Tech 21 Power Engine 60

I love my Mesa Lone Star and my GSP1101. I ran a W/D/W setup for years and have missed that sound ever since I downsized. Because I regularly play both small clubs and large festival stages, I want to get that sound and feel in a lean and mean package.

Rather than add a power amp and cabs to my rig (increasing weight and size) I am thinking about just buying a couple of the Tech 21 Power Engine 60 slave amps. I can actually send the wet XLR outs from my GSP into them (and then pass it on to the FOH) and keep my LSC tone pure and dry.

I have had great luck in the past with Tech21 products, but just wondered if anyone has used these units with success.

Thanks,

 

Thanks. Much appreciated.
Rock on,

 

I went ahead and purchased two Tech21 PE60 powered 112 speaker cabs. They have 1/4" AND balanced XLR inputs and outputs. I am running a w/d/w setup with a Mesa LSC 112 and the Digiech GSP1101/Control 2 setup in the 4CM loop mode. I use both the Mesa preamp and the Internal GSP models and love the unit more and more every day. I could NOT go back to standard pedals for my main rig.
I just take the left and right XLR outs of the GSP into the XLR inputs of the PE60s and spread them out on stage. My bass player loves it, because he can hear my guitar clearly without having to fold back any guitar through the stage monitors. (which I hate doing )

The tone is just incredible and extremely professional. A couple of bands that I am friends with came to my last gig (first one using the PE60s) at a decent-sized (300-350) club with a large stage and dance floor. One of the bands played a few songs at the end of the night and their guitarist said it was the best tone HE ever heard onstage. Getting to listen to him out front, throught the PA gave me a chance to REALLY hear my tone (albiet with him playing) and I was just floored by the width, clarity and smoothness of the sound. Having a much wider sound field allowed me to play with less focused volume and just sounded amazing.

Nothing can be all things to all people, but these little powered cubes are EASILY worth the money and the small space they take up. Extremely versatile and affordable, and they pretty much just reproduce whatever you put into them.

rock on,

 

I actually have been using the cab sims, since the PE 60 seems pretty transparent in the midrange, but I am feeding mine out of the XLRs, since my 1/4" jacks are used in the 4CM with my Mesa LSC. It just sounded a little warmer to me. I turned the Global Cab Sim on in the XLR outs. It's in the I/O section of the Edit menu.

I am not really using the PE60s for my "core" tone, but more just for stereo spread and FX. My bass player loves it, because I can set one over by him and he can hear me without having to fold electric guitar through the stage monitoring system. It's also giving me a much wider tone field, as I am the only electric guitar player in the band.

For my application, considering the weight, convenience and cost compared to a larger rack with a power amp and still having to carry cabs, it's working great for me.

Hope it works well for you.

Take care,