Your Helix speaker hardware

[damonwaller]

Let's share opinions on great speaker options and experiences .

 

So I got the helix to replace my physical rockerverb amp and cabs , the idea being I use an frfr monitor to throw the sound out there for rehearsals .

 

So first I tried the laney iron hearts irtx thing . Great great sound from all the presets though at practice I had to crank it up to nearly full as we have a loud drummer - pushing it to the max resulted in too much feedback . . . It just about held together but needed much more - it's tiny and only 200 watt.

 

Sooooo that's sent back and to replace it I have the Yamaha dbr15 on the way. It's still full range but a 15" come and 1000 watts and much more ruggedly built with 5 year warranty.

 

I'll let you know if it's any good !

 

What are you guys using ? My fallback option will be the atomic clr but that's worse case scenario as it means another 350quid. High hopes for the Yamaha

[damonwaller]

Sorry about the typos by the way . *15 inch cone !

[djy8131]

I've just made the switch to a modeler and invested in a QSC K10 and have been totally impressed.  It sounds great.  The first speaker I tried was an Altos TS110A.  It was good but not nearly as nice sounding as the QSC, particularly in the bass region.  Also, the weight and size are very manageable.  

[aepoc]

Currently I'm running my Helix through some Yamaha HS5 powered monitors.  I'm not turning the volume up super loud yet.  I have no need or desire to use it in a band situation or live situation (just home playing and recording).  So far I'm loving it.  Would love to get a Mission Engineering Gemini 2x12 though for when I wanna play super loud.

[Joepeggio]

I have the TS110A's. They sound great. Good to hear the K10s sound even better.

but like all tone convos, so subjective. I find i have to roll off the bass in the global eq at around 130 or so the 110's are too boomy. Are the K10s more bass? or cleaner tighter bass?

[ColonelForbin]

I am using a pair of L2t, and will actually get to test them out at band level tomorrow (Friday) Will just be a trio, but with a Hartke bass stack and a very loud drummer; so will be a decent test of how well it holds up! At home, I used the two L2t vertical near each other, and just ran the two XLR (so as to engage global EQ), and they were sounding really sweet and very loud. Didn't go too crazy loud, but I cranked 'em up pretty good..

 

Have tried them as floor monitors as well, thinking I like them upright a little better. Will have to test both, see how the sound holds up at band volume.

[PeterHamm]

Anything that is 15" (and even, imho, 12") in size is going to be too boomy for relatively close listening. I like a 10" speaker-based FRFR for this. In fact, mine is only 8" and I love it, but I don't play with a full band with it, I use IEMs.

[djy8131]

I have the TS110A's. They sound great. Good to hear the K10s sound even better.

but like all tone convos, so subjective. I find i have to roll off the bass in the global eq at around 130 or so the 110's are too boomy. Are the K10s more bass? or cleaner tighter bass?

I think the bass is similar but there is a bass boost switch on the K10 that is really nice when I use the speaker to play back MP3s.  I also use it at home for low level playing  but turn it off when I play with the band.  I had both speakers for a little while and did lots of side by side comparisons and almost kept the TS110A since it is such a great speaker for the money

[duncann]

Do headphones count as speakers? If so, I use Sony's MDR-7506. Helix sounds great through them, but then so did the HD.

[gunpointmetal]

I'm using a pair of Mackie Thump 12" speakers laid down like floor monitors on either side of the drummer, plenty of volume for most places where I would have usually used my half-stack in the past, and I build my live tones on the speakers with the EQ flat, so I don't even engage the global EQ. My HD500X sounded great through them, Helix sounds even better.

[damonwaller]

I am using a pair of L2t, and will actually get to test them out at band level tomorrow (Friday) Will just be a trio, but with a Hartke bass stack and a very loud drummer; so will be a decent test of how well it holds up! At home, I used the two L2t vertical near each other, and just ran the two XLR (so as to engage global EQ), and they were sounding really sweet and very loud. Didn't go too crazy loud, but I cranked 'em up pretty good..

 

Have tried them as floor monitors as well, thinking I like them upright a little better. Will have to test both, see how the sound holds up at band volume.

Let us know how it goes mate - be good to see how they hold up

[damonwaller]

Awesome feedback guys! Ill let you know the verdict on the new Yamaha tomorrow (comparing to the previous rig which was orange rockerverb 50 and 2x12 orange cb with V30s) even with the 200watt laney speaker the band seemed impressed with the new sound

[mdmayfield]

I've been using a QSC K8 for many years, and it's served me well through an XT Live, HD500, and now Helix. It's loud enough to cut through in the pop/rock bands I've played in. I've never played with very loud drummers, but also have never even approached the K8's limits - not sure where its limits are.

[damonwaller]

My Yamaha DBR15 came - wow its miles apart from the Ironhearts. The sound is just so full and im getting that rehersal cranked sound but at room volume still. Far less feedback and the tones sound a lot more real. Sounds way better than my rocker50 and cb2x12 - ill post another piece of feedback when ive tried in at band practice on tuesday. Im blown away so far. 

