Neural DSP Quad Cortex User guide

Quad Cortex User Manual 2.0

CorOS version 2.0.0

Contents

Welcome to Quad Cortex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

What is Quad Cortex? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Contact info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Top View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Rear View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Bottom View (Inside) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Setting up your Quad Cortex . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

The Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Power Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Settings Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Neural DSP account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

I/O Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

CPU Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Working on The Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Clipping Alert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

The Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Saving Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Setlists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Sort and Search Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Assigning Expression Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Expression Bypass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Splitters and Mixers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Using External IR les . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Looper X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Device Blocks Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Switching Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Preset Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Scene Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Copy & Paste Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Stomp Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Hybrid Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Gig View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Four Cable Method (4cm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

Seven Cable Method (7cm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

As FX Loop Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

As FX Processor (pre only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

Using external gear (FX loop) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Stereo cab setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Guitar and vocals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Two guitars and bass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

Neural Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Creating a new Neural Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Using a Neural Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

Computer Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

USB Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Hardware & DAW Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

USB I/O Schematic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

MIDI Settings Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Preset MIDI Out Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

Incoming MIDI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Incoming MIDI Reserved CC List . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Cortex Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Cloud Backups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

Adding friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

Downloading items from other users . . . . . . . . . 100

Uploading Impulse Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Importing Impulse Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Uploading Presets and Neural Captures to

Cortex Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Sharing Presets and Neural Captures . . . . . . . . 104

Virtual Device List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

F.A.Q. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Specications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Setup Examples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Basic Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60

FRFR/Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

FRFR Monitor + FRFR to Front-of-House . . . . . . . .62

Combo Amplier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Power Amp & Cab + FRFR/Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

Welcome to Quad Cortex

01

Welcome to Quad Cortex

When we started Quad Cortex, we had no idea what we were
getting into. Naïvete can be a good thing.

It took more time, effort, and resources than we could have
ever imagined. It forced us to level up at a dizzying pace and to
overcome countless challenges.

Quad Cortex was as much engineered as it was willed into
existence. And none of it would matter if it wasn’t for your belief in
us and what we stand for.

3

For that, we will be forever grateful.

Neural DSP Team.

Welcome to Quad Cortex

What is Quad Cortex?

Vulgar Display of Power

Quad Cortex is the most powerful floor modeler on the planet.
With a total of 6 cores (4x SHARC®+ and 2x ARM Cortex-A5
running at 500MHz each) of dedicated DSP, this ludicrous
amount of processing capacity provides limitless sound design
possibilities. Because of that, Quad Cortex can process up to four
instruments at the same time with independent effects chains and
send them through different outputs separately.

Unparalleled Intuitiveness & Flexibility

With its massive 7” display, Quad Cortex is unbelievably easy to
use. Effortlessly create even the most complex signal paths.

4

This includes features like dragging-and-dropping blocks
to change the order or routing in seconds or visualizing and
controlling the settings of inputs and outputs with one swipe.

Unbelievably Strong & Compact

Quad Cortex comes in a gorgeous anodized aluminum unibody,
with laser engraved graphics that never fade. Our display is
armored with a chemically strengthened protective glass and a
reinforced touch sensor panel.

Using advanced mechanical design and manufacturing techniques,
we managed to not only build the most powerful floor modeler/
multi-effects processor on the planet, we also managed to pack it
all in an extremely compact format.

Cortex Mobile

Discover Users, Presets, and Neural Captures using Cortex Mobile.

Dimensions:

29 x 19 x 4.9cm

Weight:

1.95kg / 4.2lbs

Contact info

For technical issues or any problems experienced with our
hardware, please visit cortex-support.neuraldsp.com

Service Centers

For information regarding Quad Cortex service centers, please visit

cortex-support.neuraldsp.com or contact [e-mail].

Overview

02

Overview

Quad Cortex weighs 1.95kg / 4.2lbs and its
dimensions are 29 x 19 x 4.9cm.

5

Overview

6

Top View

1

3

4

Rear View

Top View Dimensions:

29 x 19cm / 11.4” x 7.4”

1

Power Button

2

2

7” display

3

Volume Wheel

4

11 stainless steel stomp +
rotary actuators

5

19cm

5

Chassis made of anodized
aluminum

Rear View Dimensions:

29 x 4.9cm / 11.4” x 1.9”

Dual Combo Inputs: TS,

1

TRS, and XLR

29cm

2

Dual FX-loops

3

1/4” TRS Outputs

Capture Output

4

2 3 4 8

1

5

29cm

Bottom View (Inside)

3

2

6 7

9 10

1

4.9cm

19cm

5

Headphones Output

6

XLR Outputs

7

MIDI In, Out/Thru

8

Dual Expression Inputs

9

USB Type-B

10

Power Input
(12V-3A)

Bottom Dimensions:

29 x 19cm / 11.4” x 7.4”

IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi

1

module (2.4GHz ISM band)

4x SHARC®+ & 2x ARM

2

Cortex-A5 cores

USB Audio Class 2.0

3

Compliant

29cm

Setting up your Quad Cortex

03

Setting up your Quad Cortex

7

Setting up your Quad Cortex

Quick Start

Turning on your Quad Cortex

To turn the Quad Cortex on, connect the power cable to the input
on the back and wait for it to power up.

Connecting your gear

8

Before connecting your instrument, make sure the volume wheel is
turned down.

Connect your instrument to Input 1.

Connect your studio monitors, PA, or FRFR cabinet to either XLR
Outs 1/2 or TRS Outs 3/4.

Alternatively, if you want to use headphones, connect them to the
Headphones output.

Changing Modes

Tap the name of the mode currently active at the top-right of the
display or press the furthest-right footswitches on the bottom two
rows together.

Browsing Presets

If you’re not sure about the
correct input/output levels,
check the I/O Settings section.

While in Preset Mode, press footswitches A-H to switch Presets.

Press the Up/Down footswitches to navigate through the Preset
banks.

Tuner

Press and hold the bottom-right footswitch to activate the

Tuner.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

Frequency Selector (Hz): Modies the tuner reference (440Hz by

default).

Input Selector: Determines which Input the tuner will listen to
(Input 1 by default).

9

It is also possible to feed both
Inputs 1/2 simultaneously to
the Tuner.

This allows for USB playback
and the Looper to continue
feeding signal to the outputs
while the tuner is being used.

Mute Button: Determines whether the INPUT selected is muted
or not when the Tuner is activated.

Tap Tempo

Double-press the bottom-right footswitch to engage the Tap

Tempo feature. Keep pressing to modify the tempo value.

Global Tempo: The tempo is the same for each Preset/Scene
until you set a new tempo.

Scene Tempo: The tempo is tracked in each of the 8 Scenes. The
tempo set in each Scene is saved when the Preset is saved.

Preset Tempo: The tempo is saved when the Preset is saved.
Each Preset can have its own tempo.

LED Light switch: Tap to activate/deactivate the the Tempo LED
light.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

UnsavedA1

The Grid

We call the screen where you can add blocks to build a virtual rig
“The Grid”.

A

PRESET

10

In

1

Multi

Out

The Grid has four rows of eight virtual device block spaces. Almost
all the items on the screen can be controlled by using gestures,
rotary actuators, or dedicated commands.

Gestures and Commands

To turn Quad Cortex off, press the capacitive power button
and select You can also remove the power

SHUT DOWN

cable from the back of Quad Cortex.

Grid’s contextual menu: Touch the upper-right corner of The Grid
to access its Main Menu.

Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the I/O Settings
screen.

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access Gig View.

Check the Power Functions
section for more information.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

New PresetA1

Tap on an empty space in The Grid to create a new Virtual Device
Block.

11

Double-tap a block to bypass/activate it.

Tap on a block to access its parameters. You can either use the
touch controls on the screen or the rotary actuators to modify the
parameters.

When a block menu is open, turn the top-right rotary actuator
clockwise or counterclockwise to navigate through the virtual
devices or Neural Captures within the same category without
opening the Virtual Devices Library.

Turning the top-right rotary actuator also changes the position of
the caret in any text eld.

x2

Tap on a parameter value to ne control. Write a value with the

numeric keyboard and tap to change it. This also works in
the I/O Settings menu.

Tap and hold a device block to drag-and-drop it to another place
on The Grid. Drag a block to the upper-right corner to remove it.

Remove

In

1

Out

1/2

GAIN

50

For more details, check the

Working on The Grid section.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

12

Tap on the input and output blocks to modify them. You can
create, edit, and assign them to physical or virtual I/Os.

Tap and hold on an input block to access the Input Gate Control

menu.

These controls can be assigned to Scenes and Expression Pedals. A
color strip displays on the input block when the GAIN REDUCTION
is activated.

Tap and hold an output block to access the Lane Output Control

menu.

In

In

Out

1/2

Out

1/2

1

1

These controls can be assigned to Scenes and Expression Pedals.
Color strips display on the Output block when MUTE and/or SOLO
are activated.

Tap and hold on an empty space on The Grid to create a Splitter/
Mixer path.

In

1

Out

1/2

If you move any block vertically in The Grid a Splitter/Mixer path
will be created automatically.

In

1

Out

1/2

Setting up your Quad Cortex

Power Functions

Touch the power button. This will pop up a window with different
functions:

LOCK: Both touchscreen and Master Volume wheel will be locked.
While locked, a lock indicator displays at the top-right of the screen.
To unlock, press-and-hold the power button. If the Master Volume
knob is moved while locked, the volume will not change until the

knob is rst turned to reach the value set when the knob was locked.

CANCEL: Tap to close the Power Functions window.

13

SHUT DOWN: Quad Cortex will shut down. If you want to turn Quad
Cortex on again, press the power button.

REBOOT: Quad Cortex will reboot. Note that any unsaved changes
will be lost if you change the power state.

STANDBY: All audio outputs will disable and the screen will turn off.
Press the power button to wake Quad Cortex and re-enable audio
outputs.

Recovery Mode

Press and hold the A and H footswitches the rst 6 seconds of the
splash screen while booting to intiate the Recovery Mode.

CANCEL: Tap to close the Recovery Options window. Quad Cortex
will boot up.

RESET SETTINGS: Tap to restore Quad Cortex to its default settings.
User data (Preset, Captures, etc) will not be removed.

FACTORY RESET: Tap to remove all user data. Quad Cortex will be
restored to factory settings.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

Settings Menu

You can nd the settings in the Grid’s contextual menu.

Here you can link your Quad Cortex with your Neural DSP account.
You must be logged into your Neural DSP account to sync your
library, and share or download items from other users.

This feature allows you to create up to ve cloud backups of the

settings and data on your Quad Cortex, including Presets, Neural
Captures, and Impulse Responses.

Connect to Wi-Fi in order to access Cortex Cloud and share
content. Quad Cortex operates on the 2.4GHz band.

14

• Device updates: Here you can update your Quad Cortex to the latest
version of CorOS. The installation requires restarting Quad Cortex to
complete.

• Disk Space: Available storage space.

• Diagnostics: DSP diagnostics and usage statistics.

• Power button sensitivity: Congures the amount of pressure needed

to trigger the power button (off, low, medium, and high).

• Brightness: Use the top-right footswitches to set the desired
brightness level for the screen and LED lights. Touchscreen controls
are also allowed.

• Global Bypass: Globally bypass Cabs, IR loaders, or Neural Captures
of cabs on any row.

• Master Volume knob assignment: Select which outputs the Master
Volume knob will control.

• Scene Bypass State Behavior: Controls whether changes to the
bypass state of a block in Scene Mode are automatically saved to the
active Scene.

