Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Jump to content

Tech21 Power Engine 60 with Helix - Anyone Tried It? Good / Bad?


GeeTah
 Share

Recommended Posts

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

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 10 months later...
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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...
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!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...