Anyone moved from Fractal/Kemper to Quad Cortex and why?

Quad Cortex
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Bit of context…

I’m the MD and guitarist for the Queen tribute band in my country.

I was (still are!) using a Vox AC30 / G-System for my Brian May sound, together with a Treble Booster. We don’t have any haul company so we have to carry all ourselves. It was a bit fed up of carrying this weight / setup time for all the gigs (and fortunately we have a lot!) so I ended up buying a Quad Cortex (after a previous unsuccessful attempt with the Helix).

I use it for half a Tour in 2024 and returned to amp again, mainly because:

  • I could never get a satisfying AC30 at full and didn’t find any capture to use with my external Treble Booster.
  • The ONLY usable way to do it was a capture I found on cloud with the baked Treble Booster which raised several issues:
  1. For Queen, Brian uses the volume knob on the guitar to go from sparkly cleans to full fat lead tone. With this capture, the difference in dB when I did that was huge, nothing like in “real” world. So the capture was not “cleaning” per se, but also dropping volume.
  2. The Noise Gates didn’t do a very good job (I didn’t had the chance to try the new sidechaining feature tho) - the Helix one was much better, it worked like my ISP Decimator.
  3. This prevents me to use my strap mounted Treble Booster (in order to use a wireless system) because the TB was already baked in the capture
  4. There was always an annoying/harsh mids I could not get rid of - it lacks that “oooomph”, fat and defined sound
  5. Why NDSP opted for that flimsy AC adapter is a mystery to me - if it’s size/form factor, I’m sure people wouldn’t mind a bit larger/bulkier unit to have the IEC incorporated. Much more safe and secure but I also have to say that the included power supply never failed on me.
  6. The all 82.5% delay equal mix is also a concept that I cannot understand. Why not the much more intuitive 50%? My guess is that this was NOT ON PURPOSE at all and the unit just behaves this way (should have been thought thru better! - speculation of course but…).
  • After a poorly monitored gig, I ended up selling the QC (one of those “enough” moments that we all know about, on a impulse but it sold so quickly I didn’t have the time to think it thru).

Having said that, and please don’t take the thread as a bash at QC because there are a TON of other things I loved about and I really miss, just trying to give you some context on why and how I used it.

I’m looking for another modeler - of course in respective foruns, please praise Kemper or Fractal, depending on which forum we are, but would really like to read some stories of people migrating for what the owners classify as TOP NOTCH (specially the Fractal) to the QC.

Of course YMMV and my scenario is really specific - maybe if you use a more conventional amp and clean/lead approach its fine but, in my case scenario, I cannot got a sound usable for me live. Here’s an example of a Brian May tone I love. Really “fat” and lots of gain:

Many thanks in advance.

P.S. - I’m about to return to QC land because of all the PROS that sometimes surpasses the CONS but still indecisive.

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I’m in a similar, yet opposite boat. I’ve been playing Kempers for the last 7-8 years and have really had nothing but extremely positive things to say about them in all areas (sounds, effects, customer service, firmware upgrades, etc.).

The only reason I decided to buy a QC (which should be arriving today) is because the Kemper is now 14 years old - and in the world of computers/processors, that’s ancient. So, I figured the QC must be better.

But after doing a lot of reading and diving into videos and a bit of the manual, I’m already concerned that the QC doesn’t stack up to the ancient Kemper. I’m hoping I’m wrong and can’t wait to get the QC today to dive in.

I feel like the captures from the QC seem to be a LITTLE better. But considering I don’t own any real amps anymore, that doesn’t matter much to me.

My biggest gripe that I’ve already got with the QC (which I didn’t understand until after I ordered it), is this: With the Kemper, you can have a bank/performance with 5 difference rigs/presets in it. Each one of those rigs can have completely different amps and effects loaded into it, with no processing power worries. Plus, you can have 4 stompbox switches on top of those 5 presets to use. So you get the best of both worlds, presets plus stomp mode. AND, you can switch between performances smoothly with no lag/latency in sound. With the QC, you can use Scene mode if you want to get 8 different sounds, but those 8 different sounds all need to have the same amps/effects pre-loaded to swap through and you’re at the mercy of processing power limitations as to what you can put in there. So if I want to have a rig that is my rhythm sound and want to be able to turn the delay on and off, I either need to waste another scene slot on that (same rhythm sound + delay), or deal with toggling back and forth between modes. Whereas with the Kemper, I can have that rhythm sound and just assign one of the stomp switches to the delay. And then the other 4 slots I have available in that performance can all be fully customized as well, with no limitations or requirements that they have the same amps/effects as the other slots.

Yes, I understand I could use hybrid mode on the QC to achieve this. But it’s not nearly as convenient as the Kemper. Hybrid mode only gives me 4 slots for scenes and then 4 stomps to utilize, and again, still requires that each scene have the same amps/effects. And, if I want to scroll up to another bank of scenes, there will be a drop in sound when switching between them (unlike the Kemper).

