QUAD CORTEX FOR METAL
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- Опубліковано 2 тра 2024
- Finally got to try the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, I'm giving my opinions about the unit and what I consider being the pros and cons. It's a lengthy one for being me so get some coffee.
DISCLAIMER : I did get this Quad Cortex for free from Neural as a "demo unit" however it won't affect my opinion about it. They won't see the video before or have a saying on how I make my video. I would have to try it out more to take a decision if it's something I'm gonna continue to use or not or send it back to pick up one of my own units.
0:00 - Intro Song
0:49 - Pre Talk / Expectations
3:54 - Testing some presets
6:17 - Building a Metal Preset
11:37 - Using My Own IR
12:19 - Neural Capture feature - Capturing Pedals
15:10 - Neural Capture feature - Capturing Amplifier
16:35 - Comparing Real Amp to Capture
18:02 - CPU Test - 1 Quad Cortex for a Full Band
20:49 - Conclusion
22:08 - Game Changer?
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I'm Ola Englund and welcome to my channel. A channel dedicated to guitar related gear with a focus on metal. I also play in the metal bands The Haunted & Feared and run a guitar company www.solar-guitars.com
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► Want to interact more with me? Join My Discord Channel and Become a UA-cam Member for VoiceChat and more. Click the Join button above. Link To Discord - olaenglund.com/discord
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Edited by OrionVP - Розваги
Finally got to try the Neural DSP Quad Cortex, I'm giving my opinions about the unit and what I consider being the pros and cons. It's a lengthy one for being me so get some coffee.
Hi ola!
Ola you are epic
I was reading this while holding a cup of coffee. Satisfyingly satisfying I must say :D
Watching while drinking my morning coffee! It's interesting for sure, but in the end i'm glad they are not really available to buy yet. Your review is really good because it's not biased (like other Neural DSP fanboys who are way too intense). And like some people in the comments are pointing out, it's not that impressive compared to the sounds one can get from the HX Stomp and even the GT1000, from which the X Modded is worth the price alone.
I think Neural should have really included ALL their plugins in there from the get go
Would you choose the Quad Cortex over the FM3 even today?
It's so good to see a review that doesn't just follow the hype train and is actually negative in some parts. Just saying everything about it is great doesn't help anyone.
Yeah it's called "integrity", which Ola seems to have lot of ❤️
@@Vreth6 Or it could just be that he has a more critical ear than other youtubers. Not many youtubers have been on as many albums as Ola so i think his opinion is more valuable than most.
agree, hard to find honest gear reviews for anything music, most "reviews" are just ads and promotion, such as anderton's style of "reviews" nothing against them but I don't watch any of their "reviews" because of that.
it only help the company sells
@@jchannel7409 This is why I like Glenn Fricker. If he doesn't like something, he's honest and brutal about it.
2 metal zones through a Behringer get me 97% "there"
Only 2?
@@jarrusjenkins he probably meant 2 per channel
@@aerahtv0000 thems rookie numbers.... you need to bumb those numbers up!
you need a DOD death metal in the fx loop to really round it out
@@pkdude5334 I just plug the DOD directly into my PC's line in.
Back in the day, with zoom/digitech/etc, you couldn't convince me something like this would EVER be possible.
I used to have an original Digitech multi effects. It was the greatest thing available and I used the crap out of it.
Realy good and honest review, much more useful than all other youtubers I've seen so far!
One thought that comes into mind about this thing, is that as it is only using roughly 50% of its process power (in your example at least) that leaves a lot of space for future improvements on their side (and I'm sure they took that into consideration). They are able to improve the existing models and add power hungry new ones, and their machine will be able to handle that. This is a very good thing to take into consideration, future wise.
Me: "that sounds pretty good"
Ola: "that sounds meh"
Me: "that sounds meh"
It sound worse then meh to me
kkkkkkkkkkkkkk
@@pedronascimento7021 foda ne chapa
Don't let other people think for you bro. Tone is subjective
Cult of Personality!
And Fractal Endorsee.
Ordered mine a few weeks ago. Can`t wait to give it a try! Thanks for the awesome vid man!
