Boss HM-2 Shootout - Japan VS Taiwan VS Katana - Can You Tell the Difference?
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2024
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Which is better? The Boss HM-2 made in Japan or Taiwan OR the digital recreation in the Katana?
It is time to find out who chainsaws harder!
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#theguitargeek #BossHM-2 #Katana
I think you're the only person in the entire world that takes an HM2 and plays mid gain stuff on it
I also eat apple cores
@@TheGuitarGeek You fiend.
Most people who used this pedal before 1992 did. Lots of shoegaze bands like MBV,m and Swervedriver used this pedal for fuzz type tones. David Gilmour also used it extensively in the 80’s.
I actually prefer the Katana, that amp never ceases to amaze me.
The katana version is extremely enjoyable
Can you get the Boss tone studio ( or whatever it’s called. ) using the 50 watt version ?
Download the FREE Katana patches here: geni.us/FreeHM-2KatanaPatches
Which HM-2 did you prefer?
Yes. (I couldn't tell the difference) Edit: chainsaw!
I thought A and C were the most similar, with B always being a little warmer or fuller. I assumed they would model the Katana after the original, so the standout was probably the Taiwanese version by that logic, but I couldn't pick a difference to distinguish A and C meaningfully. At the level of preference they're all the same to me... chainsaw?
On the high gain piece I was stunned by the big difference between the Katana and the Taiwan version. Katana was so much better (imo of course)!
C was my favorite! B was my least favorite. Good thing I have a Katana. I can live with A.
Fun test! Really nice to hear the comparison between the Katana version and actual pedals.
Man the sound katana sound so beefy heavy. Is awesome
I could recognize which one is an amp but honestly, there is no bigger difference between Japanese vs Taiwanise pedals. It all depends on aging of particular components. There might a bigger difference between two MiJ pedals than MiJ/MiT.
Very nice video and kudos for your scientific approach! Thanks
I totally agree with you. I’d love to get a couple more to test
In order of general preference: Katana, Japan, Taiwan.
That said I thought the Taiwan one sounded good on everything but high gain.
I thought that the pedals would sound the most similar, so because A and C sound nigh-on identical through UA-cam I thought that B was the Katana, but as it turns out there is a slight difference and the Katana was modeled after the MIJ pedal. Quite impressive. Turns out I prefer the Taiwanese for the _chainsaw_ sound one as well, which is a shame because I own a MIJ HM-2.
Boss re-issuing the HM-2 is the single most exciting thing to happen this year. There were petitions to bring this back over the last decade, and Roland used to be aramant that it would never happen. The fact that it is also present digital form in the Katana is heart-warming.
great reviews, thanks. No more tap for me
Gotta love some chainsaaaaawwwww Positive about B=Taiwan and I love my Katana, definetly gonna try this out! Thanks Andy!
Try it out! It’s crazy fun
I really like the Katana version in my amp, but, before seeing the answers, I chose C. "Chainsaaaaaw"
Found your channel shopping for a new amp (went with katana mkii 100 head) and am now wondering where you've been my whole life
Awesome show
Edit - can't believe A was the katana! Never ceases to amaze!
I got A right Andy to me it sounded a little weaker, and I couldn’t tell much difference between C and D. Really interesting video- cheers 😀👍👍👍
Chainsaw goodness !!!
I LOVE your shirt Andy, and CHAINSAW!!!!!!
I would say I like the Katana version, because that’s the only one I have.
Nice comparison. Really looking forward to get a Waza HM-2 as soon as it gets released. Chainsaw!
Chainsaaaaaw!
I like the Boss HM-2. it is like a big Japanese "Chainsaw". I am at a toss up between the Boss Katana version and the Japanese pedal version of the sound but Katana is The Boss.
My order of preference was A - C - B. I feared it would be Japan - Taiwan - Katana. As a new Katana 100 owner I'm happy. Oh, btw, chainsaw sounds beautiful.
