Open Box - Line 6 Powercab 112 Plus 1x12" Active Speaker System For Guitar Amp Modelers w/ USB

So sometimes I'm a dum dum and buy stuff without checking. This time it costs me about $800, but I'm not mad about it at all, lemme tell you why. So initially I was looking to replace my old Line 6 HD100 Bogner amp/Mesa Triple Rec speaker cab with a smaller studio version that I could record with. I figured the amp modeling industry has had 5 years to dial in tones and wanted an all in one package albeit smaller. Did not realize that this was a speaker modeler, not amp modeling. Whoops! That meant in order to get what I wanted I now either have to send this back and find what I intended to get or spend another $1600 for the Helix or $2k+ for Axe FX. Before I plugged it in I didn't realize how big a deal speaker modeling is. Obviously I own a really nice Mesa Boogie ... MoreSo sometimes I'm a dum dum and buy stuff without checking. This time it costs me about $800, but I'm not mad about it at all, lemme tell you why. So initially I was looking to replace my old Line 6 HD100 Bogner amp/Mesa Triple Rec speaker cab with a smaller studio version that I could record with. I figured the amp modeling industry has had 5 years to dial in tones and wanted an all in one package albeit smaller. Did not realize that this was a speaker modeler, not amp modeling. Whoops! That meant in order to get what I wanted I now either have to send this back and find what I intended to get or spend another $1600 for the Helix or $2k+ for Axe FX. Before I plugged it in I didn't realize how big a deal speaker modeling is. Obviously I own a really nice Mesa Boogie cab so it was never really an issue getting the tone I wanted, but I was limited. I fortunately had amplitube maxx on my PC so I routed it to the powercab, and whoa! Patches that sounded like crap suddenly sounded amazing coming through this cab, despite the speaker modeling that already goes on in Amplitube, the speaker modeling ON THE POWERCAB adds a whole new depth to it and makes those patches sound amazing. Definitely not getting rid of this thing. Looks like I'm getting a Line 6 Helix.

I use the Powercab II Plus with my Helix. The "Flat" FRFR mode is perfect when paired with the Helix, producing very rich, lush sounds. The tone, power and capabilities of this amp are enormous. I can free up CPU on my Helix by running IR's within the cab itself giving me much more freedom to be creative with other effects. I typically use the AES/EBU in to connect my Helix to the Powercab. This is a great feature in and of itself because it simplifies my setup. It frees up the other outputs on my helix to route elsewhere and allows me to have a more dynamic sound. If not using this amp with a Helix processor it also can do speaker modeling for that amp-in-the-room sound. For its size this cab can put out some serious sound. It it very lightweight but well-built and ... MoreI use the Powercab II Plus with my Helix. The "Flat" FRFR mode is perfect when paired with the Helix, producing very rich, lush sounds. The tone, power and capabilities of this amp are enormous. I can free up CPU on my Helix by running IR's within the cab itself giving me much more freedom to be creative with other effects. I typically use the AES/EBU in to connect my Helix to the Powercab. This is a great feature in and of itself because it simplifies my setup. It frees up the other outputs on my helix to route elsewhere and allows me to have a more dynamic sound. If not using this amp with a Helix processor it also can do speaker modeling for that amp-in-the-room sound. For its size this cab can put out some serious sound. It it very lightweight but well-built and great for gigging.I have been very happy with my purchase and I will definitely be ordering a a second one to run in stereo.

Bought this cab to use with my TONEX pedal. Sounds great when using either the built in speaker models or flat when using IR’s in the TONEX pedal. Really easy to use and the ability to change virtual speakers on the fly is fantastic. Plenty loud enough for home, studio or gigs. I had the chance to use 2 of these cabs in stereo and they’re amazing. Although well built my only gripe is that the vinyl surround on the cab can mark easily so I recommend an amp cover for moving it around.

The powercab has a really good FRFR speaker and a solid range of modeling amps, but it does lack a few features that are found on the powercab plus.Oddly all the buttons to change amps, turn volume up etc are located at the back of the amp rather than on top. Makes no sense as far as user interface goes, and I see that on the plus model the volume and select function are located on the top, so not sure why they didn't do this on this model too.Overall it's really good and was on sale when I bought it, which helped in choosing it over the headrush 112--looks better too!

