I play in a hard rock/hair metal band and rather than matching tones, I just want a good clean/crunch/solo tones and fx. Since using different presets will introduce slight switching gaps, are there any users who create a single patch using scenes to change tones/amps/fx rather than presets? Also, can you play the single preset for an entire gig? Also, is using a mixer the only way to create a 4 row path since there is no option to go to pow 2 from row 1.
There are probably lots of users who have some go-to “kitchen sink” presets that have multiple scenes that can cover a wide swath of material. The scenes will give you gapless switching.
Yup, right now, the only way you can connect row 1 to 2, and row 3 to 4 is by using the QC’s splitter/mixer blocks (as you mentioned if that was what you were referring to). The QC has a mystifying/annoying bug or design flaw right now though where the split cannot be started after the 8th block in rows 1 & 3, and the 8th block gets stranded. Splitting after the 7th block is the furthest you can go. I would just use seven blocks in those rows (1 & 3) until they fix it. Would like to see them offer the option to connect rows 1 to 2, and 3 to 4, without the splitter.
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Yes! This has been the go-to feature for all my live gigs for the last 5-6 years or so. first with L6 helix, now with the QC. Playing live i normally just make a “one preset to rule them all” with scenes: clean, crunch, tight and lead, and maybe some other fx when songs need them for scene 5-8. Only thing im missing is color coded scenes or leds so its easier to remember whats what 
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Yeah, I’ve tried both ways and come back to the one size fits all option. Having a preset for every song was cool until we dropped a song or added one and then it became a tap dance. Not a massive issue, but in the middle of a set, something I could live without. Admittedly, that was using my FM3 but the principle holds true for the QC.
I tend to favour one preset for the set these days and I set it up pretty much as I would a real amp - clean, crunch, lead and a couple of extras for ambient stuff, funk etc. We do one song where there’s an acoustic intro so I have a separate (acoustic simulator) preset for that and a suitable pause in the song to change back to my regular preset smoothly.
For me, it keeps things nice and simple and means there are no surprises for the sound guy.
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I’m one of those “kitchen sink” guys. I’ve never liked the idea of changing presets while playing so the “scene & stomp” options work best for me. I mostly play in cover bands so my musical spectrum is pretty broad…that being said my sound needs are pretty narrow. A nice reverb and delay, chorus, tremolo, compression and a few options for amps pretty much covers things for the entire gig. I love the QC for the way it “feels”. It has that slight “spongy” feel on the input like tube amp compression and I’ve found that hard to get on other modelers. I DO however wish Neural would be more forthcoming with update info but…that’s a different topic
Because the QC is still in its infancy as far as it’s switching capabilities, I’ve opted to use a Morningstar MC8 for switching control. I have the 1st 4 scenes set up with basic amp captures: black face Deluxe, brown face Vibroverb, tweed Bassman and JP2C. These 4 pretty much cover everything…completely clean to ridiculous crunch. These 4 are assigned to the bottom row of my MC8. On the top row I have OD/Boost (dual assigned with tap/double-tap), Compressor, Chorus/Tremolo (tap/double-tap) and Delay. All of these I have midi assigned as on/off by switching between Scene and Stomp modes (from the MC8). I have the remaining 4 scenes assigned to individual songs that need a specific sound. For instance in one song I need to switch between an acoustic sound and electric OD. For that I’m using a Fishman Power Bridge (on my main guitar) routed to input 2 and sent to output 1 to the PA…but ALL still in the same preset. These 4 “song specific” scenes are setup in the MC8’s 2nd page of switches.
Reading back…this all sounds WAY more complicated than it actually is. I’m no “midi genius”, what I’m after is ease-of-use and limited “pedal dancing”. I’m hoping the 2.0 update will make things even easier for ALL of us!!
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I use both approaches btw, I have lots of presets designed for specific songs and I also have a few kitchen sink presets that include multiple amp models or captures as well as all the effects that I most commonly employ. The general use presets usually focus on a particular amp type such as a Fender for cleaner tones or a Marshall/Soldano for crunchier more distorted ones.
You can also combine amp types in the general use presets so that you can switch between a Fender-clean vibe to a Marshall-crunch within the same preset. Much the way some players use different amps intended for vastly different uses/vibes on stage. This also give you the flexibility for crunch/lead tones to either use an amp, e.g. a Marshall that is inherently built for dirtier tones, or to use a cleaner one such as a Jazz Chorus or Fender, excellent clean tone pedal platforms, and use stomp blocks to generate your dirt.
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If you don’t mind 4 parallel lanes instead of 1 long serial chain with splitters, you can just use the same input and output for all 4 lanes. Each Lane could be isolated by muting per scene, or you could just have all 4 running simultaneously
I have a preset I use for 95% of my DJ gigs. The other 5% is in a few other presets with very song specific needs.
