Global Effects Section

Global reverb

It is convenient to have a reverb that adjusts to the room for all presets at once. Also, given the ability of QK to replace the mixer for a small group, it is logical that it will have common reverb for all. It should look something like this:

The column on the left allows you to determine the send level for each stereo path. On the right we see the parameters of the reverb itself and a set of presets for it, it is quite ergonomic, without any extra drop-down lists.

Global EQ

This is an incredibly powerful tool that can be used not only to change the nature of the sound, but also to effectively eliminate feedback and achieve maximum volume even in tiny unprepared rooms. However, on all the effects processors I know, the implementation of PEQ is very ascetic and is suitable for use only by professional sound engineers who are able to distinguish frequencies with an accuracy of one Hertz by ear. Quad Cortex, thanks to the touch screen and powerful stuffing, should break this rule.

  • All bands should be completely parametric, without dividing into zones, since the problem frequencies are usually close and require 2-3 bands.

  • The lack of visualization is the most difficult obstacle preventing the effective use of parametric equalizers, analyzer should be placed against the background of the equalization curve, which allows you to see the problem frequencies in real time. I have already mentioned that the most convenient visualization for tracking feedback is used in EQ2 (FLStudio), it really is. Take a look at the screenshots:


    Although we see a pronounced peak on the curve, it is quite difficult to position the selector exactly on its axis. The EQ2 visualization draws a very bright vertical line and it is easier for us to set the selector more precisely, which allows us to use less bandwidth and cause less damage to the overall sound. However, visualization in EQ2 has drawbacks: note how well you can see all the noise from my microphone and amplifier on the curve, but there is almost nothing on the EQ2 visualization. Thus, it is useful to have two types of visualization. In some cases, the ability to switch between a linear and logarithmic graph helps.
    However, the best way to achieve greater accuracy is to scale the graph horizontally.

  • In different usage scenarios (for example, the case of multiple musicians), separate equalization may be required for each of the outputs. Therefore, you should add the ability to apply the equalizer separately to each output in stereo and mono modes.

  • And finally, we need presets for the General equalizer, because it is quite a time-consuming task to adjust it every time we return to the base and at the points where we regularly perform.

Sum up

  • For accuracy, we need two types of visualization and a switch between a linear and logarithmic graph.
    Or the ability to zoom the chart in the horizontal direction
  • For flexibility, we need the ability to assign a different equalization to each output
  • For convenience, we need presets

Here is one of the options how the overall equalizer should look like:
QC - Global EQ_v2
On the presented layout we see:

  • Separate EQ configuration tabs for outputs
  • activation button on the current tab
  • a stereo\mono switch (In this case, it is activated for XLR and Phones, and deactivated for output 3-4 and send 1-2, so their tabs are divided)
  • visualization switch
  • switch the type of graph

Perhaps the idea with tabs and the location of buttons on\off and stereo\mono is not the most successful, however, concentrating all these functions on one screen would be quite convenient

limiter and maximizer

In addition to the reverb and equalizer, a limiter and maximizer (although this effect is in doubt, it introduces a latency, but if use it only for sound from a computer, then it will come in handy) would be extremely useful.

It is important to note that these effects should be able to process not only signals from physical inputs, but also from a computer. Usually, this whole set is used on the master bus of DAW and their transfer to the hardware processor will allow for performance to give up a productive bulky PC and use even a rather weak tablet. Since global effects are intuitively felt to the right of the tool chains (and on mixers they are usually located to the right), it will be convenient to show this panel with a swipe from the right edge of the screen

Absolutely! This would be an absolute amazing addition!

I’d be a bit concerned about CPU usage. Any FX that can be global would need their CPU allocation held back from use for presets. Otherwise, you could build a preset that would overload the CPU when the global FX are all engaged.

This is less a concern for EQs and compressors than it would be for reverb, which is rather expensive from a CPU standpoint. While they’re working to reduce that, it still seems like the cost of such global FX would be significant, particularly for those who don’t use them.

