Helix Floor to Powercab 112 *digital* comms via 110 Ohm XLR - not working

[PadburyMusicIan]

Hi,

 

I have trawled this forum and the web for solutions before writing something new.

 

My Helix Floor is connected to my Powercab 112 by a 110 Ohm XLR plugged from Floor L6 Link out to Powercab L6 Link in.

 

On the Powercab, in the settings, Link Input is set to On.

 

I have no problem with audio output from the Floor to my Powercab via this cable (or a different cable which is not 110 Ohm).

 

But I have zero digital comms via this cable, just digital audio.

 

The Floor menu choices regarding Powercab remote control and choice of Powercab speaker emulation - those digital instructions are not arriving at the Powercab through this cable.

 

L6 Link settings are Global(or Per Preset)>Powercab Remote, Speaker>Powercab Mode, Powercab 1>Speaker Select, Speaker 1 Type>Essex (for example).

 

All this makes no difference. No matter which emulation I select there is no influence by the Helix Floor on the Powercab settings or sound.

 

The Powercab remain just a receiver of Floor audio.

 

The manual controls on the Powercab work fine, selecting all speaker emulations on demand.

 

I am thinking about getting a different cable, but since I had a conversation with the cable supplier and they assured me that the cable I bought was a good quality 110 Ohm, I don't want to just blow cash on another cable brand, before at least asking here if I just set things up wrong?

[somebodyelse]

First, did you update the Helix, this week?

Did you back it up, beforehand?

Did you do a factory reset and backup restore afterwards?

 

If you did the first, you needed to do the other two steps - that could be why it's playing up.

 

If you want the Powercab to change settings when you switch presets, then the Powercab Remote setting needs to be set to 'preset'.

The 'Link Inputs' setting on the Powercab is nothing to do with Line 6 Link. It determines whether the analogue inputs operate independently or are linked together.

 

Just in case you're new to it, the digital setting in the Globals for the Helix needs to be set to L6 Link instead of S/PDIF. Also, with the same assumption, what firmware is the Powercab on? Although they haven't done an update in over three years, it wouldn't surprise me if they were being supplied on an older version. If it's lower than v2.00, it needs updating. If that was the case, that would almost certainly explain why the L6 Link isn't working.

 

[PadburyMusicIan]

Hi thanks for the reply.

 

I will go through your points in detail. First pass I think I need to update the firmware on the Powercab as the Powercab Edit librarian reports firmware 1.01.

 

After reading your comment re firmware I checked the manual (RTFM.. again) and it mirrors your thoughts regarding minimum 2.0. So that is step 1 for me.

 

As probably that is all it needs.

 

Yes I am running 3.8, pre backed up, factory reset after update then restored from backup and the floor rebuilt itself on next power up.

 

Yes the global setting is set to AES/ABU not SPDIF.

 

I read the 3.8 known bugs and having an M1 I checked the globals in case they did not restore, didn't see anything unusual there.

 

Will return with the results.

 

 

[PadburyMusicIan]

On 11/24/2024 at 4:40 PM, somebodyelse said:

Also, with the same assumption, what firmware is the Powercab on? Although they haven't done an update in over three years, it wouldn't surprise me if they were being supplied on an older version. If it's lower than v2.00, it needs updating. If that was the case, that would almost certainly explain why the L6 Link isn't working.

 

 

Yes this was the issue. Firmware update and now the Floor is communicating speaker emulation change, I see the colours changing on the Powercab as I turn the knob on the Floor.  Strange how the display just says edited and does not say the new emulation name. But colour code is enough to know the firmware update to 2.0 was all I needed.

 

thanks

[somebodyelse]

On 11/24/2024 at 10:34 AM, PadburyMusicIan said:

 

Yes this was the issue. Firmware update and now the Floor is communicating speaker emulation change, I see the colours changing on the Powercab as I turn the knob on the Floor.  Strange how the display just says edited and does not say the new emulation name. But colour code is enough to know the firmware update to 2.0 was all I needed.

 

thanks

Yeah. It's all good.

The Line 6 Link was dormant before PC v2.0 and one of the Helix ones - v2.80, I think.

Regarding the PC display. The Helix changes the settings (temporarily) in whatever preset is selected on the PC - the settings are saved and sent from the Helix.

If you actually want it to change presets, then you'd have to use MIDI down a MIDI cable, but unless I'm missing something, you won't actually gain anything.

You could edit and save presets on the Powercab itself, and use MIDI to switch them, but you'd only benefit from it, if you were programming other units to change the presets. If you're only using a Helix, it's just programming for the sake of it.