Excellent Flat response speaker

I had had the cab a couple of weeks now, and have been impressed so far. I an using an Avid eleven rack with it. The 11R is pretty solid and you can find them cheap. Until this point I wasn't happy using the 11R with a traditional amp. I tried a number of different things, watched a bunch of setup videos and it just wasn't cutting it for me. I got this cab and things changed completely. The 11R is suddenly much more usable, and easier to work with. I like that this setup is really simple. The cab itself is very loud, looks good and isn't very heavy. The greatest thing is I am hearing the sound that would be going to a DAW, or in to a house mixer. I know I am going to get that same sound every time.As for the regular versus the plus version. If you are using ... MoreI had had the cab a couple of weeks now, and have been impressed so far. I an using an Avid eleven rack with it. The 11R is pretty solid and you can find them cheap. Until this point I wasn't happy using the 11R with a traditional amp. I tried a number of different things, watched a bunch of setup videos and it just wasn't cutting it for me. I got this cab and things changed completely. The 11R is suddenly much more usable, and easier to work with. I like that this setup is really simple. The cab itself is very loud, looks good and isn't very heavy. The greatest thing is I am hearing the sound that would be going to a DAW, or in to a house mixer. I know I am going to get that same sound every time.As for the regular versus the plus version. If you are using something other than the line 6 stuff, the regular cab is probably a better option. Most units have cab modeling so chances are you don't need the cab to emulate speakers/cabs. If you have a helix the plus is probably worth it so you can load your own impulse responses and all that. I am sure there are some other features but that one seems like the biggest difference.Overall I am very happy with the setup and love how modular/flexible it can be. If i take the plunge and go for a non-powered Kemper or Axe Fx this cab can take it.

Review of Line 6 Powercab 112 Active FRFR Guitar Cabinet System

So far I've been happy with the Amp which I bought to use with my Helix, however, I'm now convinced that the Helix itself has a problem. As a result I had to use the amp with an old FX processor for a gig and it sounded pretty good and plenty loud enough for onstage monitoring. I also like the kickstand and choice of onboard amp models plus the light weight and XLR line out. My only negative are that the controls are at the back so you can't easily access them or see which model you are using.

Review of Line 6 Powercab 112 Plus Active FRFR Guitar Cabinet System

This compliments the Line 6 Helix perfectly, as well as being a very good piece of kit in its own right. My guitar sounds excellent at practice volume, can't wait to crank up the volume at a rehearsal/gig. The modelling options are excellent and the ability to switch between them with snapshots off the Helix is fantastic.I initially used a Harley Benton FRFR with my Helix for rehearsals and gigs, but I borrowed a tube amp at a gig and the extra character and warmth made me think that I needed something more. I haven't had a chance to compare this to a tube amp but I'm very happy with the improvement and the Helix integrations make it very worthwhile.Build quality seems decent. The integrated stand doesn't feel the strongest but it's a handy feature and it's ... MoreThis compliments the Line 6 Helix perfectly, as well as being a very good piece of kit in its own right. My guitar sounds excellent at practice volume, can't wait to crank up the volume at a rehearsal/gig. The modelling options are excellent and the ability to switch between them with snapshots off the Helix is fantastic.I initially used a Harley Benton FRFR with my Helix for rehearsals and gigs, but I borrowed a tube amp at a gig and the extra character and warmth made me think that I needed something more. I haven't had a chance to compare this to a tube amp but I'm very happy with the improvement and the Helix integrations make it very worthwhile.Build quality seems decent. The integrated stand doesn't feel the strongest but it's a handy feature and it's obviously strong enough to support the amp so it can't be too flimsy.Looking forward to putting this through its paces a bit more, but so far had very impressive results.