• About: Software and Hardware information.

• Restart: Use this feature to restart Quad Cortex. Any unsaved

changes will be lost.

Global Bypass

Master Volume

knob assigment

• Restart Wi-Fi settings: Erases all stored Wi-Fi networks.

• Factory Reset: Use this feature to erase everything on Quad Cortex

and reset to factory settings.

Enable or disable MIDI channels, MIDI Thru, MIDI over USB and ignore
duplicated PC messages.

Send diagnostic information if you encounter an issue.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

Neural DSP account

You can log in to your Neural DSP account on your Quad Cortex.

Linking Quad Cortex with your account

Tap the Main Menu on The Grid. Go to Settings, My Account, and
tap the LOGIN button. Enter your credentials to log in.

Creating a new account

Go to neuraldsp.com/register to create a new account.

15

LOGIN

Don’t have an account?

Register here.

We also include a QR code to access neuraldsp.com/register
faster. Open the Main Menu, tap Settings, and use your phone’s
camera to scan it.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

I/O Settings

Swipe down from the top of The Grid to access the I/O Settings
screen. Here you can visualize and control the settings of all inputs
and outputs.

16

Tap an I/O port to change its
parameters.

Unused inputs are grey; used inputs are white; selected inputs are

green. Plug something in and see a grey input instantly change to

white. Use gestures or the rotary actuators to modify parameters.

Global EQ

tap to access the Global EQ.

Outputs 1/2 and 3/4 can be

paired. Tapping an output

displays the faders for both,
but the faders are unpaired.
Long-press an output to change
the pair state. This setting is
automatically saved.

Active

Bypassed

The Global EQ as well as the
Input Gates are automatically
disabled when a CPU-expensive
Preset is loaded.

5-band parametric EQ that can be assigned to either Out 1/2, Out
3/4, or both pair of outputs.

Open the CPU Monitor to delete
or reorganize the device blocks.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

Inputs

IN1/IN2: Combo inputs that allow you to connect your
instruments using XLR or TS cables. TRS cables can also be used
for gear with balanced outputs.

• IN LEVEL KNOB [dB]: Sets the input gain.

• IMPEDANCE KNOB [Ω]: Sets the impedance of the Hi-Z input

from between 10K to 10M. This option is only available when
“TYPE” is set to “Instrument”.

• TYPE SWITCH: Toggle between “Mic” (XLR) and “Instrument”
(TS/TRS) inputs. If you are using a guitar or bass select

“Instrument”.

• PHANTOM 48V SWITCH: Enables Phantom Power. This option
is only available when “TYPE” is set to “Mic”.

• GROUND LIFT SWITCH: Enable to help reduce or eliminate

17

noise caused by ground loops in audio cables or other sources.

• IN LEVEL: Input signal meter.

RET1/RET2: Line inputs that allow you to connect your pedals or
instruments through TRS cables.

• RET LEVEL KNOB [dB]: Sets the input gain.

• GROUND LIFT SWITCH: Enable to help reduce or eliminate

noise caused by ground loops in audio cables or other sources.

• RET LEVEL: Input signal meter.

EXP1/EXP2: Line inputs that allow you to connect your expression
pedals through TRS cables.

• POSITION: Indicates the minimum and maximum values of
your connected device. Move the expression pedal up and
down to the minimum and maximum positions to measure it.
Tap SAVE to keep your settings or tap RECALIBRATE to try
again.

Outputs

The Volume Wheel controls the output level, and it affects all the
outputs. The I/O Settings output controls allow you to control the
levels of each output independently.

OUT1/OUT2: XLR outputs that allow you to connect Quad Cortex
to stereo monitors, FRFR cabinets, PA systems, and more.

• OUT LEVEL KNOB: Sets the output level.

• GROUND LIFT SWITCH: Enable to help reduce or eliminate

noise caused by ground loops in audio cables or other sources.

• OUT LEVEL [dB]: Output signal meter.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

• LIMITER [dB]: Gain reduction meter. Allows you to bring up the level
without allowing the peaks to clip the output.

• MUTE SWITCH [dB]: Tap to ativate/deactivate the Output(s).

OUT3/OUT4: TRS outputs that allow you to connect Quad Cortex to stereo
monitors, FRFR cabinets, PA systems, and more.

• OUT LEVEL KNOB [dB]: Sets the output level.

• OUT LEVEL [dB]: Output signal meter.

• LIMITER [dB]: Gain reduction meter. Allows you to bring up the level

without allowing the peaks to clip the output.

• MUTE SWITCH [dB]: Tap to ativate/deactivate the Output(s).

SEND1/SEND2: TRS outputs that allow you to connect Quad Cortex to
stereo monitors, FRFR cabinets, PA systems, pedals, and more. “TRS to TS”

18

cables are also supported to attenuate hum.

• SEND LEVEL KNOB: Sets the output level.

• OUT LEVEL [dB]: Output signal meter.

• LIMITER [dB]: Gain reduction meter. Allows you to bring up the level without

allowing the peaks to clip the output.

HEADPHONES OUT: TRS output that allows you to connect Quad Cortex to
stereo headphones. All outputs that are being used on The Grid will display here
allowing you to customize your headphone mix.

• HP LEVEL KNOB: Sets the output level.

• OUT KNOBS: Sets the mix level of the selected output separately.

• OUT METERS [dB]: Output signal meters.

CAPTURE OUT: Dedicated output for external devices (Neural Capture only).

Others

USB: Dedicated port for computer integration.

• USB LEVEL KNOB: Sets the level of the audio transmission.

• HP SELECT KNOB: The headphones feed when using Quad Cortex as a USB
audio interface. It can be set to “None”, “USB 1/2”, “USB 3/4”, or “Both”.

• DRY-WET SWITCH: Swap between Clean DIs or processed signal fed into USB
Outputs 1-2 or 3-4 (Inputs 1-2 and 3-4 on your DAW).

MIDI IN: MIDI input.
MIDI OUT: MIDI output.

• MIDI THRU SWITCH: Enables or disables the MIDI Thru
function.

Setting up your Quad Cortex

CPU Monitor

The CPU Monitor shows you the overall CPU usage of the current
Preset at the top-right corner of the screen. Tap the Grid’s
contextual Menu and select CPU Monitor to open it.

19

Tap on the cross button to close
the CPU Monitor.

Each block lls up to represent

its influence on the CPU usage.

IMPORTANT: Bypassing/disabling the blocks doesn’t
decrease the CPU consumption.

Optimizing performance

Quad Cortex is a DSP (Digital Signal Processing) unit. Different virtual
device blocks require more DSP power than others. To get the most
out of Quad Cortex, it is important to understand the following:

• The number of device blocks in a Preset has a great impact on
CPU usage.

• Rows 1-2 and Rows 3-4 on The Grid utilise different processor
cores. If all of your device blocks are placed in Rows 1 and 2,
you’re only using half of Quad Cortex’s power. For resource­hungry Presets, try splitting your blocks across all four rows.

• The maximum load is up to 90%. Beyond that, the audio and

The Global EQ as well as the
Input Gates are automatically
disabled when a CPU-expensive
Preset is loaded.

operating system performance may be compromised.

• Time effects like Reverbs or Delays have the highest CPU
usage. EQ, Compressor, Wah, and FX Loop blocks have the
lowest CPU usage.

• Some devices may use more DSP than others in the same
category. This is especially true with amp devices.

• Use Scene Mode to change parameters in devices instead of
copying devices and changing their parameters.

Check the Scene Mode section
for more details.

Presets

04

Presets

Presets allow you to create and save custom
rigs/signal chains for later use by using device
blocks. Quad Cortex Presets are organized in
to Setlists, which can contain 32 banks of 8
Presets (256 in total). You can create up to 10
Setlists.

20

Presets

Unsaved

Working on The Grid

Bank/Slot

Preset name

21

Mode Selector

Main Menu

Save button

Current Scene

Undo/Redo

A

In

1

Input

Blocks

A1

Empty block

space

Splitter/Mixer

empty space

PRESET

Out

1/2

Output
Blocks

The Grid has four rows of eight device block spaces. Almost all the
items on the screen can be controlled by using gestures, rotary
actuators, or dedicated commands.

You can start building your own rigs by tapping on The Grid

to add your rst block; this will open the Device Category list.

Device Category Device Models

Scroll down by swiping with your nger and tap a device category

to display its devices.

Presets

Build a virtual rig from left to right. While it’s important to
remember how you might approach building a signal chain with
analog components, dragging-and-dropping a block after you’ve
added it to The Grid is effortless.

22

In

1

Out

1/2

If you add an amp and cab rst but need to add an overdrive pedal

in front after, repositioning everything is as simple as dragging­and-dropping the blocks into the order you require. Once you have
added a block to The Grid, tap it to open its menu.

From here, several controls are available to you. Footswitches
will light up and correspond to any rotary controls on the block
you’ve added. Parameters such as gain can be controlled either by
rotating the footswitch or interacting with the screen.

Presets

Device Block’s Contextual Menu

When a block device menu is open, you can tap the contextual
menu button to reveal further options:

Opens the Virtual Devices Library. Once you tap a device, it changes immediately so you can
audition it without leaving the Virtual Devices Library. Tap to close the menu.

Copies the selected device and its current settings to the Clipboard. Blocks can be pasted by
tapping The Grid to add a new device, then tapping Paste Device from Clipboard. The
Clipboard also allows you to copy and paste blocks between Presets.
Paste Device replaces the selected device with the device stored at the Clipboard.

23

Returns the device controls to their default values or sets current control values as default,
accordingly.

Allows you to choose which parameters can be controlled by an expression pedal. Select the
expression pedal you want to use before reaching the “Assign Expression Pedal” menu.
For more details, check the Assigning Expression Pedals section.

Determines if the current device block is Bypassed or Muted when

Bypassed

it’s deactivated. The Bypass button will change to either or
depending on the function selected.

Toggles between the legacy or the newest version of the current device.

Update Available

Muted

A green dot will be displayed over the block when a new version is
available.

Removes the device block from The Grid entirely.

When a block menu is open, turn the top-right rotary actuator
clockwise or counterclockwise to navigate through the virtual devices
or Neural Captures within the same category without opening the
Virtual Devices Library.

Presets

A1 Clipping

Clipping Alert

In order to keep your signal flow safe, input and output blocks will
turn red if their selected I/O are clipping the signal.

A

PRESET

24

In

1

In

2

Send

1

Send

1

In this particular case, both input IN 1 and output SEND 1 are
clipping. Decreasing the IN 1 LEVEL [dB] value on the I/O Settings
screen will solve the problem on Row 1. On Row 2, one or more
device blocks could be clipping. Checking and changing the device
block parameters will solve the problem.

Presets

My Presets

1

The Directory

Tap the Preset name on The Grid to open the Directory.

25

Here you can nd all the les you have stored on your Quad Cortex

and on Cortex Cloud. Presets, Neural Captures, and Impulse
Responses are available here.

Each type of le can be stored in different directories.

Setlists

Setlists are Quad Cortex’s way of making Presets incredibly easy
to use and navigate. This feature allows you to catergorize your
Presets by band, project, album, etc.

Quick actions

If you want to Edit, Copy, Cut, Paste, or Delete items, tap the
contextual button of the Preset or Neural Capture you want to

6C Best Machine Riff

2

New Setlist

You can also copy Presets by
dragging-and-dropping them to
another bank or Preset slot.

interact with.

