# A4 quieter **URL:** \ **Category:** Quad Cortex\ **Created:** [August 13, 2026, 12:10am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938 "2026-08-13T00:10:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![franktree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@franktree](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/franktree)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:10am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/1 "2026-08-13T00:10:32Z")
I’m having a weird issue with my Quad Cortex. No matter what guitar I play, the A4 note (e.g., 14th fret on the G string) is noticeably quieter than all other notes. It doesn’t matter what string I play it on. I notice the same volume drop regardless. I notice this most with higher gain settings and it’s very apparent. I’m not running any compressors or noise gates, and I confirmed that turning off the global EQ doesn’t make a difference. I’m not running any other EQs in my signal chain. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this and how I can fix it? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![cardinal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@cardinal](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/cardinal)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 1:12am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/2 "2026-08-13T01:12:40Z")
With that guitar, if you firmly plant the headstock against a door jam or heavy table top and play the note: does it now ring out loudly? ---
**Author:** ![franktree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@franktree](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/franktree)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/3 "2026-08-13T01:47:11Z")
Hmm. I’m not sure. I’ll give it a try. But the same thing happens no matter which guitar I use. I tried 3 different guitars (a tele, a jazzmaster, and an SG) and had the same issue with each. ---
**Author:** ![h2loh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/fbc32d/32.png) [@h2loh](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/h2loh)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 2:48am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/4 "2026-08-13T02:48:42Z")
Make that note off tune, a bit sharp and flat, and see if that makes a difference. Also, thia occurs regardless of where youcplay that note? ---
**Author:** ![franktree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@franktree](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/franktree)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 3:00am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/5 "2026-08-13T03:00:57Z")
If I bend the note enough, the volume comes back. And yes, this occurs wherever on the fretboard I play the note, so long as it’s A4 (A3 and A5, etc, don’t have the same issue). ---
**Author:** ![xush](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/xush/32/5100_2.png) [@xush](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/xush)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 4:00am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/6 "2026-08-13T04:00:58Z")
Speakers or headphones? ---
**Author:** ![h2loh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/fbc32d/32.png) [@h2loh](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/h2loh)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 4:03am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/7 "2026-08-13T04:03:36Z")
Have you tried this with a different device or amp? ---
**Author:** ![aslanking7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/aslanking7/32/2114_2.png) [@aslanking7](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/aslanking7)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 4:26am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/8 "2026-08-13T04:26:40Z")
It might also be worth checking your speaker or room acoustics. Try bypassing the QC and playing the same A4 note through the speaker using another signal source. You could also compare it through headphones. If the volume drop remains, the speaker or the room may be cancelling that particular frequency. ---
**Author:** ![DiffractionCircuit](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/diffractioncircuit/32/3793_2.png) [@DiffractionCircuit](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/DiffractionCircuit)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 2:29pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/10 "2026-08-13T14:29:03Z")
OP already mentioned this happens with different guitars, and with different strings at different places on the fretboard. @franktree, can you confirm whether this happens with your QC when using it in different rooms or spaces? @aslanking7’s suggestion may have some merit. ---
**Author:** ![franktree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b38774/32.png) [@franktree](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/franktree)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/11 "2026-08-14T00:00:24Z")
Thanks for the comments and thoughts. I thought @aslanking7’s thought that it was a weird room mode issue would end up being the answer, since it made a lot of sense to me when I heard it. But I just tried with headphones (and a couple different pairs, just to be sure) and am still having the same issue. It’s even more pronounced on headphones (presumably because everything is easier to hear on headphones). And yes, as other stated, I have the same experience with different guitars, so it’s not an issue of the guitar. And just to be sure, I just tried playing out of an actual amp (a Friedman BE100 Deluxe) into the same cab in the same room with the same guitar, and don’t have the same issue. Any other ideas? ---
**Author:** ![xush](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/unity.neuraldsp.com/xush/32/5100_2.png) [@xush](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/xush)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2026, 3:02am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/12 "2026-08-14T03:02:19Z")
Contact [support@neuraldsp.com](mailto:support@neuraldsp.com) They’ll request videos of the issue ---
**Author:** ![h2loh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/fbc32d/32.png) [@h2loh](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/h2loh)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/13 "2026-08-14T03:10:12Z")
If its new, return it while you can. ---
**Author:** ![MP\_Mod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@MP\_Mod](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/u/MP_Mod)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://unity.neuraldsp.com/t/a4-quieter/22938/14 "2026-08-14T21:30:43Z")
Record some examples and post them here for review.