Neural DSP - Cortex Control beta, CorOS 2.2 released

[TubeStack]

As you know, I love the QC and I encourage you to try (emphasis: try) one for yourself. But based on NDSP's track record thus far, I wouldn't purchase on the assumption that they'll improve the QC substantially in the near future. Their updates thus far have come at a snail's pace.

Funny you should call out the Soldano as a specific strength. That model caused a big kerfuffle on release because a lot of people (e.g. @Whizzinby) thought it wasn't as good as NDSP's own plugin version. It's since been updated, so maybe it's an authentic model now. To be honest, I wouldn't know either way.

On the bright(er) side: yes, the looper is fantastic. Along with nearly everything else IMH-but-not-widely-shared-O.

Do you mostly use profiles, or more the amp models?

 

[timbuck3]

As a former owner: buy for what the unit is today, not for what Neural DSP promises down the road.

There's plenty to like about the QC in it's current form, and if you're happy with the feature set, it's definitely a strong buy.

disagree...sure you really have no choice but to buy it for what it is today but 3 yrs in and its still not full of what was promised is lame and also sad. The cool thing is it will be around in stores online so no need to rush out and buy thinking its wont be avail....So lets see if they can deliver what was promised in the next year or 2.By then you can see if fender delivers on its "were committed" line as well. Any by then line6 qand fractal will drop a new unit i bet as well as mooer and hotone.

 

[MindCrime]

disagree...sure you really have no choice but to buy it for what it is today but 3 yrs in and its still not full of what was promised is lame and also sad. The cool thing is it will be around in stores online so no need to rush out and buy thinking its wont be avail....So lets see if they can deliver what was promised in the next year or 2.By then you can see if fender delivers on its "were committed" line as well. Any by then line6 qand fractal will drop a new unit i bet as well as mooer and hotone.

Say what you will about QC but artists like Rabea, Pete Thorn, Kiko Loureiro, Martin Miller, Plini, Mateus Asato and many others are currently using the QC !

Will I get one, yep. I don't do captures but QCs capture ability is unsurpassed. The looper is also top notch.

I'm guessing you don't have a QC nor will you get one. So be happy with your Boss GT1000. If it works for you...good !

Your negative judgement on modelers you don't own is outrageous.

​

 

[norminal]

Say what you will about QC but artists like Rabea, Pete Thorn, Kiko Loureiro, Martin Miller, Plini, Mateus Asato and many others are currently using the QC !

 

[mbenigni]

Do you mostly use profiles, or more the amp models?

A bit of both. There are some factory captures I stumbled across from day one (well, maybe week one) that I just gravitated toward and stuck with (e.g. Engl Blackmore stuff); and I'll still occasionally decide I want a specific tone with minimal fuss and steal something from the cloud (e.g. some Randy Rhoads/ Blizzard of Ozz mystery meat I've been playing the past few weeks.) But when I'm building from the ground up and enjoying the creative process, I'll almost always reach for a model, because I like having the amp controls. I still really like most of the QC component models: the way they sound, the way the controls respond, and the way they respond to playing dynamics.

 

[Gearzilla]

Say what you will about QC but artists like Rabea, Pete Thorn, Kiko Loureiro, Martin Miller, Plini, Mateus Asato and many others are currently using the QC !

I’m sure it has nothing to due with cartage or sponsorships.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I’m sure it has nothing to due with cartage or sponsorships.

I thought that ToneX turd and NAM were more accurate on the capturing end as well.

 

[MindCrime]

I’m sure it has nothing to due with cartage or sponsorships.

Of course on the other hand....these artists could say no thanks or I'm not interested.

 

[fretworn]

Of course on the other hand....these artists could say no thanks or I'm not interested.

That’s not really, how business works… Typically the answer is always “yes”

It was my business.… Just required two things; your money, and my time. They didn’t get to “buy” an outcome however.

I’ve seen a lot of broke musicians, who couldn’t make it in the business because of their “artistic integrity”. Ymmv

 

[MindCrime]

That’s not really, how business works… Typically the answer is always “yes”

It was my business.… Just required two things; your money, and my time. They didn’t get to “buy” an outcome however.

I’ve seen a lot of broke musicians, who couldn’t make it in the business because of their “artistic integrity”. Ymmv

So...there's really NO value in endorsements from the shoppers perspective ?? To the guitarist who's looking to get a new unit (modeler)....

Are these artists getting a "custom shop Quad Cortex" or one from the box that all of us would receive ?

 

[Mongillo19]

So...there's really NO value in endorsements from the shoppers perspective ?? To the guitarist who's looking to get a new unit (modeler)....

Are these artists getting a "custom shop Quad Cortex" or one from the box that all of us would receive ?

I think the point is that it isn't necessarily wise to base purchases solely off of what the pros use as they often times will have incentives to use specific gear. Even if you did look only on artists I think QC is towards the bottom on big names if you look at the big three of fractal, line 6, and kemper.

Anyway, artist use is cool but I wouldn't let it sway you one way or the other. The device needs to fit your needs, not Pete Thorn, Rabea, or Metallica's.

 

[MindCrime]

I think the point is that it isn't necessary wise to base purchases solely off of what the pros use as they often time will have incentives to use specific gear. Even if you did look only on artists I think QC is towards the bottom on big names if you look at the big three of fractal, line 6, and kemper.