Presets

Device Directories

Files stored on the Quad Cortex.

Recent: Displays the most recent used Presets.

Favorites: Drag and drop Presets to this folder for quick access.

PRESETS

Downloads: Downloadable Presets.

Cloud Presets: Presets stored on your Cortex Cloud prole.

26

Factory Presets: Presets made by Neural DSP (non-deletable).

My Presets: Default user Presets Setlist. Presets downloaded

from Cortex Cloud can be stored in it as well (256 slots per
Setlist) (non-deletable).

New Setlist: Tap to create a custom Setlist. You can create up to
10 Setlists.

NEURAL CAPTURES

Downloads: Downloadable Neural Captures.

Cloud Captures: Neural Captures stored on your Cortex Cloud

prole.

Factory Captures: Neural Captures made by Neural DSP (non­deletable).

My Captures: Local Neural Capture storage (2048 slots).

IMPULSE RESPONSES

Cloud IRs: IR les stored on Cortex Cloud.

Impulse Responses: Local IR storage (1024 slots).

Tap a category to collapse its
content.

Presets

Unsaved*A1

Saving Presets

B

PRESET

If a Preset has unsaved changes, the Preset name font will change
to Italic*.

Tap at the top-right corner to save your changes and overwrite
the existing Preset immediately.

You can also go to the menu at the top-right and tap “Save as...”
to save a rig as a new Preset.

“Save as...” is helpful if you have modied a Preset and want to
save your changes as a new Preset, as tapping the save icon will

27

overwrite the active Preset with your modications.

Factory Presets can also be modied and stored as new Presets

in any of your Setlists by using the “Save as…” feature.

In the save menu, you can name your Preset as well as assign
it tags. Multiple tags have to be separated with a comma and a
single space between them.

Tap the Folder to dene the

Setlist where you would like to
save the Preset.

Presets

Setlists

Setlists are Quad Cortex’s way of making
Presets incredibly easy to use and navigate.

A Setlist can contain 32 banks of 8 Presets. You can create up to
10 Setlists. This feature allows you to categorize your Presets by
band, project, album, or anything else!

28

To create a new Setlist, tap the active Preset name at the top of
The Grid to open the Directory. Then tap below the latest

folder. Give your Setlist a name and tap to nish.

By default, Presets will save in the active Setlist. When you save a
Preset, you have the option to specify the Setlist where you would
like to save the Preset.

To change the active Setlist, open the Directory, navigate to the
Setlist you’d like to activate, then load a Preset in it by tapping one
of the banks, then one of the Presets on the right.

To delete a Setlist, you can drag-and-drop it from the Device
Directories list to the upper-right corner of the screen. You will

receive a warning dialog asking for conrmation to complete the

action.

IMPORTANT: Deleting a Setlist will also remove all Presets

inside.

Presets

Sort and Search items

Sort and lter items

Sorting options are also available in the Directory. Tap to
sort items by Name, Date added, Author, and more.

29

Tap an option a second time to change between ascending and
descending order.

Tap to lter Neural Captures by Amp, Cab, Pedal or more.

Search items

Tap to search items.

Recently searched terms are displayed beneath the text entry.
Suggestions are also displayed beneath the text entre as you type.

Like Neural Captures, Presets
can be sorted. Banks is now
a sort option, so if Presets are
sorted by anything else, they will
display in a List rather than in
Banks.

Tapping an item will take you

to the le’s location in the

Directory and highlight it. From
there you can interact with the
item, continue browsing the
Directory, or tap the Search
button to return to the search
results.

Search results are separated into categories and tabs for Presets,
Neural Captures, and IRs. Subcategories can be collapsed or
expanded by tapping the arrows on the right-hand side.

Search results can be sorted
and ltered depending on the
category selected.

Presets

Assigning Expression Pedals

You can assign an expression pedal to any
device (including Splitters, Mixers, and
Lane Output Control parameters). Multiple
parameters can be controlled simultaneously.

30

To assign an expression pedal, tap a block on The Grid, tap the
contextual menu, then tap “Assign Expression Pedal”. Select
the expression pedal you want to use to control the block’s
parameters.

DoneAssign Expression Pedal

Please choose which parameters you wish to control.
You can assign more than one at once.

DRIVE

0.71

GAIN

ASSIGN

TREBLE

ASSIGN

MIN RANGE

0%

DRIVE

ASSIGNED

MASTER

ASSIGN

MAX RANGE

100%

BASS

ASSIGN

BYPASS

ASSIGN

MIDDLE

ASSIGNED

MID FREQ

ASSIGN

Use the “Assign” button to assign a parameter to the expression
pedal, and use the button to modify the minimum and
maximum values accessible in the pedal’s sweep. Press the
“Done” button at the top-right corner when you’re nished.

It’s important to remember to calibrate your expression pedal via
the I/O Settings.

Presets

Expression Bypass

The Expression Bypass feature allows
to engage and bypass device blocks
automatically.

First, assign an expression pedal to a device block. Tap a block on
The Grid, tap the contextual menu, then tap “Assign Expression
Pedal”. Select the expression pedal you want to use to control the
block’s parameters.

31

BYPASS

ASSIGNED

Use the “ASSIGN” button to assign the expression
pedal to the BYPASS parameter. Use the button
to access its options.

BYPASS ON

• Heel-Toe: Heel down the expression pedal to bypass the device

block. When INVERT RANGE is set to “On” the block can be
bypassed at Toe position.

• Switch: Pressing the toe-switch of the expression pedal will
bypass the device block.

• Stop: Keeping the expression pedal still will bypass the device
block

INVERT RANGE

(Heel-Toe and Switch modes)

• ON/OFF SWITCH: Reverses the value where the bypass is
engaged.

BYPASS DELAY

(Heel-Toe and Switch modes)

• TIME KNOB: Sets the time it takes for the device block to be
bypassed (Up to 5000ms).

LATCH EMULATION

(Switch mode)

• ON/OFF SWITCH: Modies momentary toe-switches behavior

to emulate latching response.

Presets

Can a single expression pedal with dual TRS
outputs be connected to Quad Cortex?

Many expression pedals include dual TRS outputs, each one associated
with different parameters such as heel-toe sweep control or a physical
toe-switch.

Connecting each TRS output of an expression pedal to both EXP inputs
of Quad Cortex allows you to control a parameter position and bypass
the device block with the toe-switch at the same time.

1. Connect both TRS cables to EXP1 and EXP2 inputs of Quad Cortex.

Swipe down the screen to access the I/O Settings menu. Calibrate both
POSITION knobs then save the changes.

2. Tap a block on The Grid, tap the contextual menu, then select

“Assign Expression Pedal”. Choose the Expression input 1. If the TRS

32

connected to it corresponds to the heel-toe sweep, assign it to the
parameter you want to control.

Tap when you are ready.

3. Tap the same block on The Grid, tap the contextual menu, then select

“Assign Expression Pedal” again. Choose the Expression input 2 this
time. If the TRS connected to it corresponds to the physical toe-switch,
assign it to the BYPASS parameter.

4. Select the Switch mode then press the toe-switch. You can revert

the range if the value is inverted. Turn on the LATCH EMULATION if the
expression pedal includes a momentary toe-switch.

Presets

Are the assignments remembered while
switching presets and scenes?

The EXP inputs assigned to a device block can be remembered by
using the “Set parameters as defaults” option after assigning an
expression pedal to a parameter.

The parameter position and the toe-switch polarity are not
remembered while saving Presets. The current parameter position
and toe-switch state are maintained while loading presets.

When a parameter is assigned to an expression pedal, the Scene
data is also ignored for that parameter.

What expression pedals are supported?

33

Quad Cortex is compatible with many different expression pedals.
Devices with the following features should function correctly:

• Single TRS expression output (Wah or Volume outputs are not
supported).

• Dual TRS outputs (Sweep control and toe-switch dedicated
outputs).

• Latching toe-switch.

• Momentary toe-switches will only work when latching
emulation is set to “On”.

• Linear or logarithmic curve.

• Minimum value knob.

• Polarity/Reverse function.

Presets

1/2

Out

STEREO

Multiple Outputs

1/2 + 3/4 + USB 3/4

34

Splitters and Mixers

Splitters and Mixers allow you to split your
signal chain to route your signal to multiple
outputs or add more virtual device blocks to
The Grid.

Tap and hold an empty space on The Grid in order to create a
Splitter/Mixer path that splits the Row in two.

In

1

If you move any block vertically on The Grid between Rows 1 & 2

The Multi-Out block routes your
signal through XLR Outs 1/2
as well as TRS Outs 3/4, and
USB. It’s the default setting for
all Factory Presets and newly
created Presets.

Tap any output block in The Grid
then select “Multiple Outputs”
to enable this feature.

Out

1/2

or 3 & 4, a Splitter/Mixer path will be created automatically.

The Splitter sets the location where the signal splits.
The Mixer sets the location where the signal joins a Row

again.

Detailed parameters are available for Splitters and Mixers that
allow for switching between types, shortcut buttons for quick
splits, and an on/off toggle.

Presets

Putting them in place

35

In

1

Out

1/2

Out

3/4

Drag-and-drop the and icons to split and mix the signal
at your desired points. This action will modify the chain shape.

Parameters

Once you tap on either the Splitter or Mixer icons, you
gain access to their parameters.

Quick splits

We have designed two shortcuts for the most common path types.
Tap one to add it to The Grid.

Splitter types:

Balance: Uses a single knob to distribute the signal to the Rows.

• BALANCE KNOB: Sets the signal mix between the Row and the
Splitter/Mixer path (0.50 by default).

A/B: Uses independent knobs for each row.

• LEVEL TO A KNOB: Sets the amount of signal to the row.

• LEVEL TO B KNOB: Sets the amount of signal to the Splitter/

Mixer path.

Crossover: Splits the signal into independent frequency bands
that are sent separately.

• FREQUENCY KNOB: Sets the frequency cut value.

• MODE SWITCH: Swaps the band assignment.

Presets

Splitter Stereo Switch

This switch determines the Splitter behavior while using stereo
sources like Input 1/2, Return 1/2, USB input 5/6 and USB input 7/8.

• Split Mode: Sends the right input (Input 2, Return 2, USB input
6 or 8) to the Splitter/Mixer path.

• Normal Mode: Sends both left and right inputs to the Splitter/
Mixer path.

Mixer settings:

Depending on the Mixer location and Splitter settings, the Mixer
can receive input signal from two sources at the same time.
Check the following example:

36

In

1

Out

1/2

In this particular case, both row 1 and the Splitter/Mixer path are
feeding the Mixer input. Use the following parameters in order to
control the signal levels.

• LEVEL A KNOB: Sets the row signal level.

• PAN A KNOB: Controls the panning of the row.

• LEVEL B KNOB: Sets the Splitter/Mixer level.

• PAN B KNOB: Controls the panning of the Splitter/Mixer path.

• PHASE SWITCH: Inverts the phase of the signal workflow.

• MIXER LEVEL KNOB: Controls the overall level of the Mixer.

Presets

Dual-row workflow

Up to two Splitter/Mixer paths can be created in a single Preset.
Take a look at the following example:

37

In

1

In

2

This could be a Preset for Vocals (Rows 1-2) and a Guitar+Cab
Bypass (Rows 3-4).

Vocal chain:

• The vocal signal splits immediately after the compressor to
Row 2. This Splitter is using the Balance type, so the signal is

Out

1/2

Send

1

Send

2

distributed to both rows equally.

