QUAD CORTEX | QUICK TIPS | INPUT AND OUTPUT LEVELS
In this QC Quick Tips video, I discuss setting optimal input and output levels. If you are new to the Quad Cortex, this should be the first thing you do to get optimal sound!
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#QUAD #CORTEX #QUICK #TIPS #INPUT #OUTPUT #LEVELS
Originally posted by UCztAIYUyI0vd0JJJ-RpUsuQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKSYHPMCTLk
GREAT info – thanks!
I don't think the guitar signal should be peaking in the red. Ideally, it should stay in the yellow range, around -6 dB or lower.
I just purchased a Quad Cortex and This Video was So – Helpful ~ Thank You Dustin, , You ROCK ! ????????☄
Thank you. Super helpful!
You can leave out ‘basically’ a little.
Is there any way of getting the same level from the XLR outputs as the TRS? I'm having to add 10db on the trim on my interface when using the XLR outputs.
Thanks for that
Why is your master volume set to 11?
Very useful ???? i been usiing the main volume at like 45%. Its one of the first runs made and the original owner had all the outputs maxed out. I can see why he was eager to sell it. The sound was so so. What a huge difference. Thank you for posting this
Input level to different guitars
Single coil = 0db
Humbacker = -6db
Active pickups = ___?
This makes sense. What's your take on the whole videos saying that the input gain must be left at zero?
Is there a way to monitor level in and out of individual blocks? I'm not clipping in or out, but it sounds like something is clipping in the signal chain.
sorry for clarifying:
1. can i use QC for several instruments and use sends as another pair of jack outputs?
2. and return as another pair of inputs
if yes is it possible to have 3 pairs of outputs and one jack output as headphones out?
i want to plug in guitar (stereo out jack), vocal (stereo out xlr) playback via usb in and stereo out send. and also spd sx out from headphone jack out put. how do you think, is it possible?
Sorry this is wrong
Levels on old style recording equipment would be better at max before going red lined, but this is an analog signal signal going into a digital conversion consequently as he says in the video if you push the level up you push the the amp into overdrive; you don’t get any improvement in tonal range but you do reduce the ability to back off the input level from the guitar potentiometer vol control. Before you pass judgment remember the person who put any factory preset of captures etc have done this presuming your device is set to factory settings.
If you just want overdrive sounds and beyond crack on but you will struggle to get sparkling clean sounds without backing off your guitar volume control a long way and loose the volume balance associated with a great valve amp
Ps the video was useful in realising where I was also going wrong; all the factory presets now sound awesome.
Rock on
Yeah… I gotta say that first recommendation of having your signal hit the red “sometimes” is wrong. It shouldn’t ever go in there. You don’t need to push the input signal that hard and you don’t want your distortion to come from clipping when it could, instead, come from so many other sources in the QC designed to do that.
Just got the QC. Anyone have troubles with factory presets not outputing any sound to guitars plugged into input 2? I've selected inputs 1/2 and still nothing. I'm only getting sound from the guitar plugged into input 1 and nothing from input 2. Don't seem to have this problem with my own presents, or ones downloaded from the community.
Very useful, thanks so much, what a beautiful machine we have in our hands
So simple to understand and very clear – thank you
How do you get volume out of this thing?? I have my levels so they won't clip but playing through a cab it's so quiet
Omg. Gonna take longer to figure out this pedal than learning how to play guitar
With anything digital it seems there is no way away from the input level debates. Why would it not be fixed at a level that simulates a real amplifier input level and the guitar should do the rest (i.e be higher or lower gain). There are no real amps where you trim your guitar output level to it's maximum volume (compared to other guitars) on the way in. Is this different than all the input gain discussions out there? ie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qECIigojlEg. I notice in the video you increase the input gain, but then turn down the capture gain (probably because of the increased input gain)…
Great "Tone King" preset…can you share it?
Modern 24bit AD converters have reached a level of resolution that you don’t have to hit them hard. I’ve been running my QC so the input isn’t hitting the red at all.
What's the best way to manage master output (volume knob) and output levels so that you have strong output without deafening yourself? My understanding is the volume knob should be as close to 100 as possible to maintain best signal to noise ratio, but if I do that I have to adjust preset output or I/O settings to like -20Db. Wouldn't that be a problem in a live scenario, or would the sound guy just bump up levels to compensate?
Bla bla bla we heard nothing
Setting levels is the biggest issue with digital multi amp/fx/ do it all pre-sets… the only way is to play with your band and … trial and error, and at least the QC offers easy ‘in battle’ interface to tweak tone and volumes
Holy cow, does this ever make a difference! My In 1 Lvl was at 0, set it to +8 dB for my system and the amps seem much more lively.
It's not really about clipping, the thing is to hit the front of the amp capture with the same level as if you plugged straight into the real thing, so 0db is where it's at. Unless you dont care about hitting your captures harder and getting more distortion from them of course.
Very helpful video. Thanks for sharing these important details.
hey! love the video! anyway can i play music through the QC from my pc into my studio monitors while playing guitar?
Thanks so much. I was wondering why my volume to my amp was low-when I checked the input it was set so low. After changing it, the problem was solved. This is one of the best videos on the QC. Subscribed!
That was really useful, thanks man
Hey man thanks for the video. Need some help. Got my cortex today. Brand new with some brand new Rokit G4 5” monitors. Couldn’t get any sound out of one of the speakers (defective) so I called Sweetwater and they are replacing it. So I messed around with the QC with just one of them. Everything sounded horrible. Muddy and very bass heavy. Changing input levels didn’t help. I’m curious if perhaps it’s because I was running everything mono into one of the rokits? Are these terrible / cheap monitors ? Any thoughts on why it might sound so bad?
Clean tones sound nice / fine, but distortion tones sound horrible on all presets and when I build my own preset, very muddy, bass heavy and like it has a blanket over it. Frustrating. Perhaps I need to keep messing with the input levels or just wait until I get both speakers in stereo? Thanks bro
Am I understanding the Quad Cortex manual and this video that you can dial-in the Effect Return inputs such that you could use those for more guitar/bass/instrument inputs?
Hello, I’ve noticed when I turn the volume down on the Captured Drives. It lowers the overall gain and characteristics of the capture. Any tips?
Man im glad i stumbled across this video and whatched this,mt numbers where wasy off and sounds so much better,biggest bonus i think was subscribingh toyour chanel,you got some awesome videos i casnt wait to check out this weekend.Looking forweard to this!
Genial