your phone. And lastly they want your bank credentials, the ability to track you, and the ability to sell their crap to you wherever you are. That's why analog should remain. It's done a wonderful job broadcasting video and sound for more than a century and is still working just fine without needing a credit card. "It's not the strongest, nor the smartest species that survive...it's the ones that are most able to adapt." - Darwin-
Warranty void! So if I have to use a single speaker cabinet, it has to be a 4ohm cabinet? Otherwise it always has to be 2 cabs? Awesome vid BTW! Thanks!
Ok, question. If i have a 100 watt amp driving 1 speaker you get a given volume. If you run 4 speakers to that same amp does each speaker only put out 25% of the volume? So is 4 actually louder or quieter than 1.
The amp will probably be giving out less power driving the 8ohm cabs, so you will be gaining speaker cone area but loosing wattage. Also, the katana will be voiced for it's internal speakers. Warranty Void!!!
Great video. Up to me there should be more of this ‘don’t do this at home’ videos for those who have thoughts on modifying one of the Katana amps (and who are a bit stubborn of course :-) ). A thought I have is adding a send return out and in to the Katana 50. The ‘in’ is there,, but when using, the signal from the preamp and effects is disconnected. This signal is however still available and it must be possible to lead this signal out via a jack (which will create the send signal). Any thoughts on this noughty idea? B.t.w. In this video. Switching only both red wires would have been sufficient to do the job. For those who have already single switching jacks on the shelf.
What about delivering the output signal through the headphones / rec out socket through an amplifier and to some larger speakers? No drilling, no soldering, no warranty void...
Warranty void. I did this to my Katana mini(after watching your video) and a Vox Pathfinder 10. Because the Pathfinder 10 has an 8ohm stock speaker, it drives my 1x12 cabinet really well.
Hi Andy. Nice, nice, nice. Isn't there some issues that the speaker control from the amp carries some InputResponse si,ulation that helps it make sound big from small speakers and makes it sound OKay from a Stereo Playback of Audio files through (air) Jam along / AUX inputs? Doesn't this ruin the sound?
Warranty Void. I possibly should have watched this before I bought my Katana 50EX - which I chose because I've been very happy with the Air. I miss the wireless feature too. I'm going to buy a set before I trip over the guitar lead. 😜
You could have got micro spades to put on the 1/4" connections and no soldering. The only other issue is there is no way to switch the channels on this amp while you're playing. If someone had a way to do that via another 1/4" jack and pedalboard that would be pretty cool This is where Boss really failed to deliver what home and practicing guitarist really need. As well as being able to take to rehearsal instead of lugging a heavy tube head with you all the time.
Ok, question. Yes, you have bigger, better, speakers (and more of them). However, you're still only running the 30 watts from the katana, right? Are the results basically like setting the katana in a large box or is it really louder than the katana by itself? So here lies my real question. Could I build my own speaker box along with oh say a 100watt automobile amplifier, and plug the katana signal directly to the new amp. Would I truly amplify the katana's capabilties?
I'm looking forward for your take on the Katana Air Ex. They have put an official battery mod, and a line out on it, but no speaker out, wtf why!? This is nonsense and so frustrating. The neat thing would be a mono 8ohm output instead of 2x4ohm. So far so good, I'll probably try it on my Ex (the amp). It's so frustrating how it's good and still miss that one little thing that would make it legendary, Dammit Roland! Thank you a lot, you are by far one of the most useful and cool youtuber I'm watching.
Have done something similar to a Laney LX12 practice amp I have a few weeks back. Just added an effects loop between its preamp and power amp and alsolso, added a speaker out jack. No joy is more that the tone I get from this amp now and some basic pedals, not even the tones of the Katana 100 mkII 🤣 Self modding is a joy as long as you acknowledge the risks 🤣
Hey Andy, I have a new katana artist, I often like to use an 8 ohm external speaker along with my amp speaker with my other combos. Will it damage the amp if I plug into both internal and external speakers into each 16 ohm speaker output? Thanks
...I'm getting ready to purchase a boss katana air for practice purposes. When I do get it you can be sure I'll be doing this "Warranty-Void!" Speaker out Jack Mod! For sure! My only question is witch 2×12 cabs I'll be using with it!?
