Quad Cortex in 4cm

[la szum]

... I'm still happy with the FM9, except finding it a tad huge and heavy.

Precisely why I sold mine and stuck with the FM3. Does all the sounds, too.

Unless you just are itchy and want to try something different, why not grab an
FM3 at about half the price?

 

[Mongillo19]

Precisely why I sold mine and stuck with the FM3. Does all the sounds, too.

Unless you just are itchy and want to try something different, why not grab an
FM3 at about half the price?

Idk I found the weight and sturdiness of the FM9 to be a pro. Not that there is any fact behind this but I found myself always worrying about how the QC would hold up on the road. It looks too nice lol. I feel like I could throw the FM9 off a 3rd floor balcony

 

[JT]

Huge and heavy...looks at ElectraDyne halfstack with custom cinderblock tolex headshell.

 

[TubeStack]

Precisely why I sold mine and stuck with the FM3. Does all the sounds, too.

Unless you just are itchy and want to try something different, why not grab an
FM3 at about half the price?

The FM3 isn't as great as the FM9 for 4cm, according to Cliff (doesn't have the same low-noise circuitry that the FM9, AXIII and even FX8 have). Also don't love the XLR-only out on Output 1 for 4cm. Super cool unit, though.

Idk I found the weight and sturdiness of the FM9 to be a pro. Not that there is any fact behind this but I found myself always worrying about how the QC would hold up on the road. It looks too nice lol. I feel like I could throw the FM9 off a 3rd floor balcony

True. I've joked before that I'm going to start a YT channel where every week I smash and bludgeon a different piece of gear to bits with the FM9…

Huge and heavy...looks at ElectraDyne halfstack with custom cinderblock tolex headshell.

I was waiting for that.

I think it's a labour vs payoff thing. The Electra Dyne is my entire sound and sounds like god and is well worth the work, whereas my pedalboard is fun and important, but more of an extra aspect, so I seem to have less tolerance for any hassle.

 

[TubeStack]

I have thought about an FM3+Stomp setup, with the Fractal in front and L6 in the loop. Lots of potential but also just seems wrong.

 

[Mongillo19]

I have thought about an FM3+Stomp setup, with the Fractal in front and L6 in the loop. Lots of potential but also just seems wrong.

Tbh I saw someone with the QC plus stomp and it looked great. I'm sure the same could be said about the fm3 and stomp

 

[TubeStack]

+1. I have a QC in 4CM with my Driftwood and it absolutely slays. My switching requirements are straightforward, though. Just multiple snapshots and each snapshot changes channels/modes on the amp via MIDI and the QC is all FX pre and post relative to the amp which change with the snapshot in force.

Nice. My use would be similar re. MIDI amp changes and overall simple requirements, but I'm more a stompbox mode guy.

 

[TubeStack]

Some fuzz captures were ok! Think more of ones that are similar to OD/distortion pedals. However, ones like fuzz factory, good luck lol

It's hard to say re. the Keeley Fuzz Head, it's more and OD/fuzz hybrid.

 

[Mongillo19]

It's hard to say re. the Keeley Fuzz Head, it's more and OD/fuzz hybrid.

Yeah I just used the app and it doesn't look like anyone has captured one (not that it means anything)

 

[Orvillain]

My experience of using the QC in 4-cable-method, as well as putting other pedals in the loop, was that the signal to noise wasn't too great, and it wasn't unity gain at all. Which meant getting the same levels of gain out of your amp or other pedals, was basically impossible. It coloured the tone too.

 

[Whizzinby]

Never noticed any excessive signal to noise ratio, but 100% it took some time to dial in all the various I/O levels (Input, send 1, return 1, out 1) and that’s before before dialing in the individual block and module levels. After getting it all dialed in, with the fam I be like:

 

[Elric]

Never noticed any excessive signal to noise ratio, but 100% it took some time to dial in all the various I/O levels (Input, send 1, return 1, out 1) and that’s before before dialing in the individual block and module levels. After getting it all dialed in, with the fam I be like:

Same here. No noise issues but a proper unity gain mode, like Fractals have for example, would be really nice.

 

[Desertdweller]

Yes, I had both the HXFX and Stomp, running the former in front and the latter in the loop. It was a cool setup. (And yes, that grew out of becoming dissatisfied with tone suck with the HXFX in 4cm.)

I’ve run an HX Effects for a few years now and find there to be minimal to no tone suck. Did you check your cables? Mine sounds great, and i definitely heard tone suck with other effects unit’s I’ve used, but the HX Effects is super clean from my experience.

 

[TubeStack]

I’ve run an HX Effects for a few years now and find there to be minimal to no tone suck. Did you check your cables? Mine sounds great, and i definitely heard tone suck with other effects unit’s I’ve used, but the HX Effects is super clean from my experience.

Yes, checked cables and even tried a Mesa Stowaway buffer between the HXFX and front of the amp (in 4cm). Cables are all good quality (Yorkville Studio One).

For me, the HXFX was fine on its own in front of the amp. It's when used in 4cm that it affects the base sound too much, at least with this amp (Mesa Electra Dyne). "Blanket over the amp" sound, with loss of high end and general clarity.

 

[Desertdweller]

Yes, checked cables and even tried a Mesa Stowaway buffer between the HXFX and front of the amp (in 4cm). Cables are all good quality (Yorkville Studio One).

For me, the HXFX was fine on its own in front of the amp. It's when used in 4cm that it affects the base sound too much, at least with this amp (Mesa Electra Dyne). "Blanket over the amp" sound, with loss of high end and general clarity.

Interesting. I’ve run mine with all my heads, Mesa, EVH, PRS, etc., and never had this experience.

 

[TubeStack]

Yeah I just used the app and it doesn't look like anyone has captured one (not that it means anything)

Hey, thanks for checking!

 

[TubeStack]

Interesting. I’ve run mine with all my heads, Mesa, EVH, PRS, etc., and never had this experience.

 

[0XI0]

Cordy says while the captured pedals sound remarkably similar to the real thing, they don't feel the same

captures all have an inherent compression to them similar to differing models of an Axe-Fx or profiles in a kemper, each unit has its 'identifiable' ring to it once you know what it sounds like. captures of pedals get the breakup characteristic right but they do lose a little bit of dynamics, sometimes. Sometimes if the capture isn't as open as you'd like it helps to take another capture with the pedal on really low gain, then jack the gain of the capture. QC absolutely OBLITERATES the front end of anything it captures to learn what the breakup does when stressed, so sometimes it makes a better capture to roll the device gain way down so there is some headroom left for QC to violate.

one invaluable benefit of QC captures is you can capture a chain of gain stages in series that would normally make so much noise they're barely useable but once that chain is captured you get to keep and use the texture but without picking up shortwave from alaska

 

[TubeStack]

Just bumping this back up to say that I've been using the QC in 4cm and getting great results. Getting the input level right made a big difference, in terms of feel/response.

Pretty limited effects-wise though, but the ability to capture my favourite two drive pedals makes up the difference, for me. Also helps that my main modulation is usually a Phase 90, and I love the QC's version. Rest of the stuff does the job and I'm not too fussy about it (chorus, flange, basic delay).

What I do miss having is a really great tape delay, though. I've gotten the QC closer, but I can't say I don't still long for the HX Transistor Tape, at times. May just bite the bullet and put my Stomp with it again, or grab an HX One.