Neural Quad Core thing demo

WiresDreamDisasters

Jetfire said:

@WiresDreamDisasters ;
 So looking at your massive experience with all things amp wise, have you tried the Helix via a power amp into trad cab? If so, id be interested in your opinion on a QC doing the same thing if Im honest. (It may have been mentioned/discussed already in here but I havent seen it.)

Last September we went into the studio to track a live stream for our Facebook page. We decided to take all our gear. So I took Kemper and Helix, and our other guitarist took his Seymour Duncan Powerstage. I also had my Diezel D-Moll and he had his Diezel Hagen.

He was playing through his Mesa Rectifier 4x12, and I was playing through a Marshall 4x10 bass cab.

We took some time to try the modellers through the Powerstage into each cab. And I was impressed. From memory....

I didn't have a wide variety of amp-only profiles on the Kemper at that time. I mainly used the GGD All The Gains pack, with the cabs turned off.

Helix sounded better than the Kemper through the cab. We used the Revv Gen Purple and Red models mainly.

Helix felt closer to a real amp in the room, using this setup. Kemper sounded good, but I was endlessly tweaking it, and the cab didn't punch me in the back of the legs like it did with the Helix. I can't explain this other than those profiles not being to my taste.

I didn't take the time to make a profile of either of the amps, which I wish I had have done. That would have been a good comparison.

Suffice to say, the Helix actually surprised me. I didn't expect it to sound as good.

Now.... compared to the real amps.... the modeller+Powerstage combination didn't quite have the same punch and the same 3D-ness... and I put that down to the valve poweramp with huge transformers thing.... Was the difference enough to justify carrying a huge ass amp all around the village/country/world/universe ?? I don't know anymore really.

Unfortunately we only had one powerstage, so we both couldn't play through an entire song using our Helixes. I did play through a chunk of a song up against his valve amp, and vice versa, and it did compete in the mix.

Now.... other guitarist has sold his Helix now. He's gone all in on the QC. Whether this was the right decision or not, we shall see! I'm not planning on selling my Kemper or my Helix until the QC proves itself. But at some point I will be getting a powerstage 200, and trying to go digital.

Jetfire

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Now.... compared to the real amps.... the modeller+Powerstage combination didn't quite have the same punch and the same 3D-ness... and I put that down to the valve poweramp with huge transformers thing.... Was the difference enough to justify carrying a huge ass amp all around the village/country/world/universe ?? I don't know anymore really.

This. I totally get this. I tried the LT with a Matrix 800 and a V30 cab, a SD170 and two different cabs and that's the precise word Id use.  After putting it all away in my head that using a Helix with a trad cab isnt going to get me what I want, Im now pondering a Pedalbaby due to it being an Class A power amp rather than a D, but Im really not sure it'll make a massive difference. The Helix is great as a home studio thing, prob awesome direct to large PA but to a trad cab.. Im just not so sure...

TeleMaster

Jetfire said:

This. I totally get this. I tried the LT with a Matrix 800 and a V30 cab, a SD170 and two different cabs and that's the precise word Id use.  After putting it all away in my head that using a Helix with a trad cab isnt going to get me what I want, Im now pondering a Pedalbaby due to it being an Class A power amp rather than a D, but Im really not sure it'll make a massive difference. The Helix is great as a home studio thing, prob awesome direct to large PA but to a trad cab.. Im just not so sure...

I’ve used all the major modellers with a SD Powerstage amongst other options. The FM3 is the best and most realistic by far. The Kemper was second but I felt it really depended on the profile, but once found was excellent. Turning the gain up on a profile wasn’t a good option, and I feel it’s not a good option in general for the Kemper. The Helix through power amp and cab just sounded dull and lifeless with every amp, with distortion, EQing etc. I don’t think I could ever, ever recommend a Helix with a power amp and cab. Through a FRFR it’s fine, recording with Native or the Helix, fine but not with the power amp. I expected it to be some setting at first but I was following the advice of an experienced user who gave me the settings they used and it just wasn’t for me. 

Jetfire

@TeleMaster was it massively better than the Helix or did it just have a edge?

TeleMaster

The Kemper was much, much better. I only use power amp and cab and will go FOH if I have to. 

The FM3 made them all sound inferior tbh. I used Kemper for 8 years and the FM3 really is amazing. 

Wazmeister

TeleMaster said:

The Kemper was much, much better. I only use power amp and cab and will go FOH if I have to. 

The FM3 made them all sound inferior tbh. I used Kemper for 8 years and the FM3 really is amazing. 

TeleMaster said:

The Kemper was much, much better. I only use power amp and cab and will go FOH if I have to. 

The FM3 made them all sound inferior tbh. I used Kemper for 8 years and the FM3 really is amazing. 

My thoughts exactly.

WiresDreamDisasters

I can only repeat - when I did it, the Kemper wasn't as good as the Helix.

Basically since rebuying the thing, I've regretted it ever since!

kjdowd

I could never get on with the Kemper, found the helix very good but not brilliant (about 18 months and many software revisions ago, in fairness) and have always rated the fractal stuff. FM3 is brilliant - strangely I think it sounds even better than the AxeFX III but I'm not sure how that could actually be true, perhaps a psychological effect of the friendlier form factor - but the QC seems another step forward. The nagging slightly digital edge to the sound is gone, feel is good and it's easy to dial in. That said I've only used it for recording and headphone practice. No idea what it sounds like through a power amp & cab or FRFR 

TeleMaster

Well since band practices have come back and I’ve been using my FM3 I really feel no need to get the QC. It was literally boredom and a shiny new toy to entertain me while we couldn’t do anything. 

I’m keeping a close eye on it though. The size and functionality, connectivity are very attractive. 

uberscott

Andertons have just despatched my QC - will be delivered tomorrow. Exciting times! 

TeleMaster

Congrats!

onyir

Anyone heard anything from GuitarGuitar?

guitarmangler

onyir said:

Anyone heard anything from GuitarGuitar?

Not from guitarguitar, but PMTMUSIC told me 6 weeks from order date.

WiresDreamDisasters

WiresDreamDisasters said:

"No problem! I just found out from our purchasing department 20 minutes ago that they're on their way from the Neural HQ in Finland but the FedEx tracking shows a date of 5th of May. Of course this is subject to change and might be here sooner but that's all we have to go off on unfortunately. I do apologise for the long wait with these, Neural have delayed shipping to dealers many times and I know how frustrating it can be waiting for the unit, I actually purchased one myself too. If anything changes and the information is concrete then you'll be notified by our sales team. I hope this is okay."

From a quick chat with GG this week. Guess I'm waiting till May.

@onyir ;

onyir

Thanks! (not sure how I missed that post before... )

Fiftyshadesofjay

onyir said:

Anyone heard anything from GuitarGuitar?

I spoke to them yesterday, apparently they're expecting their shipment on the 5th of May. No idea why it's taking 2 weeks from NDSP to here but there we go. 

onyir

Nevermind

WiresDreamDisasters

Apparently they're getting 70 units in. Should be Wednesday. I'm number 65.

Fiftyshadesofjay

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Apparently they're getting 70 units in. Should be Wednesday. I'm number 65.

Nice, I ordered early February so I'll be well within that batch. Let's see how it matches up to the Kemper!

onyir

My Quad Cortex got delivered today (from GuitarGuitar). Not had a chance to have a proper go at it, but from a bit of noodlling on it I think it sounds pretty good. I can say that the touchscreen responds well, managed to input my wifi password the first time!