• The Mixer joins Row 1 before the EQ. This Mixer receives input
signal from both rows in order to use the Outputs 1/2.

Guitar chain:

• The Splitter is placed immediately after the amplier. This
Splitter is using the A/B type, so the signal is sent to both rows
with custom levels.

• Row 3 sends the signal straight to the Send 1 output, including
the cab and time effects.

• Row 4 receives signal from Input 1 after the amplier. A noise
gate and EQ are added, and the signal is sent to the Send 2
output to be processed withiout the cab or time effects.

Presets

4-Row workflow

Splitter/Mixer paths can be created between Rows 1 and 2 and
between Rows 3 and 4 exclusively. However, if you need to use all
available rows for a huge chain, check the following example:

In

In

1

1

Row

Row

3

3

Prev

Prev

Row

Row

Out

Out

1/2

1/2

38

• This giant Preset includes almost all types of device blocks.

• Balance or A/B Splitters work with similar results.

Muting“LEVEL TO A” or turning “Balance” all the way up will

route the signal through the next row.

• In order tochain Rows 2 and 3, tap the output block in Row 2,

and select Row 3 as the output.Row 3 input will be named as

“Prev. Row” automatically.

• The second Splitter/Mixer path worksthe same way as before.

• If you want to make a Preset like this, we recommend

taking a look at theCPU Monitorin order to checkyour CPU

performance.

Check the CPU Monitor section
for more details.

Presets

Using External IR les

Using your own IR les is also possible on Quad Cortex. They can

be loaded on both IR Loader and Cab blocks.

Loading IRs on a Cab block

39

Tap on the Impulse selector box to open the drop-down menu.
Scroll down and tap “Load IR”.

Choose an IR le from the Impulse Response Library. It will be

loaded on the speaker selected automatically.

For more details on how to
import Impulse Responses,
check the Uploading Impulse

Responses section.

Presets

IR Loader block

The IR loader makes much easier to use your own or third-party
Impulse Responses. Single and Double IR Loaders are available.

40

• BYPASS BUTTON: Tap to activate/deactivate the impulse.

• PHASE BUTTON: Inverts the phase of the loaded impulse.

• LEVEL KNOB: Controls the volume of the selected impulse.

• HI & LOW PASS KNOBS: Control the frequency range of the high

and low-pass lters, accordingly.

• PAN KNOB (Single): Controls the output panning of the impulse.

• BALANCE KNOB (Dual): Controls the output balance of the

selected impulse.

• DELAY KNOB: Delays the selected impulse up to 25 ms.

Tap the arrows to navigate
through the stored IRs. You
can also rotate the top-right
footswitch to cycle through
available IRs.

Tap the Quad Cortex icon to the
right of the Impulse Response
sections to control which IR
is replaced when rotating
the footswitch. The active
section shows a brighter Quad
Cortex icon with a highlighted
footswitch.

• ROOM MIX KNOB: Adjusts the amount of room reverb effect that
us added to the signal.

• PRE DELAY KNOB: Delays the reverb’s rst reflection up to 100

ms.

• REV HIGH & LOW PASS KNOBS: Control the frequency range of

the reverb’s high and low-pass lters, accordingly.

• SIZE SWITCH: Sets the size of the room reverb.

• GLOBAL OUTPUT KNOB (Dual): IR Loader block master output.v

Presets

Looper X

The Looper is a dedicated device block. The
Looper X block can be placed anywhere on The

Grid allowing for creative routing conguration

and it can be used across all modes (Preset,
Scene, and Stomp).

Tap the Looper X block to access its interface.

Perform Mode

Use Perform mode to control the Looper X. All the controls are

41

conveniently laid out and linked to the Quad Cortex footswitches
already. You can always use the touchscreen.

• DUPLICATE: Creates an overdub that is X times longer than
your original loop, allowing you to extend your original loop
when recording an overdub. It arms the looper for recording if
the Threshold function is enabled.

• RE-LOOP: Trim the length of your loop. This function is only
available when DUPLICATE is active.

• ONE SHOT: Plays the loop once and then stops. Using ONE
SHOT while playing a loop stops the playback when the
recorded audio ends.

• HALF SPEED: Play the loop at half speed.

• PUNCH IN: Replaces the audio. Use it again to stop recording

(PUNCH OUT).

Presets

• RECORD: Starts recording. It arms the looper for recording
if the threshold function is enabled. This control is called
OVERDUB during playback.

• OVERDUB: Starts recording during playback. The recorded
signal is added on top of the existing recorded audio. This
allows you to layer additional parts into a loop to create a
more complex result.

• PLAY: Starts/Stops the playback.

• REVERSE: Rewinds the loop during playback. Using REVERSE

before playback will start the loop backward after pressing
PLAY.

• UNDO: Undo the last action. This control is called REDO
after use. The REDO function restores any actions that were
previously undone using UNDO.

42

Params Mode

Use Params mode to access the Looper X settings. The controls
are organized in three pages and linked to the Quad Cortex upper
encoders. You can always use the touchscreen.

PAGE 1

• PLAYBACK LEVEL KNOB: Adjusts looper playback level.

• OVERDUB LEVEL KNOB: Sets the level of your loop while

overdubbing. For example, if the overdub level is set to -5dB,
its volume will be reduced by -5dB each time the loop repeats,
sounding quieter with each overdub take.

• HIGH PASS KNOB: Allows high frequencies to pass through

while ltering or cutting low frequencies of the playback.

• LOW PASS KNOB: Allows low frequencies to pass through while

ltering or cutting high frequencies of the playback.

• THRESHOLD KNOB: Allows the recording function to trigger
when an audio signal is detected. This function will be disabled
when the Looper X is receiving MIDI clock.

Presets

PAGE 2

• RECORD MODE SWITCH: Sets the RECORD function to Toggle
or Momentary. In Momentary mode, the looper will record as
long as the Footswitch E is held down.

• OVERDUB MODE SWITCH: Sets the OVERDUB function to
Toggle or Momentary. In Momentary mode, the looper will
record as long as the Footswitch E is held down.

• DUPLICATE MODE SWITCH: Determines whether the
DUPLICATE function is synced or not to the current Tempo.

When synced, the length of the loops will be xed to the beat.

• PUNCH MODE SWITCH: Sets the PUNCH IN/OUT function
to Toggle or Momentary. In Momentary mode, the looper will
record as long as the Footswitch D is held down.

• ROUTING MODE KNOB: Allows you to congure the Input and

Output routing. This can transform the Looper X from a Grid­based looper to Global I/O looper. Check the next page for
further details.

43

Presets

Routing Modes

44

GRID

In1

In2

Ret1

Ret2

In1/2

Ret1/2

The input and output signal of the Looper X will depend on its place in The Grid.

Virtually places the looper in the Input block 1. The Looper X will receive input signal from
the Input 1 and its output will be affected by any Row assigned to this input block.

Virtually places the looper in the Input block 2. The Looper X will receive input signal from
the Input 2 and its output will be affected by any Row assigned to this input block.

Virtually places the looper in the Return 1. The Looper X will receive input signal from the
Return 1 and its output will be affected by any Row or FX Loop block assigned to this input.

Virtually places the looper in the Return 2. The Looper X will receive input signal from the
Return 2 and its output will be affected by any Row or FX Loop block assigned to this input.

Virtually places the looper in the Input blocks 1/2. The Looper X will receive input signal
from both Inputs 1/2 and its output will be affected by any Row assigned to these input
blocks.

Virtually places the looper in the Returns 1/2. The Looper X will receive input signal from
both Returns 1/2 and its output will be affected by any Row or FX Loop block assigned to

Out1

Out2

Out3

Out4

Out1/2

Out3/4

these inputs.

Virtually places the looper in the Output block 1. The Looper X will receive input signal
from Rows using the Output block 1.

Virtually places the looper in the Output block 2. The Looper X will receive input signal
from Rows using the Output block 2.

Virtually places the looper in the Output block 3. The Looper X will receive input signal
from Rows using the Output block 3.

Virtually places the looper in the Output block 4. The Looper X will receive input signal
from Rows using the Output block 4.

Virtually places the looper in the Output blocks 1/2. The Looper X will receive input signal
from Rows using the Output blocks 1/2.

Virtually places the looper in the Output blocks 3/4. The Looper X will receive input signal
from Rows using the Output blocks 3/4.

Multi

Virtually places the looper in the Multi Out Block. The Looper X will receive input signal
from Rows using the Multi Out block.

Presets

PAGE 3

• QUANTIZE KNOB: Syncs the looper to Quad Cortex’s Tempo
or to an external MIDI clock. Select the number of beats to
quantize according to the time signature used.

• MIDI CLOCK START KNOB: Controls whether the RECORD,
DUPLICATE, and PLAY functions are started when it receives
a MIDI clock start. When enabled, it overrides the Threshold
feature.

45

How do I nd the Looper X?

The Looper is a dedicated device block. Tap an empty space on The Grid, select the Looper

section then you will nd the Looper X.

How much looping time does the Looper X have?

You can record up to 4 minutes and 44 seconds.

Does the Looper X stop when switching presets?

An active loop is persistent through Preset changes as long as the Preset you are changing to
also has a Looper block added.

Can the Looper X parameters be controlled by MIDI?

Yes, Looper X parameters can be controlled via specic reserved CC messages. More

information on page 93.

Presets

Device Blocks Parameters

Quad Cortex features multiple device block
types, each of them with their own parameters
and dedicated controls.

Amp Parameters

PARAMETER DESCRIPTION

46

GAIN

VOLUME

BASS/MID/TREBLE

MASTER

PRESENCE

DEPTH

RESONANCE

Controls the amount of gain in the preamp section.

Controls the amount of volume in the preamp section.

Tonestack of the amp. 3 band EQ.

Adjusts the amount of power amp gain. This parameter is highly
interactive with all other amp parameters. The lower the Master
is set, the less effect the other controls will have.

Boosts the upper midrange and treble frequencies.

Boosts the lower midrange and bass frequencies.

Boosts the bass frequencies.

BRIGHT

OUTPUT

SWITCHES

FINE CONTROL

BYPASS

The treble is further enhanced with this switch.

Controls the overall volume of the amp.

Many amps feature custom switches to control their unique
parameters. Tap them to modify their value.

Tap a knob value to set a custom value. Use the touch keyboard
and tap “Set” to save the changes.

Bypasses the block entirely.

Presets

Cab Parameters

PARAMETER DESCRIPTION

47

NAVIGATION ARROWS

IMPULSE SELECTOR BOX

POWER BUTTON

POSITION

DISTANCE

LEVEL

Tap to navigate through the different impulses.

Tap the impulse name to reveal the drop-down menu for

selecting factory impulses and loading your own IR les.

Enables or disables the respective IR loader section.

Controls where the microphone is, from the center of the cone
to the edge of the cone (automatically disabled when using
external IR les).

Controls the distance of the mic between close to the cab
and far towards the room (automatically disabled when using
external IR les).

Controls the level volume of the selected impulse.

PAN

PHASE INVERTER

CABINET DISPLAY

BYPASS

Controls the output panning of the selected impulse.

Inverts the phase of the loaded impulse.

Drag the white circle around to interact with the mic position.
This action will be reflected in the POSITION and DISTANCE
parameters.

This button bypasses the block entirely.

Presets

EQ Parameters

PARAMETER DESCRIPTION

48

GAIN

FREQ

Q

+ / -

BAND TYPES

BAND CIRCLES

BYPASS

Controls the gain of the selected band.