Awesome video, love your honestly as always dude. Been watching the hype for this thing since release and this was the video I've been waiting for. Stay safe buddy
FINALLY, a UA-cam guy saying what they actually think about a product.
Thanks for the very helpful and honest review!
This was a great video Ola. You always review the things about these modelers I have the most concern about. Thanks for all you do brother 🤘
Love your review! You're my favorite guitar-focused UA-camr/person because of a) your awesome personality and also b) your integrity and honesty. I always watch your videos for any gear reviews because I trust you.
I would love to see a Quad Cortex vs Helix Stomp vs other modelers that let you use custom IRs. The features may not be the same, but I want to know if the sound and feel are close enough to see if the cost is justified.
That intro has to be one of the most knarly banging intro song you've done in awhile!
The form factor is what’s impressive for this one. It’s on par with everything else on the market. I’d like to see how software support is in the future.
This is the review of this product I've been waiting for, thanks Ola.
I really hope you do another video of it when you're more use to it and know the ins and out of the Quad Cortex, love the review !!! Very honest and very metal as usual, thx and cheers !!!
Thanks for doing the full band test! I've never seen anyone do that, and it's something I use with the axefx! 🙌
Boy have i been waiting for this video. Super cool.
That intro song was so so good! Played it a couple of times before proceeding with the review! :D
Ola !! Very happy with your review of the Quad Cortex 👍 So far I have watched several different reviews of this unit. Rhett Schul, Rabea, Fluff.. and a few others. Combined with your work through.. All combined... We are getting a very broad picture of this new unit. I personally love the Quad Cortex and what it can do. Its UI and ability to do stuff so quickly is a huge positive. Thank you for your honest reviews an opinion on this. CHEERS!!!
Idk, all of those initial presets you played through sounded AMAZING to me!
Great and honest review ola! About the hype of this thing in general, not directed at you: I honestly think that a big problem is the expectation with hyped products to be a "solution for everything". There will never be a box that will be albe to do all the things we want in exactly the way we want. And then when a hyped product arrives, the dissappointment is huge, even though the product in itself is more than solid
Ola heading from New York to Myrtle Beach today! Taking you with me and hope you have a beautiful day!! Awesome post, thanks! ⚘🤘❤
I love your "Review" videos.. They help a lot. They are honest, you describe the product as it realy is. You are not trying to sell it. That's what I love..
Thanks for that Ola.
Also having one of those as a backup for the whole band or a guitarist would be pretty damn handy in case another piece of gear goes down.
pretty honest & detailed review... that one unit for entire band part is really impressive... economically & logistically..!
That's the only option I found interesting. At the same time everyone would need a midi switcher to be fully efficient.
@@mathieupelletier4392 is it so? i think one guy can switch the patch for all.. or maybe a laptop (via midi).. i think It's four channels within a single patch/preset
@@KaitenBlack If you ever played live on a small stage you'll know that everybody switching the same unit would be a mess. Also, I don't trust bandmates for switching my sounds haha.
Axe FX III does this too if you wanna know how you just have to learn the quantum physics that it seems to require to set it up xD
Helix is also capable 4 path BUT it has only 2 DSPs.
very good demo to show its fuction, control and the clearly explain, thanks Ola.
You can always count on an honest review from Ola. Been waiting for your review before I trade my helix floor in for a quad cortex . No presets on the helix are that great either. At least helix recommends the proper cab with the amp hopefully NDSP fixes that with an update. Love that orange Solar guitar wow is that girl a killer.
That metal intro sounds beautiful
I think the QuadCortex is one of the best sounding modellers, because of their experience with the Plug-Ins, they combined this now with hardware and that works together so damn well. Gonna get one someday.
One of my favorite intros 🤘🏻
Great interview Ola. Nice to have it as a superbrain for a live band.
This is the review I needed. No fluff, no shitting unicorns and rainbows. Just grounded in reality. I’m in the first tier of preorders so I’ve been eager to hear what you think!
And no Fluff!
Ahh, the video I needed. Thankyou humble goat herder
Another amazing video from Ola, After getting out of class?, HELL YEAH, Love from Dominican Republic
Great review! Been thinking about picking this up.
