IS the Quad Cortex in TROUBLE?

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks so much for dropping in guys. I notice some people defending the Quad Cortex saying it "sounds" better, or something to that effect. No one ever said it doesn't sound good. This video is about deceptive marketing and abusing your customers trust. And regardless of how you feel about this topic, NDSP themselves felt it necessary to issue an apology, so clearly they are aware that there are enough people upset about the lack of promised development to do so. 🤷‍♂ Either way if you are a loyal fan, an angry consumer, or a corporate apologist, I hope you get everything you are looking for out of the Quad Cortex. And to be 100% clear, I'm rooting for NDSP, I'm just not optimistic.

[@JimsMusicJourney]

I just picked one up as a travel rig. I use it with a powercab 2x12 and it sounds great. I keep the powercab in the studio and just go back and forth with a guitar, QC and a cable. Much easier on my back. I love it. I’m not into plugins so couldn’t care less. It has everything I need in a very small compact unit. Plus the amps sound amazing. Oh and I got rid of my axe fx 3 and my 2 Synergy Syn 2s and power amp. But I do have an Eventide H90 that stays at home, which is my new toy as well. The QC and H90 are amazing together. Back pain gone.

[@thomasbyrne7372]

I get the points, and they probably did underdeliver, but damn I love mine and the ease of usability and tones I'm getting out of it. I'm using it for what it has not what's missing, but I understand some people probably need the missing pieces, I just don't I guess. The desktop editor should be released at NAMM in a couple of weeks by the way.

[@TaylorDanley]

WE WILL SEE. I hope they do. And I hope they learn from this experience when developing new products. I'm glad you enjoy yours!

[@autumnlp7072]

Same here. I love mine!

[@KaiDown]

As someone that works for a plugin company, I'd love to be mad at Apple for releasing Apple Silicon and fucking all the compatibility up in the process.. but man, Apple Silicon absolutely slays, I can't be mad.

[@TaylorDanley]

DUDE the Mac Studio RIPS. I'm so impressed lol.

[@DJ33]

QC fan here, I’m ok with the plug-ins not being here yet. That day will be cool for sure. Right now I’m enjoy kickass captures that I’ve found and created. I’ve got some great amps and my QC gets the nod most of the time. I use it through a KSR PA50 and it’s glorious haha.

[@TaylorDanley]

Nothing wrong with that! If you enjoy it and aren't upset about the development, more power to you! 🥳

[@DJ33]

@@TaylorDanley right on buddy.

[@TheRealStevenWard]

This one and KDH's vid are 100% on the nose. Well said! They hype was real and then things started turning somewhere while I was working for them.

[@Sven.Jeschke]

Thanks for your honesty, Steven. I think it became rather obvious that something was very wrong, when you were apparently not allowed to even talk about the QC in your vids during the preorder phase.

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks so much for dropping in and sharing. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. It's unfortunate, I had high hopes for the QC and NDSP in general, and hope they turn it around.

[@TheRealStevenWard]

@Taylor Danley no worries! I think Doug and Pancho have the best of intentions and even though i left the company, I'm honestly rooting for them. I think they just really overpromised, underdelivered, and then failed to fully communicate with customers on the status of said promises.

[@TaylorDanley]

@@TheRealStevenWard Very fair assessment. I feel the same way. The Bigfoot joke is more a jab at me lol, I was sincere when I said I'm hoping they can pull it out of the fire.

[@TheRealStevenWard]

@Taylor Danley oh no! That wasn't directed towards you or the Bigfoot joke. That made me laugh. I genuinely appreciate videos like this that are critical and fair in the same breath. ❤️

[@joristimmermans5058]

I'm not a QC fan because of the underdelivering, but your video brought up an interesting point: I am annoyed that they still don't support their own plug-ins on the QC, but on the other hand, like you said, their plugins are mostly just reskins of the same Mesas and Peaveys, and if you've already got those models in the QC anyway, you can probably tweak them to get very very close to what the plug-ins sound like anyway. Anyway, the QC is way too expensive for me - I'm happy with my tiny little Hotone Ampero. It also takes IRs, and as I'm playing it in a coverband through a not-so-high-end PA, it's fine. It fits in my guitar bag :-D.

[@DimKAt21]

I love those type of videos! Soon after they drop I can buy gear reasonably priced in the used market, thanx.

[@DeathMetalDevin]

These words spoken are truth, Tonex does a great job at capturing as well. I think I will hold on to my Quad cortex because I do believe they will improve and because I'm use to the platform and already bought into the hype when it first came out. QC for home use and Tonex for Gig use is my thoughts. Great video Taylor

[@TaylorDanley]

Thank you!

[@hodshonf]

just installed NAM - while the bass amp offerings are slim, holy shit, the Ampeg and Bassman captures blow away BrainworX. i still like my few Neural DSP VST sims, though the QC was never on my radar. and while my NUX MG-30 isn't a profiler, the price/quality is a sign of things to come. NAM in a Box with VST Support - now THAT is something i would consider a 20 year investment. kind o'.

[@nj1255]

The thing with Neural DSP is that they are so damn slow with releasing updates for bug fixes. I only own a few of the plugins, and I really like them, but I wouldn't buy a QC even if they sold it for half the price. I'd rather wait to see if someone releases a practical and fully working VST-host floorboard so I can use Neural Amp Modeler, some Neural DSP plug-ins and my favorite FX plug-ins as a live rig. That would definitely be worth the money!