Sets the frequency of the selected band.

Attenuate or boost a very narrow or wide range of frequencies
within a single band.

Toggles the band on/off (8 bands available).

Tap them to highlight the band circles accordingly.
Tap and hold on a band to change the type (Peak, Hi-Pass,
Lo-Pass, Hi-Shelf, and Lo-Shelf).

Once a band is enabled, you can drag it around the screen. This
action will be reflected in the GAIN and FREQ parameters.

This button bypasses the device block entirely.

HPF

Allows high frequencies to pass through while ltering or cutting

low frequencies.

OUTPUT Controls the overall volume of the EQ.

Presets

Common FX Parameters

PARAMETER DESCRIPTION

49

GAIN

DRIVE / OVERDRIVE

Controls the gain value of the selected device.

Controls the drive value of the selected device.

Controls the treble frequencies. This parameter can let all the treble

TONE

frequencies through or cuts a large amount of treble and some high mids.

VOLUME

COMP

THRESHOLD

Sets the overall volume of the selected device.

The amount of gain reduction is determined by this parameter.

Sets the level at which the main parameter operates.

RATE Adjusts the rate of the effect, with higher settings providing faster rates.

DEPTH Sets the intensity of the modulation.

SYNC

Allows you to sync effects to the current Quad Cortex Tempo. The Sync Note
value is constrained by the Tempo and the Speed parameter range.

FEEDBACK / MIX /
BLEND

Adjusts the amount of delayed signal fed back into the effect. The higher the
settings, the wetter the signal is.

DECAY Determines the length of time the effect sustains.

PRE DELAY Sets the time before the effect is heard.

HIGH / LOW PASS Controls the frequency range of the high and low pass lters.

Trails Off: Any delay or reverb effect is instantly muted when the block is

TRAILS SWITCH

bypassed. Trails On: Any delay or reverb effect decay naturally when the
block is bypassed.

BYPASS This button bypasses the block entirely.

Modes

05

Modes

Quad Cortex features three modes to give
ultimate control over features and footswitch
customization, Stomp Mode, Scene Mode, and
Preset Mode. You will have access to further

customization options depending on the mode
you select.

50

Modes

PRESET

B4 Caveman3

Switching Modes

You can switch between modes by tapping the name of the mode
currently active at the top-right of The Grid, or by pressing the
furthest-right footswitches on the bottom two rows together.

B

PRESET

Preset Mode

Preset Mode enables you to have eight completely different rigs.

51

Press the A to H footswitches to navigate through the Presets.

Navigating through Banks

B

Press the Up and Down footswitches to navigate through banks of
Presets in your Setlist.

The bank number and Preset name will change immediately
after you press the up or down footswitches. The Preset name

and active footswitch will also blink intermittently. To conrm the

change, press the blinking footswitch again.

If you want to load another Preset in the new bank instead, press
the corresponding footswitch twice.

To cancel the whole operation, press the TEMPO footswitch (red

LED).

Modes

SCENE

E4 The Lick

E4 The Lick

E4 The Lick

Scene Mode

Scene Mode allows you to control the settings of any number of
blocks in a rig.

Press the footswitches to navigate through the different Scenes.
You can see the currently active Scene as a letter block in the
upper-right corner. Tap-and-hold a parameter to assign it to
Scenes . Scene parameter assignment/changes can be
performed regardless of the current active Mode.

52

Tap-and-hold a Scene-assigned parameter to prompt the unassign
dialog. Removing the assignment will restore the value from the

main Scene.
Scene A is the default Scene of any new Preset. To change a

Preset’s default Scene, just save the Preset with another Scene
loaded.

Preset Grid

Preset 4E - Scene A

A

SCENE

In

1

Out

1/2

Scene Bypass State Behavior

(

Settings > Device Options)

This feature controls whether
changes to the bypass state
of a block in Scene Mode are
automatically saved to the
active Scene.

By default, all the changes are
overwritten.

A

Preset 4E - Scene B

In

1

Preset 4E - Scene C

In

1

B

C

B

SCENE

Out

1/2

C

SCENE

Out

1/2

Modes

In the rst example, Scene A (Footswitch A) bypasses the
compressor, drive, and reverb blocks for a dry rhythm tone.
Scene B (Footswitch B) toggles the compressor and drive but
leaves the reverb pedal bypassed. Scene C (Footswitch C)
engages all the blocks in the row for a soaring lead guitar tone.

The parameters within each virtual device can also be changed in
each Scene.

Footswitch LEDs

The footswitch LEDs will illuminate according to the selected
Scene. Eight scenes are available for each Preset.

Navigating through Presets

53

While using Scene mode, press the Up and Down footswitches to
navigate through Presets.

Press and hold either the Up or Down footswitch to navigate
through banks. The Preset name and active footswitch will also

blink intermittently. To conrm the change, press the blinking

footswitch.

Copy & Paste Scenes

Scenes can be copied and pasted into different footswitches via
the main menu on The Grid. This action can be performed in any
mode.

If you want to cancel the whole operation, tap the CANCEL button.

Swap Scenes

Scenes can be swapped via the main menu on The Grid. This
action can be performed n any mode.

If you want to cancel the whole operation, tap the CANCEL button.

Modes

STOMP

Stomp Mode

Stomp Mode allows you to assign any block in a rig to a footswitch,
just like you would with an analog pedalboard.

In Stomp Mode, blocks get automatically assigned to footswitches
in the order they are added to The Grid.

Multiple devices can be assigned to one footswitch. There is no
limit to the number of devices’ bypass status that can be assigned
to a single footswitch.

54

Tap to allocate the block to a different footswitch.

Tap to unassign the block from its current footswitch.

Tap to assign an unnasigned block to a footswitch.

Modes

In the following example, you can see ve device blocks assigned

to different footswitches. Press the footswitches to engage or
disengage the blocks.

AEC

F H

55

* Letter-circles are not part of the

actual Quad Cortex display.

Multiple devices can be assigned to one footswitch.
There is no limit to the number of devices’ bypass status
that can be assigned to a single footswitch.

Footswitch LEDs

Once a block is assigned to a footswitch, the LED will illuminate
corresponding to the color of the assigned block.

The rst eight blocks created in the Preset will be assigned to
footswitches automatically. If your Preset has more than eight
blocks, you have to assign the ones you want to control manually.

Navigating through Presets

While using Stomp mode, press the Up and Down footswitches to
navigate through Presets.

Press and hold either the Up or Down footswitch to navigate
through banks. The Preset name and active footswitch will also

blink intermittently. To conrm the change, press the blinking

footswitch.

Modes

Hybrid Mode

Hybrid Mode is ideal for people who want to quickly access new
Presets while being able to have granular control within them, or
for people who want to have both Scene and Stomp control within
their active Preset.

Acccess the Modes conguration screen from the Grid’s
contextual menu.

Modes conguration screen

On the Modes conguration screen, you can re-order modes as
well as create a Hybrid Mode.

56

Drag and drop Modes between slots to change their order when
cycling through Moder on The Grid.

Drag and drop Modes to the top-right corner to remove them from
the cycle completely.

When Modes are re-ordered,

MIDI CC values will not adapt to
these changes.

For example, by defaulty Preset
Mode is in Mode Slot 1 and it’s
recalled via CC#47 value 0.

If Stomp Mode is moved to Mode
Slot 1, then the same CC#47

value 0 will now recall Stomp
Mode.

When a Mode has been
removed, it can be added again
by pressing the add button.

It is not possible to remove all
three Modes.

Modes

Drag and drop a Mode on top of another to create a Hybrid Mode.

Tap to flip the footswitch conguration.

57

Once a Hybrid Mode is created,
the footswitch conguration is
displayed below the cycle.

It is possible to re-order Modes even when a Hybrid mode has
been created.

Drag and drop a Hybrid Mode to the top-right corner to remove
both Modes from the cycle completely.

When a Hybrid Mode is

congured with Preset Mode, the
banks in the Preset Directory
are effectively split into two.

Banks are split because the top
or bottom 4-footswitch row
no longer allow you to recall
Presets as they are assigned to

to another Mode congured in

Hybrid Mode.

The Up/Down footswitches will
therefore navigate through banks
of four Presets rather than eight.
and Presets will be recalled like
this:

Without Hybrid Mode:

1A Simple Stereo Plexi
1B Icicles
1C Cory Wong Rock Tour
1D Shine On Crazy Synth
1E Sparkle Clean
1F Chunky EVH
1G Stereo Heavy Mood
1H Main Lead Live

With Hybrid Mode:

1A Simple Stereo Plexi
1B Icicles
1C Cory Wong Rock Tour
1D Shine On Crazy Synth

2A Sparkle Clean
2B Chunky EVH
2C Stereo Heavy Mood
2D Main Lead Live

Modes

A

Captain
50 Clean

D

Graphic 6
Band

B

American
410

C

Spring

Whatup

A

B

Beast
Lead

Nice
Machine
Riff

C

Doesn't
Fuzz

D

B

More
reverb

A

Default
scene

C

Scene C

D

Scene D

Gig View

Gig View allows you to visualize what the footswitches are
assigned to instantly. This visualiation utilizes the entire screen.

Access Gig View by swiping up from the bottom of The Grid.

Preset Mode

Gig View shows you the Preset assigned to each footswitch. Tap

58

the active footswitch a second time to show an enlarged view of
the current Preset.

Scene Mode

Gig View shows you the Scene assigned to each footswitch.
Tap to create/change Scene names.

Stomp Mode

While in Gig view, tap the Mode
name at the top-right corner

or press the furthest-right
footswitches on the bottom two
rows together to change Modes.

Gig View shows you the device assigned to each footswitch.

Tap the to get back to The Grid.

Once a Hybrid Mode is created,
both active modes will be
displayed on the screen.

Setup Examples

06

Setup Examples

This section provides an overview of various
ways to use Quad Cortex. These diagrams and
Preset examples represent just a few of the
many ways to use the unit.

59

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3/L

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

STEREO

Multiple Outputs

1/2 + 3/4 + USB 3/4

60

Basic Routing

Quad Cortex offers multiple routing options,

which can be congured through the I/O
Settings screen.

The Multi-Out block routes your
signal through XLR Outs 1/2
as well as TRS Outs 3/4, and
USB. It’s the default setting for
all Factory Presets and newly
created Presets.

Tap any output block in The Grid
then select “Multiple Outputs”
to enable this feature.

Most signals will begin with an instrument. Factory Presets and
newly created Presets will use In 1 and Multi-Output blocks by
default. The Multi-Out block routes your signal through XLR Outs
1/2 as well as TRS Outs 3/4, and USB. You can use this routing as
a multi-purpose set up to monitor your signal while you’re playing.
However, you can use the headphone out of the unit to keep things
even simpler:

1. Connect your instrument to Input 1.

2. Connect your headphones to the Headphone output.

3. Adjust the mix on the I/O Settings screen.

I/O Setup

The outlined routing congurations can be used to connect to

FRFR systems, audio interfaces, and many other setups.

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3/L

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3/L

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

FRFR/Direct

This type of setup is common for live applications, without needing
to disable any device on the signal chain due to using a flat
response system. You can use the same I/O setup to connect to an
audio interface.

1. Connect your instrument to Input 1.

1. Connect OUT1/L (and OUT2/R if stereo) to an FRFR system or
an audio interface using XLR cables.

I/O Setup #1

61

I/O Setup #2

IN 2

OUT 1

IN 1

IN 1OUT 2

IN 2/R

OUT 1

IN 1/L

IN 1OUT 2

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4

OUT 3

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

FRFR Monitor + FRFR to Front-of-House

This method is used to send a “copy” of the stereo signal to a
mixing console or another monitoring system.

