NDSP Quad Cortex

[Whizzinby]

Since now I am actually pondering this if they release a smaller quad mini or dual
Questions @Jarick and @Whizzinby if you only have one path which is 2 rows 16 blocks max , what kind of presets could you do ?
Would 2 amps , drive , wah
Delay , verb , flange, etc work on the one path ?
Without the global eq

2 rows 16 blocks is more than enough for 90% of presets. As much as some like to complicate things and build presets that rival a NASA launch sequence, I’d say the vast majority of people would be more than capable with two lanes and 16 blocks. 1 comp, 2 OD, 1 Octaver, 1 Chorus, 2 amps, 2 captures, 2 reverbs, 2 delays with room to spare for 3 extra blocks.

If the Dual was something resembling the QC but just without the bottom row of switches, I’d probably kick the tires on it again once a couple of my favorite plugs are ported.

 

[DrewJD82]

Something interesting, and a good thing, is that I haven’t seen anywhere the amount of failed unit posts in the last couple months. A couple blue lights of death and the start up noise issue, maybe 3-4 total. HUGE difference from the entirety of last year.

I’m very curious what changed, or if they just had to burn through all the units with shitty parts to hit even ground. I couldn’t imagine the software would cause failures like that, but that’s the only difference.

 

[laxu]

2 rows 16 blocks is more than enough for 90% of presets. As much as some like to complicate things and build presets that rival a NASA launch sequence, I’d say the vast majority of people would be more than capable with two lanes and 16 blocks. 1 comp, 2 OD, 1 Octaver, 1 Chorus, 2 amps, 2 captures, 2 reverbs, 2 delays with room to spare for 3 extra blocks.

If the Dual was something resembling the QC but just without the bottom row of switches, I’d probably kick the tires on it again once a couple of my favorite plugs are ported.

Totally agree. I've been recently thinking if I want to swap back to the FM3 (mainly so I will actually use it somewhere other than parked on my desk) from the Axe-Fx 3 because most of my presets have gotten increasingly simpler. If the FM3 gets the gapless switching then I could just use that instead of trying to build any kitchen sinks.

A QC with dual paths should do more than enough for normal guitar signal chains.

 

[GTR37]

Something interesting, and a good thing, is that I haven’t seen anywhere the amount of failed unit posts in the last couple months. A couple blue lights of death and the start up noise issue, maybe 3-4 total. HUGE difference from the entirety of last year.

I’m very curious what changed, or if they just had to burn through all the units with shitty parts to hit even ground. I couldn’t imagine the software would cause failures like that, but that’s the only difference.

Regardless I am still buying it at Long and Mcquade with their 2 year warranty, replace it

 

[eggpl@nt]

Something interesting, and a good thing, is that I haven’t seen anywhere the amount of failed unit posts in the last couple months. A couple blue lights of death and the start up noise issue, maybe 3-4 total. HUGE difference from the entirety of last year.

I’m very curious what changed, or if they just had to burn through all the units with shitty parts to hit even ground. I couldn’t imagine the software would cause failures like that, but that’s the only difference.

Funny you say this, because even as the general discourse here becomes more friendly to NDSP (or at least the QC), your mega posts of these issues is one of the main reasons I’ve had to say “no man, snap out of it!” every time the itch returns.

 

[Mongillo19]

Funny you say this, because even as the general discourse here becomes more friendly to NDSP (or at least the QC), your mega posts of these issues is one of the main reasons I’ve had to say “no man, snap out of it!” every time the itch returns.

If you have a warranty you really don't have to worry (well minus being out a QC for that return time)

But I've told my story where I bought a used QC, guy shipped it in a beer box with holes in the side, and something was lose in the QC . The kicker was "I packed it better than SW".

NDSP sent me a new one as soon as I shipped the old one back and had it to me in like 3 days from Finland. Come with some extra goodies as well.

 

[SeeD]

Funny you say this, because even as the general discourse here becomes more friendly to NDSP (or at least the QC), your mega posts of these issues is one of the main reasons I’ve had to say “no man, snap out of it!” every time the itch returns.

