Like many QC users, I’m still looking forward to Neural adding a global stereo/mono capability to the QC. I have two FRFR cabs but sometimes I need to use a single cab due to stage space constraints, portability, etc.
As a work-around, I’ve been inserting an empty (no IR loaded) mono IR loader block at the end of each preset’s block chain and turning it off or on, depending on my needs. This does the job but requires turning the block off or on and re-saving each of my 24 presets. This works but is is a bit of a hassle.
Then I learned about a feature that I was previously unaware of…Global Bypass. This feature was designed to turn cab and cab IR blocks off and on globally, for those who sometimes use a real guitar cab or, sometimes go direct to a PA, recording rig or FRFR cabs. It also works beautifully for turning my (monoizer) IR blocks off or on. Since the Global Bypass function is lane specific, you just have to make sure that there are no other IR Loader blocks in the lane where the mono IR block is loaded. In my case, it’s always the last lane in my chain. Now I can make all of my presets stereo or mono by turning the mono IR blocks off and on using Global Bypass.
A couple of things to keep in mind; some effects don’t work well in mono, particularly the Doubler block and other time-based effects, as this can create phase cancelation anomalies. If you’re unsure, try inserting a mono IR block in the preset and going through any scenes you have setup before programing the hack globally. One other caveat, without having an IR loaded into the IR block, you will lose a couple db of gain and the block gain control does not function. As long as the mono block is inserted at the end of the chain, you can compensate by turning up the gain on the output(s) on the In/Out page, or, in my case, compensate with the volume knob or FRFR volume control. I’m not sure why a blank IR Loader block (no IR loaded) is not unity gain or why the block gain control doesn’t work.
I’m still hoping that Neural will ad a stereo/mono switch for each set of outputs but this is working for me, in the mean time. Hopefully some of you will find this work-around useful too.
Thanks Xush! With all the folks who’ve asked for a global stereo/mono feature, I hope they’ll find this trick helpful. Do you have any idea why the blank IR block isn’t unity gain and how I might compensate for it? Perhaps loading some type of “transparent” IR would enable the block’s gain control. Not sure where I’d find one.
I just loaded the blank IR into the loader block and now the block’s level control works but with the level control all the way up (12db) the volume is still about 5db-6db lower than when I bypass the block. Ah, well…it was worth a try. Thanks to Xush for providing the blank IR.
I’m not able to test it right now, but if you could check if it reads a cab capture the same as a cab, I might have another option. Probably a long shot shot- I don’t suppose the Global Bypass extends to cab captures
Unfortunately it only controls IRs and and cab model blocks. I think I see where you were going with that and it was a great idea. I don’t keep the volume control dimed so compensating for the output difference is easy. For someone who keeps the knob on 10, they’d have to compensate elsewhere. Thanks for the idea, Xush.
I sent you some ‘neutral IRs’ to see if they perform any differently than the blank one, but based on my tests I don’t think they do. They don’t seem scalable like a regular IR wav file because there’s essentially no info in the file to amplify. Researching now for next steps
EDIT: I think I’ve got it now. Nevermind the blank/neutral IRs. I made a full-range IR via white-noise blip and it sounds the same but lets you adjust the volume level more usefully. I sent Pete the file to confirm; if anyone else wants to try this trick PM me your email and I’ll send the FULLrange IR
I uploaded the IR to my cloud this morning. It definitely solves the gain matching issue, in fact I have to back it off to around -4 to match the volume when the IR block in turned off and on. I did notice that there is now a slight high frequency increase when the IR is engaged.
I made another discovery this morning; according to the text on the Global Bypass page, Captures can also be bypassed globally. I may try making a flat response capture and loading that in.
Thank you again, Xush, for all your time and effort on this!
So I downloaded your capture and it works perfectly! With no adjustment to block gain or EQ it sounds absolutely transparent, just a mono version of the preset. The only snag is that I couldn’t get the Global Bypass to turn the capture off and on. Then I read the fine print; a capture type has to be set to “Cab” for Global Bypass to recognize it. It looks like your “Nothing” capture type is set as “other". Unfortunately, (according to AI) the type is baked in at time of creation and can’t be changed after it’s been created. Xush, care to share how you created “Nothing” from something? Did you just jumper from the capture out to the input? Did you have to tweek settings at all?
Ah, well…it was worth a try. Thanks to Xush for providing the blank IR.