I had to create additional presets because my main preset is full. My main preset simply can’t do any more since I run other instruments and outputs into input 2 and use the Effects Loops Returns as an additional stereo input for modulating loops from my 101 Blackbox. The CPU is maxed, but I’m very happy with the results I’m getting.
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One preset for the whole gig.
I did it with Fractal AX8 and QC is much more configurable, so… more than enough, for me.
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Yes. I gig quite often and I have the QC set up so I can do a whole gig on a single preset, and I have about 30 of those presets to choose from. I set my bottom row for my clean amp (Fender Twin) and the top row for my dirty amp (Marshall, Boogie, etc.). A&E are reverb, B&F are Reverb and Delay, C&G are Chorus, Reverb, and Delay, and D&H are Phaser, Reverb, and Delay. This way I can shoose any combination of those FX with either a clean or dirty amp. (Of coarse I have and od, compressor ,noisegate, EQ and volume pedal in each preset which can be used on any of those scenes) If you would like any of those presets, my user name is Mick8187. These presets can alos be used as a template that you cn put you own FX in.
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Use scenes in presets as well for live gigs. two things I wish they’d change (or fix) – one I agree - need to be able to assign colors to scenes so they stand out…reading a scene name on the floor is out of the question in a live gig. Colors would go a long way here. And then, MIDI-wise. I wish they’d fix gig view mode to on and off values instead of a toggle. This is irritating using MIDI in a live setting.
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I bought the QC for utter QOL. I go ampless at all my gigs now and for my main band (disco/funk function) I use a single patch and just change the scenes, I have 2 drives connected to my fx loop 1 and a wah in FX loop 2. It does what I need for that.
I also have a separate patch for an originals band which I change scenes within. Easy.
I have started a new project of authentic 80s songs and for this I am thinking of different patches for each track … or thereabouts, to get a more authentic sound. Though I’ll probably revert to a single patch for most of it.
Like many others here: I use a preset for each song and then scenes within each preset for different sections of the song. Intro, verse, chorus, lead break, crazy effects etc. Each song may use different amps and speakers housed in a different preset.
I play in a gigging covers band.
Rock on!!
Yup, I have one preset that does damn near all I want for a gig. Wish I could add in a couple more things but with a couple speakers, lots of different verbs and delays and a couple amps I am maxing out the CPU.
I tried with different presets for different sounds but the pause between changing presets was a real vibe killer for me, if they could have gapless switching then I’d probably go back to maybe a bank of 8 Presets that I could customise further than what I currently have.
If we had a set list we didnt move from I would probably have a preset per song with subtle differences and then use scene mode to change sounds within a song. As it stands though 8 scenes covers me for most of what I need, I also use an expression pedal which when rolled forward gives me a bit of volume boost and adds a bit of delay for a quick volume boost for lead lines.
I have a mixed setup for my cover band, which has a quite broad repertoire.
I have five main presets based around amp styles. Fender, Vox, Plexi, JCM, Diezel/Archetype Petrucci. The last one I captured myself from the plugin, the others are either stock models or captures I bought from https://www.amalgamcaptures.com/, which I cannot recommend enough.
For these main presets, I have scenes for clean, crunch, drive, lead.
The only thing I’m missing is a stomp to boost the volume and a delay stomp. These are currently done by scenes but would be better with the new hybrid mode.
Then I have a few special presets for songs that need very specific sounds or delay settings or spring reverb (Misirlou :-)).
So overall, around 10 presets which are enough for a 5h repertoire.
Forgot to add that we tend to shuffle around songs or at least sets according to audience mood etc.
So with the setup above, I can quickly adapt without having to reshuffle everything.
I thought about having a one-preset-per-song thing and have the different sets (each around 8 songs) in QC setlists. But then I did not see a huge advantage and a lot of effort copying and pasting presets. So I kept the old system.
I’m also the kind of guy who uses 1 preset for 95% of a full gig, the other 5% being a single-scene preset (simple clean tone with chorus and reverb).
For those 95%, which is my main preset, it’s subdivided in 6 scenes + 2 “utility” scenes (and also, when required, two “stomp” utilities)
That’s the way it works for me.
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We have a preset and scenes for every song too.
We designed them while recording and it’s what I use for live if I don’t use my amps.
Glad to see we’re not the only ones. It’s just too easy that way.
I do this all the time. Works beautifully! One preset per gig with 8 scenes and 8 stomps.
Like many here, I use a different Preset for each band I play with, but I am likely to stay with a single preset an entire night. In fact, most nights I use Stomp mode exclusively.
I find that a QC does a great job being sensitive/reactive to my guitar so I can work a lot of tones out of the box just working my guitar’s volume and tone controls. The caveat is that I play mostly country, so I am not using a ton of effects.