So I’ve been using the QC for about 2-3 months now and have been mostly pleased with it. Where Im starting to run into real issues with it is while using the effects loop.
First off, I get a port conflict error as soon as I drop an FX Loop 1 into my chain. Second, it distorts the fuck out of my tone. I’m not even running my full pedal board at the moment either. It’s literally my Walrus Audio Julia, Strymon El Capistan, and the EQD Astral Destiny. Pretty simple. Yet anytime I click on the delay or chorus, it’s clipping so bad. When I kick on the reverb, it’s buried so far into my mix I can barely hear it.
That all being said Im pretty underwhelmed with this feature of the Cortex. I’m wondering if anyone else is running into these issues and what they’ve done to fix it. I prefer my fx pedals to the fx in the cortex right now, so I would say Im pretty fucking bummed they sound like shit running into the unit.
You probably need to adjust the send/return levels. The QC should be capable of putting out line level to the FX loop, which is too high for some pedals.
I’ll give that a try, but I feel like adjusting the levels would just make my reverb pedal waaaaay too quiet. I got use to running them into my evh 5150III, while using my Torpedo X, and all of those pedals sound so lush. Now they honestly sound lifeless.
I’ve put a big sky and a Volante in the fx loop (just tried it last night). They sound ok but I get the port conflict too. But then it seems to work so I’m not sure what that means. I haven’t tried messing with the levels yet.
According to NDSP the Port Conflict is a display bug that can be clicked away and does not affect operation in any way.
As for the FX loop levels, the send outputs up to +9.5 dBu which is fine for using studio FX but way to high for most pedals and you need to attenuate the FX output level 10-20 dB. Likewise, to bring back the level again, the FX return should need boosting about the same amount, unless the gain is changed also in the FX chain.
Yes, agree with @hasse_fx ; it sounds like a levels/settings issue. I use my QC in 4CM with an amp exclusively and the FX loop is definitely solid in my rig but you have to get levels right with loops. That’s just how they are.
Yea almost 3 weeks later and I figured out how to not make it sound like shit. However, some pedals sound great while others sound like trash in the loop. Ran an EQD Afterneath in the loop. Sounded terrible. Ran the same setting through my 5150 and my Captor X, sounded fantastic.
I wouldn’t necessarily blame that on the QC. I’ve had pedals that sound GREAT through an amp’s effects loop and some that just worked better in front of the amp. I find that anytime two or more pieces of gear are used together, it takes time to find what works.
