NDSP Quad Cortex

[mbenigni]

Cortex Control is acting really wonky for me since the update. Anyone else seeing connectivity weirdness? M1 Mac.

I haven't even installed the new Cortex Control app yet - I pretty much never use it. I'll probably install it tonight though, to see if I can start leveraging folders and get a little better organized. I'll report back... but I'm running Windows 10.

 

[Elric]

I don't know, I've read the Soldano nails it and the Nameless was easily one of the best from the older releases.
Could probably hang with just those two for a very long time.

The Soldano plugin is stellar, IMHO. It still seems a bit 'better' than the updated model, although that is completely qualitative since I have never A/B'd them. It could even come down to cab caps or something...

I use a cap of my 30 as my QC goto preset so I have "my" Soldano sound captured in the QC already but I will welcome yet another variant with open arms since I already have the plug and the QC.

Nameless should be fun. It is surprisingly flexible.

Additional thoughts re plugs:
After playing a bit with the Gojira and Plini stuff, I do think one thing that Neural completely dominates everyone else on is useful presets in their plugs and after kicking the tires last night on them, I'd say the massive storage of the QC and the ability to have all the Plug presets right there on tap is really the value add vs a 5153 or BE100 by another name for me on some level, since a lot of the amp models are redundant.

 

[Jarick]

The problem is there is a big gap in tone quality between Captures and the models

(At least there was when I had one)

I don't hear a big gap personally but not disputing your experience.

I've done the rounds of comparisons and to my ears QC and Fractal are in the same ballpark and that's good enough for me. I've also done captures of my own pedals and compared to the stock models, and while there's a little difference in EQ and knob settings, it's not much of a gap.

I wasn't able to match my IR-X cleanish tone to an amp model, but to me that's more that the IR-X doesn't have an analogous model in the QC and not as much a flaw in the amp modeling.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I don't hear a big gap personally but not disputing your experience.

I've done the rounds of comparisons and to my ears QC and Fractal are in the same ballpark and that's good enough for me. I've also done captures of my own pedals and compared to the stock models, and while there's a little difference in EQ and knob settings, it's not much of a gap.

I wasn't able to match my IR-X cleanish tone to an amp model, but to me that's more that the IR-X doesn't have an analogous model in the QC and not as much a flaw in the amp modeling.

100% agree (and I own an Axe FX and not a QC). I don’t know if with captures that they’re already dialled in to sound good, and that gives them a slight advantage for some people to having to dial an amp in from scratch?

A lot of the captures do sound good to me, but whenever I’ve tried a QC I just go back to the amp models as they’re fun to dial in and sound at least as good (usually better once you’ve fine tuned things for your needs)

 

[mikah912]

The Soldano plugin is stellar, IMHO. It still seems a bit 'better' than the updated model, although that is completely qualitative since I have never A/B'd them. It could even come down to cab caps or something...

I use a cap of my 30 as my QC goto preset so I have "my" Soldano sound captured in the QC already but I will welcome yet another variant with open arms since I already have the plug and the QC.

Nameless should be fun. It is surprisingly flexible.

Additional thoughts re plugs:
After playing a bit with the Gojira and Plini stuff, I do think one thing that Neural completely dominates everyone else on is useful presets in their plugs and after kicking the tires last night on them, I'd say the massive storage of the QC and the ability to have all the Plug presets right there on tap is really the value add vs a 5153 or BE100 by another name for me on some level, since a lot of the amp models are redundant.

Totally a spoiled, first-world problem, but the plethora of plugin artist presets and such wouldn't have a ton of value for me on the Quad Cortex. It's for the same reason I find their "8 presets" videos to be so inane: The unit does scenes, and that's clearly the most efficient and orderly way to group sounds using the same blocks.

 

[Deadpan]

One issue that blurred the line between the cloud's fault, NDSP myopic thinking fault and people sucking fault was the lack of required metadata when it came to cloud captures. I have no idea if that's been improved, but it made browsing quite frustrating. I gave up after awhile and would only bother auditioning new stuff from trusted sources like @Deadpan and headfirst Amplification/Jason Tong.

I have neglected the QC while working with Tonex. Should be back soon :)

 

[GTR37]

You know, I'd like to say I'm totally unbiased but I'm not sure that's true. I love a LOT about Fractal overall and they haven't annoyed me at all that I can remember. Also the FM9 is damn near my perfect modeler. There are literally three things about it that would take it the rest of the way for me: massive user experience improvements, significantly reduced form factor, and the ability to run a 2nd pitch block so I could ditch the Drop and further reduce footprint. In contrast, I've been quite annoyed at NDSP in the past. I was excited about the QC when it first got announced and got in on the first 100 preorders. I ended up canceling that preorder and for a long time was happy I did. I have shared the criticisms about them making promises/statements and not following through, and the annoyance with their marketing.

But here's the thing. I find myself caring much less about that stuff these days and I'm much more focused on how I feel about the QC itself (and the plugins). And the QC is fucking great. Is it perfect? No. But I'd say the same about the FM9. At the end of the day, it's about whether or not I can get what I want.

