I was wrong about the QC

[mbenigni]

Why would you want that? He lied in the past and I guess he would continue to do so. That guy doesn‘t deserve to get such a platform.

Jesus, we're not talking about negotiating with North Korea here. I think we could - if we keep our wits about us - navigate these waters.

 

[mbenigni]

I'm glad I didn't pay full price new

No regerts! (But I did get in before the first price hike.)

 

[Achilles]

I've also read in the last week the delays and reverbs were either completely unusable or were garbage. Absolutely false. They are boring and basic. But they are not garbage.

THANK YOU.

Funny, I'm currently using a boring and basic Boss DM-2W for all of my delay needs. I AB'd the pedal with the one in the QC a ways back and it's close enough to stump in a blind test.

So, seeing as I'm not in an ambient band that requires all sorts of swirls and caverns and vortexes I'd be a 100% happy and satisfied customer with the QC's boring and basic, i.e.; practical and utilitarian delay FX.

 

[Aleksi]

My brain immediately shuts down when a post begins like this.

In my defence I was replying to a "fractal destroys qc" post. I could certainly have dialed down the hyperbole but look at the rest of this thread

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

Jesus, we're not talking about negotiating with North Korea here. I think we could - if we keep our wits about us - navigate these waters.

Well, there‘s always someone worse. He is a liar nonetheless.

 

[Achilles]

He is a liar nonetheless.

 

[Whizzinby]

It just doesn't. It destroys it in terms of variety of amps, effects, and adjustability. It absolutely does not destroy it tonally. If it did, I wouldn't bother with it. For me, I can drop an amp and cab block in and feel like the tone is 95% of the way there much quicker than other devices, depending on the amp model.

I've also read in the last week the delays and reverbs were either completely unusable or were garbage. Absolutely false. They are boring and basic. But they are not garbage.

Probably my biggest complaint right now is that the stereo delays are limited, in that you can't have scaling adjustment to turn any stereo delay from 50% ping pong to 75% dotted eighth to 95% stereo widener. The analog has a stereo widener as a knob but the tape doesn't, which makes no sense. So you're artificially limited there for no reason.

But the delays themselves sound pretty good. I don't feel like I'm stepping into another dimension with the Axe FX 3. I can do more cool things like the Aurora multi tap delay, or 2290 inverted phase stereo, or proper stereo scaling, etc. Or with the HX I can get more character right out of the gate. Those units are probably a 9/10 on delays IMO where the QC is like a 5/10. But by the same token Boss is about a 1/10 because all the interesting delays are mono.

I’m don’t say that in absolute terms for every aspect. I’m moreso saying that from the perspective that if given an either/or choice between “stuff that makes noise” in Fractal or Neural (amps-effects) I struggle to see anyone that would willingly choose Neural purely for sounds. (Despite the fact that not every edge Fractal has is by some massive margin)

I think much of Neurals amp modeling is really good and most of its effects range from usable to ok. Both eclipse the bar to where it’s other advantages (form factor, UI etc) could totally make it a more compelling offering. That’s beyond debate for me. Much like it’s beyond debate to me that Fractal is the better unit purely in terms of sounds.

 

[laxu]

I feel like "destroys" is a rather stong word, but I might be out of my depth in trying to judge. It's certainly fair to say FAS destroys QC in terms of variety and deep editing flexibility.

I agree NDSP is releasing new amps far too slowly given the... I mean, it's not terrible; let's just say "unremarkable" number of amp models already present. (My bigger concern, personally, is new effects.) But I do wonder whether FAS isn't appealing to a smaller and smaller niche of buyers in releasing a zillion variations of any given Marshall, etc. Here again, I'm out of my depth: I wouldn't know whether most of these sound "authentic", and in some cases I'm not always convinced one model isn't capable of being dialed in to sound like the next. I can't be the only one who hears, "firmware x.y introduces 4,632 new blackface circuits" and just kinda shrugs.

New amps is honestly the thing the QC needs the least, when you have tons of captures to rely on in absence of amp models.

Looking through the QC firmware update notes, it seems like they have added 32 effects and about 6 cabs since its release. While 32 might sound somewhat impressive, there's a lot of "build one of them and it's easy to make the rest" stuff, with very few delays and reverbs added. Very little in the way of specialty fx too, or improvements to existing ones.