My first new pedal purchase way back was this chainsaw of a circuit. I loved that HM-2 until Boss release the Metal Zone MT-2, and in retrospect I still have fond memories of both. Kinda wanna get one of each again now. My wallet doesn't, but I do.
Tell your wallet to keep its opinions to itself!
When I see an HM-2 video, I watch!
me too!
Alright, Chainsaw... so you said HM-6 so now you gotta make another video of all three being ON all simultaneously in a singular signal chain. Lesssgoooooo!!!
I love it! Short coming up!
Another great video. I must thank you, I took your advice and bought a Katana Artist II. What a fantastic amp! Can't see the link to the Katana patches? Am I missing something? By the way......CHAINSAW!!!!!!!!!!
The AZ2204N sounds so cool!
Chainsaw!
It's curious that they did sound clearly different, but my preference shifted depending on level of gain. Mostly A or B. C was generally too shrill for me, but on some gains there was sometimes one of them much muddier than others.
But a twiddle of the tone knob on any of them could probably fix both of those outcomes.
For the record, I have paused the video for the reveal, which means absolutely hazelnuts in UA-cam posterity. I choose C.
thanks for this.
CHAINSAW !
you are welcome
Thought B was the odd one out.... Had no clue which was which but once again thought that B sounded the most different...
.
CHAINSAW MASCARA 👁
Boss KATANA sounded most "pleasing" to my ears, except the MIJ in first 'hairy' sample.
Good vid! My preferences were -
Hairy Clean B or C
Mid Gain - B
High Gain - B or C
Chainsaw - All of them sound fine. Maybe B.
Chainsaw LOL! Just bought the katana 100 and the outcome of this test is ... that I can't wait to receive it. Just nailed it! The pedals sounded real close and I am not able to distinguish them.
Great news! Enjoy that amp.
T-Shirt -> Katana -> Taiwan -> Japan. Boss Waza Craft HM2 -> TheGuitarGeek. Chainsaw -> Woodman. Do words matter anyhow? 🙏
yeah, a great comparison. for recording i would still use my good old mij hm-2 ... live it will definitely be the katana.
rock on andy \m/
Guessed the Katana immediately. I figured that the two stompboxes would sound nearly identical. The katana sounded more expansive in scope. The pedals seemed a bit flat to me.
B and C sounded similar, A was different and I figured that must be the Katana.
I heard a clear tonal clarity I liked in A, and thought the others a bit dull. And the chainsaw which is the reason ppl use one they all sounded the same. 🤟
Wow! I got them all right! And I don't really play guitar (life long 4 stringer here!). I did just get a Katana 50 though.
Oh cool. The one I liked least is the one I own. Marvelous.
I'm holding fire for the Waza. God knows how Boss is gonna price it though!
Hmm, the only time I could tell a potentially significant difference was when the Katana was playing. The MiJ and MiT pedals sounded very close indeed. Good shootout! I guess it's time to look for a MiT HM2.
I guessed A for Katana which I was happy with, but didn't get the other ones right. They are really close. Thanks for the comparison as I just bought a Katana.
HAHA I thought the Katana was B or C. Because A just sounded authentic. Well ... good job I just bought a Katana 100W 1x12 :) Happy days
Link to the katana patch doesn't work :|
Get the TC Electronic Eyemaster. It's cheep and totally good. If you think small differences with a noisy sound like the Swedish buzzsaw distortion matter you don't understand the whole point of it anyway. Even the Bands that used the original pedal sounded differently with every record. So it's not like there is only one "right" sound.
The low gain setting actually sounded really cool. I could see me using that as a clean lmao
I love my Katana but B had the thicker, fuller sound. Very surprised. I ranked them B > C > A.... Weird. And surprising.
Yay! I got it right! I preferred A though which is a good thing since I already have a Katana. :)
Go for it!
Preferred B but very close to C,, A was spot on digital .. I got A correct but thought B was Japan.
I liked A and C the best, so Katana and Japanese versions for me
Tort pick guard does look good to be fair.
I bought the Klirrton Grindstein. It's got all the wonderful chainsaw, but with the ability to blend in an effects loop.
