NDSP Quad Cortex

[Jarick]

I get the point about the company but the device itself is used by enough professional and touring people to make the first part of that literally incorrect. But I still understand your general feelings in that regard. IJS

Hey man, don't rain on the parade of non-QC users taking their victory laps!

 

[Jarick]

Whenever I get tripped up with a looper (including the QC's), it turns out to be some synchronization setting I've forgotten to disable. Have you looked into that on the AxeFX III?

100%, specifically with the Fractal you need to disable hold functionality on the FC to properly loop. It's annoying.

 

[mbenigni]

100%, specifically with the Fractal you need to disable hold functionality on the FC to properly loop. It's annoying.

That was going to be my next guess (hold vs. momentary or press vs. release), but my fingers got tired.

 

[Orvillain]

Whenever I get tripped up with a looper (including the QC's), it turns out to be some synchronization setting I've forgotten to disable. Have you looked into that on the AxeFX III?

Yeah did all that. I'll have another look some time. It aint my focus right now. If I want loop and jam, I just grab my DD-8 at the mo.

 

[Orvillain]

100%, specifically with the Fractal you need to disable hold functionality on the FC to properly loop. It's annoying.

What, completely... or just for the specific switch?? Because AFAIK, the default layout doesn't have a hold modifier on any of the looper buttons.

 

[Jarick]

What, completely... or just for the specific switch?? Because AFAIK, the default layout doesn't have a hold modifier on any of the looper buttons.

I dunno, you may want to mess around with it.

Are you trying to use the far right switches? I think there's the hold both far right switches to select layout feature that messes things up. Maybe try a different switch if that's the case?

 

[JiveTurkey]

I dunno, you may want to mess around with it.

Are you trying to use the far right switches? I think there's the hold both far right switches to select layout feature that messes things up. Maybe try a different switch if that's the case?

Absolutely. Check those layouts for hold, just in case.

 

[Orvillain]

I vill czech.

 

[deadpool_25]

I understand your point also. But just bear in mind I'm speaking for myself here. Not for everyone else.

There are pretty unacceptable issues with the Quad Cortex when it comes to integrating it into a wider rig. Most of the artists I've seen who use the Quad Cortex - one of my favourites being a band called The Ocean - are using it as a standalone device, where most of the issues I am talking about are drastically minimized. You simply wouldn't notice how poor the signal quality is unless you were running 4-cable-method, or integrating external pedals into the FX loops.

Even the guys around here who do that have corroborated my view.

At various times in the past couple of years, I've had the Helix, Boss GT1000, Axe FX III, Kemper, and Quad Cortex, side-by-side in various combinations, along with a raft of pedals, and I can honestly say that the Quad Cortex is the nosiest bit of equipment I've ever tried to use with a valve amp. It simply is not professional enough in that context.

It doesn't really factor into my assessment the fact that a band can tour with the unit, plug in the main outs into the FOH, and route the other outputs to their IEM's and play a show. That isn't my world, and the fact it can do it is irrelevant to me.

And it really is a shame. Because algorithmically, I think it sounds great. Not as good as the Axe FX III, but better than the Helix in many cases. The stock effects were not even that bad, there just wasn't enough variety. Being able to load plugins on it is really cool, and I did enjoy running the plugins I own on it. It was a shame that not everything I owned was already supported - considering the device launched in 2020. That was five years ago if we're counting.

The looper block is genuinely really good. They nailed that. To this day, I'm still not sure if I'm a shit guitarist, or if the Axe FX III and default FC12 layout is buggy or what. I don't know. But I rarely seem to get a good loop using the Axe III and FC12; whereas with the QC I did. With the Flashback X4 I did. With the DD500 I did. Kinda strange.

Ultimately, I think they made a consumer device. Not a professional one. Which is fine. There is space - arguably most of it at this point - for consumer electronics. But I think Fractal wipe the floor with it just for raw circuitry and understanding of digital audio conversion and how to best optimize it to reduce noise, aliasing, and harmonic distortion.

Gotcha. Fractal is far more thoughtful in terms of multiple use cases and such. Cliff is pure fucking genius in this arena. It almost seems unfair.

The QC does seem more targeted at using it almost exclusively as a standalone device. The bands I've seen using them have been using them that way....wait. Now that I think about it, Rabea is using his in a hybrid rig. Wonder if he's having/ignoring noise issues or if he did something to solve them. I can't even remember if I tried to run the QC through my EVH head when I still had the EVH.

I love the QC as it fits my current needs quite well. Form factor, great sounds, pretty easy to use to get what I want, and I do love the ability to use the plugins it has now. Half the time I'll just load up a factory Gojira X preset and roll with it.