If to put eight amplifiers on each path, the device can’t cope with it? But nobody is worried that the device can do this and this creates a problem. Those who do not need this should not go in there and do not touch the “on” switch. The device already has ways to get the processor overloaded. This is natural for a device with so many degrees of freedom, and this is not a vice, this is freedom :slight_smile:

That’s the problem: It doesn’t matter if I hit the on button.

If you put a nice fat global hall reverb, what happens if you load a preset that maxed out resources without a global reverb? I don’t see how to avoid bad behavior without the system reserving enough CPU for the most resource intensive global blocks. You might call it freedom but I’d consider it more of a limitation.

That’s right, the system reserves resources for these effects, but only if the effects are enabled. Activat the effect in the global routing section is the same as adding the block to the grid. This is just a matter of virtual routing, of proper resource management logic. If the global effects are turned off, they are simply not on the virtual grid.
You turned on the cool global reverb, it used 20% of one of the cores, that’s it, now it’s your direct duty to take into account that you have 50% left on two stereo paths and another 30% on the other two. You drive a manual transmission, don’t you? :slight_smile:
After all, the QC, like the Helix, uses a dynamic grid. NeuralDSP can add at least a more blocks, for example, like a HX Stomp. We just may not see 4 more blocks, 9th column. And if global effects are turned off, then these blocks are not bypassed, but completely removed. There are many ways to do this, it will not be difficult and destructive.

Not exactly. It reserves resources for effects that can be enabled. If you put a block on the grid, the CPU is reserved even when the block is disabled.

I’d ask you to consider (and hopefully answer) my earlier question: If the system doesn’t reserve CPU for blocks that can be added, what’s the behavior supposed to be when you load a preset and there’s not enough CPU for both the global FX and the preset’s FX?

  • Don’t load the preset
  • Load the preset and overload the CPU

You seem to be forgetting that you’re talking about global FX. It’s easy to manage CPU when editing a preset but how do things stay safe after a preset is created?

Is the system supposed to scan every preset when you want to enable a global effect to make sure the new effect isn’t going to overload the CPU? What about when you download a preset? Should it disallow the download because it won’t work with your current global FX? If not, how do you avoid calling up a preset that won’t overload the CPU without always reserving CPU for the most intensive global FX?

Don’t try this feature for all traditional guitar processor scenarios. What to do with a preset that cannot be loaded? Well there are 3 ways. Do not load, load while there are resources and overload. How does line6 deal with this, for example? How does the Fractal work with global blocks? How does it load presets? If they are not on the fractal grid, they do not take up the resource, do they? =) If You know which of these paths is the best, You can point it out. It makes no difference to me at all, because in my use case this situation does not exist at all, I’m going the 4 way, I don’t make such presets.
The main thing to understand is that the implementation of such functions without regressing others is an absolutely achievable task and you should not be afraid of it, programmers will sort everything out. QC already in fact can do this - it’s just a matter of the interface.
This is essentially how to implement global blocks and reserve an invisible ninth column for them, but show it as a separate page.
(* Don’t take this scheme too literally)
This is how the grid might look if the user turned GFX off. All the power of the DSP will be distributed over 32 blocks:

This is how if user turned GFX on, 36 blocks:

  • How is this different from simply changing the grid to 4x9 combined with the global blocks feature?
    A 9-column grid is not much better than an 8-column grid, It won’t change anything :slight_smile: This trick is just for introduce an additional interface adapted for another task without modifying the architecture. This is just an easy modification, not a rework.
    It is also just an abstraction step, and the real picture will be slightly different, there will be not 4 parallel stereo paths, but one sequential of several blocks which will be either stereo or up to 8 channels (or even more if USB audio processing from PC is available) - it depends on the routing of the visible part of the grid.

nohow.

This is the way of the samurai. You start using global effects, you find out that you need 45% of the DSP to do it. Take it for granted - all your presets should fit into the remaining 55%. It is a pity that this is not the most powerful modeler on the planet :slight_smile:

Sorry if I couldn’t answer, we can try again :slight_smile: