Trying out the NDSP Quad Cortex

[GTR37]

HP42 just did a video on this and the sycophants in the comments are bonkers! Like a total 1984 rewrite of history.

I though a few sounds were great the 2203 and 5153 , Freidman comments not so much
When the first 30 were talking about taking a dump and filming in a washroom
I gave up on humanity

 

[Jynx]

Wut?!

 

[Mongillo19]

Wut?!

Rumors of a smaller/mini QC are afoot

 

[AFKAEjay]

Rumors of a smaller/mini QC are afoot

Any that are likely to be true?..id be delaying a purchase

 

[GTR37]

Any that are likely to be true?..id be delaying a purchase

It’s a strong possibility from a post where an NDSP employee gave a wink emoji in 2021 when someone asked about a smaller QC
To their giant soon sign at Namm . And recent focus group I was part of
I doubt they will release before plug in compatibility though as QC owners would have there head

 

[Mongillo19]

Any that are likely to be true?..id be delaying a purchase

I have no insight but there are essentially confirmed sources that something is coming. Is it a QC mini, can't say for certain, but it is a smaller unit of sorts.

Could be a tuner for all I know

 

[GTR37]

I have no insight but there are essentially confirmed sources that something is coming. Is it a QC mini, can't say for certain, but it is a smaller unit of sorts.

Could be a tuner for all I know

Always trust in the Wookie

 

[Jarick]

Since now I am actually pondering this if they release a smaller quad mini or dual
Questions @Jarick and @Whizzinby if you only have one path which is 2 rows 16 blocks max , what kind of presets could you do ?
Would 2 amps , drive , wah
Delay , verb , flange, etc work on the one path ?
Without the global eq

Also how bad is the gap switching presets ?

I just made a preset with two amps, two cabs, two reverbs, OD, comp, chorus, and delay on a single path. I can do two amps with a single cab, reverb, flanger, delay, chorus, OD, comp, and wah on a single path with a little CPU room as well.

Gap between presets is not quick enough IMO to change within a song. It's not gapless for sure but it's not awful.

 

[GTR37]

I just made a preset with two amps, two cabs, two reverbs, OD, comp, chorus, and delay on a single path. I can do two amps with a single cab, reverb, flanger, delay, chorus, OD, comp, and wah on a single path with a little CPU room as well.

Gap between presets is not quick enough IMO to change within a song. It's not gapless for sure but it's not awful.

That’s really cool thanks for doing that
So it looks like around 10 blocks of the 16 on 1 path you can use if you choose 2 amps give or take if your effect are less like eq or gate
That’s a good starting point

 

[Whizzinby]

Since now I am actually pondering this if they release a smaller quad mini or dual
Questions @Jarick and @Whizzinby if you only have one path which is 2 rows 16 blocks max , what kind of presets could you do ?
Would 2 amps , drive , wah
Delay , verb , flange, etc work on the one path ?
Without the global eq

2 rows 16 blocks is more than enough for 90% of presets. As much as some like to complicate things and build presets that rival a NASA launch sequence, I’d say the vast majority of people would be more than capable with two lanes and 16 blocks. 1 comp, 2 OD, 1 Octaver, 1 Chorus, 2 amps, 2 captures, 2 reverbs, 2 delays with room to spare for 3 extra blocks.

If the Dual was something resembling the QC but just without the bottom row of switches, I’d probably kick the tires on it again once a couple of my favorite plugs are ported.

 

[DrewJD82]

Something interesting, and a good thing, is that I haven’t seen anywhere the amount of failed unit posts in the last couple months. A couple blue lights of death and the start up noise issue, maybe 3-4 total. HUGE difference from the entirety of last year.

I’m very curious what changed, or if they just had to burn through all the units with shitty parts to hit even ground. I couldn’t imagine the software would cause failures like that, but that’s the only difference.

 

[laxu]

2 rows 16 blocks is more than enough for 90% of presets. As much as some like to complicate things and build presets that rival a NASA launch sequence, I’d say the vast majority of people would be more than capable with two lanes and 16 blocks. 1 comp, 2 OD, 1 Octaver, 1 Chorus, 2 amps, 2 captures, 2 reverbs, 2 delays with room to spare for 3 extra blocks.

If the Dual was something resembling the QC but just without the bottom row of switches, I’d probably kick the tires on it again once a couple of my favorite plugs are ported.

