Note: The Flextone III was released in 2003 and discontinued in 2010. The Flextone III is now considered a Legacy Product.
Q: Where can I find the original feature information on the Flextone III?
A: Flextone III Product Info
Application
Q: What are the presets on my Flextone III amplifier?
A: The Flextone III preset chart is in the manuals section. If you want to return the amplifier to factory specifications, please see the factory reset procedure at the bottom of this document.
Q: What editing software works with the Flextone III?
A: Line 6 Edit allows the deep editing of all 36 presets on the Flextone III series amplifier.
Line 6 Edit FAQ
Q: How can I transfer sysex information from a Flextone III?
A: There are 3 special hidden functions on the Flextone III that will transmit a Sysex message that can be recorded by a MIDI application, or sent to another Flextone III amplifier.
1. Presets & Amp Setups - To transmit all of your custom presets and Amp Defaults: press and hold theTap Tempo, Comp & Mod Select buttons while powering up the amp. Connect the MIDI out of the source amp to the MIDI In of your computer or another amp. Press the Delay Select button to send the message.
2. The Whole Enchilada - To transmit the entire memory of the amplifier including your custom presets, amp setups, and DSP software, (the brains behind the operation): press and hold the Tap Tempo, Gate & Mod Select buttons while powering up the amp. Connect the MIDI out of the source amp to the MIDI In of your computer or another amp. Press the Mod Select button to send the message.
3. The Edit Buffer - To transmit the current state of the amp, press and hold theTap Tempo and any of the A, B, C or D buttons.
Q: Can I transfer Flextone II presets to a Flextone III amp?
A: No, the presets are not compatible between the Flextone II and Flextone III amps. Flextone II tones are only compatible with Flextone II, POD 2.0, and POD Pro devices. Flextone III tones are only compatible with Flextone III, HD147, and PODxt devices.
Q: How can I control my Flextone III via MIDI?
A:Please check the Appendix C on your Pilot's Handbook, you will have a list of MIDI program changes and their relation with the Flextone III channels. So channel 1A would recall program 1 on your MIDI device. You can either overwrite program 1 on your device with the effects you want to use with channel 1A or you can go to the preset you want to use and internally reassign that preset to MIDI program 1 (if your device offer that option). You can also set the Expression pedal on a MIDI controller to the MIDI CC# you wish to control - for example if you want to control the Delay Mix with it set the CC# to 34. Please see the top of this document to download the Flextone III manual.
Q: How do I change the tuner's reference frequency on the Flextone III? ?
A: The Flextone III's Tuner Reference Frequency cannot be changed - it's 440 all the way.
Setup/Connections
Q: Is there a direct out on the Flextone III?
A: There are stereo XLR outputs on the back of the unit to route the cabinet modeling directly to a PA or mixing console.
Q: Which Line 6 floor controller(s) can I use with the Flextone III?
A: We recommend the Line 6 FBV Shortboard, but any of the FBV controllers will control the Flextone III.
Q: Does the Flextone III have an effects loop?
A: Yes, the Flextone III has a stereo unbalanced effect loop.
Q: What is an effect loop used for?
A: An effect loop is used for “line-level†input and output level devices. Many rack mount effect units are line level units, while most guitar effects are “instrument level†units meant to be run between the instrument and the amplifier.
Q: Can I connect an external pre-amp (i.e. Line 6 POD unit) to the Flextone III?
A: You can connect an external preamp into the or the effects loop return of the Flextone III. Be sure to use a ¼†dummy jack in the instrument input to send the output to the speakers.
Q: How should I connect my speaker cabinet(s) to the Flextone III?
Cabinet Connection and Ohm F.A.Q.
Q: Can you change the cabinet models on the Flextone III?
A: Like the Flextone II, the Flextone III allows you to choose whatever cabinet model you want to go with your chosen amp model. A 100 watt Marshall through a 6 in. Supro speaker you say? You can - you know, if you're into that sort of thing... Seriously though, depress the amp model selector and start a-twistin'. You'll see GREEN lights, indicating that the cab model is being edited. There are 15 cabinet models to choose from, with the smallest starting at "Line 6 Crunch". Turn the knob clockwise and you'll get increasingly larger cab models until you land on a big ol' Mesa Boogie 4X12 found under "Gib Explorer". Turn to "Line 6 Clean" to bypass the cabinet models. It's all spelled out in the manual on page 3*28. Cabinet models can also be chosen via MIDI Continuous Controller #71 using values of 0-15, if you're inclined that way.
Q: Will my Flextone III Plus power a 4x12 cabinet?
A: It's fine to connect a 4x12 cabinet to the Flextone III amplifier, please ensure the cabinet is set to "8 ohm mono ( Left only )" to protect your Flextone. Please follow the directions on the unit or the manual to ensure there will be no damage to your unit.
Q: What are the FBV controller functions? (some functions will not apply on the shortboard):
A: Flextone III units with Flash memory 1.10, BIOS 1.02
FX LOOP- toggles effects loop on/off.