[@culturetrash3191]

I'm one of those QC users that got in late in the game. I purchased my unit about two weeks before version 2.0 of the firmware came out. The biggest issue I have right now, in terms of functionality, is the severe limitations on sending midi messages during scene changes. It is pretty wild that a unit of this power can't send more than one midi message per scene change. Seems like something that is a no-brainer to include, especially on a unit that boasts its size and ability to be incorporated into a pedalboard with other pedals. If they could add that to the next firmware, then the unit would be perfect for my purposes. Now Neural's support services...that's another issue.

[@juliangruber]

I still have my pre-ordered Quad Cortex. I had to get it replaced a couple times, due to hardware issues. I'm still using it because it works well enough as my modeler + audio interface, but it's lacking some massively required features (like the desktop editor, or in-phase parallel signal paths). If Universal Audio had more flexible plugins, I'd switch to that. I'm also considering switching to the Line6 Helix, once I'm done with my current recording project, if I can get same quality Marshall and Ampeg sounds.

[@brendenrodgers7821]

Desktop editor is so pointless when the ui is so intuitive. You’re telling me you’re to lazy to bend over and make adjustments? Or putting your qc on your desk? And for the phase alignment of parallel “circuits” you can do so in the mixer window. Idk bro don’t mean to be mean but your complaints seem super user based. If you can’t navigate the qc good luck with helix stuff

[@juliangruber]

@@brendenrodgers7821 The UI is intuitive indeed, but the issue is positioning: If the unit is on my desk, where I can edit comfortably, I can't use the footswitches (with my feet). If it's on the floor I can tap things but the editing is uncomfortable. And about phase alignment: You can only flip phase 180 degrees. In order to properly align phase, you need finer control, or for the unit to compensate automatically. So far the only option I've found to work is to record one signal path, then re-amp using the other signal path(s), and finally phase align inside the DAW. This of course doesn't work for live unfortunately.

[@diegoos5202]

I bought a QC tired of the eternal fractal waiting list. it's a PITA to buy an FM9 and it's impossible to buy a second unit as a backup

[@riffer-t]

Ya NDSP definitly over promised on those things but, in my case, I could care less if the plug ins get ported over, I find the amps in the unit and the captures that i have made and have downloaded from the cloud and even paid for some from Jarrod at ToneWars, are Way better sounding than the plug ins and better than anything I have played. The only thing I really want is the desk top editor and hopefully the ability to use those captures the same way you can use ToneX captures in your DAW without having to plug the unit in to your computer.

[@TheSpineSplitter1990]

I'm still loving my FM3, my only issue would be if I wanted to create a preset from scratch using the front panel is a bit of a learning curve.

[@illuminati1911]

There is currently 3 used QCs on reverb, the postings are several months old and it's #1 top seller on Thomann for guitar products and #1 trending product in Sweetwater. Seems to me everyone is buying it and no one is selling it.

[@Utubesup7890]

Because it’s great.

[@mrcoatsworth429]

If there are 3 used ones on reverb and all of the listings are several months old, how can you say that everyone is buying and nobody is selling? Noone seems to be buying those...

[@Utubesup7890]

@@mrcoatsworth429 I don’t know why don’t you sit down and figure it out there were thousands and thousands and thousands sold and a handful are for sale used.

[@mrcoatsworth429]

@@Utubesup7890 well why don't you write a normal response instead of replying like an asshole? If the information that there were "thousands" for sale a while ago is essential to the argument, then it should have been supplied. I don't know anything about the Quad Cortex and have no plans of switching to it or any of the competitors. I was merely questioning the logic of the comment.

[@sparemers8380]

Neural Amp Modeler ftw! Im just a bedroom jammer learning how to play and its great for me.. also do you have any captures yourself? Or are you making some in the future? Would love to try some things from you!

[@shredding51]

I think the Headrush prime is gonna lead from here on out

[@jhzhou17]

May I ask Can it completely replace the external compressor pedal?

[@xSkully_H]

I have owned and used pretty much every modeler from Axe 3, several powered and unpowered Kemper, helix, ect in both studio and live enviroments. As someone who is mostly a bassist I have to say that maybe for guitar the QC may not be the best but I can not speak on that, but on bass I find it has the best sounding and most options for creating bass tones. Even its stock Darkglass patches sound amazing with very little tweaking right out of the box. I see a ton of hate for it which may be justified but looking as non bias as I can its the first time I really instantly fell in love with a modeler and the first one where I didnt feel paralized from the options. Its also the first one that didnt make me absolutely dread trying to create a tone on its interface.

[@kenmasters007]

To be fair, axe fx has been selling new hardware every 3 years... So shelf life and cost of upgrading should be considered

[@TaylorDanley]

That is true, but with that said. How long do you think the shelf life of the chip in the QC actually is? That's why I mentioned the rate of technology.. the unfortunate aspect of digital modelers is there are leaps forward in CPU and chip manufacturing every 5-6 years. So it seems unreasonable to think they could put a chip in that would keep up with whatever is current in 2040. Doesn't mean it won't be GOOD then, I'm just sure whatever is being offered will be significantly better.

