Darkglass Ultimate & Full Disclosure on PCOM/X Updates - Quad Cortex Development Update #58

In a few days we will be releasing Darkglass Ultimate, a major update to Darkglass Ultra. This plugin will not be receiving an X-update, and we want to be transparent about why that is, as well as share some details about the future CorOS 4.1.0 update, and clarify the status of X-updates across our plugin catalog.

Darkglass Ultimate

Darkglass Ultimate is a significant update to Darkglass Ultra, featuring four new pre-fx pedals, two post-fx pedals, an 8x10 speaker cabinet, EQ with high-pass and low-pass filter controls, Transpose, a Metronome, a UI overhaul, loads of new presets, and several other quality of life features. Darkglass Ultimate is a free update for existing Darkglass Ultra customers.

The reason this update carries the Darkglass Ultimate name rather than arriving as Darkglass Ultra X has to do with the terms of our partnership with Darkglass Electronics*. Nearly every plugin in our catalog is the product of a licensing agreement with an artist or brand**. Those agreements include royalties, they have defined terms, and those terms are subject to renegotiation when contracts come up for renewal. This is simply how our business operates, and it means that the conditions governing any given plugin can evolve over time.

When we renewed our agreement with Darkglass, we agreed that the plugin would not be made available on CorOS so as to not make Quad Cortex/Quad Cortex mini directly competitive with Darkglass’s hardware product range. While we’re sad to not bring the plugin to Quad Cortex, we respect that as a legitimate business concern on their part. Because Quad Cortex compatibility is a requirement for the X-update designation, the update will be released under the Darkglass Ultimate name rather than as an X-update.

CorOS 4.1.0

CorOS 4.1.0 will be the largest PCOM (Plugin Compatibility) update we have released. It will bring compatibility for Archetype: Petrucci X, Archetype: Tim Henson X, Archetype: Rabea X, Archetype: Misha Mansoor X, and Archetype: John Mayer X, as well as additional free virtual devices and quality of life improvements. We will share more about this update as we get closer to the launch date.

The Next X-Updates

The next plugins in line to receive X-updates are the Tone King Imperial MKII and the Morgan Amps Suite. We look forward to sharing more on those when development is further along.

Plugins That Will Not Receive X-Updates

Mantra is a vocal processing plugin. It was built for a desktop experience and we do not intend to port it to Quad Cortex. It will not receive an X-update.

The Fortin NTS Suite and Archetype: Tom Morello will also not be receiving X-updates. Due to this, we will be permanently reducing their prices from €119 to €54 and €139 to €64 respectively. Both plugins will also be discounted in our upcoming birthday sale.

Plugins Under Assessment

X-updating has not begun for the following plugins: Fortin Cali Suite, Archetype: Abasi, Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ Suite, Archetype: Mateus Asato, and Omega Ampworks Granophyre.

For any plugin governed by a partnership agreement, the terms of future renewals could affect whether an X-update is possible. We have explained above how that works in practice, and we will continue to be transparent if and when those situations arise.

* Darkglass Electronics was sold to Korg USA in May 2022, and Douglas Castro is no longer operating as Darkglass Electronics’ CEO.

** Parallax and Mantra are 100% Neural DSP’s IP and are not governed by a partnership agreement.