So I wanted to chime in again after owning this device since 09/17 of this year. First off let me say I have purchased over the years 2 Helix products and an FM3 and FM9. I would get those devices and keep the plastic on the screen like everyone else and while I could say they were pretty cool I would decide to sell them after 2 or 3 weeks as I couldn’t justify keeping them.
I have been playing the QC everyday since it arrived and for whatever reason just connected with it. I own 5 high end tube amps and still like to jam on them but have for the most part barely touched them since the QC. I did model several of them but it is just so easy to dial in a profile I like, add a york IR and I am in bliss. I am still exploring what it has on offer and I am excited for new firmware updates that will add more effects and more importantly models.
Have the QC lying around for almost a year now. Never used it for Gigs as there are still too much usability flaws (especially no hybrid mode, no custom naming and coloring for switches). Hybrid mode seems to come in 2.0, but from what ive seen so far its still not capable for my use cases and far away from the abilities that other devices offer.
For example: I want to have my presets (clean, crunch, different amps, special presets for specific songs) on the bottom row. Then in the upper row i want to have a switch to toggle between scenes (eg for solos: more gain, more volume, longer delay), but i want also global stomps (like a chorus or flanger).
All of this is easily possible since almost forever with the Helix, the Kemper, Axe-FX… but not with the QC.
I will wait and take a look at 2.0, but i guess i will sell the QC and keep my Helix. The QCs sound is really awesome, but for me the usability is sadly just impractical…
I’m in the same boat. I don’t intent to sell any of my modelers, but if I had to, the QC would be gone without much thinking. Not because of the tone, but the usability (and the slow development pace wrt editor and plugins).
The good thing is there are lots of choices to fit everyone’s specific needs and pros/cons for every modeler. If the QC isn’t going to provide what you specifically need now, I wouldn’t blame you for selling it. I certainly wouldn’t keep it for a year without using it etc., but everyone’s needs are different.
Hope dies at last… I really want to keep the QC because of its sound, thats why i patiently waited for a year now if things improve with the few updates that came.
There is no doubt that it has massive potential. Its just strange that there are so many impractical things and design flaws in relation to flexibility and real gig usage. Sometimes i wonder if a real guitar player ever played the QC while they developed it
I’m on the fence. I searched through every menu and there was no option for it to make me an egg salad sandwich. I can’t really play without an egg salad sandwich. Also the color of the LED’s - makes me feel indecisive and apathetic sometimes…not all the time…but a lot …I guess I don’t care. I don’t know.
I’m hoping the Neural will find a way to give me exactly the tone in my head without me having to find it myself. Maybe in a future firmware update. Hopefully it will be 5 minutes from now.
My experience is about the same as yours. I love the QC. It’s perfect for me. I was already in the process of selling off my amps and pedals. Living with the QC for a couple months now confirms that I don’t need those anymore. I’m firmly in the QC camp now and ecstatic.
I guess for me I used to play out with a Peavey JSX, a wah and a delay pedal. Having access to scenes for me makes it simple as I only usually have 2 or 3 changes per song. I know a lot of modern guitar players want complicated setups that are easy to navigate live and could see where a fractal setup would be great. That just isn’t me. Give me a lush clean and chunky rhythm and wide lead sound and I am happy.
lol, sorry but thats bullshit … I was talking about usability in a live situation, not about fame or playing skills. Show me any live video of Megadeth (or any other “famous” Band) where you see someone of the band “play” the QC on stage. These are pre produced shows triggering all changes via MIDI or they have guitar techs behind the stage pulling the strings. That was even explained by Kiko Loureiro himself in his QC setup video.
My comment was a bit rude and not constructive. Wine and internet don’t mix. Apologies.
I use the QC, I’ve seen many videos of other people using the QC, it does work for some people, disappointing it didn’t work out for you. Maybe in the future. I’m glad you have your Helix for now.
I guess I am still in the honeymoon phase as I have only had the QC for a few months and still find much about it to love, such as the fantastic sounds to be had from it. I am also impatient though for the 2.0 firmware update and have been waiting for it to drop before I use the QC for a show.
I almost canceled my initial QC order as it not only took about six months to arrive but the glacial pace of firmware rollouts and previous lack of communication from Neural (it is much better now) had me concerned that I was buying vaporware. Glad I hung in there as the QC is magnificent and there was a firmware release not too long after my QC’s arrival with another major one that is supposed to drop soon. I hope the user base’s trust will be met with an uptick in the pace of development efforts.
I am still using my Helix for live performance. Hybrid mode is a must for me, and maybe I’m stubborn but I simply don’t want to have to employ an external MIDI controller or MIDI loopback on a device that has eleven footswitches. At least not yet.
