It's not "bad-sounding". It's just very...off the shelf? Just sounds like a bunch of presets and sample riffs thrown together.
And sadly, this is what a lot of studios ask for, so I'm not sure I can blame the guys of "Finishing Move" either.
NDSP Quad Cortex
- Thread starter Jarick
- Start date
It's not "bad-sounding". It's just very...off the shelf? Just sounds like a bunch of presets and sample riffs thrown together.
And sadly, this is what a lot of studios ask for, so I'm not sure I can blame the guys of "Finishing Move" either.
2dor
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Movie trailers nowadays suffer from the same kinda stuff too & I suspect it's the same if you look in other areas. Social (and digital) media's kinda put its own print on creativity big-time.
ian_dissonance
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Tons of bands are running a laptop that controls all the preset changes, fx on/off, lights, video playback, tracks, clicks, sometimes even vocal FX automation. With a modestly powerful laptop that doesn’t have other jobs besides show control and playback it’s not a whole lot to do. And it’s not like you need a crazy powerful machine. I’ve been using a Yoga for ~12 years and have a 7-8 year old “gaming” laptop for a backup that I got on sale for like $650 and I trust both of them. Have never needed the backup, just keep em both operable and check the battery and drive health every once and awhile. As long as your drummer isn’t using it for torrenting clown porn between shows there really aren’t stability issues to worry about.
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Tonight I played a show.
One band had a bassist and guitarist using Helix LT's. Guitarist had a Orange Pedal Baby, into a Marshall 2x12. Bassist went into a small Hartke combo amp thing.
Other band had a Quad Cortex, plugged into the FX loop return of a Victory V30 with matching 2x12.
The Quad Cortex band sounded really good. A little mid humpy because of the 2x12 he was going through, but so much better than the first band. Still so astounding to me, how two different bands can sound so different in the same venue. Wild.
As well as the second band being really good, and having the exact right amount of ambience versus heavies... I also left their set thinking, man... kinda wish I'd kept my QC !
One band had a bassist and guitarist using Helix LT's. Guitarist had a Orange Pedal Baby, into a Marshall 2x12. Bassist went into a small Hartke combo amp thing.
Other band had a Quad Cortex, plugged into the FX loop return of a Victory V30 with matching 2x12.
The Quad Cortex band sounded really good. A little mid humpy because of the 2x12 he was going through, but so much better than the first band. Still so astounding to me, how two different bands can sound so different in the same venue. Wild.
As well as the second band being really good, and having the exact right amount of ambience versus heavies... I also left their set thinking, man... kinda wish I'd kept my QC !
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Mongillo19
Rock Star
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Thomann is a click away
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fiftyshadesofslay
Roadie
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I’m back using a QC direct for all the function gigs I’m doing currently. As I said I don’t really like going direct and much prefer an amp.
Other guitar player uses a mic’d AC15 and I’m always supremely jealous.
Listened back to a few live videos the other day (just shot on my phone and a go pro, nothing special). The QC sounded easily as good if not better in the mix.
Very unscientific of course but interesting.
Other guitar player uses a mic’d AC15 and I’m always supremely jealous.
Listened back to a few live videos the other day (just shot on my phone and a go pro, nothing special). The QC sounded easily as good if not better in the mix.
Very unscientific of course but interesting.
Mongillo19
Rock Star
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Good lord this thread is almost on page 3.
Not trying to kick the beehive but it's been close to 2 months since we heard anything from NDSP. They were doing pretty good with monthly updates but that seems to have fallen off
Is there any idea on their future plans? Just more PCOM? Have they mentioned which plugins will be ported next.
You'd think they'd be in high gear with stadium nearing launch
Not trying to kick the beehive but it's been close to 2 months since we heard anything from NDSP. They were doing pretty good with monthly updates but that seems to have fallen off
Is there any idea on their future plans? Just more PCOM? Have they mentioned which plugins will be ported next.
You'd think they'd be in high gear with stadium nearing launch
nicolasrivera
Roadie
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They dont care about anyone.
