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Stomp with Powercab or L2 or PA speaker??


adagosto
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Hi.

Can anyone offer their opinion and experience with this choice?

 

I would like to add a speaker to my home studio that simplifies my set up. Currently I have a 2x12 Mesa Boogie. I can run Helix models in front of the Mesa or into the effects loop. But I want to add the ability to run those amp/cab models into a separate speaker that's more optimized for the Helix tones. I don't play out, but my son might want to use some of my gear for show here and there, but playing out is not a huge concern.

 

ALSO, I would like to replace my Genz Benz acoustic amp at the same time.

 

Which of my three options would fit that use case? Powercab? L2 speaker? or a quality PA speaker?

 

I'm thinking between $750 and $1000 is about the max and I'd look used for sure. The QSC K series or Yamaha PA's are good options that I'm looking at.

 

Which option would you say would do the best at Helix amp models AND an acoustic guitar amp AND also be good for vocals (just threw that in....)

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I own both Yamaha DXR and QSC K series speakers as well as a couple of other types.  Both are great options, but I have to admit I really prefer my QSC K10.2 as my live monitor more than my DXR12 which I use at home to dial in my tones and often use them as front PA speakers for the band.  There's something about the presence in the QSC that just makes it easier to work with in the context of a group as floor monitors.  BEST infers a subjective opinion, so you can get plenty of those.  I only know what's worked perfectly for me as a live musician playing every week in a wide range of genres for many more years than I like to admit to.

Any of these speakers will work equally well for amp models as well as acoustic guitars or vocals.  That's what they're made to do and why they're so prevalent and popular.  I personally play a wide range of instruments live through mine including various electric guitars, banjo, mandolin, bass, keyboards (piano, organ, synth), pedal steel, bluegrass fiddle...and of course multi-part vocal harmonies.  They are general purpose, top of the line, live performance speakers.  Since going to the Helix 7 years ago and using high quality speakers like these I have sold all my amps and have none in my house.

The thing that's important to me, ultimately your audience is going to hear your performance through one of these types of speakers.  Even if you play through the Mesa Boogie, once you mic it and send it through a mixing board, it's going to come out to the audience through one of these types of speakers sounding the same way as the Helix modeled speakers going direct to the mixing board...so what's the point?

I don't use these type of speakers in my studio because that's not what they're made for.  For that I use Yamaha HS7 speakers or a DT770 set of headphones.  I do, however create certain backing instruments for our live performances on that system and play them back live through these type of PA speakers and they sound pretty much the same as a live musician would sound.

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I am in the same situation.  I run my Helix Floor through my Boogie using 4CM and I was seriously considering the idea that I might get better results using an FRFR cabinet, not that there was anything wrong with the results I was getting already.  I think the idea sprang up mostly from latent GAS lying dormant within me.  I started reading everything I could find on FRFR.  I watched more videos than I could possibly count.  I spent several months obsessing over it.  I read about frequency responses in the various FRFR cabs, which are not truly FRFR by the way.  That's just a name they give to a particular style of monitor.  If they were truly FRFR they would all sound the same, or at least very similar.  I read about construction materials, internal cabinet volume, size, placement and spatial orientation.   I also recalled my own experiences with Helix shortly after I first purchased it, trying it with my own studio monitors, near-field monitors and my public address system.  I also went down to the music store in my little rural town with my Helix Floor in tow.  They didn't have any FRFRs in stock but they had several powered monitors and I tried them all.  I used the presets I was using when I tried my own equipment and I tweaked them in the store as I tried each one.  The more I learned, the less enthusiastic I became about the prospect of making the change.  In the end I abandoned my search.  I will stick with my Boogie and 4CM.  It is a system I know well and I get great results with it and I'm getting even better with it all the time.  It is a tone that is compelling and feels real.

 

This is one man's story.  I only speak for myself but I thought you should hear from the other side as well.

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16 minutes ago, MGW-Alberta said:

I am in the same situation.  I run my Helix Floor through my Boogie using 4CM and I was seriously considering the idea that I might get better results using an HRHR cabinet, not that there was anything wrong with the results I was getting already.  I think the idea sprang up mostly from latent GAS lying dormant within me.  I started reading everything I could find on HRHR.  I watched more videos than I could possibly count.  I spent several months obsessing over it.  I read about frequency responses in the various FRFR cabs, which are not truly FRFR by the way.  That's just a name they give to a particular style of monitor.  If they were truly FRFR they would all sound the same, or at least very similar.  I read about construction materials, internal cabinet volume, size, placement and spatial orientation.   I also recalled my own experiences with Helix shortly after I first purchased it, trying it with my own studio monitors, near-field monitors and my public address system.  I also went down to the music store in my little rural town with my Helix Floor in tow.  They didn't have any FRFRs in stock but they had several powered monitors and I tried them all.  I used the presets I was using when I tried my own equipment and I tweaked them in the store as I tried each one.  The more I learned, the less enthusiastic I became about the prospect of making the change.  In the end I abandoned my search.  I will stick with my Boogie and 4CM.  It is a system I know well and I get great results with it and I'm getting even better with it all the time.  It is a tone that is compelling and feels real.

 

This is one man's story.  I only speak for myself but I thought you should hear from the other side as well.

 

I absolutely love this post.

Thank you!!

Very helpful.

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On 10/26/2021 at 11:47 AM, adagosto said:

Which option would you say would do the best at Helix amp models AND an acoustic guitar amp AND also be good for vocals (just threw that in....)

 


Based on the three you mention I'd lean toward a quality PA Speaker such as the QSC.

 

EDIT TO ADD: 

I had made an assumption the L2 was one of those BOSE Systems.... which are nice, but not something I would use for the Helix. 

If the reference is for a Line 6 Stagesource L2, then I would certainly place that right up there with a QSC or other quality PA speaker for your needs. 

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I just bought a gently used Stagesource L2t for $550. I'm really happy with it because its so darned versatile. I have a mixer-based setup for live solo performance, so I can feed all my inputs into my mixer, then the mixer into the Line In on the L2t. OR if I just want to do acoustic guitar with vocal, the built in mixer is excellent. OR if I want to just play my Stomp through it as an amp/cabinet, it sounds excellent! OR if I want to set it up on the deck and play an iPhone through it at a party, it sounds excellent! Its light, compact and easy to move around. The only thing I wouldn't recommend it for would be live bass guitar performance (the subs aren't big enough for that).

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1 hour ago, soundog said:

I just bought a gently used Stagesource L2t for $550. I'm really happy with it because its so darned versatile. I have a mixer-based setup for live solo performance, so I can feed all my inputs into my mixer, then the mixer into the Line In on the L2t. OR if I just want to do acoustic guitar with vocal, the built in mixer is excellent. OR if I want to just play my Stomp through it as an amp/cabinet, it sounds excellent! OR if I want to set it up on the deck and play an iPhone through it at a party, it sounds excellent! Its light, compact and easy to move around. The only thing I wouldn't recommend it for would be live bass guitar performance (the subs aren't big enough for that).

 

I can say this, am am heavily leaning towards the amp-in-the-room feeling/solution. I really don't expect to take this thing out although its possible. The problem for me is that the best solution would be the Powercab 212 Plus which is set at a ridiculously high cost premium. Way too high actually. So for the cost of the L2t you can get a Powercab 112 Plus. Then, when I look for the value of the L2t vs. 112 Plus, the separation becomes much more difficult to make.

 

One thing I'm having a hard time understanding is the acoustic guitar performance of the Powercabs. I know the L2t is great, but I have not been able to nail down the Powercab and I cannot test them at the store...not carried.

 

So much gear....so little time and $$ :)

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