Neural Quad Cortex

After listening to the demo vids again with noise cancelling headphones and really listening deeply, I hear a few things of high interest.

For sure the sounds are there and some will be a fresh feeling with new amp tweaks. Looking forward to the amp modeling and captures, especially the dirt and fuzz box ones.

In one instance, there was a noise that I think is similar in all of the top tier processors. A sorta of squishy, background noise kinda thing. It's something I thing is a result of trying to replicate the Heavy rock to higher gain tones that come out as a byproduct of the algorithmic processes trying to squeeze ever sonic corner of a sound and then reproduce it. Its almost like as if the tone match, profiling, capture processes are so good that they are acquiring the noise of a real amp and when processed, spitting out this very detailed version of it in a very computer way, if that makes sense. Just a vibe I get.

I'm slightly more excited for the modeling tbh and i think it's because I like what people think an amp sounds like, it being ballpark close and having a character of its own. I have a zoom ms 50g and love the fuzz face in it although it's not accurate to the real one it still kinda is in its own way and does it's own thing.

There is a airyness to the sounds I hear I hope come out of the box. I struggle to get that with the Axe and the Kpa sometimes. It's going to interesting for sure, especially for using my synths as well with it and capturing pedals.

Also worth noting is that the last video capture video didn't include refining at all, per neural dsp guys. And they consider refining to be essential.

Not sure why would they produce a whole video, or have one produced, after all this time, and not refine.. but oh well. Just weird considering people will flock to the video and you -- somehow -- do not include a rather basic and essential function for your capture process.. which supposedly takes the captures considerably closer to the source.

Quote from Alienator

Depending on how big your feet are, it seems that you can push all the switches at once. On stage I drink beer. Should become funny near the last parts of a gig.

The history of rocknroll is full of exactly these funny little moments on stage..I mean..this is the reason why musicians are the only ones who never laugh when they watch spinal tap..

Quote from Dimi84

I would certainly prefer no discernible gaps at all, without having to think about other categories aimed at saving processing power. But thing is the kemper way presupposes using profiles and accomplishes no discernable gaps due to that.

If I want profiles, that's great. I often certainly do. But if I want amp sims (I often do prefer this workflow, as well; it has saved me time in many cases where finding the right profile for a guitar or profiling amp all over again was an issue) I'm out of luck... Scenes, snapshots, ECT ECT, are a useful workaround to preset gaps.

Would I prefer just not having to think about discernible gaps? Yes. Is this a bit of a different ballgame considering what is being accomplished? Yea, also, it seems to me... And while not necessarily "better", big numbers of users generally prefer the amp sim approach.

That surely comes with some limitations, considering this hardware tech.

Display More

We had this interesting discussion before,remember?Long ago..

After all these years with all these fine modelers it should be clear for everyone what to expect from each product.

This new neural tool tries to to "everything" ie catching everyones beloved own amp as well as amp sim.So..doing the profiling thing and using it as we use the KPA there should be no gaps?

Sounds that logical?

Quote from Nikos

We had this interesting discussion before,remember?Long ago..

After all these years with all these fine modelers it should be clear for everyone what to expect from each product.

This new neural tool tries to to "everything" ie catching everyones beloved own amp as well as amp sim.So..doing the profiling thing and using it as we use the KPA there should be no gaps?

Sounds that logical?

Display More

Don't remember what discussion in particular.

I don't know whether the cortex has discernible gaps when flipping between captures. It's been said that to generate captures the cortex requires "more processing power than other units" (or something of that sort). It's also claimed to have advantages, due to how it works, in having no issues with multiple distorting stages.

I guess it's possible that they also require too much processing power to run with no discernible switching gaps.. or maybe not. I haven't seen Neural Dsp clarify that.

Is there a perceived advantage that the neural will have over the Kemper?

Just trying to work out why such interest from Kemper owners.

Quote from Dimi84

Don't remember what discussion in particular.

It was on the peak of the editor wrestling period and what to expect from modern gear like modelers.And today I would expect a modeler which does not have any gap between changing presets..

Quote from paddyc

Just trying to work out why such interest from Kemper owners.

For me it is the form factor...the old idea here in this forum of a kemper profile player looking not that that much different from this quad cortex.This neural product looks interesting.But it is in the same price class as the kemper and I don't have any plans to change my main recording tool.

Quote from paddyc

Is there a perceived advantage that the neural will have over the Kemper?

