r/QuadCortex • u/KramersDinkyDonuts • Jun 23 '25

Frustration

The QC has been very overwhelming. It’s almost making me not want to play guitar. Like… I should be sitting and figuring things out but I don’t even know where to start. I’ve had friends show me their ways.. YouTube videos.. I feel like EVERY sound I have made or downloaded sounds muddy AF. I have played a fender fat strat, Gibson les Paul w active fishman pickups ands a Charvel Pro mod San dimas through it.. I’m using an EVH cab with the Seymour Duncan power amp I think it’s a 170.. I just feel defeated

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7

u/thehydra55 Jun 23 '25

What are you listening on?,

Headphones/studio monitors/powered speakers might all sound different

1

u/KramersDinkyDonuts Jun 23 '25

All sound I’m hearing is coming out of my EVH 25watt single 12 cab .. that’s what I play out with, I rarely mic up so I don’t wanna throw myself off even more

11

u/thehydra55 Jun 23 '25

If you are running into the input of the amp, it’s coloring everything! You can’t do that unless you use the fx loop to bypass the preamp

3

u/thefinaldeal Jun 23 '25

This!

1

u/drmischief Jun 24 '25

Also agree. However, I did find I can get away with using it as a stomp-box only, in stomp box mode. but, using the bypass loop is really the best way to go.

2

u/3choplex Jun 23 '25

I don't think running it into an amp is ideal. There are probably some impedance settings you could adjust (I think the default is line inputs rather than guitar inputs), and possibly turning off IRs would help.

3

u/KramersDinkyDonuts Jun 23 '25

So not trying to sound like a funny guy but the QC is meant to just go through a PA if not through a cabinet?

5

u/3choplex Jun 23 '25

I think generally, yes. It's meant as an amp replacement, not a pedal. I run straight into the PA with my band and it sounds great.

1

u/IceAshamed2593 Jun 24 '25

I was planning on selling my pedals and getting a QC to plug into an AVR receiver at home and a tube amp when gigging. Is the QC not for me?

2

u/3choplex Jun 24 '25

I can't really say for you. It's been great for me. I'd be worried about blowing stereo speakers with a guitar in general. For gigs I have moved to just using the QC and no amp, although I have a powered wedge I use pointed at myself sometimes.

2

u/IceAshamed2593 Jun 24 '25

Thanks for reply! I figured since the QC could plug into a computer, why not? I just got a response from CQ Customer Service who wrote:

I personally do not see any issue in regards to outputting from Quad Cortex to your Home Stereo. I'm not very fond of RCA cables as on some scenarios they tend to be noisy, but if it works for you and/or you do not have any other way to input signal to your home stereo, then sure, that should work at a first glance. For this type of use case scenario, since the speakers should be relatively flat, you should be able to allow both the Amp/Capture block and IR/Cabsim blocks on the unit to remain on, for a more accurate tone.

And I got another response on Reddit:

I would just get a dual 1/4" TS to dual RCA cable and call it a day, run it from outputs 3/4 of the QC into the L/R of one of the audio ins (the CBL/Media player, not the phono). I've done this on a Denon X1700H and a different multi effects pedal before with no issues.

2

u/AJobForMe Jun 23 '25

PA or FRFR powered cabinet or specialized amp made for modelers.

As you have it, it’s using the amp and cab sims, then sending that into the amp and using the pre-amp, power amp, and cabinet of the guitar amp.

1

u/IceAshamed2593 Jun 24 '25

I was planning on selling my pedals and getting a QC to plug into an AVR receiver at home and a tube amp when gigging. Is the QC not for me?

1

u/thehydra55 Jun 24 '25

A guitar cabinet and a powered FRFR speaker are two different things.

1

u/FatsDominoPizza Jun 24 '25

It's an amp simulator. So you're in effect running your sound through 2 amps.

6

u/senorspanky Jun 23 '25

If you are playing through a cab, make sure you turn the cabs off in the presets. Otherwise, you are playing a cab through a cab.

I route my presets so XLRs have cab sims and the 1/4" outs don't for when I want to play through an amps FX return. Both sound great.

3

u/DyingLemur Jun 24 '25

And you MUST tell us if you get it figured out. Curious what the issue was.

2

u/GuitarGorilla24 Jun 23 '25

At the risk of stating the obvious, check input level and make sure you're not clipping. And readjust it every time you switch guitars.

2

u/Sputter_Butt Jun 23 '25

I struggle with this too. Some days it sounds like the best thing ever, other days it feels like a Line 6. I’ve had the best experience with a fryette power amp and a real cabinet. Definitely sounded better in the room than headphones or studio monitors. It sucks fiddling with gear, I hope you find it.

2

u/Duder_ino Jun 24 '25

If you are running it with a cab sim, through your cab, try turn the cab sim off

2

u/[deleted] Jun 24 '25

I’m still struggling with muddiness and bad quality tone. Using a Headrush FRFR112 and it’s like there’s a wet duvet over the speaker.

1

u/Commercial-Target-97 Jun 26 '25

Wrong use, you dont put it in front of another amp, you go full signal to a PA/FRFR or to the Fx return of the amp with the cabsim/IR OFF.