I love the Axe FX III (saw Fractal on Ola's show) - I didn't know it's best feature was using it as a DAW. Fractal made it so easy for me to play my guitar with my computer. I have a fender twin and JCM900 - if I turn them on my old lady and kid hate me. I could only really play for a couple hours if I invited friends over for "band practice". Now I play everyday just about an I have the most fun overdubbing with my computer - adding a bass. Rhythms - then I'm soloing!!!
With all the different reviews, i still think its better than the competing modellers, because this one is the most complete and intuitive unit
That preset with the delay was nice. Its really economic, and you can capture the exact setup that you made in the studio on stage without worrying too much about that pedal that suddenly stopped working.
I was sold at 3:57! What a beautiful, heavy but smooth, not harsh metal tone.! This is what i actually like. Musically heavy not harsh!
What I think most people expected of this is to be able to bring the neural plugins with us wherever we go. I hope we can expect the archetypes to be featured in this in the future.
I'd love that. I don't understand how they can't do that.
This is all I want. I was honestly completely baffled when i realised that's not what this is. It's bizarre
Hats off for trying to steer the hype train back into reality. I was expecting (afraid of?) another ultra-super positive review as most other UA-camrs have been force feeding the viewers over the past weeks, but I'm so happy to be wrong there. Nicely balanced review, well done.
Will be interesting to see how many customers are actually using the 4 In/Out capabilites in reality. My guess is a single digit percentage will ever use it with more than one instrument at the same time.
I see 2 inputs in the back of this thing, maybe some of the other ports (returns?) are assignable as inputs maybe?
All studio engineer customers will use it. Reamping left and right guitars at the same time is a MAJOR thing, not only because it saves time, but because you can actually monitor your left and right guitars together while building the sound. This feature is what makes me think about switching from the kemper.
@@jordanslither1502 Good point. I was thinking more in the direction of a whole band lineup playing through one Quad Cortex simultaneously. That's how they market the feature mostly and I just can't picture this use case becoming a major thing.
The axe FX 3 does the same and indeed we don't hear much about bands doing this.
@@GrandPapa16 the routing and amount of dsp available to handle it just isn't quite there yet. You can have 30 blocks normally on the quad cortex divide that by 4 you'd be able to use 7 banks on two of the chains and 8 on the other two and you'd lose the ability to route things on the amps thru effects loops . this can work for a basic band using limited effects but if you want to do anything beyond basic tones you will run out of dsp too fast.
Thank you Ola for the review.
Nice video and great review! Thanks for the info and your ideas on quad cortex! I totally agree with you but I didn't try it at the moment. So meantime I use my VSTs ...
Ola I’ve been following you for 10 years, and as far as an unbiased / No bullshit review goes, you were on top form with this video today 🔥 I like that overall your emphasis on this unit was on the tone, because that’s the true end result that matters when investing in something like this, rather than being side-tracked by how good the user interface is. I love your honest approach, your passion that caters for the metal guitar community and hard work ethic, it’s so inspiring and what’s made me continue to watch your videos. All the best for 2021, now I’m going to purchase an FM3!
He emphasised the fact that it was on par with other modelers, but not as good as a real tube amp. I don’t see how your conclusion is buying an FM3.
@@19Cluj
1. All of these new modelers sound like real tube amps in recording, but to get that sound live, you would need to play it through a guitar cab. Playing through FRFR gets you the sound of a mic'd version of that amp/cab. Not to mention, the ease of using of just plugging into an interface and tons of other advantages over tube amps.
2. He probably decided that conclusion based on what Ola said about how he uses Fractal himself and that this is Neural's first modeler device.
You can buy mine.
@@r.llynch4124 Already been on the waiting list, due to ship next week, good luck on the sell!
@@Cam_B Yeah basically, and as I see Ola as someone who knows how to get great metal tones and uses Fractal, I prefer the sound of an FM3 👍🏻
Hey, can anyone speak about how this puppy is holding up as a USB interface specifically for DI recordings? Thanks! \m/
An honest review - much appreciated!
Great video as usual Ola... the thought of a band using a single unit is a REALLY interesting idea have to admit.....
quad cortex VS your live fractal unit video please
VS FM3, like in the video with POD GO.