I need to check that one out!
I preferred C throughout, but there is not a lot in it!
I preferred A and honestly, that makes me even happier to own a Katana MK-II
also CHAINSAW
Chainsaw like A was the proper amp from the first one on because it felt a bit more airy. Between the pedals.... no difference for me. if I were to get one sponsored I'd choose the amp right now :)
Through my PC speakers there's a fly's pube of a difference. Shoulda chained them together for HM-2³
I preferred the Katana the most in the low setting, but the least in the other settings , the Taiwanese was my fav in the mid and high and the Japanese was in the middle on all three. CHAINSAW!!!
I liked B and that was the version of the HM2 I had in the early 90s...that I sold for £10!!! The Katana tone was dam good though. The tone I used was with the tones pointing at each other for a "and justice for all " Metallica tone... never used it in CHAINSAW mode! I have a real CHAINSAW for that.
The one thing i notice is the taiwanese it's very super nice on mid gain settings, honestly sweet sounding but seems really lacks on chainsaw settings ...
Boss katana & Japanese hm2 lacks on mid gain settings but amazing on chainsaw settings, it almost identical tone there ....
I am interested to hear how the Waza compares. But I am only a spectator here. I don't play anything that requires an HM-2, though I appreciate its contribution to the pedal tone world. If you want chainsaw sound, buy an Orange amp. I think they buy their tubes from Stihl.
I thought C was best B a close second and the Katana generally sounded muddier with less clarity. It was definitely easy to identify the Katana. I felt the pedals were pretty similar though, with C having a slight advantage.
I was right about the Katana, A sounded a lot different compared to the others, and I guess it was more modern and ballanced. From B and C, I think both were a lot darker than A, and B is also a bit more "filthy", and C sounded like it has a higher gain. (or maybe it's just the setting?) Honestly, I had no idea about which were which from B/C, but they sounded different.
I had a feeling A was the Katana when you went to the Ibanez and was convinced it was when you went to full swedish chainsaw. I have an Artist and I noticed when you try to go chainsaw mode with the Katana it sounds too distorted and doesn't sound quite like the pedal. There are a couple more options. Option E, get the Behringer version if you can find it. OR option F, TC Electronic Eyemaster. CHAINSAW!
I agree with you there. I have. Both those other pedals. I’ll be making the video soon
@@TheGuitarGeek Oh man, I'm looking forward to it!
My favourite was C. Surprised me it was the Japan version. I never enjoyed the Katana while I owned it for a brief stint. Hope you get you wazacraft CHAINSAW!!
I like the Japan one. Chainsaw
BOSS: PLease sent TheGuitarGeek a WAZA HM-2! I want to hear the chainsaw comparison!
in order of preference A, C, B...
A sounded different so I had a feeling it was the amp. But honestly I don’t see how anyone could have a strong preference for any of the three over the others.
While I preferred the Japanese version, you’ve just sold me on the Katana. Fun video.
Also chainsaw
I thought the katana did VERY well
I suspect that the individual differences between each chainsaw are bigger than any perceived difference between Japanese and Taiwanese pedals as groups, rendering the whole J vs. T discussion moot. I've had my Taiwanese HM-2 since the late 80s, and I could not tell which was which in this video, as they all sounded different from mine.
I liked version A the best and I’m not just saying that because I have a katana… coincidently due to your recommendation. To me it sounded more “beefy”
I preferred A, then C and then B. Pleased I have the Katana Artist Mk2.
Get the firmware updated dude!
Thanks for the comparison, they all feel like a chainsaw to me anyways
my prefered was BCBC, I guess I did it right. I have a taiwanese one. It was interesting to ear other settings than CHAINSAW!
wait, the real question is how did you drop that Ibanez at 1:52 ???
