itbeme23

That's a good point, and kind of goes along with what I've read on TGP. One of the power users over there says that using the speaker models on the PC was a game-changer for him. I think the main reasoning behind that is because of the IR testing/tweaking, which can get tedious and overwhelming. That's the main reason I've stuck to the same IR across most of my patches. Again, aside from when I first un-boxed the PC, I don't think I've played around with the speaker models much. Might be something to try this weekend. As far as my original idea, if I stick with running the PC in "flat" mode, would I then just run an XLR out from the PC to Headrush? And in doing that, would the tone remain consistent(ish) between both units? If that's the case, it's an easy-to-implement solution to my issue, and at the very least, I can get a decent quality monitor out of it. What I don't want to do is substitute endless IR testing/tweaking for endless speaker testing/tweaking. Thoughts?

Didn't expect it, but I sincerely appreciate the apology. Honestly, I didn't mean to single you out....I was pointing to an overall, recurring theme in lot of forums. It's true - tone is very difficult to interpret across text messages/forum posts. Once again, thanks for the apology. Agreed. Sometimes it's tough to sift through the BS to find the positives. There were a couple guys here who tried to provide constructive, helpful suggestions, and I attempted to acknowledge that. Even the others had some insight, but it's hard to appreciate that insight when it's thinly-veiled with condescension. That was the main point of my response. Correct. My issue was a lack of volume coming from the backline. Even since my original post, I've been doing a lot of research on how to rectify this issue using the parameters available on the Helix/PC. I haven't got to try them out yet, but I'm sure some of them could help. Even something as simple as the PC placement on stage likely could've helped my situation. I have to remember that even though the PC is like an "amp in the room", certain concessions/adjustments need to be made. Interesting point, actually. I was just thinking about this myself, and I think the explanation is simple enough. I was running a Blackstar 2x12 150 watt Tube Combo, and never had issues with on-stage volume. Even when the sound guys would tell me to lower the amp volume, I would still have plenty of volume coming from the backline, coupled with a bit of guitar coming through the front wedge. I think we can all agree that while the PC can get plenty loud on its own, I don't think it'll compete with the volume of a tube amp. With the Blackstar, I never raised the volume above 9 o'clock without shaking the walls. 9 o'clock on the PC is what I use for bedroom practice. If I end up going with IEMs, I'll end up going the "side-stage mic" route. I think that might be the way I won't feel disconnected from the crowd. My lead guitarist (I call him "Mr. Wizard...LOL), uses a similar setup. He controls the band's IEM mix through an app on his iPad, and everybody has the option to tweak to their liking if they want. Although I think my lead guitarist tends to care more about what he hears in his ears rather than what comes out FOH. Haha. The second part of your post is definitely the most helpful so far (THANKS). I don't utilize any of the speaker modeling on the PC. Most of my patches are utilizing the same IR in the Helix (for consistency's sake), then I run them to the PC in "Flat" mode. I haven't done much testing with the speaker models inside the PC, although I've been reading through threads on TGP that say they're the real deal. With that said, since I'm strictly running the PC in "Flat" mode (right now), would I still need to create a separate chain in the patch? If not, then would I just daisy-chain from the PC to the wedge, and call it good? Would I be getting the "same" tone coming out of both units (PC and Headrush)? In a perfect world, that's what I'd be looking for. I hear what you're saying about on-stage vs. FOH tone. With my tube amp, I always had the sound guy mic it for FOH. Even though I had the option to go direct, I always felt more comfortable with a good mic. With the Helix, I've always gone direct, since that's kind of what it's made for. LOL. (although I did have an engineer recently who decided to use the direct signal from the Helix AND mic the PC). I've been using the PC strictly as an on-stage "monitor" in the backline. I think PC placement is a big factor in what I'm experiencing. I have to realize I can't sit the PC back 8-10 feet away like my tube combo. It won't perform the same. I'm pretty good with my patches. I've been using L6 products for a long time, so I have a good understanding of how to build my patches, and honestly, I'm always happy with my tone coming out of FOH. Some gigs I'm more happy than others, but for the most part, I'm really satisfied. I think the easiest way to put it is I want to BALANCE the volume on-stage, ideally by keeping the PC in the backline (as it's intended) at a reasonable volume, and having a guitar monitor for myself. The bonus result would be a dedicated vocal monitor from the house, since I'm essentially providing my own guitar monitor.