Anyway, I definitely understand no piece of gear is gonna work for everyone. I loved my FM9 as well.

 

[Orvillain]

Wonder if he's having/ignoring noise issues or if he did something to solve them.

Think he's probably just rolling with it coz he aint as anal as me.

 

[fiftyshadesofslay]

Gotcha. Fractal is far more thoughtful in terms of multiple use cases and such. Cliff is pure fucking genius in this arena. It almost seems unfair.

The QC does seem more targeted at using it almost exclusively as a standalone device. The bands I've seen using them have been using them that way....wait. Now that I think about it, Rabea is using his in a hybrid rig. Wonder if he's having/ignoring noise issues or if he did something to solve them. I can't even remember if I tried to run the QC through my EVH head when I still had the EVH.

I love the QC as it fits my current needs quite well. Form factor, great sounds, pretty easy to use to get what I want, and I do love the ability to use the plugins it has now. Half the time I'll just load up a factory Gojira X preset and roll with it.

Anyway, I definitely understand no piece of gear is gonna work for everyone. I loved my FM9 as well.

I think he realised that he works with both an amp company and a modelling company and thought “damn, got to make this stupid hybrid rig work somehow or I’ll be out of a job”

 

[AFKAEjay(retired)]

Gotcha. Fractal is far more thoughtful in terms of multiple use cases and such. Cliff is pure fucking genius in this arena. It almost seems unfair.

The QC does seem more targeted at using it almost exclusively as a standalone device. The bands I've seen using them have been using them that way....wait. Now that I think about it, Rabea is using his in a hybrid rig. Wonder if he's having/ignoring noise issues or if he did something to solve them. I can't even remember if I tried to run the QC through my EVH head when I still had the EVH.

I love the QC as it fits my current needs quite well. Form factor, great sounds, pretty easy to use to get what I want, and I do love the ability to use the plugins it has now. Half the time I'll just load up a factory Gojira X preset and roll with it.

Anyway, I definitely understand no piece of gear is gonna work for everyone. I loved my FM9 as well.

I think he realised that he works with both an amp company and a modelling company and thought “damn, got to make this stupid hybrid rig work somehow or I’ll be out of a job”

I also use the QC in 4cm every now and then….works just fine.
No additional noise issues…rather less compared to others tbh.

I’ve never had noise issues with the QC btw. Offcourse, cause it’s not grounded, you have to make sure you have some connection to ground…but that’s the same for other units I owned that where 9v/12v powered.

 

[namathan_zirwir]

No noise issues with the QC here either. Have used many different pedals, the HX Effects etc… with it in the loop. Works fine.

 

[Orvillain]

The Quad Cortex is very noticeably noisier than others. Both in 4-cable-method with a valve amp (any valve amp) and also when putting other digital pedals into the effects loops.

It also has lower overall output than all other devices I've tried too.

 

[Orvillain]

Here's a few noise-floor recordings. I boosted them all by 10dB just to make the waveform higher, but the relative differences are still maintained.

In the room, the last one (the 4cm one) was way more noticeable than the others. The ones where it is just the amp have the lowest noise floor, as you'd expect. As soon as you put the QC into the signal path once, you get a higher noise floor because the DAC conversion noise of the unit is amplified by the gain of the amplifier. It is a lot worse in 4-cable-method.

 

[Orvillain]

Baseline noise floors between Axe3, Helix, and QC - all in 4-cable-method with an amp:

The last one is the QC. The noise floor is twice as loud as the other two.

Same amp. Same cables. Same amp levels. Same everything. Just switching the units.

 

[Orvillain]

At 17:51 (and probably other points in the video) just before Rabea starts playing, listen VERY closely. Ignore the hum coming from the ground loop issue he obviously has, or potentially LED lights causing it....

Listen to the hhhhhhhssssssssssssss hiss noise floor. That's exactly the kind of thing I am talking about. It is quite prominent when compared to Helix and Axe FX III.

 

[Los-D]

Listen to the hhhhhhhssssssssssssss hiss noise floor.

Yep. My experience as well, on 3 different units, across multiple countries (and states within US). From day one.

 

[Orvillain]

Yep. My experience as well, on 3 different units, across multiple countries (and states within US). From day one.

TBH, I don't mind if people say they don't care about it. That's their prerogative.

But you can't argue with objective measurements.

 

[Jarick]

I haven't tested but the QC seems slightly noisier in some instances than other modelers. However the noise goes away when reducing the output volume or using a noise gate. The worst I've used was an HX Effects that was always very noisy no matter what you did to the signal (unless you unplugged it).