I also find the routing compromises that have to be made for running out to my monitor and FOH in mono to be absolutely maddening. The lack of auto-summing on the outputs on the QC combined with a lack of mono output choices in the firmware was IMHO just a terrible decision in the initial design. Not everyone runs in stereo all the time. That and the weird 8th block stranding in rows 1 and 3 when using a splitter really bugs me. Don’t know if that will even be addressed in the 2.0 firmware but it should be.
Hopefully QC is hiring developers who are also gigging musicians wherever possible, as well as listening and weighing their customers’ requests and suggestions. This device has the potential to be a smash hit. Already is to some extent. The form factor, look and design, UI, the capture capability (pedals!), and the way they have implemented several features are extraordinary!
I really want to see the QC succeed but it needs to get more performance friendly quickly. I don’t have someone running my modeler from backstage and I need more flexibility at my feet. Also, as stated previously, the current firmware punishes you with unnecessary gyrations for trying to run a serial route in mono to a 1/4" and XLR output right now.
Looking forward to seeing these fly off the shelves (if supply chain woes ever recede). That is what funds and accelerates development. Firmware/hardware that supports a wide range of use scenarios helps attract and consolidate that wider customer base.
I’m not able to add anything to the convo, but I wanted to commend the classy response from Skeletron owning up to how his post came across. No escalation, no drama. Just adults being adults. It’s refreshing to see and makes this a great place to share and learn.
No problem… you were right to some point my “guitarist” definition was not very accurate. In fact i dont wanted to flame any guitarists using the QC. As is said: I like the QC too, and i really want it to be a keeper. Its just that its not there yet for my own personal specific needs.
But i guess Megadeth was also a good example. They have their signature sound and dont need thaaat much variation. Even if they wouldnt have their MIDI controlling or guitar techs, i guess it would be easy for them to control the QC on their own. If i would play my own metal (or any other single-genre) music, and just need that one fat amp sound with a few effects and variations… i would definitely go for it.
But i play as a hired musician in different bands and studio projects. These are most of the times cover-jobs for weddings, corporate events, galas, proms and so on. So for one song you need the Aint talkin Van Halen flanger sound, next song maybe Shaft WahWah stuff, then some U2 style timed glimmering delay, then a 12-string acoustic sim and so on…
Of course, you can program a preset for each and every single song, but thats a lot of work and not very flexible when the setlist varies from evenig to evening, or you have spontaneous customer wishes. Thats why i work with presets, scenes and stomps all together. Different amps/stacks are organized in presets. Then scenes for solos, different gain stages or maybe to switch between clean/crunch. Then also effect stomps for specific parts that should be global (for example to transpose the whole guitar).
And thats where the QC lacks flexibility compared to other devices. But as its just a software thing, i hope it gets better with 2.0. I guess hybrid mode will be a huge step forward ^^
I’m like most users on this thread. I bought the QC to attempt to capture my amps( before selling them and moving to a small condo!). It did a good enough job capturing the amps that I sold them all. It now lives in my studio, which has a lot more room since the amps are gone For playing out, I still prefer my HX Stomp rig, as the QC is missing hybrid mode and doesn’t have nearly as many fx choices as the Line6 does. I expect this to change over time.
FWIW, I did extensive testing between, for example, my Marshall Super Lead, the QC capture of my Super Lead, and the Line6 Super Lead - all through the same IR. They can all be made to sound VERY similar, but the QC is more dynamic than the Line6, which sounds slightly compressed for lack of a better term. The QC compared to the actual amp is REALLY close, but the capture gain is slightly off (widely discussed on this forum and easily overcome) and the QC is a tiny bit more harsh in the 3KHz range, where the actual amp is a little sweeter. Not a deal-breaker at all for me.
FWIW - Just sold my last amp this past weekend. I have no regrets. The QC covers my needs. For the first time in 4 decades, I am amp-less…and loving it.
I love mine. Excellent sounds that are as easy to dial in as with my pedals and amps.
I’m not using it for performance. Reading this and other threads has shown me the pros and cons in that world…but it’s not mine anymore. If I’m playing out, it’s with an amp and a small pedal board. As is, the QC is my studio rig and it’s great.
I’m very much hoping for a computer editor and backup system. As a tech guy, I’m very familiar with the cloud and all it can offer. But I believe that there’s a certain amount of autonomy to make anything of a tech nature a truly useable experience. Having your data stored on a home device along with home backups is very important to me.
So it’s a balancing act, at this point. The sounds are excellent and the ease of use is huge in my world. I’m banking on a more user centered editor and file/backup system in the future. Neural DSP is a top notch company…so I’m sure they’re more than up to the task.
I really want to keep the QC because of its sound, thats why i patiently waited for a year now if things improve with the few updates that came.
my “guitarist” definition was not very accurate. In fact i dont wanted to flame any guitarists using the QC. As is said: I like the QC too, and i really want it to be a keeper. Its just that its not there yet for my own personal specific needs.