Totally agree. I've been recently thinking if I want to swap back to the FM3 (mainly so I will actually use it somewhere other than parked on my desk) from the Axe-Fx 3 because most of my presets have gotten increasingly simpler. If the FM3 gets the gapless switching then I could just use that instead of trying to build any kitchen sinks.

A QC with dual paths should do more than enough for normal guitar signal chains.

 

[GTR37]

Something interesting, and a good thing, is that I haven’t seen anywhere the amount of failed unit posts in the last couple months. A couple blue lights of death and the start up noise issue, maybe 3-4 total. HUGE difference from the entirety of last year.

I’m very curious what changed, or if they just had to burn through all the units with shitty parts to hit even ground. I couldn’t imagine the software would cause failures like that, but that’s the only difference.

Regardless I am still buying it at Long and Mcquade with their 2 year warranty, replace it

 

[eggpl@nt]

Something interesting, and a good thing, is that I haven’t seen anywhere the amount of failed unit posts in the last couple months. A couple blue lights of death and the start up noise issue, maybe 3-4 total. HUGE difference from the entirety of last year.

I’m very curious what changed, or if they just had to burn through all the units with shitty parts to hit even ground. I couldn’t imagine the software would cause failures like that, but that’s the only difference.

Funny you say this, because even as the general discourse here becomes more friendly to NDSP (or at least the QC), your mega posts of these issues is one of the main reasons I’ve had to say “no man, snap out of it!” every time the itch returns.

 

[Mongillo19]

Funny you say this, because even as the general discourse here becomes more friendly to NDSP (or at least the QC), your mega posts of these issues is one of the main reasons I’ve had to say “no man, snap out of it!” every time the itch returns.

If you have a warranty you really don't have to worry (well minus being out a QC for that return time)

But I've told my story where I bought a used QC, guy shipped it in a beer box with holes in the side, and something was lose in the QC . The kicker was "I packed it better than SW".

NDSP sent me a new one as soon as I shipped the old one back and had it to me in like 3 days from Finland. Come with some extra goodies as well.

 

[SeeD]

Funny you say this, because even as the general discourse here becomes more friendly to NDSP (or at least the QC), your mega posts of these issues is one of the main reasons I’ve had to say “no man, snap out of it!” every time the itch returns.

Im having a blast 2 years in, but I love the capture option. Right now I play thru a capture of a Bogner x100B preamp into a capture of a Mesa 2:90 poweramp, and it`s so mutch fun.. I can get this unit to sound like any other gear. It`s like having a NAMM party at home
Knock on wood, my unit have been solid the hole time

 

[eggpl@nt]

Im having a blast 2 years in, but I love the capture option. Right now I play thru a capture of a Bogner x100B preamp into a capture of a Mesa 2:90 poweramp, and it`s so mutch fun.. I can get this unit to sound like any other gear. It`s like having a NAMM party at home
Knock on woob, my unit have been solid the hole time

I’ve had one, and my issues weren’t with the sounds (even if I didn’t think they were anything special compared to L6/FAS). I didn’t even have any catastrophic failures—just noise, shitty WiFi, and an iffy touchscreen.

The QC is the first breakup in my life where I didn’t go crawling back.

 

[SeeD]

I’ve had one, and my issues weren’t with the sounds (even if I didn’t think they were anything special compared to L6/FAS). I didn’t even have any catastrophic failures—just noise, shitty WiFi, and an iffy touchscreen.

The QC is the first breakup in my life where I didn’t go crawling back.

The touchscreen is a lot better then it used to be. It good now ( and have been for over 1 year, maybe more, it was just a firmware update and they fixed it)
I never had WiFi problems, but it must suck to have those.
Anyway, it`s the coolest unit i`ve ever owned

 

[eggpl@nt]

The touchscreen is a lot better then it used to be. It good now ( and have been for over 1 year, maybe more, it was just a firmware update and they fixed it)
I never had WiFi problems, but it must suck to have those.
Anyway, it`s the coolest unit i`ve ever owned

Someone mentioned any WiFi issues are less problematic with the advent of the control app. It could be fair to strike that from my list of grievances.

 

[SeeD]

Someone mentioned any WiFi issues are less problematic with the advent of the control app. It could be fair to strike that from my list of grievances.

Yeah, with the Cortex Control app, you have the internet from your PC/MAC so this way I dont use the wifi anymore ( even thou it worked good on my unit )
As soon as you plug USB, XLR , anything like that can ground the unit, then the ground noise is gone. I think its like the unit was designed