04.Aug/2022 If you are looking for a Bluetooth pedal that can control the Katana Air, here's some clarification: When switching the sound from crunch in mode 2 to clean with the Airstep BW on the panel, the Xsonic Airstep BW needs up to 1 second to switch from crunch to clean sound, which is too long for me personally! The Airstep Update App also runs stable on Android, but the update almost always fails! I can only recommend the Airstep BW if you accept that the switching time is 1 second when switching to the clean channel on the Katana Air's panel. The problem is not with the amp but with the Xsonic Airstep BW Bluetooth controller pedal. Besides this one latency switching problem, the Airstep BW controller is very good! Xsonic manufacturers: Can you fix this issue in the next update? Good to know: The Boss Katana Librarian App does not support the Katana Air! Can Roland- Boss solve the problem? Question for you musicians: Have any of you tested the Boss EV-1-WL with Boss FS6 or FS-7 and what is the switching time before switching the Katana Air? Thank you for your willingness to help. (guitar teacher and repair service)
I did this mod to my Katana 50 Mk-I. I used an external box with the same type of jack. Made speaker cables with male and female ends so I could connect to the existing wire ends and speaker of the Katana. Similar to Andy's Katana 100 mod but using the switching jack, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2k_LsrxMUTw.html I could return it back to stock just by unplugging the external box. The only marks left on the original amp would be two tiny screw holes from where I attacked the plastic box. So, no _warranty void_ ed.
Warranty void. I'm afraid to do this (or rather let someone do it) to my Spark. Would be great though... Andy, would you like to try the same with a Spark?
Side question? As far as the katana goes I think it's a great little amp. However, when I'm using the included wireless transmitter, I have almost NO sustain. If I use a cable, it's fine. In fact if I use a separate set of wireless transmitters it's fine. There's something about the katana transmitter that just sucks. I'm wondering if it's just MY katana or is this ALL katana air transmitters?
I have 2 amps, katana air and also the artist. I love the tones i'm getting from the air, but I love the power of the artist. Is there any harm in running a cable from the air's headphone jack to the artist's aux in? Is there a risk of harming either amp by running it this way? Only reason I do this is I cant seem to dial the same tones soley into the artist.
my spark 40s getting some tone holes :-) how big a bass cab could you power with a 40w, though? harley benton cabs here i come - was scared of the 4/8/16 ohms bit, but WARRANTY VOID! sign me up
An observation : If the internal speakers are full range ass boss states ,it means the amp should have some sort of cab emulation going on (otherwise it would al sound awful) if that’s the case ,it shouldn’t sound very good into an actual guitar cab (a cab sim into a real cab usually sound muffled ) So how’s about that??
Thats totally fantastic ! But i have a question, how we can make sure about we dont overload the Katana's power amp ? You said be careful to resistances of speakers but is it enough?
Warranty void! I'm planning on doing the same mod to an old Vox valvetronix because the alleged out via the headphone socket bypasses the valve stage... and I usually switch it to manual and use it as a barebones regular amp. Because I can!
@theguitargeek Neutrik NMJ2 HC-S listed on Thomann is not the right one I guess because it is missing 2 connectors, must be Neutrik NMJ4 HC-S instead right?
I think the biggest issue is that the Katana Air is likely voiced for it's tiny enclosure and speakers, running it through big cabs may make getting a decent sound difficult.
Warranty Void I like the Yamaha THR series but it lacks an FX loop. There are mods to do it, but it looks very complicated. Perhaps that should be your next video... show us exactly how easy or hard it is.
This is a great mod and, one day, when I find a switching socket, I will do this on my Katana Mini, yes, I have seen your video on that too! I get its loud BUT, man, the tone is NOT good! Sounds seriously tinny! Warranty void :-)
Out of curiosity what do you lose simply using the aux as your output? It's not a tube amp so it doesn't need the resistance to keep from blowing up. I have the katana 50 and wireless guitar cables so the air doesn't really interest me atm but if the air had released first I totally would have went for that! I realize line out would not power a speaker cab, more thinking along the lines of studio monitors or speakers with a "line in"
The Thomann link to the parts used shows the wrong set og Neutrik inputs with two slugs instead of four. I ordered unfortunately via the link. Major bummer.
Simultaneously watching a premier, downloading a game on apple tv and texting on the phone, while being tired from along and busy work day, will void my guarantee 🤪🤯
Warranty Void! Andy my amp is broken, but that's unrelated to this video and more related to the fact my son spilt his apple juice on it. Any mods for that?
@@TheGuitarGeek Haven't done it yet. I didn't even know that kind of bypass jack/socket existed prior to watching your video. My first plan was to disable the built in speakers completely and just connect the speaker mains to a regular 1/4 inch jack.
I will be back with more Katana answers! Sub here - ru-vid.com 0:00 Intro 0:18 What does the Katana Air do? 0:58 DO NOT DO THIS MOD, OK? 1:41 The Mods begin 9:28 The finished product 9:35 Words of warning 11:41 The first time hearing the extension cabs! 12:05 Turning it up.. It is LOUD! 12:36 How loud compared to a voice 12:50 Insane 13:21 Some cleans
