CLR wedge vs Line 6 Powercab

Wolfgangman

Wolfgangman

Inspired
Hi all - i am looking at the best option for a stage monitor for the AX8 - I am interested in any feedback from users of the Line 6 Powercab or CLR. wedge
 
jlynnb1 said:
that won't even be close...CLR every time
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How do you know that? I've read some very good reviews of the new PowerCab. I have two CLRs and love them. I also have a Line 6 L2T that is excellent and has a lot more features. Support for the CLRs is hot and cold. I had a power amp issue that got resolved, but it took 6+ weeks.
 
Powercab is a good product for its intended price point but I’d be very surprised if it actually exceeds the CLR, Xitone etc. Those products cost hundreds more and are marketed largely to a different market.

If Line6 really built something that out spec.’d and out performed the best products on the market and yet did it for nearly half the price I’d be quite shocked.

I will say it’s cool they have some cab modeling and stuff on there, which makes sense for a lot of people using AITB type pedals live, but for FAS owners I don’t so much see the benefit.

I mean my III has over 2000 cabs, the ability to blend up to 4 together, lots of other parameters, counsel eq, room, high and low pass etc, not to mention being able to run 2 cab blocks. The powercab doesn’t really give me anything I can’t already do. But, I don’t think they really meant it for the $2499 modeler crowd.
 
jamn4jc said:
How do you know that? I've read some very good reviews of the new PowerCab. I have two CLRs and love them. I also have a Line 6 L2T that is excellent and has a lot more features. Support for the CLRs is hot and cold. I had a power amp issue that got resolved, but it took 6+ weeks.
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exactly my experience and opinion......i may drag my ax8 over to CME, where they just recieved some PCs
 
The OP said it was going to be used with an AX8, and we get comments about how useless the Powercab would be with the III.

I actually own a powercab and couldn't be happier. It's the best tone and feel I've heard come out of my AX8. I have nothing against CLR or any of the others. I'm sure they are great. But for crying out loud, the mere mention of L6 is like a bat signal to bring the haters out.
 
InsideOut said:
The OP said it was going to be used with an AX8, and we get comments about how useless the Powercab would be with the III.

I actually own a powercab and couldn't be happier. It's the best tone and feel I've heard come out of my AX8. I have nothing against CLR or any of the others. I'm sure they are great. But for crying out loud, the mere mention of L6 is like a bat signal to bring the haters out.
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Did I use the word "Useless" ? Did I offer an opinion on anything except how the product would appeal to my OWN usage with an understanding that MY needs don't negate anyone else's needs ? Did I in any way "hate" on L6 ?? Saying it seems like a good product for the price point is sure offensive isn't' it ?

At least my "bat signal" response lets me know that I now need to add someone else to my ignore list, so that was USEFUL
 
InsideOut said:
The OP said it was going to be used with an AX8, and we get comments about how useless the Powercab would be with the III.

I actually own a powercab and couldn't be happier. It's the best tone and feel I've heard come out of my AX8. I have nothing against CLR or any of the others. I'm sure they are great. But for crying out loud, the mere mention of L6 is like a bat signal to bring the haters out.
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Yep, some people refuse to believe that you can get a good sound out of the axe without being a CLR, RCF, Xitone etc.. any other speaker is garbage. Used my K12 for years, compliment after compliment.
 
Thank's for all the replies. I'm sure it is hard to get a bad sound out of the AX8 whatever you use. I didn't mean to start up a "verses" debate, just hear from users of both types of speakers. I have heard good and bad re the CLR and not much about the Line 6 although I have never been partial to that brand.
 
InsideOut said:
I actually own a powercab and couldn't be happier. It's the best tone and feel I've heard come out of my AX8.
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How do you have it setup? I picked up one yesterday from GC and am having no luck with it compared to a CLR (which I don't put at the top of my list), DX12 (my FOH speakers), and Samson M12a (oddly enough my favorite when running stereo). I have cabs disabled on the Ax8 when using the speaker emulation, and a solid green light on the powercab input. I wasn't a fan of the FRFR mode or using the IR's either compared to my existing rig.

thanks,
joe
 
I'm actually not a fan of the speaker sims on the PC. My response here is assuming you have the plus version.

