Quad Cortex

FAQs

• When will Quad Cortex ship?
  The first 1,000 units will ship by September 2020. The second 1,000 units will ship by November 2020.
• How much is the pre-order?
  €200/$200
• When does the rest of the pre-order become payable?
  The rest of the pre-order becomes payable when the units are ready to ship. You will receive an e-mail asking you to pay the remainder and provide your shipping information.
• Is the pre-order refundable?
  Yes.
• What happens if I don’t pay for the remainder?
  You will have 14 days to pay for the remainder of your pre-order. If you do not pay, your deposit will be refunded and your unit will be transferred to someone else on the waiting list.
• How much does it cost?
  The worldwide cost will be $1599 plus shipping. EU cost will be €1599 (including VAT) plus shipping.
• Does the Euro pricing include VAT?
  Yes, the final pricing in Euro reflects VAT. If you have a valid EU VAT identity number, we will request it along with your shipping information and deduct the tax from the final payment.
• Do you ship worldwide?
  Yes
• If I bought my Quad Cortex overseas, do I have to send it to Finland for servicing?
  No, we are setting up authorized repairs services in the US and Canada, and several counties in Asia to make servicing as swift as possible.
• How long will the shipping take once I have made the full payment?
  After receiving payment, your Quad Cortex will ship to you in 5 working days.
• What audio algorithms come with the device?
  As of now Quad Cortex ships with 50+ amps, 70+ effects, and 1,000+ IRs. This amount will continue to grow, for eternity.
• Do Neural DSP plugins come with QC?
  Not by default as of now, but we will send a free plugin update in a Cortex compatible format to everyone who owns our plugins so they can be loaded onto the device.
• How do sound and performance compare to what we already know from the Neural DSP Plugins?
  We have used the same modeling methods that have made our plugins successful. Quad Cortex will simply pack a vast and ever-increasing collection of them in a tour-ready format.
• What is Neural Capture?
  Other companies already digitally capture the sound of an analog rig, some very cleverly for the time they were introduced. But with the advances in machine learning technology and in embedded processing power, we thought we could greatly contribute to this field.Our biomimetic approach relies on a unique combination of advanced machine learning techniques and neuroscience; we invented a way to train an AI to perceive sound in the same way the human ear does.Quad Cortex’s neural networks are hearing your rig in the same way that you do, giving it the most comprehensive and detailed detection system, and the resulting digitized rigs are the most accurate and powerful on the market.
• Can I run other plugins on Quad Cortex?
  No.
• If I have bought Neural DSP plugins, can I get them on QC?
  We will send a free plugin update in a Cortex compatible format to everyone who owns our plugins so the modules in them can be loaded onto the device.
• Can I load my Neural DSP presets on QC?
  We are working on it!
• Is there a desktop controller?
  Yes. The desktop controller will be available at no cost when Quad Cortex ships.
• Can I use the desktop controller without Quad Cortex?
  The controller needs to be linked to a physical device to, well, control it.
• Do you need to use the mobile app to use QC?
  You do not need to use the mobile app. One of our main goals was to create a device that is so easy to use that no external devices are needed to comfortably control or configure it.But the app will allow you to explore, and share through other users’ presets, so although not necessary, it will definitely help you explore new sounds and connect with fellow Cortex users.
• Does QC come with a gigbag?
  No, but we will look into add-ons and accessories.
• Can you load your own IRs onto QC?
  Absolutely! You can load third-party IRs.
• Can you use QC as a USB audio interface?
  Yes. Quad Cortex features Cirrus Logic codecs and an ultra-low-latency USB audio transmission.
• How is QC more than just a piece of hardware to trigger plugins? Why would somebody use this if they already have the plugins?
  It does so much more than that. It has more processing power than most commercial computers, so you can run more models simultaneously. It is also a very high-grade interface, meaning that you will get extremely good and consistent conversion noise/headroom performance.Unlike desktop setups, the unit is self-contained: anything and everything you need to operate it is built-in. Of course, there are other ground-breaking features such as Neural Capture that you simply cannot get in any plugin.
