Equalisation, Channels & Presets
On top of these versatile built-in sounds, you can also take advantage of a Silverline’s comprehensive 5-band EQ section. With Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence and Resonance controls, these enable complete control over the key areas of your guitar’s sound. Although the larger BOSS Katana MkII amps feature ‘Cab Resonance’ switches with 3 different settings, the sweep-able Resonance controls on Silverline amps are more intuitive and allow for precise adjustment of the lows.
It’s worth mentioning that on the smaller Silverline Standard and Special amps, some of these EQ knobs are missing from their control panels. However, they can cleverly be accessed via the ‘TAP’ button, with alternative controls adjusting those parameters. So for example, to control the Resonance and Presence you can simply press the TAP button and use the Bass and Treble knobs respectively. To alter the mid-range, you can employ the TAP function in conjunction with the ‘ISF’ control.
Speaking of which, Blackstar’s renowned and patented ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) knob further expands a Silverline’s flexible EQ. In its standard mode, this lets you change from a mid-rich British-inspired sound to a scooped American tone. There are almost no limits to the amount of tweaking that you can do with these amps!
Similarly to the Katana MkII series, all Blackstar Silverline models boast 4 channels with separate banks letting you store and recall different sets of unique sounds. But whereas Katana MkII amplifiers are limited to a total of 8 onboard tones, Silverlines can store 12 with a whopping 128 patches accessible via the compatible Blackstar FS-10 footswitch!
Built-In Effects
Blackstar’s Silverline digital amps are arguably their most comprehensive offerings ever. And alongside the various amp voices and power tube sounds that they provide, Silverlines also come with built-in effects that let you embellish their convincing core tones. Although Blackstar isn’t known for its effects in the same way that BOSS are, that company does offer a modest line of pedals and has drawn upon its experience in the stompbox world to create a palette of digital effects for its Silverline amps – based on classic, boutique designs.
With ‘MOD’ (modulation), ‘DLY’ (delay) and ‘REV’ (reverb) ‘segments’, these each encompass 4 different effects. So for example, the modulation segment lets you choose between phaser, flanger, chorus and tremolo effects. This means that you have a total of 12 built-in effects, and all 3 segments can be used simultaneously. While this gives you a lot of options, the Silverline series does fall short on effects when compared to BOSS’ Katana MkII amps. That’s because the latter feature 15 effects overall, and 5 of those can be used together.
Blackstar’s INSIDER software lets you make in-depth tweaks to the Silverline’s built-in effects. With an interface that isn’t too dissimilar to BOSS’ Tone Studio, you can easily change certain parameters that aren’t physically adjustable on the amps themselves.
If you’ve already seen photos of Blackstar’s Silverline amps, you may have been slightly disappointed to see that they lacked effects loops. However, Blackstar has also cleverly hidden them in a similar fashion to the EQ controls disguised on their smaller Silverline models. Applicable to the larger Deluxe models only, you can use the INSIDER software to change the ‘MP3/Line In’ and ‘Emulated Output’ jacks into ‘Send’ and ‘Return’ inputs/outputs. This means that you can seamlessly use your external modulation and time-based effects with these amps too.
Additional Features
One of the key USPs of Backstar’s Silverline amps are their SHARC digital signal processors. Used in premium amp modelling units like Fractal’s Axe FX III, the high-performance SHARC DSP platform runs algorithms that recreate analogue circuit parameters with supreme accuracy – right down to component level. So Blackstar Silverlines are not modelling amps in the typical sense, but are able to provide stunning boutique valve tones via their highly-powerful and flexible digital platform.
Efficient Class D power amps are also key in the design of Blackstar Silverline amps. More customary in active PA speakers, Class D power amps are extremely dynamic and linear, and Blackstar essentially pre-voices its Silverlines’ Class D power amp stages with its digital wizardry. This is therefore what gives Blackstar’s TVP technology so much conviction, allowing the Silverline amps to achieve the dynamics and frequency responses of traditional tube amplifiers.
Celestion V-Type speakers give Blackstar’s Silverline amps more of a premium vibe too. While BOSS’ Katana amps feature proprietary speakers, these aftermarket Celestion V-Types are extremely well-made and project extremely well onstage. Celestion are considered the industry standard when it comes to guitar amp speakers afterall – so you know they’re good! This is definitely a big-plus-point for Blackstar’s Silverline amplifiers.