I haven't heard anyone mention it but the ability to have all members of a band plugged in could be really cool for recording. It would seem to make one really nice headphone mix to play live in a recording environment. It is supposed to be an 8 ch interface as well so, you could record the DIs of each member and then go back and re-amp etc. Now that I just said that, maybe they should have included USB 3 and an ADAT input to allow for micing a drum set?
Or for a gig, you show up with your instruments and one pedal and can play a gig with a couple of guitarists and a bass player
Very nice little machine. Seems it would get the job done! Thanx Ola!
OLA....YOU NAILED IT! I had a feeling it would be lacking in the sound quality dept..thanks for the honest review!
Its still in its beta phase, neural dsp have awesome plugins which will be able to be used in the QC, I imagine once this thing has been updated a couple of times it will sound every bit as good as the plug ins....
Great review. In honest Ola we trust.
I think the fact that 2 guitar players can use this unit at the same time is awesome, but I wonder if each guitar player can switch between amps independently. For example say one guitar player has a clean passage going into a distorted section while the other guitar player was just playing with distortion. Would that be possible?
Ola, thanks for the honest perspective. It still sounds nice. My concern is the feel. If it feels like a real amp to play like the plug-ins approach. They aren’t perfect, but they feel good. I think as a first entry, it’s a big deal. I’ll probably wait till version two or three and stick with the plugins at home for now, and continue playing my Herbert with my band and live whenever that happens again.
Great, unbiased review. Thank you very much!
I got my Fractal FM3 month ago and after this video still I think it was better idea to wait around 7 months for it than buy quad cortex :)
Ola maybe you can record a video after some time and compare FM3 with this unit side by side for metal aspect?
The reviewer I was waiting for.
No offence other UA-camrs.
None taken
@@PooNinja - don't worry, you still have the best YT handle of them all
@@PooNinja loooooooooooooool!
@@TwoNotestv mdr ! ;)
Thanks @@TwoNotestv ,I’m doing awesome in this YT game.I average almost 40 views a week and I’m almost at 0.3k subs in only a few years 🤣
I’m still having fun so that’s the important part. 😃🤘🏽👍🏽
very courageous of you talking your truly (and negative) opinions on a product you owned for free. respect!
Noice. Sounds good, and definitely hoping us pre order folks can get them in March
@@douglascastro320 For sure dude. Best of luck with the unit itself, and the release!
Ola the king of reviews
Thanks for this review. I have no more questions that would make me sell my AxeFxIII to replace with the NQC. Hopefully Neural develop this product more in the future, as their form factor is excellent, but it's all about how it sounds at the end of the day, and to me, it misses the mark. 🤙
Great review and demo...🤘🎸🔥
That Solar bass is beautiful!! I want one now!
"I'm just here for the metals, okay?"
Should be a t shirt
"the real question is.." I was so sure it would be "will it chug?"
:D :D :D
Great content, just right, have to say that, because it's your success story, that isn't just Ola riffs and burping! Suggestion: Would you make a video about capturing the empress heavy pedal with the quad cortex and really try to max out the possibilities of this unit?
Thx for being such a positive guy!
Hi from Spain!, I really appreciate your sincerity.
Now, shoot it out vs the POD Go. I wanna see if budget gear can match "top-tier" gear.
I missed judged Ola at the first 5 minutes but towards the end, I loved the honest ending. Another question which I hope he answered, is it worth the price?
It’ll be worth it’s used price of 900 maybe
Sound on par with line 6 Helix, priced about the same so yeah it's worth it!
@@vaughanmacegan4012 1,6kg of weight VS the line6 monster size and weight and at the same time the Cortex is so easy to use!, for me no comparison here. It is just me. If you travel a lot you know why every gram is precious. 😂
the intro riff is the mother of all riffs!