1. Connect your instrument to Input 1.

62

2. Connect OUT1/L and OUT2/R to an FRFR system.

3. Use The Grid to patch your signal chain to use Outputs 3 and 4
using an A/B Splitter.

4. Connect OUT3/L and OUT4/R to a mixing console or another
monitoring system.

OUT 4/R

OUT 2 OUT 1

IN 2 IN 1

IN 1OUT 3/L

Why use an A/B Splitter?

Using an A/B Splitter allows you
to send a custom amount of
signal to each external device.

Setup Examples

A1 Live Preset

A1 Live Preset

STEREO

Multiple Outputs

1/2 + 3/4 + USB 3/4

63

Preset Grid #1

In

1

Preset Grid #2

A

PRESET

The Multi-Out block routes your
signal through XLR Outs 1/2
as well as TRS Outs 3/4, and
USB. It’s the default setting for
all Factory Presets and newly
created Presets.

Out

1/2

Out

3/4

Tap any output block in The Grid
then select “Multiple Outputs”
to enable this feature.

A simpler version of this setup is made by using only mono signals
through outputs 1 and 2:

1. Connect your instrument to Input 1.

2. Connect OUT1/L to the primary FRFR system and the OUT2/R
to the other system/mixing console.

3. Use The Grid to patch your signal chain to Outputs 1 and 2
separately using an A/B Splitter.

A

PRESET

In

1

Out

1

Out

2

In both cases, make sure the Splitter is set to A/B.

Using an A/B splitter allows
sending a custom amount of
signal to the mixing console
without affecting the level of the

FRFR amplier.

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

A1 Live Preset B

Combo Amplier

This method requires you to bypass/turn off the Cab block on the
Quad Cortex as you will use a real cabinet.

1. Connect your instrument to Input 1.

2. Use a 1/4” TS cable to connect Quad Cortex (OUT3/L) to the

amplier’s input.

3. Don’t add a Cab block in your Preset. If the Preset includes a
Cab block, bypass it.

I/O Setup

64

Preset Grid

IN

OUT 3/L

IN 1

In

1

A

PRESET

Out

3

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3

OUT 2

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

A1 Live Preset C

STEREO

Multiple Outputs

1/2 + 3/4 + USB 3/4

65

Power Amp & Cab + FRFR/Direct

This method is used to maintain a full signal chain that can be
sent to a flat response system while sending a parallel signal to a
cabinet with the cab device bypassed on Quad Cortex.

1. Connect your instrument to Input 1.

2. On The Grid, make sure the main signal is going through
outputs 1 and 2 (OUT1/L and OUT2/R). Then use an A/B
Splitter to patch the signal before reaching the cab block to
output 3 (OUT3/L).

3. Connect OUT1/L (and OUT2/R if stereo) to an FRFR system,
and connect the OUT3/L to the power amp+cab setup.

I/O Setup

The Multi-Out block routes your
signal through XLR Outs 1/2
as well as TRS Outs 3/4, and
USB. It’s the default setting for
all Factory Presets and newly
created Presets.

Tap any output block in The Grid
then select “Multiple Outputs”
to enable this feature.

IN 2 IN 1

Preset Grid

OUT 2 OUT 1

OUT 3/L

IN

IN 1

In

1

A

PRESET

Out

1/2

Out

3

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

A1 4CMv2 Preset

Four Cable Method (4cm)

The four cable method allows you to use effects in different stages of the signal chain (pre and

post) in conjunction with an amplier and cabinet. The Quad Cortex will be used as an effects

processor, therefore the Presets created for this purpose don’t need amp or cab device blocks.
This method allows you to place pre effects tools such as overdrives, noise gates, and pitch

shifters before the amplier. Post effects such as reverbs and delays will sound after the amp.

1. Add an FX Loop device block. Choose FX Loop 1.

2. Add device blocks before and after the FX Loop block.

3. Set the output block as Out 3.

You will need four TS cables for making the connections:

1. Connect your instrument to INPUT 1.

2. Connect OUT 3/L to the amplier’s FX return.

66

3. Connect SEND 1 to the amplier’s input.

4. Connect RETURN 1 to the amplier’s FX send.

I/O Setup

OUT 3/L

RET 1

SEND

IN

RET

IN 1SEND 1

Preset Grid #1

In

1

FX Loop 1 (Send 1 + Return 1)

A

PRESET

Out

Why FX Loop 1?

There are many FX Loop
devices. FX Loop 1 takes the
signal from the row where it’s
placed and returns it by using

3

SEND 1 and RETURN 1.

If you want to use SEND 2 and
RETURN 2 for conneccting your
external devices, choose FX
LOOP 2.

Setup Examples

Seven Cable Method (7cm)

With the seven cable method, you can set two separate rows to
use the effects included on the Quad Cortex with two external

ampliers.

1. Connect your instrument to Input 1.

2. Add all the pre effects blocks you want on the rst row of The
Grid.

3. Use an A/B splitter to route the signal to the second row.

4. Add an FX Loop block on Rows 1 and 2. The one on the rst
row must be set to Send 1 | Return 1, and the second one to
Send 2 | Return 2.

5. Add post effects after the FX blocks. Set the outputs of each
row to Output 3 and 4 respectively.

67

6. Connect a cable from Send 1 of the Quad Cortex to the

instrument input on the rst amp. Connect another cable from

Send 2 of the Quad Cortex to the instrument input on the
second amp.

7. Connect the Effects Loop Sends from each amp to Return 1
and 2 on the Quad Cortex.

8. Finally, connect Outputs 3 and 4 of the Quad Cortex to the
Effects Loop Return of each amp.

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4

OUT 3

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

A1 7CM Preset

I/O Setup

68

IN

SEND

RET

RET

SEND

IN

OUT 4/R

OUT 3/L

RET 2

RET 1

SEND 2

IN 1SEND 1

Preset Grid

In

1

A

PRESET

Out

3

Out

4

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

A1 FX Loop Preset

As FX Loop Only

The post effects included on Quad Cortex, like reverbs and delays,
can be used independently through the FX loop of an external

amplier. For this purpose, your Presets will only contain one row

of post effects blocks.

1. Connect your instrument to the input of your amplier.

2. Connect an instrument cable from the Send of the FX Loop of
the amplier to Input 1 on Quad Cortex.

3. On The Grid, add all the post effects you want to the rst row
and set the output to OUT3/L.

4. Connect the OUT3/L on the Quad Cortex to the Return of the
amp’s FX Loop.

I/O Setup

69

Preset Grid

OUT 3/L

RET

IN 1

SEND

IN

In

1

A

PRESET

Out

3

Setup Examples

A1 PreFX Preset

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

As FX Processor (pre only)

Similar to the previous method, you can use the Quad Cortex
purely for pre effects, such as EQs, overdrives, noise gates, and
pitch shift effects. Grid rows built for this purpose will contain only
pre effects blocks.

1. Connect your instrument to Input 1 on the Quad Cortex.

2. Place all the pre effects blocks you want on the rst row of The
Grid, and set the output to OUT3/L.

3. Connect the OUT3/L on the Quad Cortex to the input of your

amplier.

I/O Setup

70

Preset Grid

IN

OUT 3/L

IN 1

In

1

A

PRESET

Out

3

Setup Examples

A1 External gear

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3/L

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

Using external gear (FX loop)

The Effects Loop device block allows you to insert external effects
into your signal chain on The Grid.

1. Connect your instrument to Input 1.

2. Build your signal chain on The Grid, then add an FX Loop
device block (set to FX Loop 1) where you want to insert the
external effects. Make sure the Mix parameter is set to 100%.

3. Connect a cable from Send 1 on the Quad Cortex to the
external effects.

4. From the output of the external effects, connect a cable to
Return 1 on the Quad Cortex.

I/O Setup

71

OUT

Preset Grid

IN

SEND 1

IN 1RET 1

In

1

A

PRESET

Out

1/2

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3/L

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

A1 Stereo cab

Stereo cab setup

You can use two different cabinets and assign them separate
outputs on Quad Cortex. Use the balance Splitter (0.50 value) to
match the output volume on both cabs.

I/O Setup

72

Preset Grid

OUT 2INOUT 1

IN

IN 1

In

1

A

PRESET

Out

1

Out

2

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3/L

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

A1 Guitar Vocals

Guitar and vocals

You can use Quad Cortex to process guitars and vocals separately.
This example shows each row going through a mono output,
however, you can assign stereo outputs for both rows.

I/O Setup

73

IN

Preset Grid

OUT 2INOUT 1

IN 1IN 2

In

1

In

2

A

PRESET

Out

1

Out

2

Setup Examples

EXP 2

EXP 1

IN 2

IN 1

OUT 4/R

OUT 3

OUT 1

OUT 2

MIDI INMIDI

OUT

SEND 2

SEND 1

RET 2

RET 1

CAPTURE

OUT

Two guitars and bass

To process more than two instruments, you will need to use the
Returns as instrument inputs.

74

I/O Setup

IN 2RET 1 IN 1OUT 2 OUT 3/LOUT 1

Setup Examples

A1 Guitars Bass

In this example, the bass is connected to the Return 1 input. Each
row uses a separate output.

Preset Grid

A

PRESET

75

In

In

Ret

Out

1

2

1

1

Out

2

Out

3

Neural Capture

07

Neural Capture

Neural Capture is Quad Cortex’s flagship
feature. Built using our proprietary
biomimetic AI, it can learn and replicate
the sonic characteristics of any physical

amplier, cabinet, and overdrive pedal with

unprecedented accuracy.

76

To create a Neural Capture you need to be able to mic up a

cabinet or use an amplier with a load box or D.I. Out.

Neural Capture

Creating a new Neural Capture

Start by taping the Main Menu at the top-right corner of The Grid,
then tap “New Neural Capture”

IMPORTANT: No special type of microphone is needed.
Neural Capture is a global snapshot of a real device setup
that includes the microphone used and its placement as
well.

77

Connection Diagram

WARNING:

Connecting the speaker output from a tube amplier to the Quad
Cortex could damage both units. Ensure you are using a D.I. Out and

your amplier is still connected to a cabinet or reactive load box.

1. Plug your instrument into INPUT 1.

For the best results, disconnect
any devices from Send 1/2 and
Return 1/2.

Neural Capture

2. Connect your Headphones and/or use the XLR/TRS outputs for

monitoring.

78

3. Connect Capture Out to the INPUT of the target device.

Neural Capture

4. Position your microphone in front of the cabinet and connect it

to Quad Cortex’s INPUT 2.

79

You can also Capture isolated
overdrive/distortion pedals

without using an amplier.

Connect them to Quad Cortex
INPUT 2 using a TS cable.

IN 1 D.I. OUT

If you have an amplier that has

a D.I. Out, you can opt to use
that instead of a microphone for

capturing the amplier without

the cabinet.

TUBE AMPLIFIER WARNING:

Connecting the speaker output from a tube amplier to the Quad
Cortex could damage both units. Ensure you are using a D.I. Out and

your amplier is still connected to a cabinet or reactive load box.

5. Once everything is connected correctly, tap to start

the Capture process.

Neural Capture

Capture process

Set your microphone position and tweak the device parameters to
your liking.

