Neural DSP Nano Cortex Preamp/Rack Amplifier

Neural DSP Nano Cortex Preamp — A Full Rig in a 620 g Pedal

The Neural DSP Nano Cortex preamp distills the flagship Quad Cortex into a palm-sized pedal. At 620 g and only slightly wider than two stompboxes, it delivers studio-grade amp modeling and Neural Capture. The pedal runs on 2 GHz of dedicated SHARC DSP.

Neural Capture and Cortex Cloud: Tone-Shaping That Travels

What separates this preamp is Neural Capture — the same resolution as the Quad Cortex, executed on-device in minutes. Press Capture, plug a mic or drive pedal into the XLR+TS combo input, and the unit builds a digital replica of any amp, cab, or overdrive. Cortex Cloud unlocks thousands of user-created Captures over Bluetooth.

Signal Chain Architecture — Capture, IR, and Effects in One Block

Seven device blocks form the audio path, any bypassable for custom routing. Two pre-FX slots sit ahead of the Neural Capture block, followed by an IR Loader and three post-FX slots.

• Neural Capture Block: 25 factory Captures + 256 user slots — store every amp, cab, and drive pedal as a digital replica
• IR Loader: 10 cabinet models × 30 IRs = 300 IRs — five mic types and six positions per cab
• Preset Capacity: 64 preset slots — gapless switching with delay and reverb trails preserved

Inputs, Outputs, and Studio-Grade Audio Interface

USB-C doubles as power input and 24-bit / 48 kHz audio interface, while the EXP/MIDI TRS jack accepts expression pedals and MIDI controllers. A ground/lift switch kills hum. This is a fully digital preamp with no analog effects loop and no true bypass.

• Instrument Input: 6.3 mm jack — guitar or bass at the front of the chain
• Capture Input: XLR + TS combo with +26 dB boost — for gain-hungry microphones
• Outputs: dual 6.3 mm TRS, EXP/MIDI TRS, 3.5 mm headphone — stereo to FOH and silent practice

Onboard Effects and Tactile Knob-per-Function Control

NanOS 2.0.0 expanded the effects library to more than 50 devices, plus a dedicated input gate. Every global control is a dedicated knob.

• Pre-Effects: Adaptive Gate, compressors, wahs, filters, 11 overdrives, Transpose pitch — shape the front of the signal before the Capture block
• Post-Effects: modulation, 5 delays, 5 reverbs, Doubler — add dimension and ambience after the cab sim
• Tuner: built-in — pitch reference on the unit and in the Cortex Cloud app

Who Should Buy the Nano Cortex

The Nano Cortex is the right choice for guitarists and bassists who want flagship-grade tone in a gig-bag-friendly pedal. Touring players can leave the amp and cab at home and run stereo into a PA or FRFR cabinet. Studio producers gain a 24-bit / 48 kHz audio interface. Beginners benefit from 25 factory Captures and the Cortex Cloud app.

Neural DSP and the Nano Cortex Lineage

Neural DSP built its reputation on software plugins that model legendary amps, then translated that expertise into hardware with the Quad Cortex. The Nano Cortex extends that lineage into a travel-ready form factor, packing the same SHARC-based DSP into a 620 g unit. NanOS firmware has evolved — 2.0.0 added customizable FX blocks, while 2.2.0 introduced Neural Capture Version 2 playback.