Have you product developers at Helix considered a Tube PowerCab?

[guitargar]

Even though I have the dream rig with the Helix, JTV89F and stereo 112 plus PowerCabs, the only thing lacking in my sound are tubes in the amp. I do have a DT25.  It sounds great.  Your best amp by far.  Which makes me wonder why you didn't keep going in that direction.  However, I have an older one and it doesn't play nice with the DT25/50 remote template on the Helix.  I'm running the latest Helix firmware 3.5 and I've even used Line Monkey to update the DT25 to its latest firmware version. Yet, after doing that, I still have no controls from the Helix concerning the topology, the tube and class type switching.  Basically, the only thing I can do is run a 1/4" cable from the ext amp out into the foot switch input to change between channel A & B.  I get some humming on channel B when going directly into the front of the amp input from the line out on the Helix, and that's even with a noise gate in my signal chain.  Channel A sounds great.  I've tried the 4 cable method utilizing FX loop, but I get some reverb weirdness and extra artifacts noise when changing snapshots with high gain channel B settings, especially when trails are on. In spite of all that, the tube sound is awesome.  Even though I really like the PowerCabs and that "in the room feel" on most of the stuff I program, the overtone presence is not there like it is with a tube amp, and the overall sound gets very squashy in live settings when I need to push the amp.  It winds up not cutting through as much in the mix.  The best solution would be a tube PowerCab!!!  Then I could have all of the wonderful benefits of all the programming options, plus that great tube sound!  There's no reason why you developers can't offer us the best of both worlds, so we don't have to settle for less than that perfect sound when tubes are in the amp.  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Thanks for your time and attention, and, hopefully, this is worthy of your consideration. Take care!

 

Gary L

[rd2rk]

On 2/21/2023 at 12:59 AM, guitargar said:

Even though I have the dream rig with the Helix, JTV89F and stereo 112 plus PowerCabs, the only thing lacking in my sound are tubes in the amp. I do have a DT25.  It sounds great.  Your best amp by far.  Which makes me wonder why you didn't keep going in that direction.  However, I have an older one and it doesn't play nice with the DT25/50 remote template on the Helix.  I'm running the latest Helix firmware 3.5 and I've even used Line Monkey to update the DT25 to its latest firmware version. Yet, after doing that, I still have no controls from the Helix concerning the topology, the tube and class type switching.  Basically, the only thing I can do is run a 1/4" cable from the ext amp out into the foot switch input to change between channel A & B.  I get some humming on channel B when going directly into the front of the amp input from the line out on the Helix, and that's even with a noise gate in my signal chain.  Channel A sounds great.  I've tried the 4 cable method utilizing FX loop, but I get some reverb weirdness and extra artifacts noise when changing snapshots with high gain channel B settings, especially when trails are on. In spite of all that, the tube sound is awesome.  Even though I really like the PowerCabs and that "in the room feel" on most of the stuff I program, the overtone presence is not there like it is with a tube amp, and the overall sound gets very squashy in live settings when I need to push the amp.  It winds up not cutting through as much in the mix.  The best solution would be a tube PowerCab!!!  Then I could have all of the wonderful benefits of all the programming options, plus that great tube sound!  There's no reason why you developers can't offer us the best of both worlds, so we don't have to settle for less than that perfect sound when tubes are in the amp.  I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Thanks for your time and attention, and, hopefully, this is worthy of your consideration. Take care!

 

Gary L

 

You're talking to yourself. Nobody from L6 hangs out here, and even if by accident someone from L6 happened to see your post, you wouldn't get an answer, it's just not how they roll.

 

FWIW - not everybody wants their sound colored by tubes, which will change their sound over time (sometimes over a few hours at a gig on a hot day), are fragile, expensive and will eventually fail and have to be replaced.

Also, the DT25 weighs 47lbs, the Catalyst100 weighs 32lbs., the Powercab 112+ weighs 36 lbs.

10-15lbs might not SOUND like much, but add that to your one-armed Farmer's Carry. Yes, it matters.

 

Die-hard tube-heads love their tubes for the reasons you mentioned, but that matters most at the amp's "sweet spot" which is louder than many of us ever get to play these days.

 

Anyhow, I'm pretty sure that a "tube Powercab" has been suggested, go to Ideascale, do a search and VOTE for it, or post a new idea if it hasn't already been.

[Hellandfrt]

That is battling. I was stunned by your affiliation. I'm happy to see a particularly subject. Altruisticly go to my blog and read it. Flying Together App

[rd2rk]

On 2/24/2023 at 1:13 AM, Hellandfrt said:

That is battling. I was stunned by your affiliation. I'm happy to see a particularly subject. Altruisticly go to my blog and read it.

 

???

 

OK, you've got me totally battled! I suspect Google translate...

[jamoce]

I completely agree with you — the tube sound is something digital modeling still struggles to fully replicate, especially in live situations where that natural push and harmonic response really make the difference. Your experience with the DT25 highlights both the potential and the limitations of the current setup, and it makes total sense why you’d want a tube PowerCab as the ultimate solution. A hybrid approach could give players the flexibility of digital programming while still maintaining that organic response, and honestly, it feels like a missed opportunity not to push further in that direction.  Innovation and Competitive Advantage – Having developers on your team allows you to create unique features, services, or platforms that differentiate you from competitors. That’s exactly why it’s so important for companies in music tech — or any industry — to keep innovating. For example, businesses that want to stay ahead of the curve often look for ways to expand their technical capabilities, and one practical step many take is to hire developers for startups at Lemon.io who can bring fresh solutions and help scale products effectively.

[rd2rk]

Setting aside for the moment that this is a 2yo zombie thread and that there's STILL no one from L6 hanging around to see your post:

 

This would be a relatively small market. Not everyone agrees that tubes are all that and fewer and fewer venues even allow amps on stage.

Which tubes? EL34? EL84? 6L6? 6V6? Other? All?

Which speaker? Celestion? Eminence? Jensen? Other?

12"? 10"? 8"? Other?

1? 2? 3? 4?

Open back? Closed back? Convertible?

How many watts? Attenuator? ASIO?

 

There're just too many possibilities to make something that would appeal to a wide enough market to make it worthwhile to produce, it would be VERY expensive and it would compete with every tube combo that has an FX loop and is available for cheap on CL.

 

I get why you want it, I just don't see it happening.