The NDSP Nano Cortex…

[paisleywookiee]

And, important, built-in capturing capability.

I wonder if they fixed the capturing quality, to better match the QC.

 

[BenIfin]

It's 2x pre slots and 3x post slots.

Thanks !

So I therefore assume (?) Slot 4 is fixed for the Amp and Slot 5 is fixed for the IR ?

If this is right (?) if you have an Amp and Cab all-in-one Capture, does that free-up Slot 5 for another Post slot ?

 

[GTR37]

Yeah that's a great update. The Nano Cortex finally starts to have some actual value for money to it.

There's some interesting caveats to the new fx tho. You can't have modulation or delay fx in the "pre" slots, only "post" slots for example.

They have probably measured out the cpu requirements like the plate verbs are absent too

But honestly at this point I am not going to bitch it’s likely the biggest update they have ever succeeded with and they did not go with the “everything bundle “ for $99 upcharge philosophy.

 

[2dor]

I wonder if they fixed the capturing quality, to better match the QC.

IMHO I think that stuff's mostly down to "user error". Reason I say this is they fiddle around with the INPUT gain knob; apples to apples would be to keep that knob at unity gain during capturing and A/B comparisson.

 

[GTR37]

I wonder if they fixed the capturing quality, to better match the QC.

I feel this happened a lot when it launched, I think Paul is likely very capable , but same thing with the plug-in the levels were completely out of whack
There was one guy on YouTube that did the exact same test and showed the Nano sounded better than his QC so who knows

 

[laxu]

Product	Price at Thomann including the hideous Finnish VAT	Price difference vs Nano Cortex
Hotone Ampero 2 Stomp	399 €	-112 €
Neural DSP Nano Cortex	511 €	0
Boss GT-1000 Core	609 €	+98 €
Line6 HX Stomp	639 €	+128 €

I have to question if this size and price difference is really worth not having a proper onboard UI, the ability for more complex signal chains and a way bigger list of effects.

I don't think amp captures vs modeling is a major differentiator, you can get good tones out of either.

 

[BenIfin]

I feel this happened a lot when it launched, I think Paul is likely very capable , but same thing with the plug-in the levels were completely out of whack
There was one guy on YouTube that did the exact same test and showed the Nano sounded better than his QC so who knows

If you do not do you own captures with the QC and/or NC ... and say you load the same commercial Capture on the QC and the NC - surely they sound and feel the same / indistinguishable ?

 

[laxu]

I feel this happened a lot when it launched, I think Paul is likely very capable , but same thing with the plug-in the levels were completely out of whack
There was one guy on YouTube that did the exact same test and showed the Nano sounded better than his QC so who knows

My experience is that all capture boxes are a pain in the ass for figuring out the right input levels when making captures.

Even though QC or my Hotone have meters that are supposed to help with that, they don't do a good job at it where I found that setting the QC to some specific setting (don't remember what it was) gave me far more accurate captures than trying to follow the meters.

Meanwhile on the Hotone it will just stop the capture process if you follow the meters, because there's a big low frequency signal at the start of the capture that overloads what was supposed to be an appropriate level.

 

[JCW308]

No tap tempo / no expression heel down for tuner. Not good.

 

[Mikael Dez]

View attachment 42528

Product	Price at Thomann including the hideous Finnish VAT	Price difference vs Nano Cortex
Hotone Ampero 2 Stomp	399 €	-112 €
Neural DSP Nano Cortex	511 €	0
Boss GT-1000 Core	609 €	+98 €
Line6 HX Stomp	639 €	+128 €

I have to question if this size and price difference is really worth not having a proper onboard UI, the ability for more complex signal chains and a way bigger list of effects.

I don't think amp captures vs modeling is a major differentiator, you can get good tones out of either.

The absence of an on board UI on top of fixed effects blocks is why I was not interested enough in this. It’s just very limited in that sense.

 

[paisleywookiee]

If you do not do you own captures with the QC and/or NC ... and say you load the same commercial Capture on the QC and the NC - surely they sound and feel the same / indistinguishable ?

Yes, regardless of issue with capture or not, the captures you download are the same quality.

 

[laxu]

The absence of an on board UI on top of fixed effects blocks is why I was not interested enough in this. It’s just very limited in that sense.

I think this new update at least makes it more interesting, because previously it was really lacking for the price. It was basically a Tonex for more money.