Sounds Like A Good PA Speaker

Overall:I bought this speaker to use with my Kemper. I'm used to gigging in small venues where the guitar amps aren't run through the PA, which means I'm used to the sound/feel of a tube amp at a healthy volume behind me. I've tried several PA speakers (after all, they're more or less FRFR) but was never happy with how they felt to play through. Enter the PowerCab—the knight in shining armor for modeler/profiler users who need a "real" amp behind them. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like this provided much of an advantage over those PA speakers I tried. The IRs/speaker models are cool, but they don't make this a 1/1 replacement for a real guitar cab. On Flat mode, I got the same experience I get from any other PA speaker; it sounded great, but wasn't able to convince ... MoreOverall:I bought this speaker to use with my Kemper. I'm used to gigging in small venues where the guitar amps aren't run through the PA, which means I'm used to the sound/feel of a tube amp at a healthy volume behind me. I've tried several PA speakers (after all, they're more or less FRFR) but was never happy with how they felt to play through. Enter the PowerCab—the knight in shining armor for modeler/profiler users who need a "real" amp behind them. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like this provided much of an advantage over those PA speakers I tried. The IRs/speaker models are cool, but they don't make this a 1/1 replacement for a real guitar cab. On Flat mode, I got the same experience I get from any other PA speaker; it sounded great, but wasn't able to convince me I was playing through a real amp. I held out a lot of hope for this cab. I've been souring on the Kemper just a little bit in recent months, and I had earnestly wanted this to restore my faith in digital amps. I didn't really care much about the speaker models or IRs. Above all else, I wanted to believe Line 6's (and all the "review" websites') claims that the PowerCab feels just like a real amp. Sadly, it does not. It's really not a bad product. It's lightweight, it looks cool, and it doesn't sound BAD. It just doesn't sound better than my Presonus Air12 or my EV ZLX12, and it doesn't feel better, either.

This Power Cab Plus 112 is blowing my mind right now

Everything I expected from Line 6. This Power Cab Plus 112 is blowing my mind right now. I usually never go with solid state amps. I've been playing through Fender Deluxe Reverbs, Hot Rod Deluxe' and my latest Fender Princeton Reverb. These are for sure amazing go to amps. However, to my ears, with the HELIX LT that I play through, I'm getting similar tones and even more using the built-in speaker models that come with stock with the Power Cab Plus 112. I've never had this much versatility in a rig before. I love it. I also use the genuine Line 6 L6 Link cable (witch is just a good quality AES/EBU cable) connected between my HELIX LT and the Power Cab Plus 112 so that I can change speaker models on the fly with my presets. I really can't ask for more. Simple, light ... MoreEverything I expected from Line 6. This Power Cab Plus 112 is blowing my mind right now. I usually never go with solid state amps. I've been playing through Fender Deluxe Reverbs, Hot Rod Deluxe' and my latest Fender Princeton Reverb. These are for sure amazing go to amps. However, to my ears, with the HELIX LT that I play through, I'm getting similar tones and even more using the built-in speaker models that come with stock with the Power Cab Plus 112. I've never had this much versatility in a rig before. I love it. I also use the genuine Line 6 L6 Link cable (witch is just a good quality AES/EBU cable) connected between my HELIX LT and the Power Cab Plus 112 so that I can change speaker models on the fly with my presets. I really can't ask for more. Simple, light weight, professional sounding tones, all at my toe tips. This is good times for sure.