Which unit gives me great sound? Both
Which gives me great feel? Both
Which allows me to run anything from simple to w/d/w? Both (took some figuring out on the QC and I don't think I could've done it the way I want before 3.0)
Which gives me the amp models I want? Both (especially factoring in captures and PCOM)
Which gives me the effects I want? Okay Fractal has a definite edge here, but the QC does well enough from what I can tell so far

Again, the Fractal routing and grid are waaaaay better IMO; that's not even close. However, since I can still build my w/d/w setup in the QC, I'd have to say the QC is good enough for me in this department. I won't be too surprised if I discover something I want to do but can't but as of now it seems fine.

So now I find myself leaning more towards ease of use and form factor. Editing on the FM9 is clunky but certainly possible. FM9 edit is fucking awesome but I have my FM9/FR12/PXM rig setup in the living room. If I want to use the editor I have to bring the FM9 board into the bedroom. Not a big hassle, but a little bit of one. With the QC I haven't even loaded up Cortex Control yet.

I don't know, I've read the Soldano nails it and the Nameless was easily one of the best from the older releases.
Could probably hang with just those two for a very long time.

Well according to them those are weeks away / not months

 

[Whizzinby]

The unit isn't lacking for amp sounds right now, especially in the "hot-rodded Marshall" category (which is pretty much where both of those live). The captures from Headfirst Amplification alone scratched the itch for me way back when.

It's the delay/reverb and synth where they are still waaaaaaaaaaaaaay behind. That's the only area of improvement that could possibly make me take another look. Archetype: Rabea would help, but I think they need Asato and Tone King to fully patch those holes, and....oh, look, I just spent $300 just to get it to offer things that are table stakes on competing modelers.

Agreed. I think the QC’s Marshall offerings are one of its strengths. They’re all good. Slap a Myth drive in front of one and profit. They need to add the JVM And a Deluxe Memory Man. And a PlexDelay

 

[mikah912]

Agreed. I think the QC’s Marshall offerings are one of its strengths. They’re all good. Slap a Myth drive in front of one and profit. They need to add the JVM And a Deluxe Memory Man. And a PlexDelay

A Delay/Reverb Engine - along the lines of their Chorus engine - that has white label versions of all of the plugin reverb/delay and can be routed into itself would be magical.

Hell, I expect it if they truly mean what they said in the last developmental update about the plugin conversion process not meaning that future development will be mostly paywalled.

Not quite as worried about the JVM. I love, love, love the JVM models in the FM9, but drives going into a Silver Jubilee and JCM800 will get you most of the way there. Worst comes to worst, I could call up JVM410 captures from the cloud and A/B them against a model in a preset.

 

[Lysander]

Agreed. I think the QC’s Marshall offerings are one of its strengths. They’re all good.

Hell, the very first preset on the QC is probably the best Marshall-y preset i've ever tried.

 

[Lysander]

Cordy being salty about the QC... again.

 

[Jynx]

So... yeah. I just use Plini now. I'm just using a modified version of the default Plini setting with all three amps in the chain for differentscenes.
The honeymoon period is over. I don't think it's in my head any more. I genuinely think Plini sounds way better.
Once Cali, Morgan, and Granophyre are added I think that'll be me with this device.

 

[2dor]

So... yeah. I just use Plini now. I'm just using a modified version of the default Plini setting with all three amps in the chain for differentscenes.
The honeymoon period is over. I don't think it's in my head any more. I genuinely think Plini sounds way better.
Once Cali, Morgan, and Granophyre are added I think that'll be me with this device.

I don't own the Plini nor Gojira plugins but I'm rediscovering the JP2C amp in the QC & like it a lot. Can't wait for the Nameless to land though..

 

[Jynx]

I don't own the Plini nor Gojira plugins but I'm rediscovering the JP2C amp in the QC & like it a lot. Can't wait for the Nameless to land though..

I love that amp on its own but I find it's not great in the mix.

 

[2dor]

I love that amp on its own but I find it's not great in the mix.

It is a bit finicky to dial in but I was lucky to stumble across a couple combinations that work alright, at least for jamming along to some songs I like.

 

[Jynx]

It's funny because I feel like I've come full circle. From buying the QC because I loved the plugins and couldn't wait to have them in a device. To just getting really used to the QC and forgetting and kinda giving up on the plugins over time, and not even being that hyped when they were announced. To being all about the plugins again now that they're here.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I love that amp on its own but I find it's not great in the mix.

All about the IR’s. IMO the older plugins suffer a bit on the IR’s not being as good as recent ones. But “in the mix” is totally context dependent anyway. If you are struggling with it, try other IR’s. They always have way more influence on how well a tone works in context.

 

[Mongillo19]

It's funny because I feel like I've come full circle. From buying the QC because I loved the plugins and couldn't wait to have them in a device. To just getting really used to the QC and forgetting and kinda giving up on the plugins over time, and not even being that hyped when they were announced. To being all about the plugins again now that they're here.

Could you just ditch the QC then and just use plugins?

 

[Jynx]

Could you just ditch the QC then and just use plugins?

Nah. Modellers offload processing power. Make it easier to mix and match. And, who knows, I might want to play in a band at some point.

 

[mbenigni]

Cordy being salty about the QC... again.



View attachment 26121

I personally think he's off base with a lot of these observations. There's no way NDSP could have translated the skeuomorphic GUI elements of the plugin suites to QC without completely fragmenting the existing QC workflow, content, and feature set. It would have been one (subjective) step forward in terms of aesthetics, and a thousand steps back in terms of functionality.