Signal Routing - Out 1/2 to FOH with Amp/Cab and Out 3/4 with Cab disabled?

This has likely been discussed before as I’m sure I’m not the only use case here, but hoping someone can provide some feedback as I’m new to QC.

Is there a way to run the full chain/grid to Outputs 1/2 for XLR out to FOH that includes the Amp and Cab blocks, but have the Cab disabled on outputs 3/4? Reason for this is to run full signal to FOH via XLR with the Amp/Cab blocks enabled, but have outputs 3/4 run to real guitar cabs on stage. Outs 3/4 would go to a power amp that is driving the cabs on stage so I still need to run the Amp in QC but no cab in QC for outs 3/4.

Thoughts?

Let’s say you’re on Row 1 with the amp + cab, going out to Outputs 1 & 2. You can introduce a Split in between the amp and cab blocks and run it to Row 2, then run that to Outputs 3 & 4.

Easy peasy. Lots of QC users, myself included, do some version of this.

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Thanks! Helpful to know! Still getting adjusted to all the routing/splitting capabilities in it and how that works.

In a setup like this below, how would you route this so that outputs 3/4 have no cab but still receiving all of the effects when running into the physical speaker cab?

Shoot, I knew this question would come up. I should have said more.

So, this comes down to the question of whether or not you can live with effects like delays and reverbs before the cab.

Try running a chain that is amp block → effects (FX loop, delays, reverbs) blocks → cab block → output 1 & 2. The benefit here is that you can split after the delays and reverbs, but before the cab block. Then you can send the split signal to output 3 & 4.

I don’t think there’s a significant sound difference if you have effects blocks going into a cab block–we’re just so used to seeing examples of amp + cab blocks being placed right next to each other. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Experiment and find out what works for you.

EDIT: Here’s an example of how I run my presets.

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Here’s the way I usually do it (effects/amps vary depending on the preset, but almost all my presets are setup that way):

Out 1&2 go to FoH/monitors (in stereo), Out 3 is setup for going to a power amp (either the FX return of an amp or a discrete power amp) and cab, so with no cab sim/IR, and with mono FX.

Since I’m on IEMs most of the time these days, I don’t really rely on the on-stage amp for monitoring, only for “moving air” and getting some sustain/feedback.

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Got it! That’s how I initially had it set up with the effects being duplicated on a different row on the split, but thought maybe there was an easier way so I didn’t have to manage multiple chains if I changed a parameter on an effect. Seems like this may be the way to go. :+1:

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I’ll give this a try. You’re totally right about the effects and amp/cab block. Even when running a tube amp with an effects loop, all the modulation effects are still happening before the speaker (in a live situation), so that makes sense to do it that way in the QC too. The only way you’re going to get effects placed after the cabinet with a tube amp is by adding them in post when recording or through something else at the console when live. I was hoping for a way to not have to manage multiple rows where the effects were duplicated just because of the IR/Cab block

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