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Current status on L6-Link, midi and a PC+?


spikey
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Can someone fill me in on what L6-Link currently can/will do regarding the PC+? Will it carry audio only? Does it know when two PC+ are hooked up to make the 1st a left channel, and the second a right channel (stereo)? Do we still need to run midi cables for the control? 

 

Please advise.

 

 

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Until 2.8 you still need midi to change the speaker models, IR's, etc on the PC+.  The L6 link does make the effects stereo when using 2 PCs, but doesn't do a "true" stereo when running 2 amps together.  Supposedly 2.8 will fix all of this. 

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Thanks, Belew01~!  I tried to look this info up but could not find current specific's anywhere.

I assume then that until 2.8 we need to run the PC+ software AND HX Edit software at the same time?

Effects in stereo will work until 2.8, and I have ordered the AES/EBU L6-Link cables so should be all set. 

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I don't guess you really need to run both programs at the same time.  Maybe depending on your application?  I use the factory speaker sims in the PC+ and also have some IRs loaded.  Then I just set up my Helix patches with instant commands to send midi changes for the speaker sims and/or IRs.

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On 2/19/2019 at 8:02 AM, Belew01 said:

The L6 link does make the effects stereo when using 2 PCs, but doesn't do a "true" stereo when running 2 amps together.  Supposedly 2.8 will fix all of this. 

What exactly do you mean, and how will 2.8 fix that?

 

If you split a path, put different amps on each path, and hardpan the outputs to left and right, you're not getting different amps in each Powercab?

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No, currently you get a mix, I guess, of both amps even though you pan them.  (I hope I can type this where it makes sense.) I found it out when I was trying to adjust the volume of each amp independently.   Even when I would null the volume/output of 1 amp, there would still be output through both PC+'s.  Also, it seemed that I could never get both amps to ever balance out volume wise.  It was as though 1 was always quieter.  So, I became curious if it was because of the L6 link.  I decided to try xlr's and bam, everything works as it should.  100% hard pan, 1 amp only out of each PC+.  Volume's matched perfectly as well.

This is one of the statements listed in the upcoming 2.8:

 

"PowerCab Plus remote supportHelix can now remotely adjust parameters in up to two L6 LINK-connected PowerCab Plus modeling speaker cabs. When one PowerCab Plus is connected via L6 LINK (110-ohm AES/EBU cable), it receives a mono signal from Helix; when two PowerCab Plus amps are daisy-chained via L6 LINK, the first cab in the chain receives the left signal and the second cab receives the right signal. From the Output > Multi or Output > Digital block, press PAGE > to view page 2 and turn Knob 2 (PowerCab Select) to choose which PowerCab you'd like to control (or both, for stereo)."

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/22/2019 at 3:09 AM, Belew01 said:

No, currently you get a mix, I guess, of both amps even though you pan them.  (I hope I can type this where it makes sense.) I found it out when I was trying to adjust the volume of each amp independently.   Even when I would null the volume/output of 1 amp, there would still be output through both PC+'s.  Also, it seemed that I could never get both amps to ever balance out volume wise.  It was as though 1 was always quieter.  So, I became curious if it was because of the L6 link.  I decided to try xlr's and bam, everything works as it should.  100% hard pan, 1 amp only out of each PC+.  Volume's matched perfectly as well.

This is one of the statements listed in the upcoming 2.8:

 

"PowerCab Plus remote supportHelix can now remotely adjust parameters in up to two L6 LINK-connected PowerCab Plus modeling speaker cabs. When one PowerCab Plus is connected via L6 LINK (110-ohm AES/EBU cable), it receives a mono signal from Helix; when two PowerCab Plus amps are daisy-chained via L6 LINK, the first cab in the chain receives the left signal and the second cab receives the right signal. From the Output > Multi or Output > Digital block, press PAGE > to view page 2 and turn Knob 2 (PowerCab Select) to choose which PowerCab you'd like to control (or both, for stereo)."

Have you submitted a ticket or ideascale suggestion or anything about this?

 

This sounds like a bug. I've never tried panning amps left right like that but I have also never experienced any bleed-through while panning stuff in general, and I always play stereo, so are you sure it's not a fault in your Helix device? Like 100%, have talked to customer service about it and they told you "nah, it's a bug on our end" kind of sure? If not, you should. I'll be doing some tests on my side as well but like I said, I some times have a friend over and we jam on each our guitar, with each our speaker, and I've never noticed anything suggesting what you described, which is why I'm asking.

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/22/2019 at 1:09 PM, Belew01 said:

"PowerCab Plus remote supportHelix can now remotely adjust parameters in up to two L6 LINK-connected PowerCab Plus modeling speaker cabs. When one PowerCab Plus is connected via L6 LINK (110-ohm AES/EBU cable), it receives a mono signal from Helix; when two PowerCab Plus amps are daisy-chained via L6 LINK, the first cab in the chain receives the left signal and the second cab receives the right signal. From the Output > Multi or Output > Digital block, press PAGE > to view page 2 and turn Knob 2 (PowerCab Select) to choose which PowerCab you'd like to control (or both, for stereo)."

 

It's important to note this is NOT the same as the L6 Link carrying MIDI messages, it's probably a proprietary way of controlling the PC+. And no mention of MIDI above.

 

What I suspect Line 6 are doing in 2.80 is creating a customised message format that will fit inside the existing AES frames. Unless AES already supports carrying MIDI messages (which a quick google suggests it doesn't) I would highly doubt Line6 would have the skills or the will to modify the AES protocol to carry MIDI all on their own.

 

It's relatively simple though to send what looks like a regular AES message that carries PCM audio but has some special bit pattern that the PC+ will be programmed to recognise as a control message not an audio message.

 

Or they may just use the existing 'sideband' capability with the protocol (there's already a way to send a low-fi audio e.g. like a push-to-talk message with the high-fi audio signal). Again this is roughly 1000 times easier than adding full MIDI to AES.

 

Just a guess...

 

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On 2/22/2019 at 5:35 AM, spikey said:

I really like the sounds from my PC+'s! 

 

Just scratching my head on how to edit both of them separately (and at the same time) using Powercab edit?

 

Have you resolved your problem ? Because, i've only got one PC+ but i had some issues, and the explanations i've found given on the web were not the good ones.....

I had matters to setup things with snapshot's changing....

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  • 2 months later...

I just did the 2.8 upgrade.

Does anyone know how (the procedure) to change the speakers w/ in the PC+ via the L6 LINK cable? I see the color rings are changing, but the settings are not. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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9 hours ago, v75swd said:

I just did the 2.8 upgrade.

Does anyone know how (the procedure) to change the speakers w/ in the PC+ via the L6 LINK cable? I see the color rings are changing, but the settings are not. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Assuming you are changing the speakers in the Powercab section of the output block, it will be changing the settings in your Powercab.

 

What it won't be doing it changing to a different preset, which is probably what you expect.

 

I've set up a new preset on my Powercab at preset 100 which I've "labelled" Helix and leave my Powercab on this. When I switch Powercab modes or speakers etc, it is effectively just amending that preset on the file with the settings from Helix.

 

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I don't have HXEdit in front of me at the moment so take what I say with a grain of salt.

 

As I recall, in HXEdit you highlight the output block and you will see a tab marked "Powecab". Open it and you will be able to set speakers etc. via L6link.

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