Boss has some big news for owners of its Katana MkII series of guitar amps, with the release of its GA-FC EX Foot Controller offering players a host of new features and enhancing the functionality of the super-versatile modelling amps.
The GA-FC EX really goes to town. Those who own two Katanas can now control both simultaneously or independently via the floor unit. But, even if you restrict yourself to one Katana at a time, there’s a lot to like here, with dual-colour LEDs making channel-switching easier – particularly in low-light situations – and the capacity to combine footswitches for simultaneous channel switching and accessing effects.
In that sense, the GA-FC EX does not make its predecessor, the GA-FC, obsolete. It’s more an expansion on the theme, performing all the same functions but making it more customisable.
It is designed to be integrated with other peripherals, adding another expression pedal input for a total of three. If you run an FS-5U through one of these, you can use it as a tap-tempo, boost, or A/B switch if you connect an FS-5U.
All this makes the Katana more stage-ready, but given the amount of sounds on offer, and how it arranges the amp models and effects, a foot controller is essential to get the most out of the amp.
The Effects switch allows players to toggle between Effects and Function mode. In Effects mode, the LEDs illuminate green and you can use the unit as a de facto pedalboard, using the footswitches to turn your booster, mod, FX, delay and reverb effects on and off.
Press and hold the Effects switch for Function mode, in which the LEDs light red, and you can control a variety of functions. By default, Booster Solo, switching the wah/whammy on or off, looper and tap tempo 1 and 2 are selectable, but hooking the unit up to the Boss Tone Studio computer editor allows you to assign functions.
The GA-FC EX offers all this new functionality on Boss’s Katana-Artist MkIl, Katana-Head MkII, Katana-100 MkII, and Katana-100/212 MkII amplifiers, and is available now, priced £129 / $149.
See Boss for more information.
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