I’ve been following this forum for quite some time and after all I’ve read/saw I’m about to take the leap into the QC.
For those who don’t know: I use a AC30 + G-System 2 + MIDI pedalboard on stage. This is all bulky, heavy and really dependable on the venue sound system (mic’ing the AC30, etc). What I would like is a system that is more consistent from venue to venue and less dependable on all of the factors that can affect a AC30. So I guess… QC!
I’m not “new” in trying to replace the heavy system - last year I bought an Helix LT but was so underwhelmed with the amp models that I started using the Helix in 4CM with… yeah you guessed: AC30.
Because of this I’m a bit burned in trying to swap my analog setup for a digital one. In the past, for clubs/bars, I had a AMT V-1 pedal to replace the AC30 and it did a pretty good job, but still had to carry the G-System rack and MIDI pedalboard around.
The thing I’m afraid of is the home setup vs live setup. On Helix I could get a vey good tone at home volumes (phones, monitors) but it would clip/distort at gig volumes and, as you know, at soundcheck (besides appearing unprofessional) there’s not much time to tweak all presets, test, tweak again, etc. The PA company would go nuts (not to mention bandmates).
I don’t gig anymore, just home playing. Was using an Eleven Rack for past maybe 6 years and was happy with the 5 or so presets I used. I added a Joyo Cab box to it’s effects loop and heard a real improvement. with the IR’s. The QC caught my interest and I watched it and decided to pull the trigger just as the Fender TM came out. Delayed watching the youtube’s and reading reviews and decided the QC fit my bill and the capture ability sold it.
Haven’t looked back. Even did a capture of my giggin Mesa Express and some of my pedals and just WOW. It’s actually better at the volumes I usually play at.
How do you plan to use it at your gigs, line out to FOH or a FRFR speaker?
Hey! Just a few thoughts
Capture your ac30 with the QC. That way you’ll always have your tone with you. If you have several settings, do several captures…
And for your helix issue… it sounds like your preset isnt dialled for live use. There is a tecnical term for it that i dont remember, but it basically says that a good sound at a low volume will sound bad at high volumes… so you have to make two presets… one for home/studio and one for live… this goes for the qc also!
And you have to dial the live preset at live volume… my tip for you: get someone to help you. Its way easier if you have someone to help you dial and listen.
And last, both helix and QC have a global EQ feature… use this to perfect your live tone… all live tones will differ based on venue size, shape and size of the crowd… with the global eq you can make up for this
I think you’re referring to the Fletcher Munson Curve. The human ear is varying frequencies depending on the volume.
For the OP,
You can have a nice, sparkly bright chiming clean tone at bedroom volume that’s pleasant to listen to, but when you take that same sound and amplify it at club levels, those high frequencies (above 6-7 kHz) make people feel like they’re getting stabbed in the ears.
It’s good practice to test out the tones in your presets as loud as your live sound engineer expects to go (during a sound check, not a performance!), that way you can dial in your EQ in a way that makes sense for the venue you’re playing in. And be sure to communicate with your sound guy so he doesn’t accidentally put an unnecessary EQ on your channel.
I call it the “hi-fi” effect. I ran I to it early on evn before modeling came along. You set up a tone at home espcially over your audio system which sounds great. Sounds as great as all those guitar tones you listen too on records and cd’s and streams. Then you try it out in a live band situation and you get totally lost in the mx. I read an interiew with Joe Walsh about being in the studio and setting up his guitar and amp and some rookies told him it sounded HORRIBLE way to much mids, no bass etc. He told them just wait till they started recording. Sure enough his tone fit right in his mix pocket and sounded great.
The Fletcher Munson effect may come into play in that at lower volumes you are going to increase the highs and lows and then you get to the gig and turn up your mids are now scooped and again you get lost in the mix and have no punch.
All good points! Another very import technique to employ (in my opinion) is the use of hi-pass and low-pass filters in each preset. There are many forum posts and utube vids on this subject. Again, it’s important to dial them in at relatively high volume, to keep Fletcher Munson from pushing you off course. Trimming the bottom and especially the top end will help your presets sound less shrill, fizzy and/or boomy. You’ll sit better in the mix too. Don’t be afraid to low-pass down into the 4K range (or lower) if you have a preset that sounds to “hi-fi”. Use your ears, not your eyes, to make the decisions. The newer OS speaker module has a 2nd page with filters built in or insert an EQ block after your cab block. The hi and low pass sound like a softer slope (to me) in the EQ block than the speaker block’s EQ slope, if that’s what’s needed. Welcome to QC land. I think you’ll dig it.
This is brilliant this helps me tremendously tackle the QC in a live situation. As everyone knows your guitar tone changes from venue to venue and the QC is no different however with this tid bit of knowledge this answers many of my questions regarding setting this unit up for live performances. I have been dialing in the presets on my home PA system which I feel is the best I can do to help me hear the best tones possible vs a guitar amp. I don’t have the cash for frfr speaker not to mention lugging around another speaker cab is definitely not on my to do list so using the QC for shows will a big plus for me once I fully understand and master it plus the sound guys love it thanks for the info
