A perfect storm of things have accumulated which has resulted in me splurging out for an over-the-top modeller. It’s almost like buying a Ferrari when you just go to the supermarket once a week, but I suppose it at the very least future proofs my equipment.
I read that most guitar players quit within the first year, and I’ve managed to surpass that barrier and I’m still thoroughly enjoying guitar, so I thought it was time for a treat.
I perhaps would have maybe bought a new guitar, but my amp has busted and the lead time for repair is 4 weeks, I can’t go without an amp it’s too difficult to play my electric and the songs I’m trying to learn without one. And I’ve been eyeing up a digital modeller as I want to start playing more metal, and I don’t have the space for pedals, and huge amps and cabs like dual rectifiers, so I figured I’d explore the amp modeller space. Plus I’m a tech guy so this just feels like the right approach for me.
It was expensive but I’m in a position in my life where I can afford to splash out on hobbies a bit more, and ultimately it will probably be cheaper than a lifetime of buying amps and pedals, so I thought why not.
I splashed out on a quad cortex. I could have probably got away with a Stomp or Nano but it’s a push the boat out expense. I’m enjoying it so far, going to try and not fall down the rabbit hole of chasing sounds rather than practicing.
I got the same with all my modellers. Don’t worry, sooner or later you’ll find your favourite sounds and you will understand how powerful toy you have.
YES! I love my Helix. Hope you enjoy your Quad Cortex! I have had a lot of fun learning how things make the sounds we know from our music.
My recommendation is to do a fast pass through the amps and find one you like the sound of with no other pedals or modifications to the sound (just use tone controls, if needed). Save that as your go-to for practice. Eventually, you will put together chains you like and likely settle out on just a few you tend to use. Don’t try to get all your setups in one or two days. I probably took 2-3 months to get 3-4 saved signal chains I really liked and then slightly adjusted those over time. I have about 6 now to use depending on how I want to sound and which guitar I have in my lap.
Initially, it took me a few hours to assemble a new chain. Today, after 2-3 years with my Helix, I have learned how to put something together in 15-20 minutes that usually sounds interesting or similar to something I hear in a song. It will take some time to know your models.
@roger_holland ha ha, I think I’m still trying to convince myself why I bought it.
@LievenDV thanks for the tip I’ll have a look at some of the IRs
@domi7 yeah sometimes I need to just mix it up and try something new, I feel like this is definitely going to help encourage me to play more
@sequences thanks for the detailed advice. I was surprised at how quickly I was able to find a nice tone. I have to admit I’ve no idea what a lot of these settings even do so I’ll probably just stick to the basics for a while for sure. What is quite nice is having a looper so I can play a couple of bars, loop it and fiddle with some amps and then I’m done.
Wow, congrats on your new shiny and on making it past the year mark!
Thanks for mentioning this, as I had no idea, and that research from Fender has lots of interesting stuff in it. It’s cool to learn about who’s picking up a guitar and why, and to see the cultural differences in approaches to guitar.
Happy NGD! Loving the Cortex! I tried the Ampero 2 Stage (much cheaper, I know), ended up selling it 'cause I was not vibing with it. Now I have a pedalboard that is not far from you Cortex in price…
About two years ago I bought a Fender Tone Master Pro, which is similar to your QC. It was a bit of a splurge for me at the time as I had only been playing for three years. But, I have played it almost every day since the I got it and have really enjoyed it.
I think one benefit of getting a fully featured device like this is that you don’t have to worry about buying more gear, or if what you have is good enough. My TMP was expensive, but I haven’t bought any gear since I got it and I don’t foresee any gear purchases in the near future. The only thing that I might add is a FRFR type
speaker if I get in a position to play with other people and I need more amplification that my original Mustang GT40 amp.
I hope you enjoy your new gear and it inspires you to keep playing for many years to come!
For sure. I was eyeing up a couple of pedals and realistically would have got a new amp eventually, the cost of all this quickly adds up. Really I can’t see a need for anything at all now beyond new guitars. Maybe an FRFR but I’m quite happy with studio monitors and headphones at the moment.
… You can also just type here “I just wanted it”
until your next purchase 
…
Congratulations and happy new gear day 
