GeeTah Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Yesterday as I was loading out from church, I found an old pair of Tech21 Power Engine 60's (circa 2009). I had bought them for another guitarist's X3 Live rig several years ago. He played with us about a month and disappeared. After that, I didn't much about it. A few years passed and..... Out of sight / Out of Mind - until yesterday. Question: Has anyone tried Power Engine 60's with Helix? Results? I remember thinking they were pretty mid-focused, but overall not too bad. Thanks for any thoughts. Bradley GT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocco_Crocco Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Yup. I have 2 Power engines. One I leave at rehearsal and one for home use. I set my tones on the Helix through my Studio monitors, and it almost always sounds great through the Power Engine. Once in a while I'll have to tweak some EQ but usually not. I like mid-focused, BTW, for cutting through the rest of the band. We play metal and classic rock. I must add that I go through the PA at rehearsal, as well as through the PE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTah Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 Yup. I have 2 Power engines. One I leave at rehearsal and one for home use. I set my tones on the Helix through my Studio monitors, and it almost always sounds great through the Power Engine. Once in a while I'll have to tweak some EQ but usually not. I like mid-focused, BTW, for cutting through the rest of the band. We play metal and classic rock. I must add that I go through the PA at rehearsal, as well as through the PE. Appreciate the input. Apparently, I also have two PE60's!!!!! One more question: Do you ever run an acoustic through the PE60? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocco_Crocco Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 Unfortunately not. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greekjgg Posted April 11, 2016 Share Posted April 11, 2016 I have these...for practice they are ok....for live I just use the stage monitors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTah Posted April 11, 2016 Author Share Posted April 11, 2016 Unfortunately not. Sorry. No worries. I run a JTV-59 and run acoustic voicing on occasion - not that much tho. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theKennyG Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 I love my Helix through the PE60! I know it's not anywhere close to FRFR but I just really like how it sounds. I'm actually thinking about picking up a second for running stereo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeeTah Posted May 4, 2016 Author Share Posted May 4, 2016 Just wanted to weigh in again that I did try the PE 60's (in stereo) for a couple of weeks and was surprised at how good they sound. Given their extremely simple make-up, I really didn't expect much - but I agree that they really do sound decent. Probably will use them more goign forward, in those times when I want some kind of stage amp. Generally though, it's direct to the PA and IEM's - no stage volume. BTW, thanks to you guys above who responded to my original question/post. Bradley GT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pangloss9 Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 When using the Power Engine, do you folks run a cabinet block or impulse response in your signal chain? Or do you just let the Power Engine's Celestion speaker be the cabinet? I have one PE from years ago and I'm considering a second. I've been experimenting myself and I agree that the PE sounds decent however, my powered Mackie FRFR studio monitors sound significantly better. The PE sounds pretty muddy when I use various cabinet blocks and a little brittle when I remove them from the signal chain entirely. I wondering if some serious EQ-ing could make the cab blocks sound significantly better. --Stefan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theKennyG Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 When using the Power Engine, do you folks run a cabinet block or impulse response in your signal chain? Or do you just let the Power Engine's Celestion speaker be the cabinet? I have one PE from years ago and I'm considering a second. I've been experimenting myself and I agree that the PE sounds decent however, my powered Mackie FRFR studio monitors sound significantly better. The PE sounds pretty muddy when I use various cabinet blocks and a little brittle when I remove them from the signal chain entirely. I wondering if some serious EQ-ing could make the cab blocks sound significantly better. --Stefan I've always just left the cabs on and I haven't noticed it sounding muddy at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefpavone85 Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I was lucky enough to find a Power Engine first series with FRFR speaker (although, in fact, reading the web I found that it was produced by Eminence). The convenience, compared to the next model with the Celestion Seventy/80, consists in being able to use the cab simulations. The final sound I like. I made a comparison with a Red Sound cabinet of my friend, and frankly, I have not found huge differences ... The only problem is the absence of tweet that does not allow to use the Power Engine to prepare for the sounds to be used, for example, in a PA. If I decide to play only with PE, prepare the patches to be allocated for that purpose. If I only use it as a monitor, I prepare the plant sounds and equalizer of PE I make any corrections. I also tested the model with Celestion speaker: to be used by disabling the cab simulations. On the clean sounds he convinced me, on distorted not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunedinDragon Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 Just wanted to weigh in again that I did try the PE 60's (in stereo) for a couple of weeks and was surprised at how good they sound. Given their extremely simple make-up, I really didn't expect much - but I agree that they really do sound decent. Probably will use them more goign forward, in those times when I want some kind of stage amp. Generally though, it's direct to the PA and IEM's - no stage volume. BTW, thanks to you guys above who responded to my original question/post. Bradley GT As long as you're not using them to develop your patches. That would probably throw off the sound of the patches when you go direct to the PA/IEM's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillBee Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I was lucky enough to find a Power Engine first series with FRFR speaker (although, in fact, reading the web I found that it was produced by Eminence). The convenience, compared to the next model with the Celestion Seventy/80, consists in being able to use the cab simulations. The final sound I like. I made a comparison with a Red Sound cabinet of my friend, and frankly, I have not found huge differences ... The only problem is the absence of tweet that does not allow to use the Power Engine to prepare for the sounds to be used, for example, in a PA. If I decide to play only with PE, prepare the patches to be allocated for that purpose. If I only use it as a monitor, I prepare the plant sounds and equalizer of PE I make any corrections. I also tested the model with Celestion speaker: to be used by disabling the cab simulations. On the clean sounds he convinced me, on distorted not. I have seen a tweater mod on a PE60 btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocco_Crocco Posted March 23, 2017 Share Posted March 23, 2017 I have installed tweeters in my 2 PEs. It is a nice improvement but my Alto 112 FRFR sounds better. I think the open back design of the PE works against you when playing with amps models that typically use clised back cabs. This is just a theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBTL Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Iv put a tweeter in my PE60. I do like it however am looking for a frfr option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefpavone85 Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I have installed tweeters in my 2 PEs. It is a nice improvement but my Alto 112 FRFR sounds better. I think the open back design of the PE works against you when playing with amps models that typically use clised back cabs. This is just a theory. How did you mount it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocco_Crocco Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 How did you mount it? There's a post on another forum with step by step instructions and pucs. Just google "tech 21 power engine tweeter mod". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoot13 Posted March 23, 2018 Share Posted March 23, 2018 On 3/29/2017 at 8:30 AM, Rocco_Crocco said: There's a post on another forum with step by step instructions and pucs. Just google "tech 21 power engine tweeter mod". I have some of these tweeter horns and I want to install them in my PE60s. https://www.carid.com/nippon-america/3-1-4-ntx-series-60w-horn-tweeter-mpn-ntx1004pz.html?singleid=371081274 What I can't find in the discussion of this mod is what value the capacitor should be. Would this one work? https://www.parts-express.com/jantzen-audio-047uf-400v-crosscap-capacitor--027-906 Any advice would be appreciated, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoe5 Posted March 24, 2018 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Since this is a great Tech 21 PE post, I'm just tagging on... I came across a Tech 21 Trademark 120 used. It has left and right effects return. Used with just the effects return, is it the same as running two Power Engine 60's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber Posted March 26, 2018 Share Posted March 26, 2018 I used a power engine as I had one around - sounded okay to me I since tried my markbass cmd 121p which I also had around - sounds much better all round Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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