I'm purely using IR mode. Using the PC editor software, I loaded a bunch of IR (ownhammer, redwirez etc) into the PC and created presets for them. Then in my AX8 preset, under midi tab I tell it which powercab preset to chose per scene and have no cab block at all (saves 10-12% CPU). If you are using a cab block in Ax8, make sure the powercab is on the FRFR voicing and not accidentally on LF solo or LF flat. If you are using the IR's that came with the powercab, I don't blame you because I think they sound like poop compared to my good IR's. Hope that helps.
 
It is a bit funny watching the obsession with certain brands. I've plugged the AX8 into all manner of speakers and fx returns of regular amps. There's a little bit of tweaking involved, but I've never been unable to get good sounds.

I'm getting the regular L6 powercab tomorrow. I suspect that to get the most out of the speaker simulations in the PC, you have to go through similar steps as when using a regular cab. Cliff had a great writeup about that here on the forum, and Leon Todd has a youtube video demonstrating it. I'm going to pick a speaker model in the PC, then build a patch from scratch with just a fresh amp block (speaker comp and speaker drive at zero). Then add a synth block to figure out the low res. frequency of the speaker, and then finally dial in the amp settings. This is what I do if I have to plug into the fx return of a backline amp, and it seems to work well. Never had much luck in just disabling cab modelling globally on the AX8 and using my regular patches into a real cab.
 
That said... if it doesn't sound and feel good when simply plugging the AX8 with cab sims and all into flat mode on the PC, it's going back to the retailer in a hurry :)
 
Purplestrats said:
That said... if it doesn't sound and feel good when simply plugging the AX8 with cab sims and all into flat mode on the PC, it's going back to the retailer in a hurry :)
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I'll be interested to hear which way you like better - with IR in FRFR mode, or dialing in one of the speaker sims without cab block. Personally, I'm really glad it still feels like a guitar cab even with IR's. I don't like being limited to one speaker sound. But I can also see the desire for simplicity.
 
I just started using the CLR, and it appears to be a well made, great sounding monitor. I've used the RCF for years, and still favor it, but the CLR is winning my respect every time I use it. I have not tried the Powercab, but wanted to say the CLR is certainly a great match.
 
BTW, if you're interested in the Powercab as an FRFR, it's subpar.

Here's some quotes from a Line 6 employee: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/26216632/
"Powercab is decidedly not an FRFR."
"It's not quite FRFR, because Powercab is using a custom guitar speaker, not a full-range PA speaker. If you want a box that can pull double-duty as an FRFR and PA speaker, there's StageSource (or a billion other options)."

If you're interested in the Powercab for the speaker modeling, or to use it in its "FRFR" mode for a guitar oriented sound, that's completely preferential (like any other guitar cab and speaker) and you'll just have to try it out.
 
You can't really make a optimal comparison video. But this comes close:



I tried the Powercab plus recently and for me it was a big disappointment. Lacking both top and low-end. YMMV.
Haven't tried the CLR - but the Dynacord AXM 12A - and there is a night and day difference there. In favor of the Dynacord.
 
I don't understand the speaker simulation on the Line 6 Powercab. I have a boatload of IR's in the AX8. Why do I need speaker simulations? I recently sold my Freidman ASC. I found it to dark and muffled sounding. Put eq blocks with mid and high end bumps to get it decent but just couldn't live with it. I couldn't get that bright open sounding spank like I get from a real cab. I considered the Powercab because it's one of the few FRFR that is not a floor wedge, but am kind of confused by it.
 
BrokenFusion said:
I don't understand the speaker simulation on the Line 6 Powercab. I have a boatload of IR's in the AX8. Why do I need speaker simulations? I recently sold my Freidman ASC. I found it to dark and muffled sounding. Put eq blocks with mid and high end bumps to get it decent but just couldn't live with it. I couldn't get that bright open sounding spank like I get from a real cab. I considered the Powercab because it's one of the few FRFR that is not a floor wedge, but am kind of confused by it.
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Your IRs in the AX8 are of close-mic'ed speaker cabinets. It's going to be colored by the mic characteristic, room reflection/resonance, where the mic was placed in front of the speaker, etc. This is good and fine, the guitar sounds of most tunes are produced this way. This is referred to on the forums as a "mic'ed-amp" sound.

It's different than the sound of an amp&cab in the room with you. Many guitarists new to modelers get an amp modeler and an FRFR, and complain that it doesn't sound like an "amp-in-the-room." It sounds like a "mic'ed-amp."

Speaker simulation by the Powercab is an effort to get you the "amp in the room" sound. It plays a direct speaker sound, rather than a mic'ed up speaker sound.
 
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