Im having a blast 2 years in, but I love the capture option. Right now I play thru a capture of a Bogner x100B preamp into a capture of a Mesa 2:90 poweramp, and it`s so mutch fun.. I can get this unit to sound like any other gear. It`s like having a NAMM party at home
Knock on wood, my unit have been solid the hole time

 

[eggpl@nt]

Im having a blast 2 years in, but I love the capture option. Right now I play thru a capture of a Bogner x100B preamp into a capture of a Mesa 2:90 poweramp, and it`s so mutch fun.. I can get this unit to sound like any other gear. It`s like having a NAMM party at home
Knock on woob, my unit have been solid the hole time

I’ve had one, and my issues weren’t with the sounds (even if I didn’t think they were anything special compared to L6/FAS). I didn’t even have any catastrophic failures—just noise, shitty WiFi, and an iffy touchscreen.

The QC is the first breakup in my life where I didn’t go crawling back.

 

[SeeD]

I’ve had one, and my issues weren’t with the sounds (even if I didn’t think they were anything special compared to L6/FAS). I didn’t even have any catastrophic failures—just noise, shitty WiFi, and an iffy touchscreen.

The QC is the first breakup in my life where I didn’t go crawling back.

The touchscreen is a lot better then it used to be. It good now ( and have been for over 1 year, maybe more, it was just a firmware update and they fixed it)
I never had WiFi problems, but it must suck to have those.
Anyway, it`s the coolest unit i`ve ever owned

 

[eggpl@nt]

The touchscreen is a lot better then it used to be. It good now ( and have been for over 1 year, maybe more, it was just a firmware update and they fixed it)
I never had WiFi problems, but it must suck to have those.
Anyway, it`s the coolest unit i`ve ever owned

Someone mentioned any WiFi issues are less problematic with the advent of the control app. It could be fair to strike that from my list of grievances.

 

[SeeD]

Someone mentioned any WiFi issues are less problematic with the advent of the control app. It could be fair to strike that from my list of grievances.

Yeah, with the Cortex Control app, you have the internet from your PC/MAC so this way I dont use the wifi anymore ( even thou it worked good on my unit )
As soon as you plug USB, XLR , anything like that can ground the unit, then the ground noise is gone. I think its like the unit was designed

 

[GTR37]

Yeah, with the Cortex Control app, you have the internet from your PC/MAC so this way I dont use the wifi anymore ( even thou it worked good on my unit )
As soon as you plug USB, XLR , anything like that can ground the unit, then the ground noise is gone. I think its like the unit was designed

The Cortex control app although maybe not needed for many , actually looks very cool and well laid out

 

[Aleksi]

When you say row are you talking the path split or just one row
2 amps , wah, drive , delay , verb would be fine honestly
I know this is kind of a hard question to answer as it’s all just speculation since we don’t know what CPU they will use , hell if they used that new Sharc chip FAS mentioned was about as powerful as a Helix floor then that could greatly enhance what they could do with a single path

I just mean paths 1/2 so using one processor. I sometimes made separate clean and distortion rigs on different processors. Basically never routed the signal between processors in order to avoid the large increase in latency.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I'd put money on @GTR37 predictions. He's called a few in the past.

 

[mbenigni]

Since now I am actually pondering this if they release a smaller quad mini or dual
Questions @Jarick and @Whizzinby if you only have one path which is 2 rows 16 blocks max , what kind of presets could you do ?
Would 2 amps , drive , wah
Delay , verb , flange, etc work on the one path ?
Without the global eq

Also how bad is the gap switching presets ?

You could easily run two amps or more. There may be exceptions - amps that are super CPU hungry - but with most amps, 3 or 4 wouldn't break a sweat. Amp captures can be piled on, as many as 8 or so in one lane. In "realistically necessary" terms, 2 amps and a half dozen pedals on one path with a little parallelism? Totally doable.

I basically use mine as a "Dual Cortex" as well, in the sense that the top path handles all of my guitar processing (and my guitar synth routing as well.) The bottom path usually gets called on for vocal processing, a bass guitar path, or whatever else is needed.