Reduce levels if any of the meters detect clipping. The IN 2

GROUND LIFT can mitigate noise caused by ground loops.

80

PAGE 1:

• IN 1 LEVEL KNOB: Sets the input gain of the instrument signal.

• IN 2 LEVEL KNOB: Sets the input gain of the target device

signal.

• IN 1/2 TYPE SWITCHES: Toggles between “Mic” and
“Instrument” inputs. Use “Instrument” if the device being
captured is connected to Quad Cortex with a TS cable. Use
“Mic” if the device being captured is connected to Quad Cortex
with an XLR cable.

• IN 1/2 LEVEL METERS: Input signal meters.

• HEADPHONE LEVEL KNOB: Sets the output level of the

headphones.

• AUTO-SET BUTTON: Sets the IN 2 level automatically. Play
your instrument until the IN 1 knob stops moving.

PAGE 2:

• 1/2 GROUND LIFT SWITCHES: Enable them in order to

mitigate noise caused by ground loops, faulty audio cables, or
other sources.

• 1/2 PHANTOM SWITCHES: Engages Phantom Power (48v).

Neural Capture

CancelNeural Capture

Sanity Check

Training

81

Tap to begin. The progress window will show the

START CAPTURE

following steps:

Calibration

Recording Signals

Neural Capture in progress

Recording a bunch of signals that will be used for modeling.

7

• Calibration: Measuring latency of the connected device. In the
case of a digital device, keep latency as low as possible.

• Recording Signals: Recording signals that will be used for
modeling.

• Sanity Check & Training: The core of Neural Capture. Training
a neural network to emulate the sound of your device. If the
Sanity Check fails, use the AUTO-SET feature to set optimal
input levels.s¨

Neural Capture

CancelNeural Capture

START FROM SCRATCH

Your Neural Capture is ready. Switch between the reference and Quad Cortex using
the buttons below.

Testing a Neural Capture

After the Capture process, your Neural Capture will be ready for
testing.

SAVE

LEVEL

CORTEX

0.00

REFERENCE

• CORTEX & REFERENCE BUTTONS: Tap them to toggle
between the original device signal and the Neural Capture.
Footswitch A can be pressed or turned to switch between the
two.

82

• HEADPHONES KNOB: Sets the output level of Quad Cortex in
the mix (Rotary footswitch B assigned automatically).

• START FROM SCRATCH BUTTON: Start the Neural Capture
process again.

Saving a Neural Capture

Tap the to save your Neural Capture.

SAVE

Name your Neural Capture.

After naming your Neural Capture, you can add two types of
metadata: Capture Type and Preferred Instrument. It is also
possible to add this metadata when editing a Preset on Quad
Cortex or on Cortex Cloud/Mobile.

Each type has its own icon. It will display on The Grid when the
Capture type has been set.

Gain metadata is automatically
calculated by Quad Cortex when
creating a Neural Capture.

Quad Cortex determines how
saturated a Neural Capture is,
giving a raking of 1-10; 1 being
a clean tone and 10 being the
most saturated distortion.

Neural Capture

DoneBypass

Neural Capture LX65 57 Axis

1/2

Out

1

In

Using a Neural Capture

Captures can be used by loading a Neural Capture block on The
Grid. Tap an empty space on The Grid and select “Neural Capture”
in the Device Category list.

This will open the Virtual Device Library, where you can navigate
through the different Neural Capture folders. Tap a Neural Capture
in a bank to add it to The Grid.

83

Tapping a Capture in the Directory immediately displays The Grid
and shows all of the available spaces where ther Capture can be
added. Tap a block to replace it.

Tap a Capture block to access its parameters.

GAIN

0.71

• GAIN [dB]: Determines the gain in the preamp section of the
Capture.

• BASS [dB]: Affects the low-end of the signal.

• MID [dB]: Affects the mid-range of the signal.

• TREBLE [dB]: Affects the high-end of the signal.

• VOLUME [dB]: Determines the output level of the Capture.

BASS

0.71

MID

0.71

TREBLE

0.71

VOLUME

0.71

Computer Integration

08

Computer Integration

Quad Cortex can function as an audio interface
by connecting it to your computer via USB.

For USB audio operation on Windows® computers, it is
necessary to download and install the Quad Cortex ASIO®
driver from our website. There is no driver installation
necessary for Mac® computers.

84

Computer Integration

USB Audio

Quad Cortex functions as a USB 2.0, 24-bit, 48kHz (xed), low-

latency audio interface for Windows® and Mac® computers. It
features 8 inputs & 8 outputs compatible with all major DAWs.

Use the USB Type-B cable included in the box to connect your
Quad Cortex to your computer.

macOS® setup

• After connecting Quad Cortex to your Mac®, you are able to use
it as a device for sound input and output.

• Go to “System Preferences”, “Sound”, and set Quad Cortex to
be the Output and Input device.

• Use Quad Cortex’s VOLUME wheel to set your output volume.

Windows® setup

• Download the driver installer from our website.

85

USB devices may stop
functioning correctly or turn
completely unresponsive when
they are attached to the same

USB hub.

Avoid connecting Quad Cortex
to USB hubs or front panel

USB ports of PC cases. Use
motherboard ports (USB 2.0 or

higher) instead.

For advanced settings, open the
Audio MIDI Setup app from the
Applications folder.

Download the Quad Cortex

driver installer for Windows®.

• Run the installer. When it completes, reboot both your
computer and Quad Cortex.

• Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound, and make
sure your Quad Cortex is set as the default device in both
Playback and Recording tabs.

• Right-click the Quad Cortex, select Properties > Advanced
options, and ensure that the Sample Rate is set to 48000 Hz.
Repeat this process for both Playback and Recording tabs.

The Quad Cortex driver will be installed in the following path
location by default:

C:\Program Files\NeuralDSP\USB Audio Device Driver

Hardware & DAW Monitoring

If Quad Cortex is selected as the main audio device on your
computer, you will hear the computer audio through Quad Cortex
Outputs 1/2 and Headphone Output. This feature lets you jam
along with YouTube™, Spotify®, iTunes®, or your DAW tracks with
low latency monitoring.

Recording Quad Cortex’s processed signal, dry input, or specic

rows is also possible. In either case, you will hear your signal from
Quad Cortex before it’s routed through the DAW, which is great for
low latency monitoring.

Monitoring with both Quad
Cortex and a DAW at the same
time could cause phase issues.
In order to avoid any issues,
turn off input monitoring on the
audio track.

You can use multiple inputs and outputs by tapping the Input
and Output blocks on both sides of The Grid. USB Inputs and
USB Outputs are also available here. This feature allows getting
different routings without connecting any additional cables to the
unit.

Computer Integration

USB I/O Schematic

Quad Cortex features 16 USB channels (8in/8out). Each channel is mapped to a specic source
or Quad Cortex’s audio connector.

86

HOST USB
CHANNEL

Input 1

Input 2

Input 3

Input 4

Input 5

Input 6

Input 7

Input 8

DESCRIPTION

DI signal from analog Inputs 1/2 to host (non-

selectable on The Grid). Select Inputs 1/2 on your host

to record DI tracks.

Dry/Wet swap via I/O Settings

Manual route from The Grid selectable output blocks to
the host. Select Inputs 3/4 on your host to route signal
from the The Grid output.

Manual route from The Grid selectable output blocks to
the host. Select Inputs 5/6 on your host to route signal
from The Grid output.

Manual route from The Grid selectable output blocks to
the host. Select Inputs 7/8 on your host to route signal
from The Grid output.

QUAD CORTEX
USB CHANNEL

Output 1

Output 2

Output 3

Output 4

USB Output 5

USB Output 6

USB Output 7

USB Output 8

Output 1

Output 2

Output 3

Output 4

Output 5

Output 6

Output 7

Output 8

Playback from the host through XLR Outputs (non-

selectable on The Grid) Select Outputs 1/2 on your

host to hear playback through Quad Cortex’s Outputs
1/2 or Headphones Out.

Playback from the host through TRS Outputs
(non-selectable on The Grid). Select Outputs 3/4 on
your host to hear the signal through Quad Cortex’s
Outputs 3/4.

Manual route from the host to Quad Cortex’s input
blocks. Select Outputs 5/6 on your host to route the
signal to a row in The Grid.

Manual route from the host to Quad Cortex’s input
blocks. Select Outputs 7/8 on your host to route the
signal to a row in The Grid.

Input 1

Input 2

Input 3

Input 4

USB Input 5

USB Input 6

USB Input 7

USB Input 8

Use the Dry/Wet switch in the I/O Settings menu to swap between clean
DIs or processed signal fed into USB Outputs 1-2 or 3-4.

Computer Integration

D8 Dart Shifter

STEREO

Multiple Outputs

1/2 + 3/4 + USB 3/4

87

Recording a Dry D.I. Track

A common DAW recording technique is to record a dry D.I. (Direct
Input) signal from your instrument or microphone along with your
processed tone. Only a single-row Preset is needed for recording
both processed and dry signals from Quad Cortex.

Routing:

Preset Grid

The Multi-Out block routes your
signal through XLR Outs 1/2
as well as TRS Outs 3/4, and
USB. It’s the default setting for
all Factory Presets and newly
created Presets.

Tap any output block in The Grid
then select “Multiple Outputs”
to enable this feature.

A

PRESET

In

1

Multi

Out

The instrument is connected to Quad Cortex’s INPUT 1 and it’s
being monitored by headphones only. Quad Cortex is connected to
the laptop through USB.

• Open your DAW and choose Quad Cortex as main audio device.

• Create a mono audio track and set its input as Input 1.
The track will receive the dry input signal coming from your
instrument.

• Then, create a stereo audio track and set its input as Input 3/4.
The track will receive the processed signal coming from the
row via USB 3/4.

• Finally, arm both tracks for recording.

Computer Integration

D8 Dart Shifter

STEREO

Multiple Outputs

1/2 + 3/4 + USB 3/4

88

D.I. Recording and Re-Amplication

Quad Cortex allows processing the D.I. track later with, for
example, Neural DSP plug-ins and/or re-amplify the D.I. track
through an amp or back through the Quad Cortex unit again.

Routing:

Preset Grid #1

The Multi-Out block routes your
signal through XLR Outs 1/2
as well as TRS Outs 3/4, and
USB. It’s the default setting for
all Factory Presets and newly
created Presets.

Tap any output block in The Grid
then select “Multiple Outputs”
to enable this feature.

A

PRESET

In

1

Multi

Out

The instrument is connected to Quad Cortex’s INPUT 1 and it’s
being monitored by headphones only. Quad Cortex is connected to
the laptop through USB.

• Open your DAW and choose Quad Cortex as the main audio
device.

• Create a mono audio track and set its input as Input 1.
The track will receive the dry input signal coming from your
instrument.

• Then, create a stereo audio track and set its input as Input 3/4.
The track will receive the processed signal coming from the row
via USB 3/4.

• Finally, arm both tracks for recording.

Computer Integration

A4 JaWah

STEREO

Multiple Outputs

1/2 + 3/4 + USB 3/4

89

Preset Grid #2

A

PRESET

In

1

Multi

Out

Check the following steps to send back the recorded DI to Quad
Cortex:

• Select the dry audio track output as Output 5.

• Choose USB 5 as an input block in The Grid.

• Press PLAY in your DAW.

Quad Cortex will receive the signal coming from the track. All the
device blocks placed in the row will affect the signal.

Recording the re-amped signal in your DAW is also possible.