[@kenmasters007]

@@TaylorDanley I don't know.. my gut also tells me the axefx 2 had plenty of life life.. but they moved to 3 and only supported software for one platform. That's their revenue model. Unlike NDSP, I think they are trying to get you, in the future, buy software upgrades...

[@TaylorDanley]

@@kenmasters007 Totally fair. HOWEVER if the AxeFX 4 comes out with a 7' touch screen, glorious UI and capture tech... I'm in lol.

[@kenmasters007]

@@TaylorDanley lol me too lol 😅

[@Utubesup7890]

Taylor it’s great. It’s UI is great no need to be tied down to a pc. Takes a minute to get a great sound. It’s for more than just heavy metal. It’s feel and sound stand up to Friedman, Bogner, Soldano, evh amps. The drives are great. No need to put it down over plug ins that don’t sound as good as the modeler.

[@tobins6800]

Here's my take on the qc. It's a great piece of hardware for the price. It can do captures of any piece of gear minus the guitar without using a computer. The sounds it already contains are phenomenal. The cabs it has can sound better sure, but, you can add IRs. ML Sound labs has the perfect plug in for just that. I really don't see a whole lot of news or anything else about NDSP except when they launch something new. In essence, yes I am a defender, I think they nailed the UI thing with the knobs/switches + touch screen. I do wish that they could pull off the 11 11 11 plug in in the qc. Add in the ML Sound Labs IR plug in, perfect reasons why capturing would become irrelevant. People's expectations of things now are getting so high, my opinion, that it will be really difficult for companies to deliver on. We as consumers of digital products want that in the room sound and feel, and some combinations absolutely deliver, plus we want it mix ready. Bear in mind, this is just the players side. The recording engineer also has to manage these expectations, or the sound guy for shows. Then mixer, then the mastering guy. So on and so forth. A lot of things are coming together for a person to record a guitar sound that is mix ready ootb that satisfies a lot of expectations for all recording parties. The company that can truly capture the magic of in the room sounds, will be able to sign the paycheck of the wealthy.

[@paulbradshawguitar]

great observations, pretty much spot on the potential with the QC hardware spec is enormous, but as time goes on that window where that's relevant is drastically closing, when compared to other units/development, it doesn't hold up unfortunately, the overpromising combined with under performance/updates with steady plugin releases (which is understandable) means that people are either moving on from the unit, or considering other options even to begin with comparing updates it really starts to look bad given the huge/meaningful updates on other units(3.5 Helix update for example, or look through the Fractal ones, firmware 6 on the FM3 for example is huge, code optimisations/new amps/modelling etc etc..) not to mention things like ToneX or the slew of cheaper modelling units that seem to be getting better and better, it's not easy

[@thelowmein9143]

I don’t care about the desktop program, in fact it’d be very cool to be able just ‘get’ the neural dsp plug ins on the device directly without having to use a computer. Of course I’d be willing to pay extra for those plug ins, no problem. If they incorporated that feature into the QC, id buy it today.

[@DjackTheDjurst]

Man, I'm still using my BIAS Mini Head (which is no longer made) because I just need semi-realistic, ultra-tweakable amp distortion. I still prefer using real pedals for stuff, but the head covers my bases. I've straight up made a Big Muff patch with it. And that's the same mentality with my pedals. Even if the AxeFX or Neural stuff were to cut down on my wires, why bother? My setup works for what I need.

[@SunshineHB]

While the release cycle has been disappointing, I bought the QC because what was ALREADY IN IT was sufficient for my use case. Everything that comes down the line is a bonus. Never buy anything that relies on SW expecting a timely release to complete the product (to your expectations).

[@p4fizzle]

For me, I don't care about the "profiling/capture" of amps. As I only have one tube amp. If I buy a QC or similar, then I want a good amount of choice AND I wanna see things being added from time to time. I think doing this and making a more affordable unit would attract more customers

[@KDH]

Great video ❤

[@TaylorDanley]

Same to you! Thank you for the hard work you put in, I really appreciate how much care you put into the research. It's time consuming!

[@J.D.0502]

Awesome shirt, man! I want it? Where to get?

[@norwayva]

I do love my QC, and for most things I’m happy with where it’s at. Anything else is largely a bonus. Except… I found out recently despite being told it can control other pedals via MIDI, it turns out it’ll only send commands on one channel at a time. So unless you have one external pedal ONLY, or are happy paying for accessories to expand the functionality, the MIDI out is pretty pointless. This really has me pissed because it’s SO basic.

[@TaylorDanley]

That's unfortunate! I don't use midi, aside from automated switching going to the unit, but if it's something you need... bummer!

[@norwayva]

@@TaylorDanley it would be useful. I have a couple of Strymon pedals and plans for a Zoia but so far I’ll have to do the pedal dance.

[@TaylorDanley]

@@norwayva I hate the pedal dance, that's why I switched to the automated route a couple years back 😂

[@norwayva]

@@TaylorDanley I’m very new to a simplified set up but it’s bloody excellent!

[@grantborden5224]

TONEX pedal is just a small portable pedal styled device that allows you to ditch your computer and it’s inherent latency and just use the pedal live or in the studio to recreate very accurate amp, speaker and drive pedal tones. World of difference, price and or portability wise, so far, from other modellers/capture devices.