There is just WAY more flexibility on the Kemper in this area. And since 95% of what I use the Kemper for is live performances, that’s a big deal.

From what I’ve read (and heard) the Kemper also has the advantage in terms of effects. There are more effects available and they seem to be higher quality and have more adjustable parameters.

Another advantage of the Kemper is that it offers SPDIF inputs/outputs.

After saying all that, there are things on the QC that I think (hope) I’m going to like more than the Kemper. For example, the ability to run multiple amps at once. The smaller footprint. Better screen. Hopefully, better sounds. The ability to have more stomps and effects both before and after the amp & cab (the Kemper limits you to only 4 stomps before the amp/cab section and 4 effects after it.

Ultimately, it’ll come down to which features matter more for each person. For me, if the quality of the sounds in the QC aren’t any better than the Kemper, I’ll return it because of it’s limitations with accessing presets/scenes as I mentioned above.

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Hi,

I moved recently from Kemper Stage to QC.

Kemper Wins

  • Effects quality: Huge difference between QC and Kember. Reverbs in Kemper are way better.
  • Confiability: Kemper is a tank. You can have bad energy and it continue to works. The standard power cable is also a benefit. If you forgot the QC power supply you are going to have a hard time finding a replacement
  • Organic Sound: Vintage amps/presets sounds better. They are more dynamic and responsive.
  • Outputs for Live gigs: Kemper automatically splits Monitor and PA/Output removing the cab/IR sim. That’s not the same in QC. You have to program your presets taking that into account.

QC Wins

  • Portability: It’s smaller than Kemper Stage
  • User interface: Somewhat easier to change things in a live situation
  • Modern Sounds: QC has more clarity on modern sounds.

Other things

  • The overall QC plugin situation is a mess.
  • It’s very difficult to find good captures. The Cortex Cloud has very few options compared to Kemper ecosystem.
  • EVERYTHING needs to go through Cortex Cloud: Whan’t to add an IR directly to your QC? You can’t. You need to send it to the cloud, connect QC to wifi and download it. Very very annoying.
    Want to buy some captures/presets? It’s a very difficult process.
    Kemper ecosystem is way simpler and focused on the player.
    QC is a computer/cloud centric product, not instrument player.

I’m considering going back to Kemper (mayber a kemper player instead of stage for portability) or Fractal.

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As an update, I got my QC yesterday and it became very clear, very quickly that the Kemper is still a considerably better overall product (IMO). This morning, I boxed up the QC and returned it.

I agree with much of what @guidefreitas said above.The only area in terms of sound that I give the edge to is the modern sounds. But it’s a slight difference. Honestly, you can get good sounds out of either of these units. So, aside from minor differences, I’d say the sounds that you can get are a wash.

The things I liked better about the QC were:

  • The larger touch screen (very convenient)
  • The ability to run multiple amps at the same time
  • The ability to have more than 4 effects units before and/or after the amp/cab section (limited to 4 each on the Kemper)
  • The smaller overall size of the unit

Other than that, it’s all Kemper.

  • Kemper’s effects are noticeably better.
  • The Kemper is a much quieter unit (with all gates off). Even in low gain amps that are included from QC, there is a noticeable hiss and general noise that isn’t present on very similar sounding/gained amps.
  • The Rig Manager editor on Kemper is way better for previewing, sorting and ranking profiles/captures.
  • Kemper has SPDIF inputs and outputs (QC has none)
  • The ability to have 5 completely different presets in the same bank without being required to have the same signal chain in each is a MASSIVE advantage that the Kemper has. That alone is a major win, but then Kemper widens the gap even more by also allowing you to have 4 dedicated stomp buttons to assign to single or multiple effects for EACH of the 5 rigs in every bank/performance. The fact that the QC’s technology is 14 years newer but ended up limiting users in this way, is embarrassing.

And let’s not forget, the price of the Kemper is actually $300 cheaper than the QC at Sweetwater.

The QC has the potential to be great - but I think it’s going to take some time and some major upgrades via firmware to get there. Until then, for me, the Kemper is still miles ahead as an overall unit.

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Thanks for the feedback, it’s a good time to be a musician with the choices we now have! I am glad the Kemper works better for your needs and good luck!

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As An owner of 2 vintage Ac30’s, I can say that the Ac30 Di captures from amalgam audio are spectacular sounding.

To me they sound as good as my own amps miced up.

I did not even manage to capture my own amps to the same quality level of the amalgam ones.

The Di type capture allow to use the provided silver bell celestion IR that come with the DI captures , but there are also very good other vox silver or blue speaker IR’s available and allow for more tonal options …

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My experience is gleaned from being a former guitarist within the CCM genre, then became the hired gun for rock and pop stuff (and I love metal when I’m at home, so go figure — guitarists are nothing if not eclectic!). These days I write and record at home, so that’s the perspective and background I’m coming from here.

