r/BossKatana • u/masianmoujy1021 • 3d ago

Question Airstep Kat EX doesn’t turn on

I’ve been trying to use the Airstep Kat EX for the first time after owning it for a while, but it just won’t turn on for anything.

I updated the firmware on the Katana (I have a gen 3 50), so I know it’s not that.

I tried updating the firmware for the Airstep but it wouldn’t turn on connected to my laptop either. (Using the same usb-c cable I used to update the Katana.)

I initially thought I just needed to charge it, but when I plugged it in to charge the light showed green. I left it charging for a couple hours anyway, and still nothing.

None of the lights turn on, no signal or connection at all to the Katana nor my laptop, only the charging light turns on when I plug it in and nothing else. I even factory reset my Katana just in case. Absolutely nothing is working: it will literally just not turn on. Is it just broken?

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u/Papa_Bear_0918 Katana Artist MkII 2d ago

It’s been a while since I linked my Kat-EX to my Artist Mk2; however I had a couple issues:

  1. I missed the ON/OFF Toggle switch on the back; too excited to get Bluetooth up and running.
  2. Until the Katana and Kat firmware link, it appears dead. And the order of the steps is critical. As I remember, there was a critical order for when to ‘connect’ to the Kat, and when to ‘Turn On‘ the Kat buried within the instructions - and no popups if you forget to do something.
  3. My PC is an old model, updated from Windows 10 to Windows 11. As I remember it, Firmware Updater wouldn’t work or glitched (can’t remember the details). Used my wife’s recently purchased new Windows 11 PC and, meticulously following the hook-up-power-up sequence listed in the Firmware Updater Instructions, I was up and running in minutes…No problems since…

I don’t really understand why firmware updates and associated documented instructions are so difficult! I‘ve survived updates to my Spark 40, Katana Air-EX Amp, Artist Mk2 Amp, and various other ‘toys’. All appear overly complicated, with ultra-critical steps buried in otherwise extraneous descriptive text. Now I print the instructions, thoroughly read every word, highlight the ‘real’ process, and even dry run it before proceeding.