NDSP Quad Cortex

[Boudoir Guitar]

Are you from the future?

2203 is a real amp, the Line 6 model of which also sounds very real. I've always found real amps to be very sensitive to the gear and player they are used with

 

[Jynx]

2203 as in the amp

I'm sure it was a joke but just to be painstakingly clear

Read it, "as of late 2203." Thought it was a typo.

 

[GTR37]

Are you from the future?

Nope, “just poor punctuation;

 

[Badonkey Kong]

Tried a Helix Floor and wanted to love it, but:

a), it's fucking gigantic, not desktop friendly. Gigging I could see it's appeal. But I'm just some loser hobbyist.
b) with the simplest of presets (no ellaborate or complex reverbs or delays even, just one basic reverb, a couple of ODs in front, 1 amp, 1 cab) it started greying out items to add to the preset. IMO, it's processing power in 2024 is a complete joke for a flagship unit.

Sure on one path, once you have that much stuff, things like Poly Capo, etc that take 50% of 1 of the CPU's will get greyed out...

 

[laxu]

One of the things with Helix is everyone telling you how easy it is to use. So when you get it in hand and find something that should be dead simple but it doesn't click for you for whatever reason; it's a bit of a head scratcher.

The dual path management is one of the few things that is not pretty intuitive to do on the Helix. Without reading to manual you are unlikely to know you can do this or that you should do this. To be fair it's the same deal on the QC because they copied that functionality.

Only other buried thing is snapshots adjusting parameters. There's really no way other than the manual to discover that "hold this knob and turn" makes a snapshot control. I am all for shortcuts like these, because they make it easy for users familiar with the gear. But there should be a second way to do it by just using a menu.

 

[laxu]

When you start going down the Saddites YT rabbit-hole of adding a compressor at the end; it's time to move in a different direction.

I haven't watched those videos but I guess the intent is to replicate what people often do with miced tracks? Add a bit of compression and EQ to make it more punchy and more to your liking.

That said, why not just do that with plugins so you don't bake that sound in...

 

[mbenigni]

...its dumb as fuck that you have to bridge paths 1 and 2 together to use both processors.

I think this is a little bit reductive.

There are circumstances where having two completely independent signal paths is desirable. (For me, most of the time.) If you design the OS to present the pair of processors as one monolithic resource, sure it might be a little more intuitive for new users, but:

a) You increase latency. (And then TGP explodes...)
b) You complicate the process of building out presets for multiple instruments. (E.g. vocals via the phantom-powered XLR input on Helix Floor.)

The latter is especially problematic on HX and QC, where Send blocks are limited to 1/4" analog I/O for some reason. (I assume it's an insurmountable reason since neither Line 6 nor NDSP have managed to... surmount it.) The only way to get at XLR or USB audio is by way of reconfiguring each processors Input / Output blocks differently.

In any case, it's not as complicated as we're making it out to be. The only thing the user needs to understand is that the end of the top lanes needs to be routed into the beginning of the bottom lanes (if you’re just cramming one guitar signal through the entire Helix, as most guitarists will.) Even then most presets - and some templates - are already set up this way. And you often run out of screen space for amp/effect blocks before you run out of actual DSP power (unless you’re throwing a lot amps or poly effects in series) so the GUI is kind of self-explanatory in this regard.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I think this is a little bit reductive.

There are circumstances where having two completely independent signal paths is desirable. (For me, most of the time.) If you design the OS to present the pair of processors as one monolithic resource, sure it might be a little more intuitive for new users, but:

a) You increase latency. (And then TGP explodes...)
b) You complicate the process of building out presets for multiple instruments. (E.g. vocals via the phantom-powered XLR input on Helix Floor.)

The latter is especially problematic on HX and QC, where Send blocks are limited to 1/4" analog I/O for some reason. (I assume it's an insurmountable reason since neither Line 6 nor NDSP have managed to... surmount it.) The only way to get at XLR or USB audio is by way of reconfiguring each processors Input / Output blocks differently.

In any case, it's not as complicated as we're making it out to be. The only thing the user needs to understand is that the end of the top lanes needs to be routed into the beginning of the bottom lanes (if you’re just cramming one guitar signal through the entire Helix, as most guitarists will.) Even then most presets - and some templates - are already set up this way. And you often run out of screen space for amp/effect blocks before you run out of actual DSP power (unless you’re throwing a lot amps or poly effects in series) so the GUI is kind of self-explanatory in this regard.

The problem (on the Helix) is for something that for a piece of gear people bend over backwards 15 times over to tell you how easy it is to use; it's not intuitive. At all.

