Power Cab vs Helix 3.5 cabs

[colinmortimore61]

Hi I love my Helix and I'm considering getting a Power Cab 212+ to go with it. My question though is, with the 3.50 cabs in the Helix being so good will the cabs in the Power Cab be a step down in tone and functionality? ie will I end up using the Helix cabs with the Power Cab??

 

Thanks 

[amsdenj]

The Helix 3.50 cab blocks will work great with Powercab in Flat:FRFR mode:voicing. However you may find that Flat:LF RAW with no cab block in Helix sounds even better. 

 

[adagosto]

I want to jump in this thread too. In my case, I have the Stomp XL and a Powercab Plus. But my question is the same as the OP's. 

Now some night just suggest I try it, but I'd like to know what others say about this question. How is the Helix 3.5 cans best used with the Powercab?

 

Is it in Flat mode on the PC? That's how I've been doing it. Sounds fine, but I honestly get confused when trying all the different options!

 

Can anyone ofter their suggested Helix 3.5 and PC settings?

[PerS]

I have a Helix LT and PC+112 using L6 Link in between the two. My comment regarding this combo and fw 3.50 is what amsdenj say, Flat:FRFR mode:voicing. That’s what the cab’s in fw 3.50 are made for and that’s my starting point.

The new cab’s where a real gamechanger for me, so much better/clearer/dynamic. I think I will be able to find some “standard speaker combos” in 3.50 I can tweak and store as my favorites and from there make the final adjustments. Less choices and more focus to get the tone. I’m close. 

 

I have used some IR earlier but wasn’t very lucky with them, too many options. Have a few I use in some presets (in the Helix using Flat:FRFR mode:voicing). Have a few presets loaded in the PC but IR’s in the PC doesn’t add anything for me, more than a more complicated workflow (due to the integration between PC and Helix you can’t see the IR names or if it’s actually an IR in the position and the PC+ doesn’t convert IR’s to the correct format as the Helix do, witch made using IR’s a real pain). Easier to have the “whole package” done in the Helix and send it to PC+…

The speaker sim (Speaker Mode) in PC+, well I get better tone from fw 3.50 cabs/FRFR to be honest. Guess it’s a matter of personal preferences… Had some luck with Brown and Green speakers but nothing I jumped over the table for :-). I guess if you want the amp in the room and put some work in the preset to match amp and speakers you can get the sound you like but see the speakers as sound examples/starting point, the perfect match can be something else… Eg I didn’t dial in a EVH tone when I picked the Brown speaker (think I played with a fender Bassman amp…). Anyway, test it you never know... If they sound like the brand/model they emulate, have no clue. I picked and tweaked and used the brand name/model as a starting point.

This could be because it was a long time since I played a real amp (before the first POD), so maybe I have been converted to a studio rat…

But to come back to the other suggestion from amsdenj, he mentioned this in an earlier thread to me, Flat:LF RAW with no cab blocks in the preset. That is really cool, really worth trying. But remember the key is no cab block in the Helix preset (same as you do in Speaker Mode), because that was the mistake I did first time testing it… (was fooled that it was FRFR Mode, and maybe that was the thought from the beginning, but the amsdenj way sound much better). Let the PC+ speaker shine there.

In my fw 3.50-presets I still add some EQ to touch things up. Almost always a parametric EQ at the end of the chain making a hi/low cut and “corrections” of some fq’s. Some cases add a Tilt or a Shelf after the cab (not so often with the 3.50 cabs) and in other cases an EQ between amp and cab (almost always use separate amp/cab blocks so I can do that without having to retweak the amp/cab settings when separating them) (typically use the 10 band graph or Cali Q eq’s).

 

I’m a clean/od/low gain blues player so my presets are not that complicated, but still want it to sound good/pleasant in band content… 

 

Sorry for a long post. Hope some of it is of use.
//Per
 

[adagosto]

PerS, GREAT LONG post. Thank you. You did a nice job of clearing things up for me. At least my strategy has been good. I get confused very quickly when trying different settings. I don't think I know what to listen for always. If it sounds good I'm happy. But I do find I have to play a specific song an go for that. 

 

I have not attempted IR's on account of the fear of instant overloaded!!

 

Thanks again.

 

 

colinmortimore61,

I would highly recommend the PC. To me it's what really MADE the Helix for me. It really opened up the entire system and I literally have zero envy of other digital systems. The 3.5 build has been truly outstanding. The PC makes for a very powerful rig. You will not regret it. Also, the PC+ is very loud and compact. Good luck.

[mikeabbs67]

I just obtained a stomp XL upgrading from a POD GO so I am new to improved cabs.  Flat mode on my PC112+ works well but I found I had to edit the flat mode preset and turn on the high and low cuts, otherwise the tone was crazy fizzy.  I have set the high cut at 5K and the low cut at 100.  I compared similar patches using the JCM800 model with a V30 cab on the unit vs the v30 (Vintage) emulation on the powercab.  In my room I think the helix cabs win however, it's really hard to tell outside of the band mix.  Next gig I will go FRFR with helix cabs and if it seems somewhat lacking I will switch it over to the patch I made for the PC emulated V30.   I use the PC as a monitor and stage volume and run from the PC to FOH.