Neural DSP Nano Cortex

[Achilles]

Is the nano going on that board or will it float on it's own

Nano's floating.
Last night I was slouched on the couch with it and headphones.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Nano's floating.
Last night I was slouched on the couch with it and headphones.

That’s not what Netflix and chill usually means

 

[Achilles]

That’s not what Netflix and chill usually means

School of Rock.
Dumb movie but a killer practice session!

noodle...noodle...noodle
do your best Angus Young impression
noodle...noodle...noodle
Blackmore's turn at the plate
etc.

 

[paisleywookiee]

School of Rock.
Dumb movie but a killer practice session!

noodle...noodle...noodle
do your best Angus Young impression
noodle...noodle...noodle
Blackmore's turn at the plate
etc.

That movie is a masterpiece. A dumb masterpiece, but still a masterpiece.

 

[Achilles]

Day #3 and finally the BIG test.

Floorboard > Nano > EQ > delay > reverb > SS rack amp > 12" greenback
Turned off all 5 FX slots as well as the IR on the Nano and picked the 5150 hi-gain preset.
Didn't adjust any knobs on anything in the chain from how I'd normally use things:

- nano into headphones and the KSR Vesta pedal in place of the nano

Messed around for 15 minutes using all pickup positions on the S-S-H Boden and w/o using any pedals.

Wow. Just like I remembered it use to be with the QC and my favorite captures. It's a keeper.
And I still haven't hooked it up to the cloud yet!

Happy camper.

 

[mbenigni]

This Nano Cortex release is a masterclass in marketing. After a few days hemming and hawing, I’ve just about made up my mind to pull the trigger…




On another Quad Cortex.

 

[Achilles]

On another Quad Cortex.

Prior to the Nano popping up I'd been checking the used prices on QCs just about every other day for weeks.
The only thing stopping me was it's simply too much of everything for my needs. Felt silly using the one I
had just as a preamp pedal.

Then suddenly BOOM! So flipping glad the willpower held up and I didn't spring on a QC.

 

[norminal]

A review from someone who’s actually gigged with one:

 

[Achilles]

Nano on for 2 hours straight in a 70 degree room and it has just the faintest
feel of being warmer than the inert steel unit it's sitting on.
Asked my wife to come in and tell me if it felt cool, warm, or nothing and she picked nothing.

Impressive. Wonder if it heats up at all during the capture process? - will check for sure.

 

[Cellomangler]

Can't find this answer in any docs or online. I know you can change presets with MIDI CC, but can you change effect settings such as delay time and feedback? It would be great if you could use a small MIDI controller to adjust effect parameters that normally are only available with the mobile app.

 

[Lysander]

Can't find this answer in any docs or online. I know you can change presets with MIDI CC, but can you change effect settings such as delay time and feedback?

Doesn't seem like it's supported Preset changes only.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Doesn't seem like it Just preset changes.

Again, NOT hating on the device, but JFC these are very, very basic features to be had on a digital device. I hope they add it.

 

[Lysander]

Again, NOT hating on the device, but JFC these are very, very basic features to be had on a digital device. I hope they add it.

Yeah, there're some weird design decisions that went into the NC. The feature set just doesn't match the asking price, IMHO.

 

[ian_dissonance]

I’m sure they learned their lesson about telling anyone what they are going to add in updates. If they call it “done” at launch when they update it to be able to do different things with the switches or expand MIDI functions then they look good.

 

[paisleywookiee]

This thing has to be looked at as a $550 Iridium or ACS-1, that does captures instead of modeling. Effects are pretty useless, until they can be controlled with MIDI.

 

[mbenigni]

Prior to the Nano popping up I'd been checking the used prices on QCs just about every other day for weeks.
The only thing stopping me was it's simply too much of everything for my needs. Felt silly using the one I
had just as a preamp pedal.

Then suddenly BOOM! So flipping glad the willpower held up and I didn't spring on a QC.

For that application, yeah, the Nano looks perfect. And the minimalist in me is still really attracted to the size and USB-C power aspects. But there are just so many limitations, and the familiar usability isn’t there.

I’m working on a few covers with a friend of mine, and the plan is to do today’s session in my basement so we can determine which of my toys are best-suited, and then do future sessions in his (much nicer) studio. In the course of preparing it became immediately apparent I’d need QC and iPad: combining models and captures, fading between guitar and synth, adding QC audio effects to synths, pre-conditioning clean guitar to trigger synths with comp and EQ. (Lots and lots of scenes. I'm too addicted to scenes to imagine a world where I can't even turn effects on and off within a preset.) I know it sounds like I’ve drunk the Kool Aid, but this kind of work is just a joy on the QC. Most other rigs I've owned, doing this stuff feels like driving blindfolded. Full-fat Helix came very close in terms of functionality and usability but - whatever you've heard - the QC's touchscreen really does make things much easier.

If I get another QC for "mobile" work, it'll be much more functional than an NC, and it will save me the $300 I would have spent upgrading to an iPad with USB-C. I'll sell the FM3 and (gasp) probably even the HX Stomp, and actually come out with a few extra bucks in my pocket. (To put toward a Fender FR-12, maybe?)

Meanwhile, the kind of rig I'd have been tempted to build with an NC+iPad... I could probably pull that off with iPad+iRig Pro (both already on hand) and the right collection of AU plugins.

Asked my wife to come in and tell me if it felt cool, warm, or nothing and she picked nothing.

So many different jokes percolating, I can't pick just one.

 

[Achilles]

Yeah, there're some weird design decisions that went into the NC. The feature set just doesn't match the asking price, IMHO.

Are you serious?

- standalone pre-amp
- capture device
- all in one simple rig
- high quality audio interface
- premium chassis and parts
- bluetooth w/full cloud access

$549 - with dealer support and a 3 year transferable warranty

So much missing the forest for the trees going on with this device imo.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Are you serious?

- standalone pre-amp
- capture device
- all in one simple rig
- high quality audio interface
- premium chassis and parts
- bluetooth w/full cloud access

$549 - with dealer support and a 3 year transferable warranty

It's not "all-in-one" until it has a proper MIDI implementation.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

 

[Achilles]

It's not "all-in-one" until it has a proper MIDI implementation.

Pick a random sampling of 1000 guitarists - all genres, bedroom wanker to pro - and how many you figure require midi?

$549 makes its target audience basically anyone.

Also, you skipped a word: 'all-in-one SIMPLE rig'.