STOMP BOX 1: No function on the flextone
STOMP BOX 2: No function on the flextone
STOMP BOX 3: toggles Noise Gate on/off
AMP 1: Toggles speaker emulation on/off
AMP 2: No function on the flextone
REVERB: Toggles Reverb on/off
TREMOLO: Toggles Compressor on/off
MODULATION: Toggles Modulation effects on/off
DELAY: Toggles Delay on/off
TAP TEMPO: Sets Tap Tempo and Tuner
BANK UP; One bank up
BANK DOWN: One bank down
CHANNEL A/B/C/D: Selects the corresponding channel
FAVORITE: Recalls a channel of choice that can be programmed (see the manual)
Q: Can the FBV shortboard expression pedal be reassigned to a tweak function?
A: Unfortunately no, the volume pedal on the FBV shortboard can not be reassigned.
Specifications
Q: What's the rated wattage of my Flextone III?
A: The Flextone III plus (1x12) and XL (2x12) units both have a 150-watt stereo power amp (75-watts with the internal 1x12 and 150-watts when used with external cab). The original Flextone III (no longer in production) had a 75 watt power amp that only powered the internal speaker.
Q: What are the speakers used in the Flextone III series?
A: Line 6 speakers are custom built by Celestion to provide the flattest speaker response in combination with amp modeling. These speakers can be ordered directly the Line 6 Store.
Registration/Warranty
Q: What is the warranty on the Flextone III
A: The warranty on the Flextone III is twelve months from the date of purchase.
Q: How can I register my Flextone III?
Product Registration F.A.Q.
Troubleshooting/Service
Q: How do I perform a factory reset on my Flextone III?
A: The factory reset for a Flextone III is to hold the A and D Buttons while powering the amp.
Q: How do I update the Flash on my Flextone III?
A: See the following links before reflashing your Flextone III:
Line 6 Monkey Installation and F.A.Q.
MIDI: Functionality, Control, and Connectivity with Line 6 devices
1) Run Line 6 Monkey and connect to your Flextone III using the information provided in the links above. select the "Updates"tab, then select "Flash Memory", then "Update Selection".
2) If Monkey asks you to register, just click "Remind Me Later"
3) Monkey will ask if you want to continue, select "Yes"
4) Accept the software agreement, then select "OK"
5) Select your preference of how to deal with your current presets, then select "OK"
6) Select "Yes" to update the Flash on your Flextone III
7) Monkey will read the patches on your Flextone III
8) Monkey will then update the new flash memory to your Flextone III
9) Turn your amplifier off and on as instructed
10) Your unit is now updated.
Q: My amp is locked up (i.e. most/all the lights are on) and it will not function correctly. Can I put the amp in a "safe mode" to reflash using Line 6 Monkey?
A: Hold down A as you power up the amp to get into safe mode, then run the Monkey and reflash the firmware.
Flextone III and Line 6 Edit Compressor Issues
There is a known issue regarding the function of the compressor in Line 6 Edit with a Flextone III.
A. The Comp button on the Amp and in Edit respond appropriately.
B. The single Comp knob in Edit will control the Comp Amount or Gain (there is no Amp control for this)
C. Holding down the Comp button on the Amp and turning Delay or Mod knob on the Amp controls the Comp Threshold and not the Amount (there is no control in Edit for this). Threshold is interactive with Drive and Tone controls - e.g.: If Drive and Bass controls are near maximum, you may need to adjust the Threshold to a higher level to avoid sounding too "squashed". This is where you'd use the Line 6 Edit control.
Just to clear things up, you will not see Line 6 Edit's COMP knob move while you hold down COMP and turn the MOD button on the Flextone.
You can use "Get Edit Buffer" before saving your tone. This will assure that adjustments made to the Comp Gain on the amp are retained in the Tone (though it isn't shown onscreen, the value that's set on the Amp is kept in the patch.)
Q: It seems as if the effects on my Flextone III are behaving differently since I updated to the 1.1 software
A: After updating to 1.1, you may see different behavior in the effects on some Flextone III amps. Why only some? Flextone III had a minor change to its OTP (one time programmable) BIOS chip after several months in production (from version 1.00 to version 1.02). This change affected the way some of the effects controls respond when an effect is loaded. None of the functionality was lost, and patches that you've stored are not changed. Flex III's behavior on recalling stored channels has not changed at all.
How can I tell if my amp is going to change behavior or not? If you power up holding down the 'B' channel select button, the LED on the 'B' button will blink to indicate the major revision (in this case, it will blink once) and the LED on the 'D' button will blink to indicate the sub-release (in this case either it will blink twice or it won't blink at all). If this indicates that you have 1.00, your amp's behavior will not change from what it has been. If it indicates 1.02, it will change be as follows:
On the affected (1.02 OTP) amps, when you first select an effect from edit mode (in other words, when you're first editing channel settings), its setting will reflect the current knob position, rather than an arbitrary default, and on two of the effects. You will also notice that the Tweak and 2nd Function controls are not reversed for the Chorus and Flanger effects. The changed control functions become Depth and Rate (Speed) instead of the previous Speed (Rate) and Depth/Feedback.
Q: My amp seems to be malfunctioning. What can I do as an end user?
Line 6 Amp Trouble Shooting
Q: Where can I download a Flextone III manual?
A: Line 6 Manuals