 

[Whizzinby]

I don’t get the difficulty or complication at all. On the QC you tap the lane Output and select Row 3 or 4. It’s literally a 2 second process.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Is the QC the same? The HX you have to drop a block on the chain then manually pull it down. IIRC. I went to supposed UI h#ll in FAS land but I just learned how to use it. Everything is generally so obtuse at first glance that nothing really stopped me in my tracks because everything had the potential to stop me in my tracks

 

[LCW]

The dual path management is one of the few things that is not pretty intuitive to do on the Helix. Without reading to manual you are unlikely to know you can do this or that you should do this. To be fair it's the same deal on the QC because they copied that functionality.

How was Neural just able to copy that interface/workflow functionality? I’m surprised Line6 didn’t have some IP on it and/or try to fight them for it.

 

[JiveTurkey]

How was Neural just able to copy that interface/workflow functionality? I’m surprised Line6 didn’t have some IP on it and/or try to fight them for it.

There's a poster that shows you

 

[JiveTurkey]

On topic; watched a rig rundown with Knocked Loose last night and they are running QCs for their live rigs. I did find it a bit funny when their newer guitarist was talking about the Kempers they used previously being too heavy

 

[LCW]

There's a poster that shows you

 

[Mongillo19]

On topic; watched a rig rundown with Knocked Loose last night and they are running QCs for their live rigs. I did find it a bit funny when their newer guitarist was talking about the Kempers they used previously being too heavy

Yeah I saw they were running QCs. Kempers being too heavy is laughable

I do love me some Knocked Loose lol

 

[JiveTurkey]

Yeah I saw they were running QCs. Kempers being too heavy is laughable

I do love me some Knocked Loose lol

I am a generation too old for them I love the heaviness but the vocals kill it. And I LOVE extreme vocals. Just dude's particular style I can't get with? I will say between that guitarist and Wes Hauch rundown from a while back; 7 string Ibanez Iceman GAS is a definitely a thing

 

[GTR37]

Yeah I saw they were running QCs. Kempers being too heavy is laughable

I do love me some Knocked Loose lol

Have they not figured out they could just get Kemper player and have 5 sounds ?

 

[JiveTurkey]

Have they not figured out they could just get Kemper player and have 5 sounds ?

TBF; I 1000% do not want a digital/modeling device without a screen to see what's going on. I don't care how much silk screened dedicated controls are on said device. I need some sort of menu system.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I think this is a little bit reductive.

There are circumstances where having two completely independent signal paths is desirable. (For me, most of the time.) If you design the OS to present the pair of processors as one monolithic resource, sure it might be a little more intuitive for new users, but:

a) You increase latency. (And then TGP explodes...)
b) You complicate the process of building out presets for multiple instruments. (E.g. vocals via the phantom-powered XLR input on Helix Floor.)

The latter is especially problematic on HX and QC, where Send blocks are limited to 1/4" analog I/O for some reason. (I assume it's an insurmountable reason since neither Line 6 nor NDSP have managed to... surmount it.) The only way to get at XLR or USB audio is by way of reconfiguring each processors Input / Output blocks differently.

In any case, it's not as complicated as we're making it out to be. The only thing the user needs to understand is that the end of the top lanes needs to be routed into the beginning of the bottom lanes (if you’re just cramming one guitar signal through the entire Helix, as most guitarists will.) Even then most presets - and some templates - are already set up this way. And you often run out of screen space for amp/effect blocks before you run out of actual DSP power (unless you’re throwing a lot amps or poly effects in series) so the GUI is kind of self-explanatory in this regard.

Mostly in complete agreement and yes, I was, as usual, overly reductive and aggressively, hyperbolically negative. But I also feel like "its super simple and intuitive" easily forgets the first 15 minutes of experience in this workflow.

Overall, I think it's better that the user learns: "well, there is a processor dedicated to each path, so think about it that way" probably? But it also seems like this doesn't HAVE to be something that the user needs to be aware of...or if they are supposed to be aware of it, it should be made a LITTLE more obvious in terms of "linking them alone isn't what expands the processing power -- each lane is hard-connected to its own processor that Shall Not Be Shared.

 

[GTR37]

How was Neural just able to copy that interface/workflow functionality? I’m surprised Line6 didn’t have some IP on it and/or try to fight them for it.

I think it’s really tough to get a legal action for that
Hell people have been taking JCM800 for years and changing one or 2 components and tweaking a value on pot
But it’s 97% the Jcm800 build

Now , if Line6 were partnered with Gibson , Doug may have received a letter