[bmdenton23]

I have a Line 6 L2T and an Alto TS112a. I tend to prefer the sound from the TS112a for the helix but both are great. 

L2T in reference mode is a little brighter than the TS112a. I don't want to run the L2T in other modes because of running other sounds through it simultaneously. 

[damonwaller]

Nice - yeah the l2t is my next choice . Think I may stick to the Yamaha though now - sound great when cranked up . I find they sound best on the floor angled up like monitors .

[radatats]

I have a pair of Aesis Alpha 112s, similar to the Alto TS112s.  They sound awesome and have a ton of headroom.  Won't wreck your bank account either.  Generally roll off the bass at 110-120 and some high cut but they can do it all and carry the full mix too.

 

Also run into my DT25 with either a 1X12 Eminence Guvnor or my 2X12 with a Vintage 30 and a Guvnor.  Just fantastic and in a wet/dry/wet rig with the Alesis its off the charts...

[a2dconverterguy]

Here are my two rig examples... I run everything in MONO to the P.A.

 

One rig uses a Power Station Amplifier and two 12" guitar cabs for stage monitoring and the other uses two Alto TS210 Powered monitors for stage monitoring.

 

Both feed the PA from the XLR MONO (in the first example the guitar cab can be mic'd as well)

 

 

I have two Banks with different output configurations...

 

In Rig 1, I use Amp models to feed the Power Station via the 1/4" output and then Y split to another path with an IR to feed the XLR output

 

In Rig 2, I use Amp models to feed an IR which feeds both the XLR and 1/4" outputs... (no Y split required)

 

Please let me know if you have any questions

 

seeya

 

Joe

[damonwaller]

Some real sweet set ups. I've had a few rehearsals with the Yamaha monitor now and at half volume it stands up to the loud drummer so pretty impressive and no tone colouring.

[fukuri]

What do you use for your diagrams

[groovedggr]

I am using a pair of L2t, and will actually get to test them out at band level tomorrow (Friday) Will just be a trio, but with a Hartke bass stack and a very loud drummer; so will be a decent test of how well it holds up! At home, I used the two L2t vertical near each other, and just ran the two XLR (so as to engage global EQ), and they were sounding really sweet and very loud. Didn't go too crazy loud, but I cranked 'em up pretty good..

 

Have tried them as floor monitors as well, thinking I like them upright a little better. Will have to test both, see how the sound holds up at band volume.

Are you using M20d too?

[donmr]

I've tried a bunch of powered speakers with my Helix and found a pair the EV-ZXA1's the most pleasing so far. Way too much boom with larger bass drivers made them very hard to control at times. The small EV's sound absolutely fantastic with an absolute minimum of tweaking and they are extremely easy to lug around. Plenty of volume too with more bottom end than I'll ever need out of a guitar. Well worth a look!

[mileskb]

Well for when I play live (which won't be for a while yet... have to put the band together) I'm either going with QSC K12's or the Atomic CLR's.   I'm leaning toward the QSC K12's just because they are a nice upgrade for my PA anyway.

 

 

As for now, I either use my headsets which are Sony MDR7506 or my custom Genz Benz Cabinet.

 

The cab is loaded with EV Series 2 EVM 12L's which as it turns out are pretty flat response speakers, but over a limited range... the guitar range specifically. 80hz to 8000hz.  They roll off outside of that range.  The slanted front (7 degrees) make a nice stereo field, and the ports provide nice bottom end.   I'm currently just using a QSC 1100 (50 watts per channel) amp.

 

If I end up in a situation where I want to use a traditional setup, this will do nicely.

 

[DavidBurt]

I have had my Helix for about a month now. It is fabulous!

 

I was thinking of investing in an FRFR speaker and realized that I had an AER 60 acoustic amp that is very clean sounding and has frequency specs of 20Hz-20kHz similar to the range of the FRFR speaker specs that many have mentioned in this thread.

 

It is only 60 watts but the Helix sounds rich and realistic through it in my music room - better than through my desk-tops or through headphones. I turn off all EQ's and effects on the amp and use the gain and master for levels. I can input via the 1/4 inch or XLR inputs.

 

For playing live I intend to connect the Helix through FOH so I think I can use my AER 60 as a personal monitor either behind or in front of me. I'm hoping that the patches that I make while monitoring through the AER will be close to what the audience hears FOH.

 

Does this sound reasonable? I haven't tested the Helix through professional FRFR's but to my ears it rocks through the AER 60 amp.

[fukuri]

If it sounds good it is good

[BigRalphN]

[BigRalphN]

Often playing this through it

 

 

[spikey]

I have a pair of Atomic CLR's http://www.atomicamps.comI will try and use. Or maybe Ill just do the 4 cable method into my old 60 watt SuperSonic.