Just trying to work out why such interest from Kemper owners.

size, screen, update on wifi etc. if soundwise its a least on par its a winner

I guess I am not the only one to have a beer (or pitcher) spilled on a FC ;). I had my old Digitech RP1 driven over. One pedal got sticky, but the unit played for several years before I gave it to a friend.

In all honesty, I love the screen on this thing, but the buttons look to be too close together.

Regarding gaps between patches/presets:

For those who are interested: Helix 3.0 Update, which was released yesterday, contains "True Preset Spilllover"
Source: https://line6.com/support/page…ix-30-release-notes-r934/

Regarding the robustness/reliablity of Cortex´ buttons:

As recommended by myself a few pages back, i think NEURAL DSP actually called IKEA:

Quote:

"Being a completely new design, we have gone to extreme lengths to test the durability of rotary-linear actuator. We have actually engineered our own robots just so we can simulate the equivalent of years of use in a matter of days. We have similar robots for testing the durability of the rotational mechanism as well."

removed colors

Personally I dont have doubts about buttons and switches on the cortex..my doubts actually are about this big fat(and expensive?) touchscreen.

In the video above this huge heavy guy had big problems NOT to step on this screen.

Anyway..such tools better don't cost much.They will break.Sooner or later.Something heavy will fall on the screen..or something nasty will spill on it.

Alcohol & gravity.Never a good match.

High end modellers are a niche market. It is kind of amazing how much creative energy gets poured into them. I guess they are cool things and attract the interest of guys with music and IT skills and we end users profit from their efforts.

What's not to like?

Wow, the tone of that Line 6 changelog. It's like they got the angry intern to write it.

"Despite what some might have you believe, the only digital multieffects units with true preset spillover were the DigiTech GSP1101, 2112, and 2120, and they accomplished this by dedicating a second identical DSP to spillover and only spillover. (Basically, to hear two dynamically allocated presets with absolutely zero gap—not some global reverb or delay smeared to cover the gap—you need enough DSP to run both of them simultaneously.) So... if you're willing to sacrifice half your DSP—that is, COMPLETELY DISABLE PATH 2—you too can have true preset spillover. "

I love this bit...

"

But but but... I don't wanna lose Path 2 for spillover!

Then keep using snapshots."

Is aggression another effect added to this release?? ?

Quote from CelticGibson

Wow, the tone of that Line 6 changelog. It's like they got the angry intern to write it.

"Despite what some might have you believe, the only digital multieffects units with true preset spillover were the DigiTech GSP1101, 2112, and 2120, and they accomplished this by dedicating a second identical DSP to spillover and only spillover. (Basically, to hear two dynamically allocated presets with absolutely zero gap—not some global reverb or delay smeared to cover the gap—you need enough DSP to run both of them simultaneously.) So... if you're willing to sacrifice half your DSP—that is, COMPLETELY DISABLE PATH 2—you too can have true preset spillover. "

I love this bit...

"

But but but... I don't wanna lose Path 2 for spillover!

Then keep using snapshots."

Is aggression another effect added to this release?? ?

Display More

They might have had the NDSP or Fractal guys write it....

Quote from CelticGibson

Is aggression another effect added to this release?? ?

I think the aggression is part of the new HM-2 pedal modelling

Quote from Dimi84

External Content www.instagram.com

Content embedded from external sources will not be displayed without your consent.

Display all external content

Through the activation of external content, you agree that personal data may be transferred to third party platforms. We have provided more information on this in our privacy policy.

Run it over with a tank (like TC did with the G-System). That set the standard for ridiculous durability claims.

Quote from Antipodes

High end modellers are a niche market. It is kind of amazing how much creative energy gets poured into them. I guess they are cool things and attract the interest of guys with music and IT skills and we end users profit from their efforts.

What's not to like?

I love high end modelers.I just don't like expensive gear on the floor.

Or to put it in another way..I have a kemper rack and a kemper head..but never ever I would buy the kemper stage..

As I said ..I would buy a small floor solution like the fm3 or the quad cortex if the price would be in the 700-900€ range..but only with the quality of sounds like the kemper profiler.

And no..from what I have played in the RE with axe3/helix profiles they are not close.Not for me.

Quote from Antipodes

High end modellers are a niche market. It is kind of amazing how much creative energy gets poured into them. I guess they are cool things and attract the interest of guys with music and IT skills and we end users profit from their efforts.

What's not to like?

I don't see high-end modelers as any more niche than high-end amplifiers.

Both have the same rabid desire to do things a certain (read: different) way. Both are based on emulating (and building upon) what came before.

Different skillsets. Instead of tubes, transistors, soldering irons and wires - you have firmware, DSP, software and....well....still transistors.