First of all, I’d like to thank all of you for taking the time to respond. I gotta admit…I’m pretty disappointed at the tone conveyed through a couple of these posts. It’s absolutely remarkable (not in an endearing way) how people come across over an internet forum, with the responses ranging from mildly passive-aggressive to blatant douchebaggery, and a couple of helpful responses in between. Overall, the level of pretentiousness and condescension is extremely off-putting. I feel like I have a good handle on my Line 6 gear. I’ve always taken the time to learn it as well as I can, and I don’t have any problems asking for help when I need it. That’s exactly what I did here. I can only imagine how a complete noob would feel if he/she got the kind of responses found in this thread. Forums are supposed to be a place to bounce ideas off each other and a source of help, rather than bashing people. I think some of you may have severely overestimated the “elaborateness” of my idea. LOL. Forgive me, but I’m extremely confused when I see exaggerated phrases like “jumping through hoops” or “weird permutations” . This isn’t a reinvention of the wheel. I’m not suggesting the daisy-chaining of multiple PCs to be surrounded by a “wall of sound”, nor am I talking about putting PCs on either side of the stage to run in stereo and create a headache for the sound guy. In my humble opinion, this isn’t nearly as complicated as it’s being made out to be. In my head, the only thing the Headrush would be substituting for is ONE house wedge (for guitar monitoring)…that’s it. Am I guilty of SUCH a massive oversimplification? I’ve been a gigging musician for a long time, guys….just as you probably have. That’s why the condescending tone is especially annoying. We as guitarists (and musicians in general) talk about “feel” all the time. When we find that perfect guitar tone, we always talk about how good it “feels”, right? So, I’m struggling to figure out why my preference/desire for being able to “feel” the sound from the PC in the backline is being pissed on. The PC was marketed as an “amp in the room”, right? An amp in the room is conventionally found in the backline, right? So why is it so egregious for me to want to keep it there? Using the PC as a sidefill (rather than backline), or propping it on an amp stand (which I already own) could fix the issue. I’m well aware of this, just as I’m well-aware that using IEMs could solve the issue altogether. All of those solutions are viable and reasonable…not disputing that. I’m just saying those aren’t my preferred solutions, which is why I was trying to get feedback on a POSSIBLE alternative. The problem with most forums nowadays (it’s not only specific to this forum), is the fact that people feel the need to project/defend their own positions and lollipop on the ideas/opinions of others. The majority of the responses in this post were not really about answering my original question (which is kind of irrelevant now), much less how one would accomplish the idea. Instead, more time was spent telling me how wrong I was for even having the idea in the first place! LOL. My question wasn’t “how many people think this is an awesome idea?” My question was regarding the POSSIBLITY of the idea, and how it might be accomplished. That’s the problem. Everybody is in such a hurry to find a discrepancy or flaw in an OP, so they can turn around and tell somebody else how ridiculous they are for having thought that deviates from the norm (e.g. the dude who says there are so many “contradictions” in my post he didn’t know where to begin”). Instead of asking questions for clarification, most people (this gentleman included) make suggestions/criticisms on a possible unclear understanding of the original post. Personally, I’m absolutely okay with clarifying my position(s), if I’m unclear, or if I’ve given misinformation (god forbid somebody makes a mistake on an internet forum post). I’m always in favor of providing additional context if it means a better understanding and more productive exchange of ideas. Simply put: clarification > assumption in terms of effective communication, ‘specially over the interweb. After taking a crap on my entire post, I did like how the guy finally answered the original question, though. I thought that was a nice touch. Gotta love the internet…. For real....despite our obvious differences in opinions/communication approaches, I appreciate the suggestions. Peace! Mods: feel free to close this thread.