• What is the warranty period?
  2 years limited.
• The unit looks very compact. How can I make sure it’s road-ready?
  The unit comes in a sturdy anodized aluminum unibody. the touch screen has a 1.8mm chemically strengthened Corning® protective glass, and the rotary actuators are our own design and custom made out of stainless steel (they are arguably the most reliable footswitch ever made). This unit is made to last.
• The glass screen is right by the footswitches, isn’t that a risk?
  Although the same is true for any foot-controlled device with a screen, we’ve gone the extra mile to minimize the likelihood of accidental damage by including a 1.8mm chemically strengthened Corning® protective glass on ours.
• How afraid should I be of damaging the stomp-knobs?
  Not at all. The metal casing is made of stainless steel, making them borderline indestructible, and the inner mechanism is made of extremely durable ABS. More than seeing it as a knob you can stomp on, think of it as the most durable footswitch ever that you can also turn to adjust controls.
• Is it possible that stomping on the knobs could adjust a parameter?
  No. The software prevents accidental parameter tweaking when a switch is pressed.
• How many virtual rigs can I run at once?
  Anywhere between 2 and 4 depending on the complexity of the chain. Although rigs based on Neural Capture amplifiers require less CPU, so the figure will be higher and will vary greatly on your setup. Think of Quad Cortex as a very powerful blank canvas, with which you can explore and push its limits, just like you would with an amazing computer.
• How many instruments can I connect to a Quad Cortex?
  The physical connectors allow for a maximum of 4 by repurposing the FX Loops Send and Return as additional I/Os.
• Can I use it for vocals and synths?
  Absolutely. Quad Cortex combo Inputs 1 and 2 come with high-grade microphone preamps, phantom power supply, and variable impedance controls. We plan on adding a plethora of vocal effects in the near future.
• What are your plans to incorporate more amplifier models, IRs and effects?
  Very aggressive plans. Our pledge is that the collection of sounds will continue to grow, permanently. The cool thing is that our wireless capabilities will make it a breeze to update the firmware. Connect to WiFi, search for updates, and in less than 10 minutes you have the latest and greatest. Plus, you can continue to use the device while the update happens in the background.
• Can I use Quad Cortex in combination with other physical gear?
  Absolutely! It comes with 2 mono FX loops and expression inputs so you can connect your favorite effects and expression pedals to it.
• Can I use Quad Cortex in combination with plugins?
  Absolutely. Most studio users will probably combine it with third-party plugins in a DAW.
• You are a software company, how can you also be good at hardware?
  We actually started the company to do hardware in parallel to software – this project just took a lot longer to develop than our first plugins. Many of us have extensive experience making hardware; our CEO Doug Castro is the founder and former CEO of Darkglass Electronics, so he has over a decade of experience designing and mass-manufacturing extremely reliable hardware. The hardware engineering team also boasts of nearly 5 decades of hardware development experience. We know the hardware realm extremely well. Quad Cortex is made for war.
• How many presets/banks are available?
  32 banks of 8 presets. 256 presets in total.
• Is there gapless switching between scenes & presets?
  Preset changing will incur in the inevitable, familiar gap. You can use Scene and Stomp modes to change the sounds while maintaining delay trails without any crossfade/gaps.
• Do delay & reverb trails continue through scene & preset changes?
  Trails continue whenever you switch these effects on and off in Scene or Stomp mode.
• Is there a preset exchange website?
  Yes, and a mobile App!
• Can you run a DI through for re-amping?
  Yes.
• Can I use a computer or external MIDI controller to operate Quad Cortex?
  Yes, through MIDI Ports or Computer linked through USB to the other device.
• Is there an undo function?
  Yes!
• How do I use Quad Cortex live?
  Send the main outputs to a solid-state power amp, FRFR cab, and/or mixing console.
• Can I run a separate mix to FOH or in-ear monitors?
  Yes, by configuring a second output on Quad Cortex and specifying what you’d like to send through it.
• Do the inputs support a variety of powered instruments?
  Yes. Input impedance and gain are adjustable for Inputs 1 and 2.

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