The global EQ thing was really overblown on forums. I think there may have been a bug as to when the low CPU warning was displayed. It's not exactly "efficient", but it's not the show-stopper it was made out to be.

There is a gap on preset switching; I assume it will vary depending on what's being loaded in the target preset. I certainly wouldn't be changing presets with a chord ringing out but it's fine if it's used in tandem with Scene changes. If a sinigle preset can't get you all the way through a song, your band might be too progressive.

 

[Aleksi]

You could easily run two amps or more. There may be exceptions - amps that are super CPU hungry - but with most amps, 3 or 4 wouldn't break a sweat. Amp captures can be piled on, as many as 8 or so in one lane. In "realistically necessary" terms, 2 amps and a half dozen pedals on one path with a little parallelism? Totally doable.

I basically use mine as a "Dual Cortex" as well, in the sense that the top path handles all of my guitar processing (and my guitar synth routing as well.) The bottom path usually gets called on for vocal processing, a bass guitar path, or whatever else is needed.

The global EQ thing was really overblown on forums. I think there may have been a bug as to when the low CPU warning was displayed. It's not exactly "efficient", but it's not the show-stopper it was made out to be.

There is a gap on preset switching; I assume it will vary depending on what's being loaded in the target preset. I certainly wouldn't be changing presets with a chord ringing out but it's fine if it's used in tandem with Scene changes. If a sinigle preset can't get you all the way through a song, your band might be too progressive.

I never tried to use the global eq, but I can't remember a preset that didn't show the "global eq disabled" symbol.

 

[Jynx]

I really want Granophyre. More than any other. I feel like I can get similar tones to the other plugins because many of the amps that are in those plugins in modded form are there in their original form in the QC (5150, Kraken, Morgan).

The Tone King I want too but it's not super high up to me because I really like the Matchless Chieften for similar vibes.

Edit: Forgot about the Fortin Cali. It's a great plugin that does clean all the way to the heaviest heavy.

My guess is that when Granophyre and Cali are out they'll be pretty much all I use.

So just to hammer home what I said above about being able to get similar tones to the plugins because the many of the amps modelled in those plugins are already there this video popped up.



It was something I said in the other place too that as more amps got added I was caring less and less that it didn't look like plugins were even coming and that even if they did I'd, of course, load up the ones I already purchased before I bought the QC but I doubted I'd buy any more. I know more cynical types probably thought I was just huffing copium but at least since 1.4.0 I felt it covered all the bases.

 

[Mongillo19]

So just to hammer home what I said above about being able to get similar tones to the plugins because the many of the amps modelled in those plugins are already there this video popped up.



It was something I said in the other place too that as more amps got added I was caring less and less that it didn't look like plugins were even coming and that even if they did I'd, of course, load up the ones I already purchased before I bought the QC but I doubted I'd buy any more. I know more cynical types probably thought I was just huffing copium but at least since 1.4.0 I felt it covered all the bases.

Thing is, we have yet to see how neural plans on rolling out updates for QC in parallel with plugins.

There is a world where the only way you get a usable spring reverb is by buying the Morgan suite, for example. So yes, core tones are absolutely covered, but add in sparse effects that seem to be only available in plugin form and imo just the principle that they marketed very strongly about plugin integration, it needs to be done.

Is it a waste of resources at this point? Probably. I think there are areas of improvement outside of plug in integration but they did this to themselves

 

[mbenigni]

I never tried to use the global eq, but I can't remember a preset that didn't show the "global eq disabled" symbol.

My best guess is that it was a short-lived bug. I've only seen that icon once. It vanished just as mysteriously, and I never thought about it again. Full disclosure: I don't generally use the global EQ, either.

 

[Aleksi]

My best guess is that it was a short-lived bug. I've only seen that icon once. It vanished just as mysteriously, and I never thought about it again. Full disclosure: I don't generally use the global EQ.

Neither do I, but it I remember the icon being on the screen in pretty much any preset right up until I sold it a couple of months ago.