Wishlist Modeling Amp: Catalyst Pro

[dbagchee]

Was thinking about this today as I’m always switching between the Catalyst, Mesa, and Helix into monitors. A Catalyst Pro with the following would hit that Goldilocks config for me:

• 1x12
• Ext speaker jack
• Closed back
• 100watts solid state
• Power amp in
• Baltic birch cab (aka mesa cab build quality)
• 4 button footswitch that does presets and stomp modes

This would be an awesome grab and go, work better for high gain and still be a great power amp for modelers.

Who’s in?

 

[timbuck3]

Was thinking about this today as I’m always switching between the Catalyst, Mesa, and Helix into monitors. A Catalyst Pro with the following would hit that Goldilocks config for me:

• 1x12
• Ext speaker jack
• Closed back
• 100watts solid state
• Power amp in
• Baltic birch cab (aka mesa cab build quality)
• 4 button footswitch that does presets and stomp modes

This would be an awesome grab and go, work better for high gain and still be a great power amp for modelers.

Who’s in?

ADD STEREO WHEN ANOTHER CAB IS PLUGGED IN SO 2X50..AND STEREO EFFECTS LOOP

 

[paisleywookiee]

Was thinking about this today as I’m always switching between the Catalyst, Mesa, and Helix into monitors. A Catalyst Pro with the following would hit that Goldilocks config for me:

• 1x12
• Ext speaker jack
• Closed back
• 100watts solid state
• Power amp in
• Baltic birch cab (aka mesa cab build quality)
• 4 button footswitch that does presets and stomp modes

This would be an awesome grab and go, work better for high gain and still be a great power amp for modelers.

Who’s in?

Helix (not POD Go) modeling quality; quality Neo speaker, MIDI in/through, 200w class AB. Effects loop. Stereo with extension (100W x 2). No effects. Put all the CPU to the amp modeling, and just have a reverb maybe. Basically a modern Duoverb.

 

[holoholo]

I wonder, with the success of the Fender FR-12, if we will see something similar combined with the Catalyst. Then you can dial your cab/IRs and send and hear the same thing through the speaker and the line out. This makes sense to me.

 

[laxu]

If Line6 is going to make something like this, it should be based on the Yamaha THR100HD design, but with Helix modeling.

 

[sleewell]

head version
50w in the 5153 50w headshell size
6L6
full rack helix as the face

 

[paisleywookiee]

If Line6 is going to make something like this, it should be based on the Yamaha THR100HD design, but with Helix modeling.

110% this. While I get the appeal of a combo, I’d rather have a sub 10lb head.

I want amps, and that’s it. The appeal over this to me is going amp head plus pedals for simplicity. If I’m going for a “helix plus power amp”, I’d just buy a Helix and a power amp.

 

[JCW308]

Was thinking about this today as I’m always switching between the Catalyst, Mesa, and Helix into monitors. A Catalyst Pro with the following would hit that Goldilocks config for me:

• 1x12
• Ext speaker jack
• Closed back
• 100watts solid state
• Power amp in
• Baltic birch cab (aka mesa cab build quality)
• 4 button footswitch that does presets and stomp modes

This would be an awesome grab and go, work better for high gain and still be a great power amp for modelers.

Who’s in?

Footswitch with tuner access too

 

[GTR37]

ADD STEREO WHEN ANOTHER CAB IS PLUGGED IN SO 2X50..AND STEREO EFFECTS LOOP

And ……, we’re still not buying it and neither will you

 

[holoholo]

Isn’t this all a pipe dream because Catalyst is built to a price point?

 

[paisleywookiee]

Isn’t this all a pipe dream because Catalyst is built to a price point?

Yup. It's a moo point. Like a cow that just doesn't care.

 

[Frankencat]

Global eq, selectable dirt for the boost function.

 

[laxu]

Isn’t this all a pipe dream because Catalyst is built to a price point?

Hence the "Pro" moniker - something aimed at a higher price point. It may need to be called something else because you don't want to tie together the "pro" and the more budget range.

But Line6 might not be interested in doing this. Afaik their nicer amp lines haven't done that well, and even Yamaha has not made a 2nd gen version of the THR100 heads. Which also should have been called something else because the THR range was supposed to be your "THiRd amp" - you have your main rig, your backup and then your 3rd home practice rig.

I really wish Yamaha would have given the THR100 range heads another take. Remove the stupid quirks like no volume control on the boost, no MIDI for the footcontroller, limited and not so great reverb (even compared to the THR10) and somewhat lacking output power. I really liked how easy it was to blend two amps together on the dual channel THR100HD, and their 2x12 cab with two different speakers was a great idea because you could run channel A to speaker 1 and channel B to speaker 2 to get more out of each amp model.

It's just a shame that there's not a lot of options in higher end solid-state amps these days.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I'd rather like a combo amp with "FRFR" speaker(s).

