Neural DSP releases the Nano Cortex amp modeler and capture pedal

October 1, 2024 · 1 sources

Neural DSP released the Nano Cortex, a compact amp modeling and capture pedal, shortly before the October 3, 2024 episode of the Chairmen of the Boards podcast, where hosts Mason Marangella, Grant Klassen and Brian Omilion discussed it¹.

The pedal is a mono input, stereo output unit, according to Marangella's understanding¹. It runs on a 9 or 12 volt, 600 milliamp power input, and Omilion said he believes it can also be bus powered over USB¹. It has a dedicated headphone output, MIDI, and a built-in tuner, which Marangella said he had not known about¹. The signal chain, in Marangella's description, is input compression, a block of overdrive or a capture of an amp and cab, modulation, delay and reverb¹. The pedal has no effects loop and is "basically just like a single signal path," he said¹.

The Nano Cortex has no screen of its own; Klassen said "the screen is actually your phone," with Bluetooth used to update the unit wirelessly and control parameters in real time¹. Marangella said holding the exit and capture buttons connects it to Bluetooth¹. Klassen said all the hardware needed to capture an amp or pedal is built in, with no external hardware required¹. Marangella said the speaker cabinet component can be separated and the signal run into a power amp and physical speakers¹.

Omilion raised the price point in discussing expectations for the pedal: "I don't think I would ever add a five 49 price point and that size expect this nano core cortex to have everything that the quad cortex has"¹.