[glideman]

12" and 15" Seismic Audio SAX series coaxial powered monitors. They have low and high eq if ever needed. Work great for me.

[revans]

I'm currently using a Mackie Thump12 as my backline during rehearsals and as my monitor during gigs where the front-of-house mixer takes a feed from my left/mono XLR, with Helix and previously with POD HD500.

 

In general, using a power PA speaker is an excellent and versatile setup that gives me the maximum options and flexibility of switching among multiple amps and cabs with electric guitars, simple EQs with acoustic guitars, and a volume pedal and effects with keyboard organ voices. The compromise is that it does not provide feel of a 4x12 cab at your back, but neither does it cause the pain in the back from hauling a 4x12 cab.

 

Specifically, the Mackie Thump12 is a low-cost option that is full range but far from flat response. Using the frequency response graph in the Thump12 manual, the three-band EQ on the Thump12, and my ears, I've been able to get closer to a flat response that I am very pleased with. I am considering switching to a Line 6 StageSource L2m for it's flatter response and the possible benefit that it's one of the powered speakers that Line 6 staff use when developing Helix.

 

I run mono end-to-end. Science and experience tell me that it is impossible for most of the audience to get any benefit from stereo and there are risks of problems with phase cancellation and comb filtering, plus its simpler having just one cable to the powered speaker, one cable to the front-of-house mixer, one powered speaker, and one power cord for the powered speaker.

[TLF2007]

I run an Alto TS110A when I'm alone in my studio/ practice space. I play through a QSC power amp and peavey 15's In a low volume direct monitor PA setup for full band practice. It's good because it allows us to hear what our stuff is like as a reference. I use the Helix for bass and guitar and would love to figure out / find a light single 2x10 that could replace my bass amp. Guitar is monitored in that's not a problem.

[Ebusje]

I use a Line 6 L2m and a Yamaha DXR12 as monitors, and I like the DXR12 much more.

I'm thinking about selling the L2m to get another DXR12.

[Graemey]

I'm using a Peavey KB3 Keyboard amp for onstage monitoring.

1/4 inch mono to KB3 and XLR outputs to desk.

[jar1zx]

I have the higher end set of these in a 4 inch speaker and it doesn't sound that great to me

[jar1zx]

Op go grab you a good tube power amp

I have an old engl tube power amp 50x2 and its sweet.

 

Still running 2 Marshall 1960 a cabs and I could drowned out 1 drummer with ease maybe 2.

 

My plans on getting 2 single 12 cabs have been put off due to work hours but I still plan on getting 2 single 12 cabs.

 

But the sound at any volume is magic, I have power moniters and mains and they can't compete with the sound I get from the Engl power amp.

 

For speakers vintage 30's or gt 75's work very well.

[Graemey]

Op go grab you a good tube power amp

I have an old engl tube power amp 50x2 and its sweet.

 

Still running 2 Marshall 1960 a cabs and I could drowned out 1 drummer with ease maybe 2.

 

My plans on getting 2 single 12 cabs have been put off due to work hours but I still plan on getting 2 single 12 cabs.

 

But the sound at any volume is magic, I have power moniters and mains and they can't compete with the sound I get from the Engl power amp.

 

For speakers vintage 30's or gt 75's work very well.

How are those regular guitar cabs for colouration of the sound? Do they effect it much?

[cruisinon2]

How are those regular guitar cabs for colouration of the sound? Do they effect it much?

Guitar cabinets all have a very narrow frequency response, so yes...a patch that's dialed in through studio monitors or a PA is going to sound VERY different through a traditional cabinet. Completely different animals.

[jar1zx]

As I only have one of the amps that's on the helix it's hard to say.

 

But playing the dual rec into the Marshall cab and playing the helix-Engl-Marshall using Cali rec on helix.....it's close to my real amp.

The dual rec on helix even acts like my real one with I change gain or roll volume off my guitar.

 

My KRK VXT seem to have a mid range boost listening to music on pic. Helix played through these with Cali rec doesn't sound like my real amp. Sound nice playing music with eq to tailor to taste.

 

My mains JBL pxr6115m sound ok but not as good as Engl.

[jar1zx]

The Engl is a 90's model a is a strange beast.

 

It takes any fx board new or old and makes even ones that sound really bad sound good.

As for power it is louder than both my dual recitifer and my Mesa mark 5.

 

I would put it on the same power as the old triple rec I used to have.

[jar1zx]

I've tried other powered speakers, amps, moniters and this is the best for me that I have found.

 

Mesa makes a fifty fifty

Marshall makes a tube power amp also.

Seen lots on mesa's on Craigslist go for $400-500 and you can pick up a beat up 1960 cab for $200-250 with good speakers.

 

Test speakers before you buy and then you have option to make your own cab.

 

My friend bought a new carivan amp for $600 after playing my engl. give me a few days and I'll go to his house and see how it sounds.

600 for a USA amp,isn't bad.