My guess was C = Japan, A = Taiwan and B = Katana. A and C were pretty close to me, with a slight preference for C (better sound overall and more headroom, so I figured that it could be linked with the voltage being 12V), and I didn’t like the sound of B so I figured it had to be the amp sim. Very surprised and impressed by the Katana, TBH. Love these blind tests, they force you to trust you ears and not your eyes or any marketing technique 😉
well, i have an japanese hm-2 and listen to the examples always was choosing "c" has the japanese and it was, i think you need better speakers when listenig to this, and you have to own the pedal to know the real nuances of it.
Sweet merciful fate, I liked the Katana blind test! I have two MkII heads, no pedals for me!
Glad I helped save you money!
@@TheGuitarGeek I would have - if I hadn't bought another Head used! Stereo now!
I thought A sounded a bit shrill. I couldn't tell the difference between B and C.
I'd probably just buy the Behringer clone, because I'm a bit low on funds.
I rated them as ACB, therefore the Katana was best to me.
I got at least the Katana right 😄 I own a Boss Katana MKII head and its a very versatile head
1 out of 3 ain’t bad!
i know im late to the party but the link for the patches says page not found
I liked C most, A second, B least .... chainsaw
As you might have guessed by my pic, I'm a fan of the HM-2 and the CHAINSAW sound. I have 5 HM-2s (3 Japanese, 2 Taiwanese) and they all differ very slightly, but not as much as yours do. I thought A was the Japanese pedal, B the Katana, C Taiwanese, so I got it wrong.
Well at least you’re honest! I think the amp did pretty well
@@TheGuitarGeek I agree, the amp sounded great and I think was my favourite.
katana was the best sound, the pedals sounded similar
I thought i was the only one to use this pedal outside the chainsaw setting. I have an old Japanese version and am waiting for the Waza HM2 to come out. I was all wrong. I thought B was the amp but was pretty sure that C was the Japanese version. Chainsaw!
We’re I can download the free patch of it mk2 artsict?
Damn it, I thought I was done with the Katana, thanks now I have to go buy another one. Probably go with the head this time. CHAINSAW!
Did I like B because it sounds best or just because I've had a Taiwanese HM-2 for more than 30 years and it's just what I'm used to? 😐
Differences seem negligible in chainsaw mode aka the only mode that matters!
I was surprised.
Chainsaw! I thought it sounded best C, A, B. I think I'll just keeping using my Katana!
That’s my choice too. CAB. Katana sounds great
I'm going to be honest. I liked the C the best, but the A was -really- close. B was my least favourite. I'm going for the Wazacraft, when I have the money :)
To my ‘cloth’ ears, A - Best, C - Similar to A, but second on my list, B - Sounded worst. How pleased (and surprised!) was I to find out ‘A’ was the Katana 😎👍🤣😎, as I’m about to pull the trigger on a Mk2. I just can’t decide if to go 100w 1x12, or Artist?
Bear in mind I’m going to chop the Kat box up, make the amp section into a Head unit to sit on top of my HH early 1980’s 150w 2x12 ‘Performer’ combo, and fit the Katana speaker into one side of my 🏴 HH Combo 🙈😂🙈 (Don’t Ask!).
Mr Geek, have you done a review video for the Katana Head unit? I did look, but haven’t found one.
Also, Austria? (I’m sure I’ve heard you mention it as your location, how did you find yourself there?
Great Channel, keep up the good work 👍😎👍
)
I liked A the most actually, so maybe I should get a Katana. The Japanese is definitely better than the Taiwanese version. Funnily though, on the low gain tone, I liked the Japanese the best & the Katana the least. Chainsaw 👍
I wanna a Taiwan one. If you had a really tiny CHAINSAW then you could make ferrule holes.
😉
Chain saw 🤗
CHAINSAW. I preferred the Taiwanese pedal, actually. Surprised that the Katana sounds were so perfectly usable, I need to noodle around in that before the Waza comes out.
Chainsaw?
I thought the Taiwanese was may third choice and that I didn’t have an opinion of the remaining two. If I had a Katana already I wouldn’t feel the need to buy a separate pedal.
No patch in the link?
I had a Japanese and a Taiwanese and they are identical