Anyway, artist use is cool but I wouldn't let it sway you one way or the other. The device needs to fit your needs, not Pete Thorn, Rabea, or Metallica's.

Understood. But as I look closely at a product and find out what real time users on forums are saying about it, the good and the negative,
the LAST thing that comes to question is...who "might be" using this from a "Pro" perspective. I won't be buying a Fractal but look at that long list of users....

you mentioned Metallica (?) LOL, thats not a group I listen to. If you're referring to Kiko, I like his playing as a guitarist.

 

[Whizzinby]

I’m not sure why anyone is trying to convince anybody one way or the other. Buy it and try it.

 

[MindCrime]

I’m not sure why anyone is trying to convince anybody one way or the other. Buy it and try it.

Exactly. Thank you.

 

[mikah912]

Whether you believe the endorsements or not, I think the primary value in calling out these names using the QC is that somebody is getting roadworthy and dependable use out of this hardware. That's a good data point, obviously.

Not sure it offsets that myriad of data points to the contrary from "no name" users in the biggest FB QC group or on their own Discord and elsewhere. If I were a regularly gigging professional, it'd be hard for me, personally, to trust it. There simply isn't the same amount of publicly documented cases of hardware/firmware failure for Line 6, Fractal and Kemper units.

But let's be real....we got a lot of Madison Square Mancave headliners 'round these parts, so that should be way less of a consideration. I personally never had hardware failure or any sort of crash during my months of QC ownership.

 

[GTR37]

Whether you believe the endorsements or not, I think the primary value in calling out these names using the QC is that somebody is getting roadworthy and dependable use out of this hardware. That's a good data point, obviously.

Not sure it offsets that myriad of data points to the contrary from "no name" users in the biggest FB QC group or on their own Discord and elsewhere. If I were a regularly gigging professional, it'd be hard for me, personally, to trust it. There simply isn't the same amount of publicly documented cases of hardware/firmware failure for Line 6, Fractal and Kemper units.

But let's be real....we got a lot of Madison Square Mancave headliners 'round these parts, so that should be way less of a consideration. I personally never had hardware failure or any sort of crash during my months of QC ownership.

It’s just funny you have a new guy on the FB asking about the ground hum and instantly gets jumped on by no it’s fine it got no ground issues it’s by design

Unbelievable that some are still defending this POS power supply that NDSP said they would replace after they sourced at new one

 

[Mongillo19]

Understood. But as I look closely at a product and find out what real time users on forums are saying about it, the good and the negative,
the LAST thing that comes to question is...who "might be" using this from a "Pro" perspective. I won't be buying a Fractal but look at that long list of users....

you mentioned Metallica (?) LOL, thats not a group I listen to. If you're referring to Kiko, I like his playing as a guitarist.

You do you! As others have mentioned give it a go. The good and bad are mostly documented out there. Almost any brand has a return policy so there is no reason not to try one if you've been wanting to

 

[Mongillo19]

I’m not sure why anyone is trying to convince anybody one way or the other. Buy it and try it.

Hey we had to convince you to try a fractal unit plenty of times

 

[Gearzilla]

So...there's really NO value in endorsements from the shoppers perspective ?? To the guitarist who's looking to get a new unit (modeler)....

Not really. Especially paid/comped endorsements. They’re mainly for the Company’s benefit. Appeal to authority/Fallacy of association. Unless the Artist’s specifications for a product/signature product align with the specifications you’re seeking.

 

[DrewJD82]

I think context matters a lot when it comes to endorsements.

In this context they don’t mean jack to me. The QC is NDSP’s first piece of hardware, to see them pop up in touring rigs immediately was fishy. In all my years of nerding out on gear and rigs, I’ve just never seen it happen before. A pedal is one thing, you can swap out a delay pedal or whatever during a gig, but if the main thing that makes the sound goes down and stops the show, that’s a big issue. Without having any proven track record, seeing them in touring rigs just screamed “sponsored” to me within that first year.

That was on the onset, in that time the QC has not proven to be a reliable piece of hardware for everyone and I’d be REALLY interested to see the over/under of RMA’s at this point. Anyone can go see all the screenshots I’ve posted previously of bricked units, buzzing/crackling units or the blue lights of death. They aren’t small isolated incidents, you can go into the FB user group at any given point and you’re only a couple posts away from this-

It’s mind blowing to me how a whole community of users can see that happen regularly and the only thing they really have to say is “Support is really great though, they got me a new one in 2 weeks” This should NOT be the bar we hold “professional” gear to. I can absolutely see if this just popped up a couple times, but I think I‘ve got enough screenshots of this crap in the last year to show it’s not just a small amount of users.

So no, the endorsements of 3-4 people who got their units for free, have backups and most certainly have a number to call and have a new unit shipped out immediately without hassle don’t mean anything. While it’s certainly possible the endorsees haven’t had any issues, (except Intervals, unless switching entire rigs mid tour is just something they do for fun) we wouldn’t even know if they did. At the most it’d be Rabea talking up how great support was in helping him out with a new unit, when you know damn well Rabea wouldn’t be making a video for support if he had an issue, they’d just send him a new one.