Hey jarrett, any updates on getting a replacement? I'd love to hear your comparison...seriously considering a Powercab 212 but not sure which modeler yet!
Yeah, I was able to get a return on the defective unit thankfully. Then I turned around and ordered a new FM3 to check out.
For me, it sounds good through the Powercab 1x12. I suspect it would sound even better through the Powercab 2x12.
If you are looking for really flat response, the Powercab is not the best solution. But if you are primarily playing electric guitar through it, I think it works fine for that.
I use it one of two ways with the FM3:
1. Powercab in LF Raw mode (horn disabled / no DSP on the speaker) with IR's enabled on the FM3.
2. Powercab in Vintage 30, Greenback or Creamback mode with no IR's enabled on the FM3.
The 2nd mode requires a little EQ'ing to sound good to my ears. Can either do the adjustments on the Powercab via the Powercab Edit software or can use an EQ block on the FM3 after the amp block. I typically use the EQ block on the FM3 because it is much more granular than the hi/low cuts in the Powercab.
One other thing, not sure if this is needed for the 2x12, but for the 1x12 Powercab, the input gain is set very low by default. This causes an issue with the Powercab in a couple of ways. If the incoming signal from any modeler is not high enough, the Powercab will sound pretty meh. This is because the Powercab isn't getting enough signal coming in to amplify well.
To solve this, I went in via the Powercab Edit app and bumped up the input gain settings on the presets that I like to use on the Powercab. I forget know exactly how much I bumped them up, but it was enough that the standard output from the Helix and FM3 was sufficient to get enough input to the Powercab. This is noted by the input light on the Powercab staying yellow while playing with the occassional red blip on hard hits. That seems to get the Powercab into the sweet spot. Doing this also gives the side benefit of making the Powercab "louder." I rarely run it past 25-30% volume for home use now, where I used to have to really crank it up.
Regarding the modelers, I go back and forth between the Helix line and the FM3. To me, the amp models sound "better" on the FM3, but only slightly. (This is when comparing the latest firmware (3.11 v. Cygnus) on each unit, they are extremely close now, imo.) But for everything else, I prefer the Helix. I have an easier time getting good results with delay and reverb with the Helix. And the drive pedals seem a little more flexible in the Helix. I don't use a ton of effects, so some of the deeper features of the FM3 effects are lost on me. I do wish the Helix had more amp models though. I really like the Morgan and Splawn amps on the FM3 that aren't represented in the Helix. But for the basics, like Fender, Marshall and Friedman, I feel like I can get a similarly good sound from either unit.
The main difference for me is using the modelers without their apps. With FM3 Edit, I can fly around and change things easily. But going to the front panel of the unit directly, even with the new performance pages, I find it very clunky to move around. So much so I usually give up and go back to the app for changes. With the Helix stuff, I feel equally confident on the device and on the app.
The other thing is live use/footswitches. I prefer to have a footswitch for everything I need when playing live. So one switch for tuner, two that allow me to bank up and down, a footswitch to go in and out of preset/stomp mode, a switch for each preset or effect I want to turn on and off. Basically, I like to have it setup like an old school pedalboard where I can see everything in the heat of the moment.
The FM3 doesn't offer this without going to the OMG9 setup and that requires two devices, a pedal board to strap them to, a patch cable between them, and programming to keep those two in sync that could crap out at some point, etc. On the other hand, Line6 has multiple single units that can do this at different price points. The original Floor unit, the LT and now the HX Stomp XL.
The original Helix floor (and maybe the LT?) will integrate with the Powercab so that you can switch the Powercab on the fly per preset. Can't do that with the FM3 or HX Stomp/Stomp XL. So you can run an IR/LF Raw on one preset and no IR/speaker emulation on the next preset, etc. That's pretty slick, imo. But I've found that even though there are 12 speaker emulation models on the Powercab+ that I only really like the Vintage 30, Greenback and Creamback models any way.
So right now, my idea is to return the FM3 and go back to the Helix products for those reasons.
