Helix AES/Link vs Left and Right XLR?

[joedreamliner787]

Hi everyone,

      I have a Line 6 Helix floor going to a Powercab plus via the AES link cable which is nothing more than an XLR. I originally thought I needed 3 XLR cables Left, Right and Link. So I plugged all three into my Powercab. Then for the heck of it I unplugged the left and right XLR cables and was surprised to still be hearing sound. Is there any disadvantage of running just the XLR Link to the powercab 112 Plus without the other two cables? 

 

Thanks!

[PierM]

2 hours ago, joedreamliner787 said:

Hi everyone,

      I have a Line 6 Helix floor going to a Powercab plus via the AES link cable which is nothing more than an XLR. I originally thought I needed 3 XLR cables Left, Right and Link. So I plugged all three into my Powercab. Then for the heck of it I unplugged the left and right XLR cables and was surprised to still be hearing sound. Is there any disadvantage of running just the XLR Link to the powercab 112 Plus without the other two cables? 

 

Thanks!

 

AES is digital, doesnt need any left/right cables, just the one from Link OUT to Link IN. The other two cables (Analog out) are doing nothing as soon as Helix is sending OUT to AES/EBU.

[joedreamliner787]

1 hour ago, PierM said:

 

AES is digital, doesnt need any left/right cables, just the one from Link OUT o Link IN. The other two cables (Analog out) are doing nothing as soon as Helix is sending OUT to AES/EBU.

 

Thanks PierM for the clarification!

[Brando-owns-this]

I'm new to this as well.  I purchased the line 6 helix rack and the powercab 112 plus.  Should I run the 112 plus powercab with the line 6 link AES/EBU out from the Helix rack (L6 Link/AES in on the powercab) ------- or do I run an XLR cable left (mono) out from the helix rack into the left/mono input on the powercab?  Is there a difference?

[phil_m]

On 10/8/2022 at 6:09 AM, Brando-owns-this said:

I'm new to this as well.  I purchased the line 6 helix rack and the powercab 112 plus.  Should I run the 112 plus powercab with the line 6 link AES/EBU out from the Helix rack (L6 Link/AES in on the powercab) ------- or do I run an XLR cable left (mono) out from the helix rack into the left/mono input on the powercab?  Is there a difference?

The whole reason (well, almost the whole reason) in getting the Plus version of the Powercab is being able to control it with the L6 Link connection. So there’s no good reason to use the PC’s XLR inputs versus the L6 Link connection.

[somebodyelse]

On 1/1/2023 at 11:41 PM, MGW-Alberta said:

Reviving this thread with a question of my own.

I just bought two Powercab 112 Pluses with the intention of running a stereo rig ... although my approach to stereo will be a bit different from the norm.

I intend to use the parallel processing capability of Helix and use one path for left and the other for right, setting up each path differently to get two distinct sounds.

One PC+ has arrived and the other should get here some time this coming week.

I also ordered two AES cables; a longer one that will plug into the Helix and a shorter one that will connect the left and right cabinets.

In anticipation of the gear soon arriving I used HX Edit to create a template preset for future custom preset creations.

I set the inputs of both paths 1 and 2 to Guitar and the outputs both to Digital and selected Powercab.

It was my intention to use different speaker models in each PC+ to further customize each sound separately but I have noticed that if I make a change to one output the other one changes to exactly the same setting.

I am assuming there must be some setting I am not seeing that will allow individual cabinet settings.

I realize if I used the 1/4" or XLR outputs instead of AES I could easily set the speaker models on the individual cabinets manually but I was hoping to be able to change those model settings within Snapshots.

That's the reason I ordered the AES cables.

 

I would appreciate any insight.

 

[img]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52600999386_3b88f652a4_h.jpg[/img]

 

The purpose of using the two paths individually rather than splitting one path to A & B and having separate outputs for A & B is so I can drop the modulation blocks down to somewhat emulate using two amps in 4CM rather than having the mod blocks come before or after the amp blocks.

 

Edit to add:

Not sure why the img URLs are no longer working here.
I've always posted pix here that way in the past.

Okidoki, the simple, short answer is that 'the setting' is easily found in HX Edit, and I expect it's there somewhere on the Helix.

In HX Edit, set up your parallel path, but where the path returns to the main path (path 1?), drag it away so you're left with a second output - an output for the parallel path.

Now go to the 'output' for the individual parallel paths and pan them left and right.

