Neural DSP Nano Cortex | Complete Guitar & Bass Rig In An Ultra-Compact Pedal

The Neural DSP Nano Cortex presents a comprehensive solution for guitarists and bassists seeking professional-grade sound in a highly portable format. This compact pedal delivers a fully customisable signal chain, incorporating a wide array of studio-quality effects and the innovative Neural Capture technology. This technology allows users to create precise digital replicas of their existing amplifiers, cabinets, and drive pedals directly within the device.

Since its introduction, Neural Capture has fundamentally changed how musicians approach their tone. The accuracy and responsiveness of the captured sounds have been widely praised by both performing artists and studio engineers. The Nano Cortex now brings this groundbreaking technology to a travel-ready unit, designed for practical use in any environment where musical inspiration may arise.

The recent Massive NanOS 2.0.0 update significantly expands the capabilities of the Nano Cortex. This update introduces a substantial library of 47 new effects and utilities, along with fully customisable pre and post effect slots. These enhancements provide greater flexibility in shaping sound and integrating the Nano Cortex into diverse setups. Furthermore, the update includes a built-in input gate, effectively eliminating unwanted noise without occupying an effect slot, and a global cab bypass function for added routing flexibility.

Key advantages of the Nano Cortex include its ability to function as a complete guitar or bass rig within an ultra-compact pedal. It offers a customisable signal chain with over 50 effects and utilities, providing a vast sonic palette. The integration of Neural Capture technology ensures the same high resolution and accuracy found in Neural DSP's flagship Quad Cortex, enabling users to create detailed digital twins of their preferred gear within minutes, directly on the device.

Users also benefit from free access to thousands of Neural Captures through the Cortex Cloud platform, expanding tonal possibilities without the need for personal gear capture. The pedal's ultra-compact size and light weight (620g / 1.36lbs) make it easily transportable in a gig bag. Its ability to be powered by a standard USB battery pack further enhances its portability.

The Nano Cortex features an IR loader with 300 studio-grade impulse responses and supports the loading of custom IRs, allowing for detailed cabinet emulation. It also offers a transpose tuning function, eliminating the need to switch instruments for different tunings. The inclusion of a built-in input gate as a dedicated feature, independent of effect slots, is a practical advantage for maintaining a clean signal.

Customisable footswitches provide real-time control over various parameters, enhancing live performance capabilities. The Nano Cortex also functions as a low-latency USB audio interface with 24-bit / 48 kHz recording, making it suitable for studio applications. It can be used as a standalone unit or integrated seamlessly into existing pedalboards or studio rigs, making it versatile for live shows, studio sessions, travel, or home practice.

Additional features include a built-in tuner and an intuitive user interface designed for both beginners and experienced users. Bluetooth support allows for wireless management of presets, downloading of Captures, and tweaking of tones. MIDI TRS input and full MIDI control via USB offer extensive external control options.

The on-device Neural Capture process is remarkably user-friendly, requiring no additional tools or apps. By simply connecting gear and pressing "Capture," users can create digital replicas that accurately reflect the sonic characteristics of the original amplifier, overdrive, or cabinet. This process is fast, intuitive, and entirely self-contained.

For those who prefer not to create their own Captures, the Cortex Cloud provides a vast library of user-created tones, offering an extensive range of sonic options. The Nano Cortex effectively delivers studio-grade sound, a highly adaptable signal chain, a comprehensive suite of effects, and the innovative Neural Capture technology in a portable and user-friendly pedal.

The Neural Capture functionality extends to providing 25 pre-loaded Neural Captures of sought-after amplifiers, such as the Mesa Boogie JP2C, Fender Princeton 65, Diezel VH4, and Ampeg SVT Classic. Users can store up to 256 Neural Captures on the device and manage them efficiently through the Cortex Cloud app.

The importance of cabinet emulation is addressed with the inclusion of 10 cabinet models, each with 30 studio-grade IRs captured with five different microphones and six microphone positions. This provides a total of 300 impulse responses for detailed tonal shaping. Users can also store up to 256 of their own IRs and manage them via the Cortex Cloud app.

The NanOS 2.0.0 update introduces customisable pre-effects and post-effects slots, expanding the total number of available effects and utilities to over 50. The pre-effects section includes utilities like adaptive and standard noise gates and volume control, along with various compressor, wah, filter, overdrive, and pitch effects for both guitar and bass. The post-effects section offers compressors, a doubler utility, a range of modulation effects (flanger, chorus, phaser, vibrato), various delay types (tape, analogue, digital, dual, reverse, circular), and a selection of reverb algorithms (room, hall, modulated, ambience, cave, mind hall), as well as EQ options (parametric 3-band, low-high cut, graphic 9-band).

The dedicated input gate, introduced in NanOS 2.0.0, is positioned at the beginning of the signal chain to effectively eliminate noise without consuming an effect slot, a practical feature for maintaining signal clarity.

The physical dimensions of the Nano Cortex, comparable to the width of two standard pedals and weighing only 620g, underscore its portability, allowing it to easily fit into a gig bag while offering the power to potentially replace an entire rig. This portability extends to its power options, as it can be powered by a USB battery pack, providing the freedom to play in various locations without reliance on mains power.

The Cortex Cloud integration provides seamless access to a vast library of user-created Captures, ranging from rare boutique amplifiers to classic pedals and modern high-gain sounds. Users can browse, search, and wirelessly download these Captures directly to their Nano Cortex via the Cortex Cloud app, eliminating the need for cables or computers. This platform fosters a community where users can discover sounds from renowned artists and producers and share their own creations.

The Nano Cortex caters to a wide range of users, from seasoned professionals to studio creators and beginners, offering high-quality tone without unnecessary complexity. It allows users to streamline their setup by replacing heavy and bulky equipment with a single, compact unit that delivers studio-grade sound, comprehensive amp and cab replacement capabilities, and seamless integration into existing pedalboards. The built-in transpose effect enables on-the-fly tuning changes, and direct connection to front-of-house systems or FRFR cabinets ensures consistent tone across different venues.

Functioning as a high-quality USB audio interface, the Nano Cortex facilitates recording at 24-bit / 48kHz with multiple inputs and outputs, allowing users to record directly with their emulated or captured tones. Its straightforward operation makes it accessible even for those new to digital gear, offering great sounds right out of the box and the ability to explore a vast sonic landscape through the Cortex Cloud. Silent practice with headphones or connection to monitors is easily accommodated, and the intuitive interface ensures ease of use.

In summary, the Neural DSP Nano Cortex serves as an all-in-one rig, amplifier and cabinet replacement, and powerful multi-effects unit, all within a remarkably portable form factor. Its versatility makes it suitable for stage performances, studio work, rehearsals, and home practice, providing a complete signal chain with flexible input/output options for any musical scenario. It offers amp and cab replacement without sonic compromise, allowing users to leave heavy equipment behind and connect directly to PA systems or FRFR cabinets for a consistent live sound. As a stompbox or multi-effects pedal, it can be integrated into existing setups to provide a vast library of accurate drive pedal emulations and a comprehensive suite of effects.