SkinDoc

Update: New speaker mounted in Cat Cab. It certainly has a flat response, which was the aim of the game. It's obviously very different, and I'll need to re-work my presets. But, with a little tweaking, the clean sound of helix native amp+cab (reverb deluxe, AC30 etc) is...transparent/crystal-clear I guess. I'm noticing a genuine difference when I change amps and cabs, whereas before (running helix amps, no cabs into Cat's power amp) the differences were less obvious. I'm actually enjoying experimenting with unfamiliar combos, where before I tended to shrug and move on. As a baseline, I've stuck an EQ block into helix to give me a range close to average guitar speakers (70Hz-6k) - I don't really need more frequencies, just flat ones! Is it more guitar amp-like than my KRK 7s - absolutely!!! Was a black hole created when I stuck an 8ohm speaker in the Cat - absolutely not. The Cat has a certain sound with modelled amps - and I do like it, but I think the Celestion gives me so much flexibility and a real sense that I have the genuine combos in the room. Next step will be to try out a stand-alone power amp, then I'll probably put the Celestion in an empty cab and perhaps put the Cat on the market. All up it'll be a cheap alternative to a name brand FRFR guitar cab, and I've had the chance to test it out for the rather low price of Celestion's Triple Cone. I get the feeling that flat speakers that behave like guitar speakers in a cab are the way of the future, coz FRFR has been disappointing thus far. IMHO. ;)

I received a direct reply from Celstion - they confirmed that I would get a drop in output, but a solid state amp won't be damaged by using an 8 ohm speaker. I'm hoping to get the speaker soon - if guitar sounds better through a 1 x 12" cab than my KRK's then I'll consider that a win! Nothing against the Cat speaker - it's just that it's ONE speaker, whereas all the goodies in Helix Native and Guitar Rig 7 come with their own (and I've started my York Audio IR collection). The Cat amps can be found in Helix (I notice that none of them are matched with the stock speaker) so it's not like I'm losing anything.

I asked Line 6 for advice and got this: "Thanks for reaching out. This has not been vetted or tested by our engineers, so we can't comment on any modifications, I'm afraid. Swap speakers at your own risk. All the best, Hodgy Customer Support Team Yamaha Guitar Group" So, they sell amps with an uncommon speaker impedance that are designed to be a compromise. No frequency curves available. When purchasers wonder if they can get a bit more out of the amp and try an extremely common thing - changing speakers - the entire Tech Dept has never come across such a thing! The overwhelming results on the web for the change is "decreased output but harmless", so I'm going with that. One of the reasons for the change is I spent money on another Line 6 product (Helix Native) that has lots of wonderful cabs, includes the Cat amps, and lets me play with top tier IR's. If the speaker works as claimed, then I get the entire Catalyst collection plus everything else in the known guitar universe. More Is More (or MIM...)

Like little cryptic nuggets...thanks for your reply!

Yes, the Catalyst 100 is a wonderful thing - but I think we all like such amps for the variety and, when it comes to variety - well, more is more! I'm getting into IRs, but despite having good KRKs on my desk, I'm not feeling the warmth. So, as an experiment, I want to try Celestion's FRLR speaker (the F12M-150) in my Cat. The reasoning here is that the speaker is nice and flat for IR's, but also physically behaves like a guitar speaker (LR stands for "live response"). The F12M-150 is however 8ohm. There are lots of references on the InterWeb to replacing 4ohm with 8ohm that suggest it is completely safe, but the output is cut. This isn't an issue in my home studio (definitely not my bedroom). My concern is - one guy at a music store that stocks the speakers replied to an email and said that doing the swap would cause damage to the Cat in the long-term. It's a single differing opinion, but now I'm wondering if I'm risking my amp! I could understand the logic if it were a valve amp, but it isn't. I would appreciate any advice (esp. from rd2rk, coz I love your acronyms ;) )

Hi, there's no listing for CC#68 in the destruction manual. I tried putting 68 into my Nektar Pacer - using the same setup as I would for switching boost on and off. Nothing happened. Could it be because you have to hold the tap/tuner button down for a few seconds? I have managed to setup my controller to operate tap tempo (CC#64). I'm not a very experienced MIDI user - I'm playing around in my home studio, where I have an abundance of tuners, trying to learn how to get the best out of my Pacer. No biggie if I can't get it to work, but I appreciate your help!

