“A generational leap in modelling technology”: Neural DSP just gave your Quad Cortex and Nano Cortex an almighty power-up with “one of the largest virtual device expansions in the company’s history”

Today is a good day to own a Quad Cortex or Nano Cortex. Neural DSP has rolled out an update to its amp modellers’ operating systems that debuts sounds created with its next-gen capture tech and delivers a host of performance upgrades.

The CorOS 3.3.0 update brings Neural Capture Version 2 to Neural DSP’s flagship hardware unit, the Quad Cortex. A cloud-trained capture platform, accessible via the Cortex Control 1.4.0 update (launched simultaneously), Neural Capture Version 2 processes your device captures in the Cortex Cloud, and replicates them with a higher-resolution and higher degree of dynamic accuracy.

For tube amps, overdrive pedals, fuzz pedals and compressors – anything that’s touch-sensitive and responsive your electric guitar’s signal – it doesn’t get much more real without being something you can actually physically touch.

What Neural DSP is saying here is that this update is a game-changer. All those hard-to-define qualities that make a great guitar amp – as Neural calls it, the “expressive behaviours” such as sag, bloom and so on – they are recreated in more detail than ever before.

As though to prove it, among the many (many) new virtual devices included with this update is a Dumble Overdrive Special, a holy grail unicorn. Neural calls it the Dumbbell ODS.

And there’s plenty where that came from; this update comes with 669 V2 Captures from 17 amps (the Dumble joined by vintage doozies such as a 1987 Marshall JCM800 and 1964 Vox AC30), two tube combos, 11 fuzzboxes, four compressors, seven overdrives… Oh, and 17 cabinets. There is also an expanded mono synth based on the synthesizer in Rabea Massaad’s Archetype guitar plugin suite.

And of course you can create your own V2 capture. Simply open Cortex Control, log in, select which type of capture you want to create (you can still create V1 captures), and away you go. Because V2 captures are processed in the cloud, you need to be online during the process. It will take a little longer to complete because of the higher resolution. V1 captures can be performed offline.

First look at CorOS 3.3.0 - YouTube

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“Neural Capture V2 represents a generational leap in modeling technology and unifies the next stage of innovation across both Quad Cortex and Nano Cortex,” says Francisco Cresp, CPO and co-founder of Neural DSP. “With new virtual devices, V2 Captures, expanded creative tools, and meaningful workflow enhancements, these updates deliver more realism, more capability, and a better experience for every musician.”

Now to the Quad Cortex’s half-pint sized counterpart, the Nano Cortex. You can’t perform V2 captures with it, but the NanOS 2.2.0 update allows you to load and play them on the unit. All of the new 669 V2 captured are available now via the Cloud Cortex.

And there’s a lot more, with Neural DSP making tremolo available in Post Effects Slot 1, automatic sum to mono operation that sums all outputs when using a single cable.

There is an offline Cortex Cloud for accessing settings without an internet connection, cloud backups, drag and drop functionality in the Cortex Cloud for presets, and you can audition captures in the Cortex Cloud.

This was also an opportunity for Neural DSP to do some housekeeping, addressing some intermittent issues, making the unit more stable. There should be no more pops when switching between captures.

The audio output doesn’t mute after you download a new capture. Expression pedal and external footswitch issues have been fixed, and the IR scrolling on Cloud Cortex has been cleaned up.

Doug Castro, Neural DSP’s CEO and co-founder, says these updates make good on the company’s promises to provide regular updates that “exponentially” increase the hardware’s capabilities and performance. All in all, across both units, the performance has been improved.

“CorOS 3.3.0 and NanOS 2.2.0 deliver major technology advances while refining the everyday workflows musicians depend on,” he says. “The result is simple. More realism. More capability. More time spent creating.”

These updates are available now, for free. Head over to Neural DSP for more. Also in Neural DSP, well, something is coming. What we do not know. But it's premiering tomorrow on the Neural DSP YouTube channel at 4pm UK time. Watch this space...