I don't mind fixed fx blocks too much. My pedalboard is basically fixed, I haven't changed a thing in ages. Even on modelers where I can, I'll be putting those blocks in pretty much the same order every time.

 

[GTR37]

I think this new update at least makes it more interesting, because previously it was really lacking for the price. It was basically a Tonex for more money.

I don't mind fixed fx blocks too much. My pedalboard is basically fixed, I haven't changed a thing in ages. Even on modelers where I can, I'll be putting those blocks in pretty much the same order every time.

It puts them at least in the competition with the others
Hotone is obviously still the nicer and easier GUI but without this update they were sort or dead in the water IMO

 

[Orvillain]

That's a cool update. Makes the Nano Cortex way more attractive, and honestly, I'd rather have one of those than a Kemper Player.

 

[2112]

That's way more like it.

 

[Sedaxel]

I wonder if they fixed the capturing quality, to better match the QC.

Don´t know. If We find some time, my buddy and me could make some tests. In my NC, captures from my amp are fantastic. I can´t distinguish them to the real amp when amplifying through the same poweramp.

So, in that regard, I´d say they are great anyway. Couldn´t really tell if differences are for better or worse, honestly.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

View attachment 42528

Product	Price at Thomann including the hideous Finnish VAT	Price difference vs Nano Cortex
Hotone Ampero 2 Stomp	399 €	-112 €
Neural DSP Nano Cortex	511 €	0
Boss GT-1000 Core	609 €	+98 €
Line6 HX Stomp	639 €	+128 €

I have to question if this size and price difference is really worth not having a proper onboard UI, the ability for more complex signal chains and a way bigger list of effects.

I don't think amp captures vs modeling is a major differentiator, you can get good tones out of either.

I get the point, but honestly; to a ton of guitarists there is a “desirability” about NDSP and the captures available on that platform that people will pay a small premium for. Probably some crossover with the people who still associate Line 6 with “old Line 6” and wouldn’t go near a Boss or Hotone either.

 

[laxu]

I get the point, but honestly; to a ton of guitarists there is a “desirability” about NDSP and the captures available on that platform that people will pay a small premium for. Probably some crossover with the people who still associate Line 6 with “old Line 6” and wouldn’t go near a Boss or Hotone either.

That's totally fair. There's going to be a group of QC owners who probably want the NC. Then there's the "Neural DSP for less" group that maybe can't afford the QC but see it used by artists they like, so they go for the NC.

 

[Sedaxel]

View attachment 42528

Product	Price at Thomann including the hideous Finnish VAT	Price difference vs Nano Cortex
Hotone Ampero 2 Stomp	399 €	-112 €
Neural DSP Nano Cortex	511 €	0
Boss GT-1000 Core	609 €	+98 €
Line6 HX Stomp	639 €	+128 €

I have to question if this size and price difference is really worth not having a proper onboard UI, the ability for more complex signal chains and a way bigger list of effects.

I don't think amp captures vs modeling is a major differentiator, you can get good tones out of either.

I guess there´s a diffrence in what those units offer.

First, if you want capturing, that excludes Boss and Line6.

Then, even when Ampero II is small, I think that size in this case is not only about "small" vs "big"... but instead "for pedalboard integration" or not. In this case, the clear winner for that use is the NC, since it´s notably smaller AND is easily powered with any normal pedalboard PSU. With juat an standard PSU (1A) I´m powering a Boss MS-3, a Valeton analog compressor, a Valeton BD2 analog overdrive, a Fishman Platinum Pro/EQ and the NC.

Now, for guitarists who want a more tweakable, standalone, not so "for pedalboard use", the NC lacks with respect to the A2 (GUI, flexibility, quantity of effects).

I mean... for pedalboard integration and easiness of capturing your amp in no time with reliable results, there´s nothing in the market like the NC. The ToneX One lacks midi, so you can´t flexibly control it in a pedalboard. The ToneX pedal is big. And, despite null tests... I´ve got to say that I feel the tones in the NC are better than the ones in ToneX. Totally subjective opinion, of course.

And I also want to remark the build quality. It´s superb, really.

 

[deadpool_25]

While I still don't love how the effects are fixed* this does make the NC seem much more attractive.

Having a QC with plenty of DL'd captures means I already have a bunch of cool stuff I could add to the NC. On the other hand, having a QC also means I can't really see a need for a NC at this point.

Good thing my GAS seems to have finally been cured.

* I like chorus in pre; I like dual detune in post, sometimes I'd rather use two delays instead of a delay and reverb