I moved from an AxeFX to the QC for the form-factor, but I was using the XL+ before the III came out. Lugging the Fractal along with everything else in my 8U rack and roll-in gets old. Since now I am based more at home and do not gig regularly, I’ve experimented with different modellers because I enjoy the tweakability and doing deep dives at my desk. So here’s my take as someone who has played modellers for some time — worth noting that I have owned an FM3, an AxeFX 2 XL+, the QC of course, but have also spent considerable time demoing a Helix, and a Tonemaster Pro. Here’s my two cents:

QC

  • The UI is intuitive, and I find it easy to dial in an awesome tone quickly
  • The stock presets and captures give me more than enough range of flexibility for what I do now, and my experimentation with my own captures has been positive. I have captured a handful of my favourite pedals and just a few amps, and to my ears, they sound fantastic as captures
  • For simply just plugging in a unit to my recording setup and getting a great guitar sound, the QC fares better than the other options I’ve played

Fractal

  • The scope and range of effects is staggering, and what you can accomplish with Axe-Edit and an afternoon only inspires me to play more
  • As a product with decent legacy, there are more subject matter experts to lean in to for troubleshooting. When I was dialling in the tones I wanted, the community jumped at the opportunity to help me navigate roadblocks and I even received direct support from their customer service promptly

Fender

  • It felt like the modelling world’s ‘college graduate’ — really solid but kind of directionless, clearly smart out of the gate but tons of potential, and just lacking the experience to be a fully-realized powerhouse. I found a handful of effects that I loved, but only 2 amp models that I wished were on the QC. But it was built like a tank and the global eq was intuitive and easy to incorporate

Helix

  • Again, I didn’t own this but swapped with my mate to try it out, and you know how certain amps and guitars make you play a certain way? This had that same quality across many presets, so they clearly designed something that, similar to the QC, felt amazing right out of the box. And it was comical that in the weeks that I had it, a firmware update was released — so it’s clear that this unit is at the forefront of Line 6’s minds.

I’m not sure if sharing my experience is helpful, but there it is regardless. I didn’t go too deep (if at all) into the ‘cons’ of my experiences because one person’s preference is another person’s gripe. And nobody jump on me for this, but I don’t care for learning the best way to mic cabs and how to route complex pathways to achieve S-tier tone… I just like to play and don’t like doing much setup. Anything that gets me excited to strap on the guitar and spend more time playing is a good thing, and that’s what the QC does better than anything else I’ve played. Plug, play, fiddle some knobs, hit record, and I’m happy.

Kudos to you, though: I’m not in a tribute band but from what I’ve seen, when cover bands are good and care as much as you clearly do, they are gooooood so props to you for tackling Brian May’s tone! I’m sure it’s great, but your ear would be far more discerning than mine in that regard. Keep us posted on your tone journey and share samples if you can!

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Hi MayPRS,
my own experience with the QC has been very mixed for different reasons.
I love the design and handling of the unit (except for the unsatisfying power supply/plug solution).
It is fantastic to have four independent inputs and that is the reason why I had bought it in the first place, despite having been a very happy owner and user of Kemper Head, Stage and Player since 2017.
So far I could not find a AC30 capture for the QC that came near the ones I have bought from Michael Britt for the Kemper. Actually the sound and playing feel of some Kemper AC30 profile is what had convinced me in the first place to get one myself.
My main issue with the QC is the reliability. It has suddenly refused to work during the soundcheck for a gig two weeks ago - simply no output signal. If it hadn’t been for my Kemper player which I had brought along as a redundant system this would have been a very frustrating gig. Some students of mine also have reported failures of the QC engine and a very reluctant behaviour of the NDSP support. It is a insecuring perspective if a machine produces major errors just once in a while which for some reason cannot be replicated.
I hope the mayority of QC users are happy with their items and the problem with mine will be solved or just disappears for good. Several professionals I know have switched from QC to Fractal. I personally don’t like the Fractal UI which on QC is surely state of the art. For me personally there is no equal alternative to the Kemper yet as far as full vintage sound, professional reliablity and quality of Delay/Rev effects. If you are out for smallest footprint and best (AC30) sound/possibilites altogether, get a Kemper Player in LEVEL III version and something like a Morningstar 6 as MIDI controller.
Your first answering correspondant @OhG is totally right though when he praises the mapping concept of the KPA with the big remote resp. the STAGE. Even though there is so much question of taste and synaesthesia involved of course. It is great nowadays to be able to choose between so many digital machines that are pretty much on the same level if you sum it all up.

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I changed a while ago after over 8 yrs with kemper. I wanted a “backup” but the player was too expensive. So i got a nona cortex, really liked the sounds as well so thought why not the QC instead of my kemper stage. Did I need to change ? No … but once in a while you need to change gear to keep you fresh and motivated I guess :slight_smile: … Raf

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