Neural DSP has just entered the stompbox realm with the Neural DSP Nano Cortex, a compact yet powerful amp and effects processor, packing the (much larger) Quad Cortex’s top-tier sound into a pedal that fits in your hand.
Weighing less than two pounds, The Nano Cortex boasts 2GHz of SHARC DSP power for quality tones. With Neural Capture technology, you can make digital copies of your real-life gear or access hundreds of user-created tones via Bluetooth through the Cortex Cloud app. It offers 256 Neural Capture slots, 256 custom IRs, and 64 presets. Its dual footswitches control sound settings easily, and USB-C functionality allows use as an audio interface.
Versatility, of course, is the name of the game here. Its 256 Neural Captures, 256 custom IRs, and 64 presets, with gapless switching between four presets controlled by its dual footswitches, allow for pretty much any tone you may want or need from rock to crunch to clean. On top of that, its seven device blocks let you build a signal chain, featuring:
- 2 x pre-FX block (Adaptive Gate and Transpose)
- Neural Capture
- IR Loader
- 3 post-FX block (Chorus, Analog Delay, and Mind Hall Reverb)
A dedicated FX button and Amount knob give access and control to five distinct effects that can be used both separately and in tandem, while a global 3-band EQ integrates Gain and Level for precise levels and tone-sculpting.
You can edit, organize, and control effects through the app’s Bluetooth connection, which also facilitates firmware updates and advanced sound shaping.
Routing options are also exceptional, with stereo output, EXP/MIDI jack, headphones output and… via the USB-C input the Nano Cortex can also be used as an audio interface for recording into your DAW!