[@jasonzdora]

LOL'd at the end with the NAM gui :) Ive been super active with that community and it rules. Some tutorial videos on my channel if you want to do some NAM modeling. Quad Cortex can load multiple captures in series. Tonex and Kemper cannot (only 1 capture). Quad Cortex can run 4 inputs and outputs while others cannot. That is their remaining edge and IMHO its a good one. Capture your plugins or your other modelers if you really like them. Easy workaround. That Headrush unit seems cool but its the size of a coffe table.

[@benburnett8109]

I spoke about this 6 months ago.

[@CorpseChords]

had mine for a month now.. had several fractal units. ugh making me regret my purchase.

[@james1939-s1c]

I had a quad cortex and returned it, I was just looking for basic functionality that I got from the Helix and GT-1000, such as; *You can’t assign effect parameters to a foot switch. * You can’t change the colors of the foot switches, and without the scribble strips or any colors it makes it impossible to know what each pedal does on each patch. * Also only the foot switch that is currently active has a led on, the other ones are off completely making it impossible to see in a darker room. * I didn’t realize it has an external AC adapter, cheap for a device this price * No 1/4” amp control out to control my amp that uses a traditional TRS foot switch * Lastly the biggest issue is I use 4 cable method with my Mesa TC-50 amp, and midi to control the amp, and you can only assign a single cc code per scene, currently with the helix or Gt-1000 I can assign multiple and that is how I can control my amp without needed the amps pedal.

[@Kcducttaper1]

Always buy a product based on current features rather than future promises. I've really wanted a Quad Cortex for quite some time. I'm a bass player and I really like it for its parallel processing capabilities. Also, the interface really does look pretty easy to use. I do think it's a bit overpriced, but at the same time, I don't really think it's a 'bad' piece of gear either. Neural DSP does have the opportunity to make it a LOT more competitive in the coming months though with price adjustments and software updates. If they do that, I just might have to pick one up.

[@mathieupelletier4392]

I had a QC for 3 Months and sold it to go back to Fractal (FM9). The Tone was great if not better than Fractal, helix, Kemper, etc. The problem is that It felt like a beta to me. I felt stuck and hoping it will do what it supposed to do someday. It was like having a 500hp car with missing Gears.

[@MikaTarkela]

I have both and I love them both. I'm using the QC more nowadays.

[@TaylorDanley]

I preordered because I figured it made sense to have for the channel. And understandably waited as the unit took an extra 8 months (I think) to ship. I mean, what are you going to do, the world was pretty messed up... But I feel pretty bad for people who were hyped on having their plugin library ported at launch, or the other features mentioned, and still don't.

[@MOAB-UT]

Good analogy. Love my FM9 T. also.

[@Zazmiz]

@@MikaTarkela What would you recommend for someone who's planning on using the modeling features more than captures? FWIW I think the FM9 is way too bulky.

[@IamHat]

20 years really is a hell of a gamble with digital stuff. 13 years ago I had a digitech RP 150 10 years ago I had a Roland GR 55 6 years ago I owned a Vox Tonelab multi effects pedal Now I just use the Amplitude Drive-X with a Joyo Cab box pedal Modeling has gotten much more accurate and far easier in 65 percent of that time so I'm sure that 6 or 7 years from now there will be something absolutely better. Even now with Tone-X being a thing it's arguably true.

[@TaylorDanley]

GEEZ that REALLY puts it in perspective. I messed up because I have a digitech right here and could have put it in the video as a reference 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@jcalzada74]

@@TaylorDanley hey why don't you do a video about that RP would be awesome

[@shakeshaftthomas]

This makes me love my helix all the more. I feel bad for those who made the investment

[@elliottpetrella155]

Helix gang

[@szabowabo91]

No need to feel bad for us. I love my QC. I don’t care that it can’t do everything promised when it was announced. It already does way more than I’ll ever use. It sounds awesome and is dead simple to use. It takes me minutes to set up a killer tone from scratch. I use it live and at home…it excels in both environments.

[@shakeshaftthomas]

@@szabowabo91 that's awesome, there will be people whom are let down by what was promised and what hasn't been delivered. It's great it does that for you though.

[@thomasbyrne7372]

No need to feel bad for us. I had a Pod Go, which is Helix tech, before the QC and it just sounded fake to me and I was never happy with it. When I asked how to get good tones I was directed to third-party IR sites and that became a rabbit hole and I never felt it helped anyway. With the Quad Coretx I'm getting great tones out of the box with the IRs provided and it sounds a lot more natural, fuller, and less thin. A lot happier now. Far less time dialing in and more time actually playing.

[@SpinGoldmusic]

I have the helix also, but I wouldn't feel bad. It's still a great sounding unit with potential. If anything the helix is in dire need of an update.

[@dieg000n]

As a owner, the user interface of quad cortex is unmatched, super easy not to dive in menus. That said, very good points on the video. I'm still surprised by the amount of value delivered by line 6 to my hx stomp, which is, 7 years later, under constant updates and new improvments. Neural could learn a lesson or two by their competitors...

[@alvarg]

unmatched you say, have you used every other amp modeller to confirm this

[@xSkully_H]

​@alvarg i own an Axe Fx 3, Helix Rack (Hated the floor model), kemper rack and kemper powered head, as well as the QC. Yes without a doubt the QC has the best interface. Its the first one in a while where i didnt dread if i had to make a preset without a desktop editor.