Your Modeler's New Best Friend

Sound:I’m very happy with the sound quality. It may not sound identical to the original speakers modeled but honestly I don’t have that good of an ear to know the difference. I do know my high gain and crunch patches with the Vintage or Green sound just like I want, and for clean-ish tones the Essex with a Vox amp does the job quite nicely. Whether it has the mythical “amp in the room” sound or not is going to be up to each user’s own ears. I will say it sounds more organic and amp-like than any FRFR I’ve used and leave it at that.Features:This has so many features it’s hard to list what I find most useful. Physical features like being fairly lightweight and having tiltback legs are certainly helpful to an old guy like me. The tiltback seems extreme but it works ... MoreSound:I’m very happy with the sound quality. It may not sound identical to the original speakers modeled but honestly I don’t have that good of an ear to know the difference. I do know my high gain and crunch patches with the Vintage or Green sound just like I want, and for clean-ish tones the Essex with a Vox amp does the job quite nicely. Whether it has the mythical “amp in the room” sound or not is going to be up to each user’s own ears. I will say it sounds more organic and amp-like than any FRFR I’ve used and leave it at that.Features:This has so many features it’s hard to list what I find most useful. Physical features like being fairly lightweight and having tiltback legs are certainly helpful to an old guy like me. The tiltback seems extreme but it works well and I don’t feel the need for an amp stand. MIDI or L6 link to remotely change cabinets with each patch is great, and with the L6 link it can easily be done within each patch. I also like that the L6 link runs audio and data. Why use 2 cables when you can to it all with one? The ability to use it as a standard FRFR to run IR is another cool feature and I like that if I need to I can go direct to FOH via through the PC+ and use a separate IR to FOH and speaker modeling in the cab. Lastly, this can be used with any modeler. You can send MIDI messages via standard 5 pin MIDI cable to change speakers and IR within patches from just about any modeling product. If something ever trumps the Helix, I’ll still have a great cab to pair it with.Ease of Use:It’s incredibly easy to get good sounds. Turn the knob on the top until you get a speaker you like. The speaker modeling sounds great. I’ve dabbled with some of the IR’s and they sound great too. Some folks have complained that it doesn’t have enough volume but that’s not been the case with me. You will need to make sure the output levels on your modeler are properly set to get the most volume and avoid clipping. If you aren’t familiar with how to do this, I would suggest checking out YouTube videos by Jason Sadites or Steve Sterlacci on how to properly set patch levels. It’s super easy and mostly common sense, but something a lot of folks overlook. And don’t forget to include your solo boosts when setting levels!!Quality:By all appearances it seems very well built and sturdy and has a quality feel. I know there are people using these on the road and that also says a lot about the build quality. It’s been tossed in and out of my trunk a few times now with minimal wear and tear showing. It would be nice if it was made of birch and covered with Tolex, but that would only add to the cost and weight. As it is the box is solid.Value:At first glance $799 seems expensive for a 1x12 cab. However, when you consider what it can do that others can’t and then compare it to other 1x12 FRFR that are $1,000 and up it starts becoming a better and better value. If you don’t need MIDI or remote speaker switching, then there’s also the standard Powercab that’s a couple hundred less. Sounds the same just not as many features.Manufacturer Support:Over the years I’ve purchased quite a bit of Line6 gear and they have always provided me with great support. They have a very good user forum with plenty of knowledgeable and helpful people and Line6 also has reps in some of the larger gear forums. Line6 has a good history of product updates as well. The PC+ has already received an update with some additional features and I expect they will continue to update as needed. They seem to do a pretty good job of listening to their customers when it comes to requesting features etc.The Wow Factor:Speaker modeling, FRFR, and IR all in one cab that sounds really good. That’s pretty wow to me! I think this will appeal to players like myself who use modeling and are looking for the best sound without a lot of fussing, or just plain don’t like the sound of an FRFR as much as a normal amp and cab.Overall:I just went back to Helix after using Mesa MKV and Friedman JJ amps. The band doesn’t play a lot of gigs that require miking up the guitars or using direct FOH, so the speaker I chose had to sound great on its own and not just something to monitor myself with. The last time I went down the FRFR road it didn’t work out very well. I know it’s not the boxes it’s me, but regardless I got tired of constantly trying to find the right IR or thinking I found one that sounded good at home only to have it sound like crap at band volume yada yada. When I was researching speakers for the Helix I heard a lot of great things about the Powercab so I thought I’d give it a shot. The speaker modeling is somewhat unique, and I thought it might be the shorter path to better tone for me. It arrived 2 days after I ordered and the set up was very easy. I had already decided to use L6 link instead of XLR because I wanted to remotely control the cab via the Helix and not have to set up MIDI. Out of the box it was still on an old software version and needed an upgrade to support the L6 Link remote control, but updating it only took a couple of minutes. Just hook it up to your computer with a usb cable and download and run Line6 Updater. 5 minutes later you are up on version 2. After that it was just plug the Link cable in and turn it on. I started with building a basic high gain patch with the Friedman model with no cab. I chose the Vintage model in the PC+ and immediately noticed that the boomy bass and shrill high end that I didn’t like with FRFR was not there. It sounded, well, more like a guitar amp! Did it sound exactly like my JJ running into a V30 cab? Probably not, but it sounded very good and that’s what I was after. I didn’t need to add in EQ blocks to ‘correct’ the sound either, the amp EQ sections are all that’s needed to tweak the tones I wanted. After playing with it for over a month and having a chance to hear it at band levels I can honestly say this is the best solution I’ve found for modeling. And yes, there is plenty of volume. There are 2 other guitarists in the band and the PC+ kept up fine with more to spare if needed. I would recommend the Powercab+ to anyone looking for a modeler speaker solution.