BOSS has introduced two new additions to the growing family of bass models within the best-selling Katana amplifier lineup.
The Katana-500 Bass Head raises professional bass amplification to the next level with advanced BOSS technology. It features refined preamp circuity, diverse onboard tone tools, a newly developed 500-watt Class D power amp, and an innovative Cab Resonance feature to optimize the amp’s performance for any speaker cabinet. The Katana Cabinet 112 Bass is an ideal companion for the Katana-500 Bass Head, providing powerful, well-defined sound with its two-way speaker design and 500-watt power capacity.
Katana-500 Bass Head
The compact Katana-500 Bass Head brings serious bassists a next-generation sound experience backed by decades of BOSS R&D. This amp is incredibly clear, punchy, and responsive, realized with 500 watts of carefully tuned Class D power. Cab Resonance takes things further, using high-tech calibration to internally fine-tune the power output section for the user’s preferred speaker cabinet.
With a simple button press, the Cab Resonance feature in the Katana-500 Bass Head calibrates the amp’s reactive output stage circuitry to match the unique impedance and frequency properties of the connected cabinet. This proprietary BOSS process analyzes numerous elements, including the lowest frequency the cabinet can produce, high-end resonances, and many other factors. With this information, advanced processing dynamically enhances the output to provide superior feel and response, powerful lows, and high-definition overall sound.
The Katana-500 Bass Head offers a deep selection of controls to hone the primary sound. There’s a four-band active EQ with three adjustable frequency options for both the low-mid and high-mid controls. A Bottom knob tunes the low end for different stages, while three Hi Cut settings smooth the sound as needed. With the Shape button, users can instantly revoice the amp with mid-scoop, bright, and wide-range curves.
The Katana-500 Bass Head also includes sophisticated tone-shaping tools to refine the fundamental sound. Via the Amp Feel switch, the player can apply Modern or Vintage tonal characteristics for different styles if desired. Comp and Drive types are available to control dynamics and introduce grit and aggression, while the FX section provides three bass-tuned effects for color and inspiration. There’s also a Blend knob to dial in some direct bass sound for additional clarity.
The Katana-500 Bass Head integrates a versatile range of connectivity into its compact design. Two locking-style speaker outputs support high-current operation, and the XLR line output can be used to send a direct, pre, or post signal to a house PA. Players can shape the line output voice from the front panel with three mic’d speaker emulation presets and three custom settings. There’s also a dual-function output for headphones practice or analog recording, plus USB for capturing mix-ready tracks in computer music software.
With BOSS Tone Studio for Windows and macOS, players can edit amp parameters and access over 60 BOSS effects to swap alternate types for the Comp, Drive, and FX sections. Plugging in a GA-FC or GA-FC EX foot controller provides remote operation of numerous amp functions, including the front-panel user memory and two additional memories. The optional Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor allows users to stream music from a mobile device and wirelessly shape tones via the BTS editor app for iOS and Android.
Katana Cabinet 112 Bass
The Katana Cabinet 112 Bass delivers big, punchy, and articulate sound for any professional bass amp. It’s an ideal match for the Katana-500 Bass Head, providing full support for the amp’s 500-watt output in a compact, space-saving footprint.
The Katana Cabinet 112 Bass features a two-way design with a 12-inch woofer and a high-frequency tweeter. It comes loaded with an Eminence Neodymium Series woofer, a highly regarded driver with powerful sound and reduced weight.
Switches on the rear panel allow the tweeter to be bypassed or set to two preset levels. The cabinet features locking-style connectors on the primary speaker input and the link output for connecting a second cabinet.
The Katana-500 Bass Head and the Katana Cabinet 112 Bass are available to purchase at authorized US BOSS retailers in May for $799.99 USD and $699.99 USD, respectively.
Additionally, BOSS has announced a new hands-on bass processor with a compact design, premium effects and preamps, and versatile connectivity.
ME-90B Bass Multiple Effects
The BOSS ME series has been a favorite of gigging musicians for over three decades, combining multi-effects power with hands-on control for building tones in seconds. The ME-90B features 61 unique effects optimized for bass and 10 bass preamps crafted with advanced AIRD technology, housed in a rugged, all-in-one package that’s ready to travel anywhere.
The ME-90B delivers everything a performing bassist needs, accessed via the classic BOSS ME interface for fast stompbox-style operation. There are eight footswitches and an expression pedal with an integrated toe switch, and the onboard effects are organized into logical categories with independent parameter knobs. Manual mode enables on/off footswitch control of each category, while Memory mode provides 36 custom multi-effect setups to choose from. Every footswitch has a different LED color for easy identification, and it’s possible to set all LEDs to light in a fixed color for each mode if desired.
The vast effects selection in the ME-90B includes essential tone shapers like compressors, pitch effects, and filters, powerful drive and synth effects, and a wide variety of modulation types, delays, and reverbs. There are also many dedicated effects for expression pedal control. A Blend knob allows the player to mix in some direct bass sound for clarity, and a send/return loop is available to patch in favorite stompbox effects.
The ME-90B’s Preamp/EQ section features ten AIRD preamp types, complete with gain and EQ knobs for rapid sound adjustment. Included are BOSS originals like Natural and Drive Bass, along with authentic models of classic bass amplifiers from vintage to modern. There’s also an Acoustic type optimized for acoustic-electric and upright bass pickups, plus an EQ-only option for clean DI tones.
With its versatile connectivity and compact, battery-powered design, the ME-90B can take on every playing scenario. The 1/4-inch outputs support mono or stereo operation, with quick optimization for stage amps or line-level devices via a rear-panel switch. There’s also an XLR jack with a ground lift for sending a balanced DI signal to a house PA. The ME-90B’s preamps and effects provide studio-quality sound for direct USB recording in music production software. And with the headphone jack, players can quietly hone their chops while jamming with backing tracks from a computer over USB.
BOSS Tone Studio for Windows and macOS allows users to edit tones and change out some amp and effect types with alternate selections. It’s also possible to organize memories for different gigs and supplement the onboard speaker IRs with three user-supplied selections. The BOSS Tone Exchange website provides a growing range of professional sound collections and the ability to share Livesets with the worldwide ME-90B community. Using the optional Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor, players can stream music from a mobile device and wirelessly shape tones via the dedicated BTS editor app for iOS and Android.
The new BOSS ME-90B Bass Multiple Effects is available now for purchase at authorized US BOSS retailers for $399.99 USD.
More information: BOSS