[@ronchabot3449]

I'm glad I brought the AXE FX III instead of the quad cortex because the updates are always coming and it has every tone I could possibly need or want to use

[@TaylorDanley]

Owning both I can tell you that I personally prefer the AxeFX by a lot. HOWEVER, it is almost unusable without the editor 😂 I hope they fix the UI in the next version.

[@juliandelrio]

Totally agree with you. We'll see in the future. Modeller, capture machine and hardware are computer...so..whats next?😅

[@TaylorDanley]

A modeler that lets you load VST based plugins.

[@juliandelrio]

@@TaylorDanley this Is my first idea many years ago!

[@Niksounds]

Quad Cortex Is fantastic unit AS OTHERS. KZbin and people perception..has changed.

[@markl4781]

I got a fm3 and hated it. I tried out my friends quad and sold my fm3 the same week and bought a quad.

[@Zazmiz]

What did you dislike about the FM3? I'm sort of on the fence between the FM3/9 and the QC.

[@lucaspontes91]

Well, here in Brazil people are still buying it (and the price is absurdly high, like 10 times an Ampero One), and the owners seems to be pretty happy with it. But I get the point of this video, if I were to buy some high end freankin' expensive gear, that would be the Axe FX III, I think we're maybe a couple of months of declaring the QC a big @ss flop. But hey, that's only my opinion.

[@Utubesup7890]

It’s great stop listening to guys that need plug ins because they’re cheap and pc use when the modeler sound better. The QC is great.

[@alvarg]

ampero 2 has more features (not including the amp capture) than the quad cortex and its like 400 dollars and sounds pretty bloody good

[@6oundStudio]

love the ending

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks for sticking around to watch it!

[@edwinkimmusic]

Awesome video. I’m one of those people that don’t mind waiting for updates on the Quad Cortex. The biggest thing for me is the UI. It’s so easy to use. I have the fractal fm9 as well, but not a big fan of the UI. I used to have the Helix and Kemper as well. 👍🏻

[@necrotictrust]

all true. ans soundwise it's not awesome either. I have both FM3 and CQ, when I play through FM3 it feels fun while CQ keeps bringing up question, why it's so noizy and doesn't feel as alive as FM3 (which is not even flagship)

[@HeavyInHawaii]

I really feel for Cortex owners, I was almost one of them, thanks to supply chain issues my money was saved. You hit the nail on the head with their plugins as well. I always feel like it's similar tones re-skinned. Props to Neural for pulling off what they have.

[@8eight104]

TBH, just an Archetype in a DAW covers all my needs.

[@matthewbehrle4428]

Ok, so I am a Quad Cortex owner and user, but I adopted and bought into the hype (for lack of a better way to put it) later. I didn’t really know about a lot of the promised features until around the time I bought it. Personally I don’t look at it like an invest in Neural DSP anymore, I look at the Quad Cortex as a genuinely solid piece of guitar equipment for me. I use a pretty massive Pedalbaord that utilizes the many unique qualities a modeled provides such as being able to have Stereo inputs with things like the Microcosm and Eventide H90 AND a WDW setup in the Quad Cortex. It works really well for me and makes my general musical workflow MUCH easier. I know I COULD accomplish this in other ways but for me this is the simplest and easiest way to achieve it and I genuinely love it. I realize it may not be for everyone but for me I love it! Also I wouldn’t be surprised if plug-in support comes out within the next year. Once the launch features come out I think the Quad Cortex will be a really great product that’ll stand out in the market once again!

[@MOAB-UT]

clearly you are not sweating the cash and it works for you- fair enough. For everyone else, Fractal remains king.

[@matthewbehrle4428]

@@MOAB-UT if I’m not mistaken the Axe FX is just as if not more expensive then the Quad Cortex (or QC), at least the big boy rack unit is and that’s ultimately what I would compare it to. Both of them fulfill very similar rolls and I think it’s the most apt comparison. They both are in that $2,000 price range and both over a MASSIVE amount DSP for you to use when designing tones. The biggest difference from what I can tell is form factor. The QC has the most power for the smallest amount of space and the AXE FX is a rack unit, and for depending on what you need both are truly amazing pieces of gear. For me the small form factor that the QC works best for me because it would allow me to fit an extremely powerful modeler on my pedalbaord. With things like the Fractal floor units, the helix, and other floor units they tend to have this kind of awkward shape that wouldn’t have been ideal for what I was wanting to do. It’s not just a money thing, it’s a using the right tool for the job and for me the QC was the right tool, for others it’s the AXE FX. I have recorded on it plenty of times and I’ve always gotten compliments about how good it sounds in combination with my plethora of guitar pedals. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter and I’m genuinely happy with what I can do it and based on this comment I can assume that you truly enjoy whatever fractal product you’re using.

