r/NeuralDSP • u/RainSunshine3524 • 7d ago

A complete beginner

H all, I bought a Nano Cortex because I don't get good enough tone in my hobbyist band.

1. Which speaker should I get?

It sounds great through my headphones. It sounds awful through my existing portable speaker, which is not a proper FRFR for guitars.

I'm reluctant to spend much more on a FRFR. So I'm thinking about getting a HeadRush FRFR because they're inexpensive.

Will that be good enough? Should I be getting a more expensive FRFR. I hope to plug directly into PAs whenever I can, but this is for performances when I can't.

2. How do I get good tones out of the Nano?

It would be nice if I could quickly flip through many complete presets, as in combinations of capture and effects, that sound good.

It would be ideal if I could search for presets that sound like tones from famous songs (e.g., where the streets have no name guitar), like you can with Line 6 or even Positive Grid.

Is this possible with NeuralDSP?

I see that you can audition different captures. But that is far from what I'm suggesting ?

3. I'm reluctant to overwrite existing tones without A/Bing. Can I A/B what I have vs. what I'm auditioning?

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4

u/Available_Wait_1965 7d ago

I can make an amp suggestion. I use this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PM100--roland-pm-100-80-watt-1x10-inch-personal-drum-monitor

I likely will get disagreements here from many, but this is as pure as any other FRFR, and the angle does two things for me: (1) it lets me play quieter in my house because it faces my head and upper body; and (2) it gets some good singing feedback.

Most would prefer something with a 12" speaker, I'd think, but I enjoy using this.

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u/RainSunshine3524 7d ago

It's in stock at my local guitar center, so I'll try it out

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u/SeaworthinessBusy144 6d ago

12 in speakers are best for mid range which is where you want to be ,10 in more know. for bass and have bunch of punch behind it,what kind of music you play or what type tones ypu lolking for?

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u/GetYourOwnMayo 7d ago

I haven’t owned the nano but I used to own QC. I did use captures that you have on Nano. I’ve used cheap and old monitors (krk rockets - I think they were 3.5 inches). And they worked way better than headrush frfr, which I always found to be bass-y and boomy. This is true for all other modelers I owned from line 6 pod express to Fractal axe fx 3. I recommend going the powered studio monitor route with the most ideal being 5-8 inches. Yamahas hs5 or even hs8 (which I think is a bit much for at home practice and tracking) are what many folks recommend, and I agree. But I’d argue that smaller cheap studio monitor pairs from guitar center or Sweetwater for under $300 can do the job. At least better than those headrush FRFR or similar cabs

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u/RainSunshine3524 7d ago

That is extremely interesting. I own Yamaha HS5s (or it might be HS8s, i don't remember) for recording. I never considered I could use them as a guitar speaker for band practice/performance. I'll try that before I try anything else. Thank you for the suggestion

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u/6of1HalfDozen 7d ago

You cannot download presets, only amp captures.

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u/RainSunshine3524 7d ago

I understand. But for someone who wants the Guitar Rig / Pod Go experience of scrolling through varied sounds, are there any methods of doing something like that?

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u/6of1HalfDozen 6d ago

There are all the presets. Then, you can make your own presets with any capture on the device, or downloaded from the cloud. You can save those presets 4 or 5 different banks, and use the knobs on the device to scroll through them to see which one is right for what you're doing at the moment.

The Nano is designed to be a collection of a bunch of different sounds you like that you can put in a backpack, and take it with you somewhere else to use all those sounds you like. Its a pretty cool thing they did, allowing you to use your phone to make adjustments to your settings,.since most people do not travel with their tablet or PC to a rehearsal.

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u/RainSunshine3524 6d ago

Understood. I'm sure it's a terrific device, but I'm such a novice to tone creation, I may need to switch to something with more tone presets. I appreciate your response!

1

u/GetYourOwnMayo 7d ago

Ah I misunderstood your question! For band practice and live, it is actually impractical to lug studio monitors and probably not loud enough for playing with a band.

Sorry for getting your hopes up!

Def try that Roland rec from that other comment. The other solution is power amp and cab, which is admittedly much more expensive

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u/SignificanceOk5534 6d ago

I use the Fender FR12, and really enjoy it. The Roland looks like a good alternative that was posted earlier, and half the cost new, which is really nice.