NMD: NDSP Quad Cortex

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Common foe does that to people
 
JiveTurkey said:
I can't believe I am typing this; but there is zero way I would grab a Tone-X anything. Even over a Quad Cortex.
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I have full licenses of both Tonex (won in an LRS contest) and Genome (free legacy add-on because I purchased TwoNotes cabs back in the day, and I have yet to install either. MAYBE I'd bother with the Tonex hardware if there was a full-fat version of it that didn't require a full pedalboard to make it into a viable gigging solution.

For whatever reason, QC is the only hardware manufacturer to really integrate modeling and profiling into a usable package. All of these software guys doing it just aren't compelling me to move away from Helix Native, since I'd need multiple instances of it open anyway to provide effects. We need competing hardware, durnit!
 
Mongillo19 said:
I agree though. However if I was getting back into the profile game, I honestly would go Kemper. I know we've discussed accuracy but I have so many profiles and it is just more appealing from a mature platform standpoint
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I definitely have a Stage board in mind (+ HX One maybe), if the QC train ends up going off the rails. I do wonder about accuracy though, and how big a deal/noticeable it is, especially for basic classic rock crunch and/or boosted tones? I mean, if it's good enough for Mark Knopfler...

mikah912 said:
To keep things on the thread topic, I'm also checking in on QC every little while to see if they've gotten their feet under them, but it looks like new content has all but dried up now that they have. Shame as the current FX library just isn't it for me (the spring reverb and more esoteric reverbs are very much lacking, and I use those all the time).
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Yes, QC effects are extremely lacking, for sure. While I've mostly just tried the drives, mods, and delays, it's all pretty bland (other than the Phase 90, which I actually like better than L6's, as mentioned). Not too much to get excited about and a very limited selection.

It's quite striking to power up the HX One or Stomp beside it and scroll the vast L6 library of stellar effects. Really leaves QC in the dust, in that department.

mikah912 said:
Yep, I also must have convergence. Modular anything these days breaks my brain and sends me into a rage.

I could see the QC simplifying things for people. Probably one of its best attributes...
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Yes, that's a big part of the appeal for me.
 
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TubeStack said:
Yes, QC effects are extremely lacking, for sure. While I've mostly just tried the drives, mods, and delays, it's all pretty bland (other than the Phase 90, which I actually like better than L6's, as mentioned). Not too much to get excited about and a very limited selection.
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As a long time QC owner, I'd say this is the only thing where it is really a little bit short vs the same tiered competition. The FX are good enough for someone like me who does not go crazy with them but unlike the competition, like L6, Fractal, much of it is significantly short of great and just a little bit of the non-distortion stuff is really inspiring the way it is on the FAS units, etc.

Get some really luscious FX, and the QC is pretty much undeniable vs everyone else. The plugin thing is largely dumb and is a waste of NDSP's resources. IMHO. It is mostly going to add a bunch of 5150 models. :p

From a public relations standpoint though, they made their bed and will have to lie in it on that topic... I understand why it is a must for them and they need to do it SOONer rather than later.

As far as people being irrational with criticism, it's due to history. That is the place all triggering comes from, I think. The history/context of the topic causes the person to become 'emotional' immediately and rational discourse immediately leaves the dialogue. It's like that with anything.

Certain stuff I cannot talk about to members of my family, f.ex, because they are so hurt/traumatized about the topic they are incapable of seeing any other side or if you try to play devil's advocate for the sake of discussion they feel betrayed, etc. The QC stuff is not at that level but it is similar... a lot of folks cannot stand the manufacturer and/or cannot forget unfulfilled promises from the manufacturer or they're p*ssed about getting banned from TGP, etc, so some emotion may be coloring some of the discussion and essentially trumping (so to speak) logic.
 
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Elric said:
The plugin thing is largely dumb and is a waste of NDSP's resources.
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Finally someone's saying it out loud.
I always wondered about that, especially as they said straight from the start that it wouldn't be literally compatible anyway, as in allowing you to transfer complete plugin patches (hence including all FX and what not) into the QC. And unless that'd be possible, the value of plugin compatibility is greatly diminished.
Actually, I find the idea of customers having to purchase extra plugins to get decent amps into the thing quite embarassing.
The QC should stand out on its own and not need any Plinis, Gojiras or whatsoever.

FFS, if you offer plugin compatibility, do it like Line 6 - seriously, even if I don't use it that often, each time I do, it's just incredibly useful. Anything else might indeed be a waste of programming man power.
 
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mikah912 said:
For whatever reason, QC is the only hardware manufacturer to really integrate modeling and profiling into a usable package.
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Technically, the Quad Cortex “models” are just captures, unlike component-based modeling of the Helix and Axe-FX.
 
Sascha Franck said:
Actually, I find the idea of customers having to purchase extra plugins to get decent amps into the thing quite embarassing.
The QC should stand out on its own and not need any Plinis, Gojiras or whatsoever.
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You need the plugins because they paywalled the best effects. Even if the factory amps don't match 1:1 with the plugin amps, they're close (I mean, the 5150, 5150 III and Friedman models alone cover probably 70 percent of the plugin amp tones)....then the captures can get you the rest of the way.

But there's no capture that can give you the synth capabilities of Rabea or the Petrucci doubler or whatever have you. Not to mention - again - the reverbs on the plugins are just better.
 
mikah912 said:
But there's no capture that can give you the synth capabilities of Rabea or the Petrucci doubler or whatever have you. Not to mention - again - the reverbs on the plugins are just better.
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The Morgan suite reverb is great! It's maddening they can't update the QC reverbs because they obviously have the ability
 
Sascha Franck said:
Is that like proven?
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It’s been documented. I asked Doug when it was first released and he confirmed it.

They apparently have actuators that twist the knobs on the amp while taking captures.

Still not sure how they interpolate the knob positions “in-between” the captures.
 
norminal said:
It’s been documented. I asked Doug when it was first released and he confirmed it.

They apparently have actuators that twist the knobs on the amp while taking captures.

Still not sure how they interpolate the knob positions “in-between” the captures.
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Interesting.
 
MirrorProfiles said:
Tbf there’s quite a few good amp models in the QC that aren’t in the plugins yet. Uberschall, Recto, Tremoverb, Plexi, Super Bass, JCM900 4100, JTM45, Jubilee, Diezel Herbert/VH4
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Also, TBF, they would be paywalled off too if there were relevant signature artists known for any of those that they could do an "Archetype" for...
 
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