[@MOAB-UT]

@@matthewbehrle4428 Fair enough. As you said, if it suits your purpose that is all that matters. The QC is a very good unit. For basic tones it has the power to sound rich and very nice. I just find it very much over priced, over-hyped, etc. The AxeFX III IMHO is better. It has all the power anyone would ever need but it really shines in the area of it's world class effects. With the FJ12 footswitches, the AxeFX III would be significantly more expensive. The QC more directly competes with the FM9. With shipping and tax, I think I paid around $1850 or so. I just, finally received my FM9 Turbo. I could have afforded the Axe FX III but I like the form factor or an all in one floor modeler. I did invite my own full featured RC500 looper to the party (saves loops, drums, soft fade out, L/R and stereo outputs, 32-bit etc.) Form factor, the QC is better. The FM9 is only about 9" longer. The IU on the QC is superior as well but it lacking a desktop editor is a fail. My Ampero II even had a desktop editor and it was $450. I just don't see the value in the QC- at least for "me." I am not a pro so an extra 9" is not a concern at all. I can also make a dozen go to patches that cover 90% of the tunes I will play and be done with it. I don't need to tweak presets all day long. I would rather be playing. 12 patches can cover a ton of sonic ground. Enjoy your QC. Hopefully in the years to come they provide the updates they have promised.

[@EdPettersen]

Well said. I'm a QC owner and user and while I dig it, the promises are stupid and insulting. Plus, how can it be a "20-year product" when the Wi-Fi connectivity is already horrible and seemingly ten years behind? (Users, back me up on this: THE WORST.)

[@Acekorv]

Probably buying a Quad Cortex. I like the UI. Majority of music products have tedious menu diving and that’s where creativity goes to die.

[@DavidAllenMD]

Im not a fan of digital modlers I just stick to amp and cabs in much rather lug it around then worry about updates and shit also bi want the tonex pedal lmao

[@maxwellalmeida7299]

I have no money to a QC, but I have good blessed ears, and QC never sounds so revolutionary than they sold, even with the wonderful Plini.

[@Boneronfire]

I just returned mine and got something else. It was “ok” but in truth I thought my old Kemper was more fun to play. I sold the Kemper awhile back cause I like tubes I guess. I will say the QC felt more like a real amp. But the amps included just sounded like, well, caca. My two cents. Maybe I just couldn’t dial it in. Like I said I like tubes.

[@kzarandooz]

i Have Both Quad Cortex and AXE FX 3 , I always go to my QC as its just so much easier and better to use! there is a resone why Iphones are the best the same reason QC is

[@constantinosmavroyannis9409]

the QC would only make sense in its current state if it was less than 1000 bucks to buy

[@TaylorDanley]

I don't know if I totally agree, I think the hardware itself and the build quality are pretty top notch. Might be the best out of all the units, but the support is nowhere to be found.

[@constantinosmavroyannis9409]

@@TaylorDanley thats why i would price it 1000bucks. thats all for the hardware because the software has been subpar since it launched

[@nudsh]

Can't disagree with this video. I was on a waiting list twice through the pandemic for a QC. Finally got one and sold it within 8 months. I didn't hate it, the unit sounded great and was 'function before fancy' which is what I like in a design, but it was no better than a Helix unless you were capturing your own rigs (amps, pedals). i.e., it was nothing all that special in the end. I had Neural plugins prior and loved them, but never got a desktop app or plugin sync as a basic feature, so the hardware unit was just that, hardware that did what everyone else's did. Now I'm back to the real basics which is some Synergy pre's using a Fractal FM3 in a 4-cable or the Synergy pre's straight to DAW with some strip effects and IR's. I don't miss the QC at all. Never thought I would say this, but it was forgettable in its current state. The actual hardware platform has HUGE potential, but the overall QC as a package is nothing special.

[@southerncross936]

The quad cortex was a great idea on paper.looked neat at a glance.i love my kemper and my helix..glad I didn't take the risk on it at the msrp of 1800$.neural makes some solid plugins.i hope they figure it out.

[@TaylorDanley]

Same!

[@joshshultz1250]

It's not just great on paper. It's pretty great as is. They just spouted off a bit too much before they launched it. If they never promised a bunch of stuff that they had no idea how to do the conversation would be totally different.

[@Lukasz_KLAT]

I will lose my mind for a Neural DSP Ampeg VH140 and Ampeg SS150 plugin :)

[@TudorAdrian]

Overdeliver & Bigfoot ... couldn't have said it better! Good vid (I own the QC - fortunately / unfortunately - still 😎)

[@Saeedhashemi1994]

NAM demo soon?

[@fretboardrunner]

I'm completely happy with my little Ampero tbh. Sure, with a couple effects it reaches its limits but it's perfectly fine for almso anything. What I'm mainly looking for is open source alternatives. GuitarML already captures amps nearly perfectly, I'm sure there'll be a library of near perfect epdals and amps available in the next couple years. Then all you need for a perfect live sound is a pedalbaord form factor PC that loads those plugins and has a decent UI. Separate recording setups would be a thing of the past, recording, live performance and jamming would all happen on one device.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

The one thing that differentiates Fractal Audio from other such companies is that they aimed at the high end market from the start and made a product with features and a price to match as well, as well as proving the music industry that digital emulations could be as good as the real thing in a market where amp sims and multi effects were seen as stuff for people who couldn't afford a "pro rig." Kemper went the same way regarding amp profiling. The Quad Cortex is just another amp modeller in a sea of other amp modellers and not having that much of a killer feature makes them lose a bit of market to Mooer, which deliver essentially the same product but at a lower price point.

[@bossistheboss6996]

got rid of my QC! horrible, looks very fancy with screen and pretty lights but thats about it really. I bought a second Kemper with the funds. Must better tool in my opinion.