If I'm right, when you connect everything up, one Powercab should be playing one path, and the other plays the parallel path.

Still in the outputs, there's a 'Powercab' tab, set it preset or global, depnding on whther you want each preset to select different speaker models or global if you're using one setting for everything.

Set 'Mode' to speaker and select which speaker model you want.

NB: you'll need to set these for both outputs.

I haven't got two Powercabs, but if I got this right, you should be good to go.

Hope that makes sense.

 

EDIT: I have a feeling that you can't set them up individually until you have them both plugged in.

[somebodyelse]

On 1/2/2023 at 4:16 PM, MGW-Alberta said:

I do not think we are on the same page.

Did you try to view the image I tried to post?
If you highlight the URL and open it in a new tab or window you'll see that each path, both 1 and 2 are being used independantly.

They both employ parallel paths that rejoin in an attempt to emulate 4CM but they go to separate outputs.

 

 

Yeah, we probably aren't.

However, I'm not sure you can set this up properly until you have both PC+ plugged in.

I seem to recall it being in the manuals somewhere, that when you have two PCs linked by L6 Link, it assigns one as '1' and the other as '2' and treats them as left and right. I think, in order for you to get the two outputs to the separate PC+ you need to pan the outputs, otherwise they will be sent to both PC+. EDIT: Having looked at your image, it looks like you've taken care of this.

In terms of managing the individual levels, it'll be something to do with the 'Mode' - 1, 2, 1+2 Link - which I suspect you need both PC+ plugged in to be able to use. EDIT: These settings... in your image, the settings you have visible, there are 'tabs' at the top of that section, in the 'Powercab' tab, you'll need (for what you're suggesting) 'Remote' set to 'Global', 'Mode' set to 'Speaker', and 'Select (Preset)' use 1, and 2 as required.

 

FWIW, the PC212+ can be made to operate as a stereo cab, so it'd be well worth doing a search of this forum and the Powercab section, for threads relating to the PC212+. As I understand it, the 212 is essentially two 112s in one cabinet.

 

It's also well worth reading the manuals for the Helix, HX Edit and Powercab.

 

I'm going to see if there's anyway I can simulate your setup, as I don't have a second PC112+, in a while. If I learn anything useful, I'll get back with ideas/theories.

I'm dead certain you can achieve what you want, without having to have a 'Bolognese' of cables.

 

 

[Fenderflame28]

Hi MGW.

 

I do a similar thing with my Line 6 DT25 amp. I connect that to Helix via L6 Link AES/UBU and also run an output to XLR L for the PA mixer with an IR of my Line6 DT25 and a room reverb on it (see image 'Helix'). This way my band mates get to have me in their monitors. In order to split the output, you just need to drag down the split shown on my image 'Helix 2'.

 

This makes you a new output path that you can assign to whatever you like.

 

Hope this helps.

[Fenderflame28]

That's weird. The image above is my 'Helix 2'. If you click the image above you'll see my 'Helix' image (my signal path with the split on it). Hit right and you get your image (Helix 2) with my two white circles drawn on it to show you where to drag down.

[somebodyelse]

Well, I was going to try running a similar setup out through S/PDIF to my interface and through my monitors. Anyhoo, couldn't find the cables, so ordered a pair...

Whether it would have helped, I dunno, and I expect by the time my cables arrive, you'll have it sorted - I'll check back - but at least I'll be recording with a little less latency in future ;) 

[somebodyelse]

On 1/3/2023 at 8:52 AM, MGW-Alberta said:

I have actually already been wondering myself if maybe they need to be plugged into Helix before I can assign one left and one right.

I can see the 1 & 2 assignments and I can change them but for now any changes I make to one is reflected on both output blocks.
I will wait until the cables and the other cab arrives before proceeding any further.

I've got the S/PDIF cables, now and I'll be trying it out later, however something that has occurred to me is that whether using L6 Link or S/PDIF, it's one stereo output. You can control what gets sent down either channel of it - panning - but the level, regardless of how many paths you send to that output is controlled at the output by an overall level - you're not controlling the volume level of the path, you're controlling the digital signal level of the output section, to avoid digital signal dropout in long S/PDIF cables.

You can either control the individual path levels before they get to the output, or control the speaker model levels at Powercab 1/2 section.

With the way you intend to use it, I would probably get my PC+ speaker models balanced for output (using a direct signal through an empty Helix preset) and then level match the presets as I wrote them.