In the first place it should offer analog alike standalone operation. 2 channels, maybe each with a lead boost, separate IR options for each channel. The Friedman IR-X would be my role model for the layout and functionality. In addition, it should at least have delay and reverb FX (and maybe an additional modulation unit). All of this should be non-programmable but the switching status could be. Most important: All of that stuff should be accessible straight, hence there'd be individual knobs for all (or at least most) parameters. WYSIWYG style (some advances parameters might only be available through secondary functions or editors. All endless encoders with readouts.
All of these could as well be programmable, but if I wanted an easy, analog style controlled setup (which I personally often want), it should be just there.

In addition, all of that would as well be programmable.

The amp would also feature a typical FX loop send/return topology, external switching and what not. Maybe even two programmable loops, one analog loop section pre-amp, one typical post-amp loop.
Each and every other piece of equipment should be able to fit into this setup without any tinkering. This is also why I'd like it to be "FRFR", that way you could use your existing modeled sounds and also use the thing for additional monitoring duties (which is something I have been doing much more often than I'd wished to with my own "FRFR" monitor, but it defenitely saved my monitoring needs' ass a couple of times).

Add a neat foot controller serving as a cover for the half-open back. Should serve for channel, boost, FX and loop switching and could maybe have an access point for a wah/volume EXP pedal (with their circuits located at different places in the chain). Ideally, the switch would be programmable, so it'd do whatever you liked it to do.

This is the kind of amp I'd possibly buy in a heartbeat as it'd cover everything from quick'n'dirty access (and setup time) to whatever you like.

 

[Jarick]

That's why I sold off my Katana Artist and got a real 1x12 cab with a solid state power amp. So I could run anything into it.

Now the downside is I can't change the speaker type (at least without physically changing the speaker). But the upside is I don't ever have to fuss with IR's.

I have a few different rigs I can run into it...one is a modeler like QC or Fractal...one is a hybrid board which has a Friedman IR-X plus some pedals...and another is an actual tube amp.

Maybe more realistically, something like a Catalyst head that you could run into whatever cab. But again at that point, you're probably not far off from something like a Pod Go or HX Stomp into a solid state amp and cab.

 

[dbagchee]

Yeah I know the market probably isn’t there unfortunately, but I definitely miss the quality builds of the Vetta II, Duo Verb, and DT series, etc.

 

[dbagchee]

That's why I sold off my Katana Artist and got a real 1x12 cab with a solid state power amp. So I could run anything into it.

Now the downside is I can't change the speaker type (at least without physically changing the speaker). But the upside is I don't ever have to fuss with IR's.

I have a few different rigs I can run into it...one is a modeler like QC or Fractal...one is a hybrid board which has a Friedman IR-X plus some pedals...and another is an actual tube amp.

Maybe more realistically, something like a Catalyst head that you could run into whatever cab. But again at that point, you're probably not far off from something like a Pod Go or HX Stomp into a solid state amp and cab.

If the Katana artist was closed back it would do the trick I think - it’s got the proper cab build quality. Basically I want a solid state version of my Rectoverb 25 combo with a closed back. I’m good with a single speaker too.

 

[dbagchee]

Shoot I guess the Firehawk Amp was basically already this! Did you ever check it out?

I'd rather like a combo amp with ""FRFR"" speaker(s).

In the first place it should offer analog alike standalone operation. 2 channels, maybe each with a lead boost, separate IR options for each channel. The Friedman IR-X would be my role model for the layout and functionality. In addition, it should at least have delay and reverb FX (and maybe an additional modulation unit). All of this should be non-programmable but the switching status could be. Most important: All of that stuff should be accessible straight, hence there'd be individual knobs for all (or at least most) parameters. WYSIWYG style (some advances parameters might only be available through secondary functions or editors. All endless encoders with readouts.
All of these could as well be programmable, but if I wanted an easy, analog style controlled setup (which I personally often want), it should be just there.

In addition, all of that would as well be programmable.

The amp would also feature a typical FX loop send/return topology, external switching and what not. Maybe even two programmable loops, one analog loop section pre-amp, one typical post-amp loop.
Each and every other piece of equipment should be able to fit into this setup without any tinkering. This is also why I'd like it to be ""FRFR"", that way you could use your existing modeled sounds and also use the thing for additional monitoring duties (which is something I have been doing much more often than I'd wished to with my own ""FRFR"" monitor, but it defenitely saved my monitoring needs' ass a couple of times).

Add a neat foot controller serving as a cover for the half-open back. Should serve for channel, boost, FX and loop switching and could maybe have an access point for a wah/volume EXP pedal (with their circuits located at different places in the chain). Ideally, the switch would be programmable, so it'd do whatever you liked it to do.

This is the kind of amp I'd possibly buy in a heartbeat as it'd cover everything from quick'n'dirty access (and setup time) to whatever you like.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Shoot I guess the Firehawk Amp was basically already this! Did you ever check it out?

No, it wasn't that. See number of controls. And yes, I checked it out, it didn't sound great at all.

 

[dbagchee]

No, it wasn't that. See number of controls. And yes, I checked it out, it didn't sound great at all.

Yeah good point, needs the direct controls and the HX sounds of course (instead of XT/HD models). But looks like the stereo full range setup was there.

Oh yeah this amp shouldn’t require an editor/app to use!