Key Features Compared
While we’ve explained the specific features of these similar amps in great detail, seeing their key specs directly compared makes it easier to understand if one better suits your needs over the other. And that’s exactly why we’ve created the table below, putting their features side-by-side:
|
BOSS Katana MkII |
Blackstar Silverline |
Amp Sounds |
5 (Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brown, Acoustic), 10 In Total (With ‘Variation’ Function) |
6 (Clean Warm, Clean Bright, Crunch, Super Crunch, OD 1, OD 2) |
Built-In Effects |
15 (Booster, Modulation, FX, Delay, Reverb – 3 Of Each Type) |
12 (Modulation, Delay & Reverb – 4 Of Each Type) |
Built-In Tuner |
No |
Yes |
Channels |
4 (Except Katana 50) |
4 |
DSP |
Katana (Proprietary DSP Chip) |
SHARC |
Effects Loop |
Yes (Except Katana 50) |
Yes (Activated Via INSIDER Software On Deluxe Models Only) |
EQ |
4-Band (Bass, Middle Treble, Presence), ‘Cab Resonance’ on Katana MkII 100 2×12″ and 100 Head |
5-Band (Bass, Middle Treble, Resonance, Presence) |
Expression Pedal Input |
Yes |
No |
Footswitchable |
Yes |
Yes |
Headphone Output |
Yes |
Yes (Special & Standard Only) |
Line/AUX In |
Yes |
Yes |
MIDI |
Yes (Katana 100 MkII Head Only) |
Yes (Except Special & Standard) |
Patch Locations |
8 |
12 (128 With FS-10 Footswitch) |
Power Amp |
Class A/B |
Class D |
Power Scaling |
Yes |
No |
Power Amp Input |
Yes |
No |
Speakers |
Custom Katana |
Celestion V-Type |
Speaker Emulation |
Yes |
Yes |
Software |
BOSS Tone Studio |
Blackstar INSIDER |
Total Effects |
60 (Via BOSS Tone Studio Software) |
12 |
Tube Emulation |
Tube Logic Technology |
TVP Technology (EL84, 6V6, EL34, KT66, 6L6, KT88) |
USB Connectivity |
Yes |
Yes |
Conclusion
We’ve put two of the most advanced and hotly-debated solid-state amp ranges head-to-head, ultimately to help you to decide which amps are better. Serving as all-encompassing workhorses for recording and live performance, it’s clear that Katana MkII and Silverline amps pretty much cover all of the bases from their impressive feature-sets and specs. But is there a clear winner?
Simply answer: no there isn’t. While both BOSS’ Katana MkII and Blackstar’s Silverline amps are similar when it comes to their core functionality, there are certain elements in their designs that differentiate them. And this means that they don’t necessarily appeal to exactly the same players, perhaps as most people assume that they do.
If we start with BOSS, while the sounds that the Katana MkII amps can produce are very good, I think it’s fair to say that their built-in effects are more exceptional and perhaps play a bigger part in their appeal. And with more effects available compared to the Silverline series, it’s understandable if players that are more interested in experimenting with effects would find BOSS Katana MkIIs more suitable for their requirements. Physical effects loops on all Katana MkII models (apart from the 50) also make them more tempting for those types of guitarists, especially as effects loops are only available on Blackstar’s much pricier Deluxe Silverline models.
But Blackstar Silverline amps, despite being more expensive, offer far more flexibility when it comes crafting the perfect amp sounds. Not only do they come equipped with 6 voices, they also feature Blackstar’s acclaimed TVP technology for imitating 6 different power amp tubes, and boast 5-band EQ sections with ISF controls too. So if you’re the kind of guitar player that finds it more important to create the best core amp sounds before thinking about effects; the Silverline series would be more viable. Their superior SHARC processors play a big part too, as well as their Celestion V-Type speakers.
BOSS’ Katana amps have dominated the digital amp market for a few years, and it’s clear that the MkIIs are incredibly good all-rounders that remain affordable to consumers. But the Blackstar Silverline series is definitely worth considering, especially for those looking for maximum versatility.
BOSS Katana MkII vs. Blackstar Silverline on Andertons T.V.
If you’d like to hear the BOSS Katana MkII and Blackstar Silverline amps compared directly against one another, our video with Chappers and The Captain is well worth a watch!
Responses & Questions