[@doug941]

I believe that the Native Amp Modeler is going to be putting a lot of companies out of business! It's the greatest thing to happen to musician's in 50 years!!

[@nicktshredz]

*Neural Amp Modeler* 😂😂😂

[@Owtyg23]

Nah it sounds quite bad tbh and the other products all provide more

[@fastboy_guitars]

Doubt it. It’s great, but usability is really important and more difficult in many ways than the capturing part. It has its place though and will no doubt improve commercial offerings

[@plaguezaddy]

​@@Owtyg23 i profiled my 5150 III and A/B tested it and it sounds identical. To each their own though. It's free though, so you can't be too upset about the (lack of) features it has.

[@ironblast5]

@@Owtyg23 my ears disagree strongly I think it sounds better then any of the other capture/ profile offerings by a long mile

[@smeemusic]

To be fair. Neural dsp is still a baby of a company. I believe once they grow a bit more, they will begin to deliver some results. Yeah they are In trouble. Their decisions matter more now than ever. They can save what they got or they can burn it to the ground. I think if they just keep pushing, all will be fine. I mean let's look at the early years of line 6 verses where they are now. Sure its a totally different company but the point im making is, neural can still pull it off. I think they might wanna look at trimming the fat off the price of the unit to start with or they won't be able to compete in the market. Then I think the rest should follow. I could deal with the shortcomings if the unit was $800. But right now they have the qc priced as a premium product and its a little handicapped. I think cutting cost may be much smarter than trying to pile on more features. I would be much more interested in the product if it were more affordable. I would even consider selling some of my other gear to purchase a qc if it were more fairly priced. I know my 2 cents aren't worth much but there it is.

[@joshshultz1250]

I don't think it should cost less than a headrush pedalboard or even the new prime. However, premium modellers in general are a bit steep.

[@billk5864]

I’m so tired of listening to Helix and Fractal fan boys talk about why the Quad is no good because they don’t update enough or it’s so far behind in development. I have a news flash for you. Helix and Fractal are great products, the Quad cortex is a great product. I love mine and chose its tone over everything else on the market. Yes it doesn’t have as many effects as others that have been on the market for much longer. If I built a pedal board I couldn’t fit all the pedals and effects that are in the Quad. Way more than I’ll ever use. I believe that Helix and Fractal are the ones in trouble. With The Quad Cortex capable of copying all your other amps ( very effectively I might add) the are light years a head of other modelers on the market. It’s Quad Cortex by a mile for me. I’ve been using it for live and recording and practice. It gets turned on at least once a day, sometimes more, and it has worked flawlessly. So stop knocking it, quit playing with all those effects on your fm9, and start playing your guitar.

[@jazzylei143]

Fractal audio is the still the best for me

[@TaylorDanley]

I'm also a big fan

[@joshshultz1250]

Its kind of crazy to me how much the QC has lived rent free in the whole guitar community's collective head since it's rough launch. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty to criticize, but I don't see that same level of rigor being applied anywhere else.

[@lorenzo-agnes]

Perfectly said. I just sold mine this week. My FM9 is next level and the ToneX is in my board. I really wanted to keep it but just couldn't justify it any longer.

[@TaylorDanley]

Thanks for dropping in. I've been on the fence for a while. I think I'll keep it just to see how things develop, but I'm not super optimistic.

[@odie5268]

@@TaylorDanley You should definitely keep it so we can get informed about the improvements when they launch updates. :)

[@Zazmiz]

How did you feel about the models on the fractal vs QC? I'm planning on mostly using the models on the QC.

[@Lethean676]

I think "marketing speculation" is what keeps alive QC, because for people who would buy a Fractal FM or FX, its a hard decision because that fractal gen points to be replaced all of a sudden, then if I buy a FX3 and less than 2 years later FX4 is released and FX3 is deprecated, I'd be f*king upset, but since QC is still being developed, so it would mean I should be ok with the unit for several years.

[@travislee9662]

I really wanted one when it first came out, then the price jumped up. Then they never delivered on having my plugins on the QC still a couple years down the road now. They don’t even update their plugins with the newer features of the new plugins. Until they start addressing these issues I’ll never get a QC. I passed on the latest Mesa plugin for the same reasons out of principle. They’ve lost my trust for now.

[@hubertozga7069]

Nowadays you can get the tone capture functionality for the very modest price of free.

[@Sierra-xi2ty]

If Neural DSP does deliver on their promise of allowing plugins on the QC, I’ll be happy. If they do not, I may end up getting something else.

[@JohnvanCapel]

I'm not sure if the Neural Quad Cortex is genuinely in trouble - as far as I can tell, they're still shifting units - but I do agree that the pedestal has been getting cracked a bit and it's by no means the lone king of the hill of floor-modelers anymore. I hope that the recent developments on the part of other companies will prompt Neural to kick it back into high gear when it comes to the Quad Cortex's support and feature updates, if only because that in turn will cause those others to want to respond in kind.

[@romanwestenholtz4396]

Have you heard of or checked into NAM- Neural Amp Modeler by Steve Atkinson??? He is coming out with a new update soon to lower cpu usage but this is a totally free Open Source Capturing software plugin and player- there are literally hundreds of free captures that are free loaded on Steve Atkinsons sight plus somone made an alternate website to store all of them and more!! There are Amps Pedals IRs to go with the amps fully loaded capture not needing IR's etc. He litarally has Blown Up in like 2 months- Brian Wampler even did a video on it last week!