Now to me the sheer number of amps, fx etc is not in any way a yardstick. I never had any issue that a Strymon Iridium has a mere 3 amp models, or a Yamaha THR100HD has only 4. You can get a ton of mileage out of those, especially paired with some drive pedals. Fractal's "here's a dozen Tube Screamer variants" does absolutely nothing for me, neither does "here's a bunch of different Superlead models" despite Plexis being my favorite amp type. I just need one really good one.

 

[Aleksi]

On the plus side, this thread is more active than the entire digital and modeling sub on TOP

 

[DrewJD82]

THANK YOU.

Funny, I'm currently using a boring and basic Boss DM-2W for all of my delay needs. I AB'd the pedal with the one in the QC a ways back and it's close enough to stump in a blind test.

So, seeing as I'm not in an ambient band that requires all sorts of swirls and caverns and vortexes I'd be a 100% happy and satisfied customer with the QC's boring and basic, i.e.; practical and utilitarian delay FX.

This again.

“I’m using a basic delay that covers all my needs, therefore any complaints about delays with more than the basics are warrantless”

No different than the dude the other day who said he had little experience with delays, barely uses them and doesn’t think it’s an issue.

 

[Jarick]

THANK YOU.

Funny, I'm currently using a boring and basic Boss DM-2W for all of my delay needs. I AB'd the pedal with the one in the QC a ways back and it's close enough to stump in a blind test.

So, seeing as I'm not in an ambient band that requires all sorts of swirls and caverns and vortexes I'd be a 100% happy and satisfied customer with the QC's boring and basic, i.e.; practical and utilitarian delay FX.

Yeah my only delay pedal right now is a plain jane MXR Carbon Copy. It's got a ton of character but it's super basic. Mono with time, mix, and repeats, plus a modulation switch. It does two sounds, really dark analog delay and really dark analog delay with modulation.

I think there's some variety in the QC, so I can have a stereo analog slap delay and then a digital modulated dual delay. I'd love to have more options, but what's in there is okay. As I said I give it a 5/10, or maybe you could call it a C-.

I will be honest, I would be really intrigued to have a Styfecta for several weeks to see what the fuss is about. I wanted a Time Line and Big Sky since 2012 or so. But it's such a pain in the butt dealing with physical pedals, so I just keep the basic one around when I want a dumb analog fix.

One big complaint I have with the Fractal stuff though, it's hard to figure out what to use. There's a bunch of cloud type reverbs but I don't know how to use them. I don't know how they are different, or what knobs I should twist when using them. So I just kind of avoid them.

That's the appeal of something like the (GASP) Tone Master Pro. It has a cloud reverb pedal (I think) with virtual knobs on it that are easy to figure out how to use. QC could do the same thing just without the pretty graphics.

Actually that's where I appreciate the marketing stuff. Line 6 is really good about, when they add a model, they have a description and usage guide. They don't have 50 different parameters for a reverb. If there's a really useful adjustment, it's probably a parameter you can adjust.

Getting way off topic there I guess.

 

[Achilles]

“I’m using a basic delay that covers all my needs, therefore any complaints about delays with more than the basics are warrantless”

You're putting a lot of words into my mouth dude.

It's so easy to spot the Yankee fans......

 

[FuzzyAce]

On the plus side, this thread is more active than the entire digital and modeling sub on TOP

There's a healthy amount of modeling wh0res and tube wh0res here.

 

[Jarick]

I’m don’t say that in absolute terms for every aspect. I’m moreso saying that from the perspective that if given an either/or choice between “stuff that makes noise” in Fractal or Neural (amps-effects) I struggle to see anyone that would willingly choose Neural purely for sounds. (Despite the fact that not every edge Fractal has is by some massive margin)

I think much of Neurals amp modeling is really good and most of its effects range from usable to ok. Both eclipse the bar to where it’s other advantages (form factor, UI etc) could totally make it a more compelling offering. That’s beyond debate for me. Much like it’s beyond debate to me that Fractal is the better unit purely in terms of sounds.