Yay, the next best thing until the next best thing arrives! 😂 At least I don’t have to worry about my amp going obsolete when the next modeler comes out. These things are really cool. And this particular unit seems to be very streamlined. The UI is brilliant. I’ll wait another year or two before I dive in. Everybody is like “it’s soooo close to the real thing”. When it gets there, I’m in. Until then, I’m perfectly happy cooking tubes.👊🏻
I feel the exact same way. I think the Fractal amps sound better, and the Helix and Axe 3 can already do multi signal paths, and the Kemper already has a capturing process. Every unit needs tweaking of course. It's really the IR that matters the most. Any unit these days will have great usable amp sounds but the cab is the most important part and since they can all load IRs it comes down to preference. The Kemper, Helix and Fractal have more FX as of now, but if Neural can load more in and do cross compatibility with their plugins then I think the price and switch would be justifiable for most. The touch screen is really cool, but also makes it more fragile. There is also no computer editor yet, making it the only unit without one. After watching half a dozen videos it is cool, but it's not all the hype YET. Maybe in a future update ;)
I’d take this over an FM3 I think. But definitely not over an Axe FX III.
‚I‘m just here for the Metalz‘
- Ola Englund, 2021
Thank you for your honest opinion
I was waiting on olas opinion and wethet or not this would become his main stay for gigging. Haven't placed my pre order yet.. i already sold my ox.. the interface and options to run 3 guitars alone is amazing. Guess the only way to k ow is to play it and hear for yourself how far off the models are from the amp tone. Thanks for the honest thoughts ola. Your a champ.
Edit: if plugins are downloadable at a later date i may just buy it. Im in love with the form and interface. And if i can get close tones from modeling and don't have to lug round an amp im pretty happy.
For me, if this unit gets the Neural plugins added in a future software update it immediately becomes a must buy item. Right now it is just a unit with great promise (which is still impressive but not necessarily a 'must buy it now' item).
Plug-ins will be ported to the QC in an update after launch (only the ones you purchased of course).
Being able to run the plugins on the unit will be handy but they already run on laptops. This units selling feature that it will live or die by is the capturing of amps and pedals and then being able to use those as building blocks for your signal chain. So the ultimate potential is almost limitless rather than you having to wait on them building models.
arent all the plugins just captures of other amps in the first place?
John Newton i hate sitting at a computer, I would much rather have them on the QC. Each to their own but for me personally that would be a massive benefit.
@@teamskdm1 not a capture per se...the plugins are actual models that you can tweak a bunch. No capture will react as well to EQ and gain changes as the plugins do
That low CPU usage for four signal chains is pretty killer and appears to out-perform Fractal. That an entire band can bring just the Quad Cortex for a gig is pretty killer. No modeler sounds exactly like what it models. That's why its a modeler. I'd get one if I had the ducketts to drop.
Thanks for the video, Ola. Peace out from the Bay Area
MK
Love to hear finally an honest opinion of all this hype. We all know its a great tool but not sure that it is for everyone
best review yet on it nice job ola!
For my needs and my ears...my headrush gigboard solves my needs...its like a third of the price...its pretty warm sounding
HR amp modeling definitely better than helix
Thanks Ola for this honest review, Respect Man! Every single review I've seen for this product on other channels including yours and it sounds completely muddy and uninspiring. It's really packed with awesome features but the sound is not there and its not on par with Fractal. maybe with future updates they might get there? for now I'm keeping my fractal unit.
Thanks for a balanced review and not giving up to the hype.
Sounds amazing.
Does the CPU usage get higher when you are actually playing vs being "idle"?
@Bryan D. It's continually doing that regardless of the amplitude of the incoming AC, so no, you're wrong.
@@skatterpro well technically 1+1 is not 2 so your wrong, (slobbers on shirt)
Quad Cortex vs Fractal FM3 or AX8 video please!!
Oh thank god you did an HM-2 capture. That's something the Kemper seemed to always struggle with, and the thing that kept me from ever committing to saving for one. HM-2 tones are a must-have for me, and I was really hoping the Quad Cortex could manage it, which it seems like it does rather well
Yeah no doubt man. The HM2 pedal is the gold standard, well that and the DOD Grunge, American Metal and Supra Distortion pedals too.😂👎
I love my fractal FM 3 the sound is just so good and the quality is unbeatable hands down 👍🎸🎸🎸
My finnish defence mechanisms activated at 3:11 like "you don't like it because ur a swede and its finnish" and then i was like idgaf honestly and jävla fitta och så vidare. Thank you for your honesty.