[@7thTrumpetTechPH]

Exactly!!!

[@NO-TALK-GuitarPlugin]

Haha now I wanna know why ToneX is in trouble!!!! :)

[@lyleanderson5407]

Moore's law should play a larger role in getting more people interested in the hardware side. There's simply no justification for these hardware costs when the majority of the revenue comes from the software. Good vid Taylor.

[@bluehollowarts]

I feel like if you bought into the hype, you are going to be disappointed. I bought my QC this year after trialing all three. I picked the QC because it captured my entire rig and sounded the best. I could care less about the reskinned plug-ins. I want a better tape delay that works like space echo or volante.

[@lukather1]

It’s history ! Poor poor ! Still miles and miles behind the Axefx

[@SpinGoldmusic]

They need to deliver on the promises they made

[@martyshwaartz971]

I don't own a QC, but looking demos it seems ok at everything rather than good at something. Helix has the best interface, Axe FX has the most power and tweakability, and while I don't think null tests are the best way to determine captures (I can't even tell the difference between kemper and amp lool) - ToneX is better at it. QC is like kinda good at all those things. Obviously all the units sound great .. but looking at the QC it's like - a ToneX and HX fx is significantly cheaper and better for the previous reasons, so I'm unsure why anyone would still be buying it unless they really want it to be one unit rather than two.

[@TaylorDanley]

I agree with you a lot on this actually. Null test are fun, but at the level everything is at, I don't believe it's the most important thing. I really think the user experience is the most important. So if you like QC, great! And if you like ToneX or AxeFx or whatever, also great! They will all get you to roughly the same spot, just with different journeys.

[@sillyness3456]

I own 5 NDSP plugins. That is at least 2 too many... Thanks to the Otto II II, all they are to me, are very expensive tuners.

[@Utubesup7890]

Some top pros have switched from their axe fx to this. Not naming names because they’re not endorsed. Idk those complaints are not worthy of getting rid of a great sounding and feeling and great compact UI piece of gear. Kemper and others are very guilty of the same things btw.

[@448johnr]

So... Doesn't anyone care that it actually works exceptionally well in the real world? The models sound fantastic, it has a small form factor, and the UI is good (there's room for improvement, but it's still the best of any modeler I've tried). I stopped brining amps to shows after getting my QC. I should also note that I ultimately transitioned away from using captures of my Mesa Mark V to using built-in models of the QC. Why? The captures sounded exactly like my Mark V. But the built-in models I found in the QC sounded even better. I'm not a fanboy, but it's just easily the best music product I ever bought.

[@ALLforROME]

Sure is! 💯

[@heavybrett-al4082]

Great video, all very interesting stuff...maybe I'm old but it seems like a discussion such as this "digital amps competition with other digital amp companies!" ....oh how times have changed.

[@arock]

Everything you said here also applies to Eventide. The H9000 situation is ridiculous. To this day, their FAQ says "New FUTURE algorithms is the main reason we created the H9000", and yet the new algorithms always come out first as either a plugin or in a new guitar-oriented pedal. Same reasons why - spread thin, pandemic, it's where the money is. Hard to blame them, and yet it makes adopters of the flagship hardware feel like fools.

[@stevejarosz8136]

The plug-ins show that the company knows good quality. These reviews of the unit shows that the company understands the consumer. Again with these modelers it’s like guitars. It depends what you want to look like.

[@szveszs]

The idea was 20 years ahead in future, the execution was a Namm show hype to justify the price.

[@DISSONVNT]

Honestly, from an active recording artist/producer pov this is right on the money. People just want to get mad because they can't admit that the company didn't deliver to expectations (which again considering the COMPANY itself found it necessary to apologize for the lack of action already invalidates any argument as they themselves know they messed up). Fanboys mad they spent that much money on something that doesn't even have software that hardware hundreds of dollars less already has, so they take it out on people that are being objective about the product. I bought it and had it a whole 2 years, guess where it is now? Returned and replaced by a kemper (which newsflash, along with the axe fx and helix are the most widely utilized pieces of gear by mayor studios and bands, for a solid reason as well) and soon enough a headrush prime lol the QC is a great piece of gear, leagues above most hardware, but for people that actively want to streamline their studio work, with the lack of editing software it's not the end-all be-all that some people make it out to be.

[@Waldek.k]

Whoever owns this equipment knows best. There will be as many opinions as there are owners.

[@ehsanhaq155]

I agree with you man. But these days I've come across many idiot owners who buy gear over hype and then don't know F*** about using the modellers or amps etc that they've come to buy. But end of the day, endless opinions, yeah 😅😅😅

[@petru4335]

Still quad cortex is, for the money, an excellent alternative to get amazing tones and travelling light!! I will get the Fractal AXE III (or the future IV) for my studio when I have the money!!

[@GNRGNRGNRGNRGNR]

the price increase and the lack of support turned me away from the quad cortex. I had am axe fx, then sold it not because I didn't like it but it was more than I needed, then got the helix lt, sold it because I decided to use helix native instead. I was always skeptical of Neural

[@beaston_guitar]

I just discovered and downloaded NAM. It sounds better than anything I’ve ever paid for.