Would be great if you want to run the Quad Cortex into a tube power amp + cab.
Or possibly even into a capture of a poweramp + cab instead of just an IR (although IR’s do also pass through power amps, but there’s no dynamics in that). I do wonder if it is much of an issue to run a power amp simulation into a real power amp? Well, might be worth testing out at least.
Do you mean globally, so you can use the existing presets? Because you can bypass the amp and cab blocks on any of the existing presets or build your own without an amp or cab block.
He means globally. A typical Amplifier consists of two primary stages a preamplifier (conditions the input signal, in most guitar amplifiers with lots of gain most of the distortion is introduced here) and a power amplifier (which drives the cabinet and makes the sound louder, it can also distort but tends to do so in a different way and contributes to the overall tone of the amp).
For people who are using the QC into a real guitar power amp and cabinet or into a guitar amp FX loop, they might wish to disable the virtual power amp section in the QC’s amplifier models in order to avoid having the virtual power amp influence the tone of their real power amp. Sometimes this doubling of the power amplifier’s affect on the sound can be undesirable.
A number of competing products such as the AxeFx units and the Atomic Amplifire series of devices can defeat the internal power amp simulation allowing the device be used directly as a preamp with traditional gear.
I do this all the time with my AxeFx. Would be super useful for the QC either on a per model basis or globally.
Basically, the QC needs a lot more global controls, IMHO. (EQ, Cab sim, etc).
3 Likes
That’s what I figured, but wanted to clarify. My FM3 has the same capabilities.
I agree. The QC definitely needs more global controls.
1 Like
I have moved from the Atomic Amplifire to the Cortex and am loving my first week with the Cortex. However, I am missing the global features in the Atomic Amplifire which are straightforward and highly useful. One example: I sometimes like to use IR technology to enhance my acoustic guitar sound. With the AA I used the XLR outputs with IR and blend in to taste (using an external mixer) my acoustic guitar without an IR from the TRS outputs. I like to be able to instantly set these output options globally. Another example: Being able to globally send the XLR outs with cab IRs to FOH and the TRS outputs to your amp(s) without IRs. Having both sets of outputs working at the same time with/without IRs engaged is a very important and a fundamental ‘must’ IMHO, but you need to be able to set this globally. Sometimes you may want to use FRFRs as monitors/on stage amp equivalent i.e. XLRs with cab IRs to FOH and TRSs to the FRFRs also with cab IRs. Other times you want the IRs on just one set of the outputs as you are using a guitar amp(s) etc but also sending direct from the Cortex to FOH requiring cab IRs. You need to be able to action these requirements globally at the drop of a hat, as the individual circumstances dictate, definitely not by a preset by preset basis etc.
2 Likes