Finnish death metal is underrated if you ask me. Demilich, enough said! Also Krypts.
doesn't matter what he uses, Ola always sounds like Ola.
I've become quite a Ola fan. You have the best chugging sound on you tube I've found. I look forward to these vids. I want the Empress Heavy 300 bucks. I also, want the "Satanist" pedal. Looks like it's only available online.
Great stuff ola😎 i find that as much as this stuff costs, if you arent an effects driven real amp chasing guitarists, its overkill. Im getting the tones i want from my blackstar amp and actually, going for standalone pedals. I agree the amp tone can be copied but there is something about the sound of a good amp. My amp is rhe ptedecessor to the silverline but for me it just gets the tones and feel.
Integrity vs. Shills.
I'm going to watch a reviewer with the former every single time, well done Ola.
It's great that you're sceptical. I remember when everyone was talking about the Kemper and how you couldn't tell the difference between that and the real amp. And suddenly another modeller is supposed to sound better? I don't buy it.
Modelers have been good enough for a few years now
@@mtguitar5150 I don't care about modelers, but this Neural DSP thing is presented as a game-changer of some sort, and I just don't think it is.
@@mrcoatsworth429 i think its a game changer in its user interface. It doesnt do things pre-existing things cant do, but it makes it infinetly easier to do.
@@Pauld62 I believe the Helix pioneered the more user friendly GUI. Neural would have copied their approach.
@@PhilDuggs Axe fx is so much easier to operate than a helix, I can never understand this obsession with "UI". Axe edit is so much better than the other editors it's not even close. When I opened helix native for the first time I remember laughing at how horrible the design of the editor was.
Idk maybe this a concern of sub 80 IQ people or something. If I could literally make the product decision based on UI I would buy the axe fx. The editor is by far superior to everything else. To me touch screens are a gimmick.
That's a damn dirty bass tone ya got there Ola.
Good honest review as usual
I was impressed. Very versatile and very intuitive, although I suppose that the instruction manual will be like a take from the Lord of the Rings
Actually the instruction manual is already out - you can see it if you go to Neural DSP website > Quad Cortex > News, and I have to say it's a really easy read. The Fractal manual for the Axe FX Ultra (which is what I have at the mo) is just a big wall of text. But the Quad Cortex manual is nice and colourful, loads of images, and easy to navigate!
the one thing thats got me hyped af about the quad cortex is the team having said multiple times that they are gonna update it constantly with new amp models, new software (which would surely improve the quality of the sounds) and that the plugin will all be able to be used on the quad cortex. easy buy for me once they become available
Yes customer support and follow up with updates and tweaks is definitely impeccable with Neural!
those are some cool promises for sure. I hope they deliver on them, which is why i'm waiting before i sell my HX Stomp and GT1000 Core and a few other preamp pedals ;)
Headrush said the same thing. There was like an update per year and only one or two amps more. Fractal is over 280 amps. Just wait I guess.
@@apoplexiamusic keep your Gt1000 core cause it does the job well (new boss update on the core is a tour de force) and with the money buy yourself a new tube amp..
@@mathieupelletier4392 neural has delivered on everything they say. not familiar with headrush or anything but id put my money on that neural delivers like theyve always done. and they listen to their community alot. their forum on fbook is really great
I think the best this thing can do it's routing! My bassist, my other guitarist and me plugged in, controlling the signal path: going guitars hard panned and then going in a solo with the second guitar in mono
It would be a crazy studio add on if you could control the Dynamount Axial X1-R and/or Austrian Audio OC818 using the screen of the Quad Cortex to control the actual microphone placement and storing all the metadata with your Neural Captures. This could be possible with midi or wifi. To make Captures sound closer to the sound in the room I would have thought people would do this with microphones that have a flatter frequency response like Earthworks Audio SR25 & Ehrlund EHR-E vs using microphones and/or external preamps that will add colour/tone and sound less like the source. Then playing back via FRFR or Studio Monitors to compare to original source. As always, love the video Ola, you have produced some crushing metal tones with the Quad Cortex mate, well done, killer \m/