There doesn't seem to be an entry in the MIDI implementation chart for Tuner control. I would have thought that would be a really useful control to have if using a foot controller. There's an entry for the noise gate - I suspect most people use the tuner a bit more often....

Thanks Datacommando!!!!! I use Logic - changing between different instances of Helix by changing tracks in a Logic project is easily done with my MIDI footswitches. Also very useful - I have Logic remote on the ipad I use at my mic stand, which means I can scroll though Helix presets from there!

I used BIAS FX2 before Helix Native. It has a stand alone app that has all the already-stated benefits, but it also is very useable with MIDI. I have a Nektar Pacer controller, and I could do most things in BFX2 - most importantly I could change presets! How hard is it to fix the problem with presets in Helix? Without that ability, using Helix in a live situation is significantly impaired. AND - why run a massive DAW on your laptop and increase the risk of glitches, when you can run a simple app?

The disappointment of compromise lasts far longer than the memory of the purchase price. I bought the 60 believing I could plug in my Nectar Pacer MIDI footswitch. I couldn't - not without a MIDI host box that cost more than the price difference of the 100 HX. So, I upgraded and am very happy! Still struggling a bit with programming the Pacer (I am a guitarist after all...) - but I can already choose from the 12 presets, turn boost and effect on and off, even change some of the knob settings with an expression pedal. As far as I can tell, the 1/2 Watt setting isn't a proportion of total wattage, unlike 50% and 100% settings, so there is no difference in that respect between the 60 and 100. What you do get is an extra 40 Watts if you ever need them, a dedicated MIDI DIN socket, and the satisfaction that you didn't compromise for a relatively small amount of cash. I find that the size difference is barely noticeable.

100 HX. I originally bought the 60, but I own a Nectar Pacer MIDI foot controller that I use with Logic and Amp Sims. The only way I was going to get it to work was to buy a MIDI host box that cost more than the price difference between the amps. With the switchable output I can sit in front of a 100W amp and enjoy playing, without waking up the kids. I think they're great! You'd pay almost as much for a powered speaker cab - and it does that as well. 6 amps, 6 reverbs, 18 effects. Effects loop. MIDI control. XLR out.....and so on. Everyone has a gripe about foot pedal control - and, if I didn't have the Pacer I would agree. But - the Catalyst Edit app is so very useful. I hit my loop pedal, play in a section of a song, dial in a sound, save it as a preset and that's it! My only qualm is the absence of bluetooth - I'd love to have a tablet on my mic stand and change my presets wirelessly. I certainly wouldn't judge them by factory presets - that stuff is for music store tyre-kickers. Slip into manual mode, twiddle some knobs and you get a real feel for the versatility and usefulness of the tones available. If you really spend the time - esp. with the app - you can craft some very fine sounds. It's a huge amount of high quality sound and gadgetry for not much money. Plus, if I ever want to repaint my studio, the 100W would strip the walls if I cranked it right up!

I too struggled with MIDI (see my response to little spaceman's post) and finally succeeded. It's great to have foot control, but the ability to use the app to store a preset for each song in a setlist and recall it is really valuable. It's a shame you can only be the length of a printer cable from your amp!!! I have to say though, my 100 HX is one hell of a lot of awesome sound, effects and gadgetry for the money. Line 6 have ticked a huge number of boxes. (shame about the bluetooth.......)

I had the same issue with 60 HX. Tech support suggested the Kenton MIDI host (as above). Again, it would have cost more than the difference between the 60 and 100W models. My store thankfully allowed me to exchange, and I now have the 100W - which works with my Nectar Pacer foot controller and gives me control over so much more than a basic footswitch would. I think that Line 6 are fudging a bit with their promos. As a guitarist, how would I know that a MIDI foot controller won't work over USB? Yet they seem to imply that the only difference between MIDI on the 100 HX and the 60 HX is that the latter uses a USB socket. I really think they should be explicit and say the 60 HX can use MIDI with a computer - which is about as useful as adding an ashtray. Why wouldn't you just use the app?

The Mac/ipad/android etc options for editing the Catalyst and switching presets are terrific - but no bluetooth??? You can buy a bluetooth speaker from the supermarket for next to nothing, but we're expected to go wired, with unusual adaptors in some cases. I'm tempted to wait on purchasing a Catalyst amp until bluetooth is added - it would make a huge difference.