PierM

I wont offer any opinion, just what happened to me with my Helix floor, from 2016 to 2019; 2017: Joystick failure, sent for repair 2017; Joystick failure again, repaired myself (bad soldering job) 2018; scribble strip failure; swapped with a new one (ordered from the British Audio guys) 2019: another scribble failure: same as above Now I moved to a Helix rack with controller: all good for now.

No. We were talking about Link. (read the entire op post, with the edited part)

I tried to explain it here: https://line6.com/support/topic/48465-helix-and-pc-pair-updated-ok-gos-into-edited-mode-solved/?tab=comments#comment-303026

There are not Cabs in the Powercab. A cab algorithm in the Helix, it's simulating a guitar cab, with a microphone in front of it, in a room. This is like listening an amp+cab+mic+room in a recording, offline. A powercab it's a a real cab, which can works as it is (using its own speaker), as a speaker simulator (still isn't a cab, but a simulation of a speaker. No mic. No room.). THis is like an amp in the room. Then you can use it as FRFR speaker, and you need a cab in the helix, or would sounds rubbish. Then you can load your own IRs, at this point it's just acting as a IR block in your Helix, going through a FRFR.

YAWN

Joystick Encoder seems having some random hang when in "model" modality. Sometimes doesn't respond to push, sometimes doesn't respond to model change, sometimes both. Isn't hardware related. More info here; https://line6.com/support/topic/48671-bug-with-joystick-after-280-update/

Ok I've been able to repro, and seems some instability in the code. Basically both click and rotate, to select models and/or to access the model page, are like hanging and/or not responding, but yeah, isn't hardware related; it's code which seems looping somewhere and losing realtime catching on the Joystick status. This problem it's happening only when Joystick Encoder it's set to "model", so I'm pretty sure it's related to the update. (even because the same Joystick works flawless for any other browsing action, outside the patch).

the 212 also has the porting on the back. I'm expecting some boomy tone on smaller rooms with plenty of wall proximity, especially when tilted.

Same here and it’s terrible. I have 2 pedals, and that’s a constant flashing of percentage, event when it’s all completely static.

Check in the Global Settings———>Preferences Check that Joystick Encoder it’s set to Model. This is the original behavior. If it’s set to Selection, it is moving Left/Right while rotating, but you can still select Models if you rotate while pushing.

Yes you can do it. Just remember to set the USB to be Normal (unprocessed), so that it will flow straight to output without speaker/mic/dsp processing. If you want to add speaker modeling or IRs to the output signal, set the USB Mode to Processed If you are playing backing tracks through Powercab Plus, set the USB Mode to Normal to hear them unprocessed

The dedicated USB port and DC IN, both flagged as “Reserved for potential future use.”, might suggest an alternative usage in the future. Wild speculation...:) (my guess it's that they will unlock the unit to work with Native)

This was my first thought too, but does it make sense? The FLAT section, with LF RAW and LF FLAT, they are all set to 0dB, and in fact the volume it's way higher. Also, I see no clipping when raising the speaker dB to around 0. I understand that IRs needs to stay to -18 because they need much more headroom to not clip, but I can't understand why they did similar with speakers. Anyway, there is a new manual for the Powercab, with 212 and all latest things. Unfortunately on the aspect above it's even more confusing than the old version. :)

Confirmed this. The looper button doesnt show its real state, especially between snapshots. Happens that if you flush the loop memory on a snapshot, then you will get the looper ring lit again, on a different snapshot. Also the single button looper doesnt respond correctly on stomps. Pretty random.

Yeah, I do use it A LOT, especially when I need to move some air, and Speaker modeling it's to thin for my needs. But I also have to be honest, and tell you I do mostly use clean tones, so I couldn't say how does it sounds under more saturated signals. Could be you have no high cut in any preset? Dunno, I do set all my presets that are not using mic simulation, to cut around 6K, but no...I have no harsh/fizzy when using LF-RAW. I do have harsh/fizzy when using Amp, no cab and FRFR on the Powercab. There it's clear that the mic/cab simulation is missing from the chain. I guess we are in a gray area here, where there is not right and wrong, since LF-RAW it's one of the "voices" available in the FLAT mode (but with only raw LF), so probably just some unlocked feature they wanted to add without any real specific usage (although only FRFR voice mode it's offering the 20Hz/20Khz needed for the mic/cab/room simulation).

As per title; I don't get why the speakers models are that low on the PC+. This makes all speakers very weak, and even cranking the Powercab all the way up, that's still not enough for gig. If you take as reference the LF-RAW mode (which is set to 0dB), you get way more punch, which is what I'd expect when using the speaker simulation. Anyone has a clue why L6 decided to use that low level? I know I can put them all back to 0dB, this is exactly why I'm curious. At 0dB they sounds SO MUCH better, and the overall volume available it's finally good enough for gigging or monitoring properly during live... so is there something I'm missing here? Any clue?

Nope. You shouldn't use mic simulation with that mode, as there is no driver working, it's just the 12" speaker. You have no full frequency available, only low.

Yep. That's using only the 12" speaker in the cab, so you are basically listening the nature of the speaker, without any mic/sim involved. Any amp block sounds good with that configuration, but there is also another motive for that; speaker models are all leveled down to average 15db, so they are A LOT quieter than LF Flat and LF RAW. I've seen that I need my Helix and PC+, both with main volume to twelve o clock for LF-raw, and that's already plenty of juice. To obtain a similar feeling I need to crank up the Helix to max, when using the speaker simulations on the PC+, otherwise any tone would sound much thinner (Fletcher - Munson).

Probably a overall solution, to do before any action on the Helix, could be to install the new Edit package with Helix not connected at all, then reboot the PC, connect the Helix and install the update.

They works correctly here. Helix Rack+Control and 2 ext pedals.

Helix Rack+Control, 2.8 BUG: I don’t have this available on my Globals Pedal Position Indicator Helix Floor, Helix Rack/Control A new Global Settings > Displays > Pedal Position Display parameter lets you determine whether the scribble strip above the expression pedal temporarily displays the expression pedal position ("Temporary") or remains visible ("Persistent").

EDIT: sorry didnt see you posted the exact chain. So you are using the USB into the PC for the backing track. I tried the same, and it seems working fine here. Speaker models arent being applied to that. Everything that does go from Helix into the Powercab, whatever the connection between them (link, xlr, 1/4"), will be treated the same way from the Powercab simulation (not immolation, that's a wrong word). The only way I could think, would be to NOT use any speaker simulation on the powercab, set it up as FRFR, and then send the backing track from USB—> Helix to Powercab, without anything in the middle, and another path with your amp and cab, and effects, for the guitar. As soon as the Powercab it's simulating a speaker, everything you'll be sending to it, will receive that simulation.

The point is, for me, that well above 1000, I cant buy a digital amp (the value lifespan of these products its waaaay shorter than a real amp). I love modeling, I love the Helix, but for 1400 Im not buying a line 6 amp, no way. :) Also, I paid 899 for a Fh1500, which is a complete system, dsp, W/D/W, variax support etc... Let’s see if it’s just a spike. For now it’s a no for me. :)

The price for the 212 it’s insane.

You're welcome!