The Multi-Out block routes your
signal through XLR Outs 1/2
as well as TRS Outs 3/4, and
USB. It’s the default setting for
all Factory Presets and newly
created Presets.

Tap any output block in The Grid
then select “Multiple Outputs”
to enable this feature.

• Add another audio track and set its inputs as Inputs 3/4.

• Arm the track for recording.

Connecting Quad Cortex to an iPhone® or iPad®

You can connect any class-compliant USB audio device or MIDI
controller to an iPhone® or iPad®. As those peripherals, Quad
Cortex can be used as an audio interface using the Apple®
Lightning to USB-3 Camera Adapter.

This feature allows using Quad Cortex with audio apps like
GarageBand® for recording purporses, or simply using Quad Cortex
as the main audio device for different apps.

MIDI

09

MIDI

Quad Cortex is capable of sending and
receiving MIDI messages over USB in the same
way as via its MIDI Din connectors.

IMPORTANT: For USB MIDI operation on Windows®
computers, it is necessary to download and install the Quad
Cortex ASIO® driver, available from our website. There is no
driver installation necessary if you’re using an Apple Mac
computer.

90

MIDI

A3

Beast lead

Add to favorites

Delete preset

Save as ...

Edit details

Preset MIDI Out

MIDI Settings Menu

Tap the Main Menu on The Grid and select Settings to access to
the MIDI Settings screen.

91

• MIDI Channel:
Sets the Quad Cortex base MIDI channel.

• MIDI Thru:
Sets MIDI Thru ON or OFF. MIDI Thru allows many devices
to have their MIDI connections daisy-chained together to be
driven by a common MIDI source.

• MIDI over USB:
Enables or disables MIDI over USB.

• Ignore duplicate PC:
When enabled, a Preset will not be reloaded if the
corresponding MIDI Program Change message is sent. CC#0
and CC#32 messages will also be ignored.
When disabled, a Preset will be reloaded if the corresponding
MIDI Program Change message is sent.

Preset MIDI Out Settings

Quad Cortex is capable of sending MIDI messages to external

The Ignore duplicate PC feature
can be MIDI controlled by
sending CC #62 to Quad Cortex.

devices. Those messages can be mapped and modied in the

Preset MIDI Out settings menu.

In

1

B

STOMP

Out

1/2

MIDI

92

Preset MIDI Out settings

ON PRESET LOAD

MESSAGE

A

E

TYPE

None

B

F

Clear all

EXP 1 EXP 2

C

G

D

H

Done

• ON PRESET LOAD MESSAGE: Set up to 12 MIDI commands
that will be sent once you load the current Preset.

• A-H FOOTSWITCHES: Tapping them will allow you to modify
the type (CC/CC Toggle/PC), channel, command number, and
value (0 - 127) of the message assigned to each footswitch.

• EXP PEDAL 1-2: Can switch between unassigned (none) and

CC in the type eld. Once it’s assigned, you can modify the

channel, command number, min value, and max value.

• TYPE: When available, you can select the type of message that
will be sent (CC/CC Toggle/PC). For expression pedals, only CC
messages are available.

CC TYPE

• CHANNEL: Choose from 1 to 16 to select the channel that will

send the MIDI commands.

• CC#: Choose from 0 to 127 to select the CC number.

• VALUE: Choose from 0 to 127 to select the value that will be

sent.

CC TOGGLE TYPE

• CHANNEL: Choose from 1 to 16 to select the channel that will

send the MIDI commands.

• CC#: Choose from 0 to 127 to select the CC number.

• MIN VALUE: 0 - 127. Determines the value sent when the

footswitch LED is dim.

• MAX VALUE: 0 - 127. Determines the value sent when the
footswitch LED is bright.

MIDI

A4 MIDI

A4 MIDI

PC TYPE

• CHANNEL: Choose from 1 to 16 to select the channel that will

send the MIDI commands.

• BANK CC#0: 0 - 127. Determines the MSB.

• BANK CC#32: 0 - 127. Determines the LSB.

• PROGRAM#: Choose from 0 to 127 to select the PC number.

93

Tap Done to close the Preset MIDI Out Settings window.

In

1

In

1

Note the footswitch and expression pedal MIDI commands
can only be sent in SCENE or STOMP Modes. The outgoing

MIDI commands will be deactivated in PRESET Mode.

However, any outgoing “ON PRESET LOAD” MIDI messages
will be sent in PRESET mode.

Done

A

SCENE

Out

1/2

A

STOMP

Out

1/2

Incoming MIDI

Quad Cortex can receive CC and PC messages via MIDI DIN or
USB. You can use external devices to change Presets and for other
features.

Receiving MIDI Program Change messages (PC)

Incoming MIDI Program Change messages change Presets and
Setlists on Quad Cortex.

• We use CC#32 for changing Setlists, supporting up to 128
Setlists (value 0-127).

• CC#0 is used for splitting up the Setlists in to groups of 128
Presets. CC#0 value 0 is used for Presets 0-127 and CC#0
value 1 is used for Presets 128-256.

MIDI

Example #1

If you want to load theQuad Cortex Preset 129 (17A)inSetlist 5,
then you would send the followingPC messageto the unit:

• CC#0 value 1, CC#32 value 5, Program #1

Example #2

If you want to load theQuad Cortex Preset 68 (9D)inSetlist 9,
then you would send the followingPC messageto the unit:

• CC#0 value 0, CC#32 value 9, Program #67

Important: The last CC#0 value # is remembered until you change
the CC#0 value again and choose to load a Preset from a different
Preset group.

Receiving MIDI Continuous Controller messages (CC)

CC messages can be used for the following purposes:

94

• Change Mode.

• Change Scene.

• Tap Tempo BPM.

• Enable/bypass footswitches A-H.

• Open/Close Gig View.

• Open/Close the Tuner.

MIDI

Incoming MIDI Reserved CC List

Quad Cortex has reserved specic MIDI CC messages for global

functions.

95

CC# 0 Value 0: Preset group 0-127
CC# 0 Value 1: Preset group 128-256

CC# 1 Value 0-127 Expression pedal 1

CC# 2 Value 0-127 Expression pedal 2

CC# 32 Value 0-127 Bank (LSB) - Setlist change (Program Change)

CC# 35 Value 0-127

CC# 36 Value 0-127

CC# 37 Value 0-127

CC# 38 Value 0-127

Bank (MSB)

Enable/bypass Footswitch A
(Preset/Stomp/Scene Mode, and Gig View)

Enable/bypass Footswitch B
(Preset/Stomp/Scene Mode, and Gig View)

Enable/bypass Footswitch C
(Preset/Stomp/Scene Mode, and Gig View)

Enable/bypass Footswitch D
(Preset/Stomp/Scene Mode, and Gig View)

CC# 39 Value 0-127

CC# 40 Value 0-127

CC# 41 Value 0-127

CC# 42 Value 0-127

CC# 43 Value 0-7 Scene select (A-H)

CC# 44 Value 0-127 Tempo BPM

CC# 45 Value 0-127 Tuner On/Off

CC# 46 Value 0-127 Open/Close Gig View

CC# 47 Value 0-2

Enable/bypass Footswitch E
(Preset/Stomp/Scene Mode, and Gig View)

Enable/bypass Footswitch F
(Preset/Stomp/Scene Mode, and Gig View)

Enable/bypass Footswitch G
(Preset/Stomp/Scene Mode, and Gig View)

Enable/bypass Footswitch H
(Preset/Stomp/Scene Mode, and Gig View)

Change modes (Stomp/Preset/Scene)

• CC#47 value 0 loads Preset Mode

• CC#47 value 1 loads Scene Mode

• CC#47 value 2 loads Stomp Mode

CC# 62 Value 0-127 • Ignore duplicate PC (0-63 Off / 64-127 On)

MIDI

Looper X MIDI Reserved CC List

The Looper X has reserved specic MIDI CC messages for its

functions.

CC #48 Value 64-127 Open / Close Looper UI (Always opens in perform mode)

CC #49 Value 64-127 Duplicate/Stop Duplicate

CC #50 Value 64-127 Enable/disable One Shot

CC #51 Value 64-127 Enable/Disable Half Speed

Punch Feature.

• Value 0-63 = Punch Out

CC #52 Value 0-127

• Value 64-127 = Punch In/Punch Out
*Value 0-63 works as long as the parameter is set to momentary and value
0-63 is sent on MIDI controller footswitch release.

96

Record/Stop.

• Value 0-63 = Stop recording

CC #53

CC #54 Value 64-127 Play/Stop

CC #55 Value 64-127 Enable/Disable Reverse

CC #56 Value 64-127 Undo/Redo

CC #57 Value 0-1

CC #58 Value 0-9

• Value 64-127 = Record/Overdub/Stop
*Value 0-63 works as long as the parameter is set to momentary and value
0-63 is sent on MIDI controller footswitch release.

Duplicate Mode parameter

• Value 0 = Free

• Value 1 = Sync

Quantize parameter

• Value 0 = OFF

• Value 1-8 = 1-8 Beats

• Value 9 = 16 Beats

CC #59 Value 0-1

CC #60 Value 0-1

CC #61 Value 0-13

MIDI Clock Start

• Value 0 = OFF

• Value 1 = ON

Perform / Params mode

• Value 0 = Perform Mode

• Value 1 = Params Mode

Routing Mode parameter
Value 0-13 = Grid > I/Os > Multi Out

Cortex Cloud

10

Cortex Cloud

Once you log in to your Neural DSP account,
your Quad Cortex is ready to create Cloud
Backups and share Presets, Neural Captures,
and Impulse Responses.

97

Cortex Cloud

Cloud Backups

This feature allows you to securely backup all of the settings and
data on your Quad Cortex, including Presets, Neural Captures, and
Impulse Responses.

You need to be logged in to your Neural DSP account to create or
download Backups.

98

Linking your Neural DSP account
unlocks the full potential of your

Cortex Cloud prole.

You can store up to 5 backups on Cortex Cloud. Downloading a

backup will replace your current les.

Tap for further options. You can update, replace, rename, or
remove a backup.

Cortex Cloud

Adding friends

In the Cortex ecosystem, friends can share les with each other,
even if they areset toprivate. To become friends withsomeone,
you both have tobe followers ofeach other.

1. Use the Discover page’s search
function to search for a user.

2. Tap “Follow” next to the user
you wish to follow. The status
will change to “Following”.

3. When they follow you back,
you will be friends, and will
see each other on your Friends
lists.

4. You can share your items
with a friend via Quad Cortex
or Cortex Cloud, even if your

items areprivate.

99

5. Shared items will be

availablefordownload
onyourQuad Cortex

(Dowloads folders).

Cortex Cloud

Downloading items from other users

100

Presets and Neural Captures that are made public can be

vdownloaded byany user.

1. On Cortex Mobile, nd an
item you’d like to download.

2. Tap

3. Connect to Wi-Fi on your
Quad Cortex.

4. Go to the Directory.

5. Navigate to any Downloads
folder.

6. Tap to store the
item(s) on your Quad Cortex.

Public Private

Check the Making Presets or

Neural Captures available to the
public section for more details.

Once you have added items to your download queue on Cortex
Cloud/Mobile, when you open a Downloads folder and your Quad
Cortex is connected to Wi-Fi, the items will begin downloading
immediately.

Once items have downloaded, they will be stored in your
Downloads folder until they are either moved to a Setlist or
deleted.

Presets can be auditioned
directly from the Downloads
folder. Tap a Preset to load it onto
the Grid.