Overall output for loud clean tones!

Quad Cortex
1

Hi All, I purchased my QC about 2 months ago and fell in love with it, I am a gigging country and southern rock guitarist so I needed clean tones at loud volumes, I have read that there is a big output difference from the helix. I was having to clip the output signal to my power cab to get volume and it still was not clean (awesome tone) but not what I needed. So I purchased a Rolls XLR line control with 30db of boost and it worked like a champ! Used it last night in an outdoor event and had plenty of volume while keeping the power cab in the orange clipping (ideal). So if anyone is having this same issue I have put a link below. Thanks for reading and I hope this helps!

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ILC19--rolls-ilc19-in-line-level-control

3 Likes
2

awesome! I have similar issues with QC level not being loud enough on bass. Is this phantom powered? How is it “boosting” with no power?

3

I believe it’s a transformer based circuit! It fixed the problem for me.

4

you should put that in the Discord “QC Accessories” channel, might help a lot of people

5

I’m really new to all of this group chat, not sure how to go about that

6

it’s a bit of a free-for-all over there, I’ll post it

7

I have noticed that setting input/ouput levels correctly on the QC is both more flexible in certain respects but also more fiddley than the Helix. Assuming you probably already tried boosting levels in blocks further upstream from the output block including the input block and the large main volume knob, as you report that turning up the level in the output block was creating clipping. Unless there is a substantial difference in available headroom in the QC’s output from the Helix, in which case I hope it gets addressed in a firmware update, it seems like you should be able to address the low output level without having to resort to external hardware.

Worth noting also that it is well known that the PowerCabs require a fairly robust input level. I also own the Helix and a PC+ and had to go back and boost the level of several of my presets on my Helix for use with the PC+ that by way of contrast, had adequate levels already with other FRFRs.

With all that said though, thanks for the recommendation for the workaround. Quick and easy is always a nice alternative even if a preferred option would be the ability to address this from the QC itself.

8

I’m pretty sure there is less headroom available. I have to peak everything to almost red to get enough level for bass cabs in a loud band, even with a 1kW power amp. I haven’t measured it or anything, but I do think the overall possible level is definitely less than most preamps