Lysander
Rock Star
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Ah, remember all those great amps TINA would bring to the QC? Pepperidge Farm remembers...
Chocol8
Rock Star
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Certainly not their customers, but maybe they care about someone?
Los-D
Shredder
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Mongillo19
Rock Star
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I kicked the beehive 
I kicked the beehive
Honestly, bro......I'm over it. I care as much as NDSP does.....
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This is pretty much what I was thinking when listening to a newer Lorna Shore album, which is basically a movie score behind a metal band. Pretty sure I have a lot of those sounds in the East West libraries, it's too over the top to make an impact on me.
deadpool_25
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I still love my QC rig. The three primary issues I've had with it have been addressed one way or another.
1. Effects aren't quite as sexy as Fractal's. Addressed via VP4. And there are certainly good effects in the QC as well—I often don’t even use the VP4.
2. PCOM. This was a major point of interest for me initially. They took forever to get this started (I held off buying a QC until they did) and they're taking a long time to get each plugin done but it's on track as far as I'm concerned. I have a bunch of the plugins and love them.
3. Routing. Again, not as sexy as Fractal's and I initially struggled a bit to rout things how I wanted with multiple parallel effects. However the utility blend blocks they added allowed me to accomplish what I wanted. And adding the VP4 made it even more of a non issue.
It still sounds great to me.
It still feels great to me.
I still love the form factor.
It’s still fun to use.
It’s still easy to use.
I used to have a strong preference for modeling over captures but I’ve really warmed up to them the last year or two. With the Fractal gear, although I really did love it, I often wished they would add models of certain amps. For example the EVH Stealth (which they eventually did add), or the Two Rock Traditional Clean and SSS (which I don’t think have been added). Captures just make that dynamic a non issue for me. I have yet to search for a certain amp capture and not find one. I can see how hunting for captures could be a rabbit hole but I find it pretty fun.
Stadium won’t “kill” the QC. Just like the Axe FX didn’t kill the Helix. The Axe FX 3 killed the AxeFX 2. The Helix killed the Pod. The Helix Stadium might kill the Helix. I’m guessing there will eventually be a QC2. If anything eventually kills the QC it’ll be that.
1. Effects aren't quite as sexy as Fractal's. Addressed via VP4. And there are certainly good effects in the QC as well—I often don’t even use the VP4.
2. PCOM. This was a major point of interest for me initially. They took forever to get this started (I held off buying a QC until they did) and they're taking a long time to get each plugin done but it's on track as far as I'm concerned. I have a bunch of the plugins and love them.
3. Routing. Again, not as sexy as Fractal's and I initially struggled a bit to rout things how I wanted with multiple parallel effects. However the utility blend blocks they added allowed me to accomplish what I wanted. And adding the VP4 made it even more of a non issue.
It still sounds great to me.
It still feels great to me.
I still love the form factor.
It’s still fun to use.
It’s still easy to use.
I used to have a strong preference for modeling over captures but I’ve really warmed up to them the last year or two. With the Fractal gear, although I really did love it, I often wished they would add models of certain amps. For example the EVH Stealth (which they eventually did add), or the Two Rock Traditional Clean and SSS (which I don’t think have been added). Captures just make that dynamic a non issue for me. I have yet to search for a certain amp capture and not find one. I can see how hunting for captures could be a rabbit hole but I find it pretty fun.
Stadium won’t “kill” the QC. Just like the Axe FX didn’t kill the Helix. The Axe FX 3 killed the AxeFX 2. The Helix killed the Pod. The Helix Stadium might kill the Helix. I’m guessing there will eventually be a QC2. If anything eventually kills the QC it’ll be that.
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I don't know about "killing it" per se. Depends on exactly what we mean by "killing it" (and in what time frame.) Will the Stadium better the QC? In many ways, yes. But I also think the QC has its own strengths, and there's enough space in the marketplace for both to coexist. The main problem is how/ whether NDSP will be able to price the QC to compete once Stadium Floor starts pulling its sales.Already has m8.