Hey Everybody, Backstory: I’ve been a Line 6 user for the past decade. I’ve owned the Spider, Vetta, HD500X, Firehawk 1500, M13, HX Effects, and now, the Helix. Like most of us, I wanted to consolidate my live rig (I’m in three different bands, gigging regularly), so I bought the Helix. It’s been the best and most versatile piece of gear I’ve ever owned, and I honestly couldn’t be happier with it. I’ve paired the Helix with the PowerCab 112 Plus. Herein lies the issue…. I was stoked when I bought the PowerCab. I thought it was going to be the perfect blend of FRFR with “amp in the room” feel. Even before doing the amount of research I would normally do with a new piece of gear, I decided to buy it. As the reviews started coming in, I began hearing about it not being able to keep up with a full-band from a volume perspective. I thought, “no biggie, I’ll just run it direct to the PA”, which obviously works in a gigging environment with a decent PA. Then, I experienced the lack of volume issue in a rehearsal setting with two different bands (with lollipop PA systems). I still thought, “no biggie, I’ll just add a few dB to the output level at the end of the chain”….that “worked”, but not without some noise/tone issues. The final straw: I gigged at a pretty well-known venue in Orange County on NYE. I’ve played there several times over the years, and I know the venue has a high-quality sound system. I’ve worked with different sound guys, and each has been pretty solid, albeit with different approaches. My bands have always sounded good FOH, regardless who was mixing us. This particular guy was EXTREMELY knowledgeable, and great to work with. HOWEVER, during sound check, he had me dial my Power Cab volume all the way down to about 11 o’clock. As such, I had ZERO stage volume once the full-band was playing, and I was forced to solely rely on the lollipop house wedge for my guitar feed. I never expect much from house wedges, but he had this wedge cranked, and my guitar signal came out as a fizzy, unarticulated mess. Because he had so much guitar coming out of the wedge, I had virtually no vocal monitoring, which was heard in the FOH mix. :/ The lead guitarist in my bands is the techy of the bunch, where I’m more of a minimalist. He runs a pretty elaborate IEM setup, which he feels is the “cure-all” for my problem. He and I have had this argument ad-nauseum. My position: when I have IEMs, I feel like I lose my connection to the crowd and the room, and that’s a huge deal for me. The thing I enjoy most about performing is feeling the energy of the crowd. His position: he doesn’t care much about the room, the crowd, or the stage volume because he has the “perfect mix” in his ear. I agree running IEMs provides plenty of benefits, and it probably would solve my issue… but they’re my last resort, NOT my first option. The idea: With the amount of connection options the Helix has, I’m sure this scenario is possible, but I was hoping somebody might be able to tell me how practical it is….since possibility and practicality don’t necessarily go hand in hand. I want to maintain the “amp in the room” feel by having the Power Cab in the backline like a traditional guitar cab – after all, that’s why I bought it. I DON’T want to move it to the front. I’m now considering buying a Headrush FRFR-112 to use as my own DEDICATED guitar monitor, and use the house wedge as a DEDICATED vocal monitor. In a nutshell: Powercab in the backline/Headrush (for guitar) and house wedge (for vocals) in the frontline. This seems like it would satisfy my desire for “amp in the room” in the backline, while solving the “lack of volume” issue by having high-quality, clear, dedicated guitar monitoring in the front line. Questions: Is anybody currently using this type of setup? Is this (technically) the same as running the Helix in stereo (even though I don’t want a stereo signal sent FOH)? With the amount of signal routing/connection options available, how would I accomplish this on the Helix? I know this is a long post, but I wanted to be as descriptive as possible. Thanks in advance for any advice. It’s much appreciated. Cheers.

In the same vein as the OP, but will the original FBV shortboard or Longboard work with the Firehawk? I have both from my Vetta II rig, and I'd hate to spend money on an MKII, especially with the FBV 3 coming out in April. On that note.....why one earth wouldn't L6 release the Firehawk and FBV 3 simulataneously?!?!?! Since the FBV 3 seems to be an integral part of the Firehawk setup, particularly for the "gigging guitarist", I think they dropped the ball on not releasing the amp and pedal at the same time.