Quad Cortex Mini

[Mongillo19]

oof. Ok will keep my mouth shut-got lucky on timing and sorry for those who are waiting. I thought these were shipping regularly now.

Oh I more so meant that not many on this forum have one mostly because they didn't order one

 

[Jkist7]

Received mine a few days ago. Really enjoying using it. Having my brother print me a stand for it.

Need to really take the time to dive in, but it's so cool to be that I can pull my presets from the plugins and use them on here. At least from the plugins that have been ported.

 

[nicolasrivera]

Size comparisons

 

[nicolasrivera]

 

[nicolasrivera]

 

[mbenigni]

The VP4/AM4 are even smaller than I thought.

 

[nicolasrivera]

The VP4/AM4 are even smaller than I thought.

Yes, it's an amazing form factor.

 

[Richard_G]

The VP4/AM4 are even smaller than I thought.

And the Quad Cortex Mini a bit bigger than I imagined (compared to the VP4/AM4).

 

[Whizzinby]

Surprised no one has chimed in over the past almost two weeks. Maybe people are waiting on shipments? I continue to be very impressed with mine. Drives are just ok. Like the Xotic and BD 2 not sure I love the Klon. Would like to find some drive captures-anyone have any recs? My plan is a board with the QC and Verbera with Michael Nielsens rack captures for Reverb and the PCM 70 pan delays. I will add a drive pedal if I dont find a better solve with a capture. A board with two or three pedals that does a ton and is super flexible. BTW the reverbs are good I just think the Michael Nielsen stuff and convolution reverb format is really on a different level.

I’m happily rocking it. Mini is slick AF.

I’m not a huge drive guy. I stick to the holy trinity of Myth/808/SD1 into already gained up amps, but I have taken to the 1981 drive into clean amps to add some hair. That’s a cool drive in the QC. I’ve been experimenting with parallel rat and muff drives to do the doom thing.

Re:reverbs. Nothing wrong with sprinkling in a pedal or two, or IRs. FAS is about the only platform that gets semi-close to being FX-complete with core effects, but even then there are too many companies doing cool stuff to ever feel like you have to stay in the box. You’re only limiting yourself by ignoring the broader pedal/FX market imo. The QC verbs are pretty strong these days, but I patch in stuff all the time if I want something Eventide/CB/Strymon specific.

 

[Jarick]

I was thinking as of now the QC Mini is probably the best tiny all in one modeler, like if you were traveling frequently and need something small, this is the new king. Strandberg + QC Mini would be super fun.

 

[Orvillain]

3. I plugged both QC’s into the same wall outlet (not the one with the power strip). I brought up a blank preset with the top path going input 1 to output 1 (mono). I ran an XLR to TS cable from output 1 of the QC to the front of the amp. The hiss increased significantly. I did the same with the QCM and while there is a change is much, much less. This is a HUGE difference. The hiss with the QCM increased a little and it introduced what I think is a little ground hum. This is not an insignificant amount of noise but I suspect it would be similar with about any outboard gear. I’ll try the VP4 in a bit. Again I’m using stock power supplies here which are two-prong.

@deadpool_25 did you try going out of out 3/4 or send 1/2 instead of the XLR outs ???

 

[laxu]

Yes, it's an amazing form factor.

Yeah I hope they make the next gen "FM4" something similar, maybe a bit deeper to fit a bigger screen on it. It's a good compromise for footswitching vs portability. It's firmly in that "throw it in the backpack" convenience territory.

The QC Mini form factor is good, but it sacrifices a lot of dedicated control in the process. I'm not too sold on the "tap a thing and turn a knob/footswitch" to adjust over just moving my hand over multiple knobs. It reminds me too much of the Axe-Fx 3's "Ugh, I'll just use the big knob because the knobs under the screen feel cramped and so far away from the navigation buttons" issues.

 

[deadpool_25]

@deadpool_25 did you try going out of out 3/4 or send 1/2 instead of the XLR outs ???

No but I can. You want me to try 4CM with just instrument cables, I’m guessing?

 

[deadpool_25]

I'm not too sold on the "tap a thing and turn a knob/footswitch" to adjust over just moving my hand over multiple knobs. It reminds me too much of the Axe-Fx 3's "Ugh, I'll just use the big knob because the knobs under the screen feel cramped and so far away from the navigation buttons" issues.

I haven’t been keeping track—have you actually tried the mini? Because tap-n-twist is the easiest thing ever whether with one and or two.

 

[mbenigni]

No but I can. You want me to try 4CM with just instrument cables, I’m guessing?

I'd start with just Output 3 to the front of the amp and/or Output 3 to the amp's FX return (if it has one). Basically, duplicate the test you described in your preceding post, but eliminate the TRS to 1/4" variable.

 

[Whizzinby]

I haven’t been keeping track—have you actually tried the mini? Because tap-n-twist is the easiest thing ever whether with one and or two.

Yeah, I don’t get it. If you’re standing and playing and need to edit one hand, a tap then twist is pretty much as easy as it gets. (Any other method would make zero sense) If you’re deep editing two handed on the Mini, then your right hand stays planted on the encoder changing the values, and your left hand can either tap the parameter you want to edit or use the left encoder to scroll and edit. Simple and intuitive.

This is looking for issues that don’t actually exist.

I have multi-fx pedals that require more deliberate thought to operate than the Mini, much less a full blown modeler.

 

[mbenigni]

Super-specific, super-nerdy question for anyone who just happens to own a QCM and a CME WIDI Master wireless MIDI tx/rx dongle, or equivalent. (I know this is a vanishingly small audience, but...)

Do you know whether the TRS Type A MIDI Out jack on QCM is sending power? Google results, AI, even forum comments here and there indicate it doesn't, but all of the above also indicates OG QC doesn't send power - and I'm using the WIDI Master with the QC right now. Maybe there are more than one standard voltages for power over MIDI and everyone is talking about something else?

EDIT: OK I found the following, re: OG QC, which makes more sense.

WIDI Master: According to user experiences, low-power items like the WIDI Master Bluetooth dongle can work and get power from the DIN socket.

But I'd still like to know whether the QCM will send equivalent power over 1/8" TRS with adapter. No WIDI Master would be a show-stopper for me right now.

 

[mbenigni]

As expected. And I think you and deadpool are the only guys here with actual QCM's on hand...

 

[JiveTurkey]

The dumb thing is it's still on backorder. From the one US vendor. Make more product, dummies

 

[laxu]

I haven’t been keeping track—have you actually tried the mini? Because tap-n-twist is the easiest thing ever whether with one and or two.

I have not. I tried replicating that with the Hotone Ampero 2 Stomp when the QC Mini was released (since it can do the same thing with its value knob + touchscreen) and found it a little bit "meh" way to work compared to using multiple knobs to adjust parameters.

Maybe the knob placement on the QC Mini helps.