QUAD CORTEX FOR METAL
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 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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► Feared - www.fearedband.com
► Want to interact more with me? Join My Discord Channel and Become a CZcams Member for VoiceChat and more. Click the Join button above. Link To Discord - olaenglund.com/discord
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www.amazon.com/shop/fearedse
Edited by OrionVP - Zábava
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.
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.
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.
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.
Realy good and honest review, much more useful than all other youtubers I've seen so far!
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 🤘
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
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.
This is the review of this product I've been waiting for, thanks Ola.
FINALLY, a CZcams guy saying what they actually think about a product.
Thanks for the very helpful and honest review!
That intro has to be one of the most knarly banging intro song you've done in awhile!
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.
Ordered mine a few weeks ago. Can`t wait to give it a try! Thanks for the awesome vid man!
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 !!!
Love your review! You're my favorite guitar-focused CZcamsr/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.
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 heading from New York to Myrtle Beach today! Taking you with me and hope you have a beautiful day!! Awesome post, thanks! ⚘🤘❤
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
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.
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.
very good demo to show its fuction, control and the clearly explain, thanks Ola.
Thanks for doing the full band test! I've never seen anyone do that, and it's something I use with the axefx! 🙌
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 👍🏻
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!
Another amazing video from Ola, After getting out of class?, HELL YEAH, Love from Dominican Republic
The reviewer I was waiting for.
No offence other CZcamsrs.
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. 😃🤘🏽👍🏽
That metal intro sounds beautiful
Great interview Ola. Nice to have it as a superbrain for a live band.
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!!!
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
Idk, all of those initial presets you played through sounded AMAZING to me!
very courageous of you talking your truly (and negative) opinions on a product you owned for free. respect!
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....
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!
"I'm just here for the metals, okay?"
Should be a t shirt
One of my favorite intros 🤘🏻
Great review! Been thinking about picking this up.
With all the different reviews, i still think its better than the competing modellers, because this one is the most complete and intuitive unit
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 CZcamsrs 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.
Very nice little machine. Seems it would get the job done! Thanx 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.
"the real question is.." I was so sure it would be "will it chug?"
:D :D :D
Ahh, the video I needed. Thankyou humble goat herder
Hi from Spain!, I really appreciate your sincerity.
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!
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.
doesn't matter what he uses, Ola always sounds like Ola.
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 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!!!
Great, unbiased review. Thank you very much!
Ola is the Abraham Lincoln of gear reviewers. Thank you for your honesty, Mr President!
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.
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.
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.
the intro riff is the mother of all riffs!
Great review. In honest Ola we trust.
Ola the king of reviews
That's a damn dirty bass tone ya got there Ola.
im very happy with amplitube 5 and some IR's........imagine a quad cortex
awesome video bro, you're an inspiration
hugs from Brazil
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. 🤙
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
That Solar bass is beautiful!! I want one now!
Thanks for a balanced review and not giving up to the hype.
‚I‘m just here for the Metalz‘
- Ola Englund, 2021
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
Thank you Ola for the review.
Thank you for your honest opinion
I dare you to play a concert with it, then turn the knobs with your fingers.
Then rub your eyes
Just after using a backstage toilet where the floor is half an inch deep in piss.
@@MadMagicPaul delicious
That is exactly what I was thinking. But everybody seems to think it is a good idea...
@@MadMagicPaul Perfect to lay a boat made of shit
@@MadMagicPaul Mmm, I got the image ! Makes me think of the CBGB movie now or even worse, Trainspotting.
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
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 ...
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.👊🏻
Now, shoot it out vs the POD Go. I wanna see if budget gear can match "top-tier" gear.
Integrity vs. Shills.
I'm going to watch a reviewer with the former every single time, well done Ola.
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
Hey Ola! That guitar colour is beautiful!
Hey, can anyone speak about how this puppy is holding up as a USB interface specifically for DI recordings? Thanks! \m/
Finally an honest review with honest opinions. Interface: 👍, sounds : meh.
sounds the same as any digital processor- kemper still the best-
@@bikeman1x11 or axe fx 3?
Eh, it sounds like it's just as good as any other modeler, plus the capture is better (pedals) than others, and UI is better than Kemper. They are also working on adding their plugins to the QC too.
@@bikeman1x11 Kemper is also a digital processor? From tests with Kemper and QC it's definitely at least as good, maybe even better, sound wise.
Nah you'll fail the blind test anyway
best review yet on it nice job ola!
Great review and demo...🤘🎸🔥
Don't let Rabea see this video, Because he will have to do 2 more videos convincing us that its the best thing ever! Well done OLA! Thanks for not selling out just because you have a relationship with Neural.
Oh no, how could anyone else have a different opinion? The horror!
“Your Mom” ... 👌
here weee goooo, I've been waiting for this vid!
I love my fractal FM 3 the sound is just so good and the quality is unbeatable hands down 👍🎸🎸🎸
Imagine, someone suddenly wants to hang out with you, but, really, they just want to capture your amps and pedals.
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.
Good honest review as usual
Honestly this is the unit I would buy for my next tour!
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
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?
Thank you Ola for this video - stay metal
Bro you’re the reason I bought a mesa boogie badlander rectifier 50 W head. This is the dopiest amp I’ve ever owned in my life. I used to play on a black star.
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?
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. 😂
That guitar is SO pretty. I love it so much.
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.😂👎