I ended up buying a Roland JC 40 and it's surprisingly loud and clean...all the way up too. I've played it with other musicians in a band setting and it definitely has enough volume to hold its own...I think the Roland speakers are extremely efficient and this is responsible for the prodigious output. It should be fine for a small gig.
One thing I've experimented with is running the line out on the back of the amp to my Mission Engineering Gemini 1...100 class D solid state watts, 1x12" FRFR speaker. This combination (2x10" stereo and 1x12" mono) works stunningly well and if I ever get into a situation where I need a bigger punch, that setup will surely suffice.
As far as running the Helix goes, I believe the JC 40 might be one of the best neutral guitar amps around. While I sold my Helix and moved to a Fractal Axe FX II XL+, I can say that this amp works better than any I've encountered with a modeling rig. It reproduces sounds more faithfully, especially cab/IR sims. Much to my delight the IR's sound much more authentic running through the JC 40 than any of my other cabinets. In fact, this was the reason why I decided to try this amp...I wasn't totally pleased with the sound of straight FRFR speakers in a live setting. There was just something missing...mainly that punch to the solar plexus only a real guitar cabinet kicks out. The Roland JC 40 brought that punch back AND maintains my tone very nicely.
All that said, if Roland does come out with an 80+ watts, 2x12" version of this amp, including all the unique features like a true stereo input and stereo line out, I might be tempted to buy it but I'd still keep my JC 40 as well. It's perfect for home use and recording.
