Neural Quad Cortex

  • Prince in this forum would be like..."Huh? Oh boy, you mean good sound! Now I understand, finally! I use just my fingers for that".

    (silence for a week).

    Better have it and not need it, than need it and not have it! - Michael Angelo Batio

  • ///Please show me the guitarist who sounds better because of these supposedly better effects; I mean on a record or stage, not a youtube video isolating and comparing these tools in ways that we’d never use in the wild.

    You know you've been developing software for too long when this comment was commented out.


    KPA Unpowered Rack, Kemper Remote, Headrush FRFR108s, BC Rich Mockingbird(s), and a nasty attitude.

  • ? Not sure what this means but don’t forget to take a break every once in a while!

    Nothing wrong with your post.


    In many languages (C derivatives like C, C++, Java, Javascript) starting a line with '//' has the compiler ignore that line. It's useful for putting comments in, or disabling a small block of code.


    KPA Unpowered Rack, Kemper Remote, Headrush FRFR108s, BC Rich Mockingbird(s), and a nasty attitude.

  • Nothing wrong with your post.


    In many languages (C derivatives like C, C++, Java, Javascript) starting a line with '//' has the compiler ignore that line. It's useful for putting comments in, or disabling a small block of code.

    Way off topic....


    Small block of code: /* this block is

    commented completely

    out no matter what */


    Single line:


    // this line is commented out


    :)


    Back on topic,


    QC is good for the following reasons:


    1) Really small footprint

    2) Easy, fast and accurate captures

    3) Super cool touch screen and other controls


    If any of these are your #1 thing, then it is likely best in class in these areas.


    Not so good:


    1) Ergonomics for live gigging

    2) Library of sounds

    3) Ease of tweakability after capture

    4) Business model

    5) Non-proven in the field (for live gigging and durability)

    6) Not as flexible as Axe III Fx


    Personally, I am wishing that Kemper would put out a "Stage Mini" with the smaller form factor and only tablet/PC editing (get rid of the physical controls on the foot controller) to address #1 ;)

  • Personally, I am wishing that Kemper would put out a "Stage Mini" with the smaller form factor and only tablet/PC editing (get rid of the physical controls on the foot controller) to address #1 ;)


    That would work for me. I never edit on stage, and I’m all about small & light weight

  • I've been playing more cortex than kemper lately but still using the Stage for my main rig. I got the fm9 also and have been comparing all 3. It's really interesting going back and forth between and hearing what each unit can sound like and feel like. It's even more interesting to me seeing how each unit sounds through the others cab sims, captures, IR's etc.

  • I've been playing more cortex than kemper lately but still using the Stage for my main rig. I got the fm9 also and have been comparing all 3. It's really interesting going back and forth between and hearing what each unit can sound like and feel like. It's even more interesting to me seeing how each unit sounds through the others cab sims, captures, IR's etc.

    Also waiting for the fm9 to arrive some day, so I am curious: What does "interesting" mean translated :P?

    Better have it and not need it, than need it and not have it! - Michael Angelo Batio

  • Also waiting for the fm9 to arrive some day, so I am curious: What does "interesting" mean translated :P?

    It's the little things really. Like note decay( the sound of the frets and wood under your fingers in a vibrato style as it decays). High gain articulation with the amount of tweaking. How for instance in some cases I liked the cortex through fm9 cabs. String definition and pick attack on the kemper is still unique. I could not capture that on the cortex and the very clean and clear well defined low end response of tight boosted high gain on the cortex could not be profiled 100 percent on the kemper( not suprised with either, note that did I expect it too when capture/profiling digital units with digital units and yes I did DI setups lol). User interface experiences. The way things are named.

    The physical ins and outs have different outcomes for example, running the units in each others effects loops while bypassed to hear what each in and out sounds like. I'm probably gonna get roasted for this but probably not by anyone who has all 3 and runs them in out of each other haha.

    The fm9 sounds great and the effects are really really nice. Cortex has the best pitch tracking and best high gain that's easily obtained. I still feel like the Kemper really holds down it's bold and robust feeling and sounding cleans to mid gain though. Also the routing for FOH and cabs is still the best, for ease of use and cab sim placement.

  • It's the little things really. Like note decay( the sound of the frets and wood under your fingers in a vibrato style as it decays). High gain articulation with the amount of tweaking. How for instance in some cases I liked the cortex through fm9 cabs. String definition and pick attack on the kemper is still unique. I could not capture that on the cortex and the very clean and clear well defined low end response of tight boosted high gain on the cortex could not be profiled 100 percent on the kemper( not suprised with either not did I expect it too when capture/profiling digital units with digital units and yes I did DI setups lol) user interface experiences. The way things are named.

    The physical ins and outs have different outcomes for example, running the units in each others effects loops while bypassed to hear what each in and out sounds like. I'm probably gonna get roasted for this but probably not by anyone who has all 3 and runs them in out of each other haha.

    The fm9 sounds great and the effects are really really nice. Cortex has the best pitch tracking and best high gain that's easily obtained. I still feel like the Kemper really holds down it's bold and robust feeling and sounding cleans to mid gain though. Also the routing for FOH and cabs is still the best, for ease of use and cab sim placement.

    This is interesting because I get the same comments about the high gain sound from another guy who also records a lot of metal bands.But he is also very deep into plug ins..he loves the neural SLO plug in and uses it all the time now.With amazing results.