Purely on sounds, I think 95% of people would prefer Fractal. That's where I think if they did an Axe FX 4 and let's say it was a QC shaped box with a big color touch screen, and they redid the UI so everything was way less cluttered and easier to program, it would probably blow away everything else.

I just go back to that video where Tracii Guns is super excited about his Headrush into his Marshall. It's not the ideal setup, and the modeling is super dated, but because it's so easy for him to use and sounds good to his ears, he thinks it's the greatest thing ever.

Then again there's also probably people who want their very specific amp/cab captured, and they may prefer the QC for that. Like they have half a dozen killer amps they've been using over the last 25 years and don't really care about modeling anything else. They have their '87 JCM 800 and they know the setting they like it at, and just want that sound.

 

[Achilles]

Getting way off topic there I guess.

Staying with that theme.....

I'm actually using both the DM-2W along with a DD-3T (need at least 1 with tap tempo).

In my closet ready to be sold are a Suhr Discovery, Boss SD3000, Source Audio Nemesis, Strymon El Cap, and the MIJ DD3 - no tap tempo.
I've been AB'ing and rotating them in and out for quite a while and I always return to the basics. Don't want a display or incremental switches/knobs or even memory locations.

If you need all the other stuff and find the QC lacking.... cool. Just don't call it trash.

 

[Mongillo19]

Just don't call it trash.

Have you tried the spring reverb

 

[GTR37]

Yeah my only delay pedal right now is a plain jane MXR Carbon Copy. It's got a ton of character but it's super basic. Mono with time, mix, and repeats, plus a modulation switch. It does two sounds, really dark analog delay and really dark analog delay with modulation.

I think there's some variety in the QC, so I can have a stereo analog slap delay and then a digital modulated dual delay. I'd love to have more options, but what's in there is okay. As I said I give it a 5/10, or maybe you could call it a C-.

I will be honest, I would be really intrigued to have a Styfecta for several weeks to see what the fuss is about. I wanted a Time Line and Big Sky since 2012 or so. But it's such a pain in the butt dealing with physical pedals, so I just keep the basic one around when I want a dumb analog fix.

One big complaint I have with the Fractal stuff though, it's hard to figure out what to use. There's a bunch of cloud type reverbs but I don't know how to use them. I don't know how they are different, or what knobs I should twist when using them. So I just kind of avoid them.

That's the appeal of something like the (GASP) Tone Master Pro. It has a cloud reverb pedal (I think) with virtual knobs on it that are easy to figure out how to use. QC could do the same thing just without the pretty graphics.

Actually that's where I appreciate the marketing stuff. Line 6 is really good about, when they add a model, they have a description and usage guide. They don't have 50 different parameters for a reverb. If there's a really useful adjustment, it's probably a parameter you can adjust.

Getting way off topic there I guess.

No that’s a valid thing while I agree that QC does have limited delays when I watched LT setting up the dual delay that one thing I really like every parameter I understood
L time R Time
Sync Trails , ping pong
Mix , feedback
Mod rate depth
That was about it , Fractal delays sound great but sometimes I am just in the weeds with the sheer amount of parameters that I have never heard of , that’s why so many have been pushing for FAS to add an authentic or basic effects page
So the lack of 30 parameters is a strength IMO as it faster to dial in and get to the playing

 

[Achilles]

Have you tried the spring reverb

OK, in some instances trash is warranted.

 

[DLC86]

It's entirely possible Fractal might just do something in a FM3-ish size and then push people to buy footcontrollers for it if they want more switching, making true the modularity that the FM3 + FC6/12 hints at. Realistically few people need something even more powerful than a FM9, which can already run the latest and greatest modeling with few if any compromises.

A real rugpuller move from NeuralDSP would be to make a smaller, cheaper box using the SC598, that is as capable as the current QC. I would be interested in something like that, but existing QC owners might get mad.

For the next gen I personally hope they make a device which, in terms of size, is kinda a middle ground between the fm3 and fm9, with 5, 6 or 7 switches, same I/O as the fm9 and with two of those SC598 chips (next gen algos might require more processing power so it wouldn't really be doubling the fm9 capabilities).

And then another device with a pedalboard-friendly size (thus smaller than the fm3) with just one SC598.

 

[la szum]

11 pages in less than a day? WTF are you guys up to in here???