    Also the guys I know who prefer still much the kemper have nothing to do with high gain/metal and say exactly the same:pick attack/string definition is still the best with the profiler. Which is obvious. Also for me.


    That being said fractal was already "better" for total shred sounds because of its "deep tweaking" capability.


    The kemper can do great high gain sounds but you need for sure much more work to get it done.I am not interested in high gain shred stuff anymore and for fact I love the low/mid-gain stuff you can do with the kemper profiles 100% like the real amps..and this is amazing..my fav sounds for some time now are matchless & fender tweeds with the older green scream and the new drives/fuzz plus the treble booster.These sounds are just too organic for me..and I would not trade it for anything else even with the "real thing" ofcourse because all in one toaster is just to good to be true.

  • I think what else is interesting here to me about low to mid gain sounds with the Kemper is what we can do after a profile. Lots of these older and boutique amps only have so much clarity and gain in them inherently. So all the things we we can do after the fact really give the potential for sounds, tones and dynamics that are not only impossible with the real amp but most likely impossible with any amp. Most I've seen that where dimed and maxed out only have a gain of around 5.0 and definition even less. By the time we add clarity more or less gain, an overdrive with the mix less than 100 percent, dry mix added in and all the other pick, compressor, tube bias/sagging/shape and cab shifts, it's a whole other level and realm of response, feel, dynamic and tones. One could even say this is the kempers sweet spot haha.

  • I think what else is interesting here to me about low to mid gain sounds with the Kemper is what we can do after a profile. Lots of these older and boutique amps only have so much clarity and gain in them inherently. So all the things we we can do after the fact really give the potential for sounds, tones and dynamics that are not only impossible with the real amp but most likely impossible with any amp. Most I've seen that where dimed and maxed out only have a gain of around 5.0 and definition even less. By the time we add clarity more or less gain, an overdrive with the mix less than 100 percent, dry mix added in and all the other pick, compressor, tube bias/sagging/shape and cab shifts, it's a whole other level and realm of response, feel, dynamic and tones. One could even say this is the kempers sweet spot haha.

    Its it funny though that it also seems to be a criticism of the KPA - that once you go outside the profile its not true to the original amp - I know its a slightly different point but still relevant - that is a profile and any changes are linear.

  • Its it funny though that it also seems to be a criticism of the KPA - that once you go outside the profile its not true to the original amp - I know its a slightly different point but still relevant - that is a profile and any changes are linear.

    Yeah for sure, and valid. It is funny how we want 100 percent authentic replica but then do a bunch of unnatural stuff to it afterwards. Or at least I do. This goes back to the philosophic idea of looking at the signal chain as a whole and to me it's more like a digital way of modifying it without having to modify the actual amp itself. One could say it's a good platform for basic tone modification where the axe gives you a basic amp model and then you go nuts from there. Kinda of opposite of each other in that way. Do we want,

    A. A detailed base tone with basic mod features, or

    B. A simplified amp model and detailed mod features?


    And when I say basic or simplified amp models referring to the axe I just mean that modeled the one version they had and decided that the mod tweaks could yield many different variations of the same amp. I think, lol.

  • Yeah for sure, and valid. It is funny how we want 100 percent authentic replica but then do a bunch of unnatural stuff to it afterwards. Or at least I do. This goes back to the philosophic idea of looking at the signal chain as a whole and to me it's more like a digital way of modifying it without having to modify the actual amp itself. One could say it's a good platform for basic tone modification where the axe gives you a basic amp model and then you go nuts from there. Kinda of opposite of each other in that way. Do we want,

    A. A detailed base tone with basic mod features, or

    B. A simplified amp model and detailed mod features?


    And when I say basic or simplified amp models referring to the axe I just mean that modeled the one version they had and decided that the mod tweaks could yield many different variations of the same amp. I think, lol.

    The answer is both ;). We all want slightly different things :)

  • My fav profiles are very very versatile. And bring out the best of every guitar I work with.


    This is what I mean with "organic ".


    The kemper in these cases works like a real rig in every situation just without the negative aspects of the real rigs. Fx where ever I like them,no noise etc..


    A good profile always remains a good profile. All the work is to find/create it. Once you are there everything is just wonderful.

  • Perhaps Kempers next stage of evolution is a little more deep editing in the amp and cab. I'd be ok with that. I mean, if the profiling algorithm is already perfect in their eyes then it won't hurt to just add a few extra parameters to that. Some could be a deeper dive into the natural insides of an amp and cab and others could be some cool new things to experiment with. I hope it's both.


    I also would like to see the cortex have some more deep parameters in their captures, I'm sure some will agree.

  • The future guitar modeler at some point in time will just become a modeler.


    Or as they say in my parents village:Everything changes but still remains the same.


    Rock music was still (as I call it) "tribal music" while during the last 20 years or so we went through a more "urban sounds" kind of thing.


    I really dont know how music and guitar will develop but for sure the kids will not limit themselves to just one sound or one genre. They will compose & play instruments/using tools for music far beyond what we old farts used to call "multitasking" with all their new possibilities at their hands and they will not show any kind of remorse to one dimensional tools which do not sound good and are too limited. The kids right now are already completely "data fusion" on a level I just scratch my head..