Raising the Bar for Pedal-based Processors Everywhere
The Neural DSP Nano Cortex marks a milestone in amp and effect processing, distilling the industry-leading sound of the Quad Cortex into a pedal that fits in the palm of your hand. Weighing in at under two pounds, this comprehensive guitar and bass processor pedal provides you with the same studio-level sounds as its larger sibling. Of course, the Nano Cortex also features Neural DSP’s signature Neural Capture technology and an XLR combo jack to create spot-on digital copies of your existing gear — you can also download countless user- and artist-created captures by wirelessly connecting via Bluetooth to the Cortex Cloud app, as the Nano Cortex offers 25 Factory Neural Captures plus up to 256 user Capture slots, 256 user IR slots, and 64 preset slots to swap between. Once you’ve decked your Nano Cortex out with the amps, cabs, and effects of your dreams, the Nano Cortex supplies a straightforward and stompbox-like workflow thanks to its dual encoder footswitches, which can be turned like a knob to navigate 25 Neural Capture slots on the left footswitch and five of your favorite IRs on the right footswitch. Moreover, a quick stomp on these switches gives you access to four Presets in the default 4-Preset Mode. Preset changes have a minimal gap (about 60 ms), but delay and reverb trails continue seamlessly. You also get a flexible effects section and tactile knob-per-function global controls. Wrap it all up with USB-C audio interface functionality, an EXP/MIDI input, and enhanced editing/control features via the Cortex Cloud app, and the Nano Cortex represents a truly game-changing revolution in the world of pedal-based processing.
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Capture your entire collection
Just like the full-size Quad Cortex, the Nano Cortex boasts Neural DSP’s lauded Neural Capture technology, providing you with the power to create an exacting sonic clone of any amplifier, cabinet, or drive pedal and take it on the road with you. Switch your Nano Cortex to Capture Mode, plug your drive pedal or microphone into the device’s XLR combo jack, set your levels using the handy LED meters, and the Nano Cortex captures every harmonic detail and tonal nuance with immaculate authenticity. You also get a boost switch with +26dB on tap to handle gain-hungry microphones. From start to finish, the process takes a matter of minutes, allowing you to digitize your entire amplifier and effect arsenal and carry it around in one convenient box.
Ultra-portable pedal-sized form factor
Clocking in at under 1.5 lbs. and only slightly larger than a standard stompbox or two, the Nano Cortex represents a revolution in the world of amp and effect processing. This ultra-portable processor is easily slapped onto a pedalboard or tossed into a gig bag, sporting the same industry-leading tones as the Quad Cortex thanks to its 2GHz of dedicated DSP courtesy of its SHARC architecture. Whether you’re a veteran touring musician looking to lighten up your stage rig or simply after a powerful and portable all-in-one rig solution for your practice sessions, the Nano Cortex does it all with supremely authentic sound.
A powerhouse of sonic versatility
From classic arena-rock crunch to effect-laden soundscapes to pure, lush cleans, the Nano Cortex is ready to excel in any musical application thanks to its studio-grade sound and flexible preset slots. This device stores up to 256 Neural Captures, 256 custom IRs, and 64 preset slots, with the ability to assign four presets to the Nano Cortex’s dual footswitches (two presets per footswitch with gapless preset switching). And much to the pleasure of Sweetwater’s gigging guitarists, the Nano Cortex boasts fast preset switching (about 60 ms minimal gap) and preserved delay/reverb trails.
Shape your sound with seven device blocks
The Nano Cortex offers a fixed audio path of seven device blocks to sculpt your perfect signal chain. Plus, any of the blocks can be bypassed to allow for a variety of setup options. The path is comprised of two Pre-FX slots, a Neural Capture slot, an IR Loader with cabinet simulation, and three Post-FX slots. Across these slots, you can choose from over 50 effects and utilities (compressors, overdrives, modulation, delays, reverbs, and more). An input gate is also available at the start of the signal chain without occupying an FX slot.
Comprehensive Cortex Cloud companion app
Nano Cortex’s companion Cortex Cloud application unlocks nearly endless sonic possibilities, giving you access to thousands of Neural Captures from legendary artists and the Neural DSP community — all accessed wirelessly using Nano Cortex’s onboard Bluetooth capabilities. This immensely powerful app makes it a breeze to set your Neural Capture, effect, and IR banks, and it also supplies seriously in-depth editing options for the die-hard tone hounds in the audience, including selectable microphone models and positions for factory IRs, plus EQ options for all IRs. What’s more, the Cortex Cloud app can also be used to remotely control the Nano Cortex’s standard parameters, update firmware, and more.
Straightforward stompbox-style workflow
Once your preferred sounds are loaded in using the Cortex Cloud app, the Nano Cortex is expertly engineered to provide a straightforward and intuitive workflow. The left encoder footswitch and bank button give you access to 25 total Neural Capture slots to swap between, while the right encoder knob switches between five onboard IR selections.
Furthermore, the FX button and Amount knob grants five distinct effects that can be used both separately and in tandem for enveloping sonic landscapes. Finally, the Nano Cortex is finished off with a set of global knob-per-function controls to shape out your signal with a decidedly stompbox-like simplicity, including Gain, Level, and a 3-band EQ.
Ample I/O and utility features
Neural DSP’s Nano Cortex is a champion of the stage, the studio, and the practice room, thanks to its extensive I/O and utility appointments. You get a standard instrument input, stereo outputs, and an EXP/MIDI jack to take enhanced control. In addition, the Nano Cortex’s USB-C input allows the Nano Cortex to shine in the studio as an audio interface, giving you plug-and-play professional-grade guitar tones with nothing more than a couple of cables. To top it all off, the Nano Cortex serves as a superb tool for silent jamming thanks to its 3.5mm headphone jack and dedicated headphone volume control.
NanOS 2.2.0: The Most Substantial Update Yet
With NanOS 2.2.0, you get one of Neural DSP’s most substantial offerings, providing you with the latest iteration of Neural Capture Player, a massive cache of virtual devices, and a plethora of customer-requested features.
Neural Capture Version 2 Player enables the Nano Cortex to load and play Version 2 Neural Captures created on the Quad Cortex. Neural Capture Version 2 offers a Cortex Cloud-trained upgrade to Neural Capture, delivering higher resolution and more detailed results using Cortex Control and Cortex Cloud instead of processing on the Quad Cortex. It offers superior dynamic accuracy and realism, especially with complex, touch-sensitive devices like fuzzes, compressors, and tube-style amplifiers, making it ideal for capturing vintage fuzz cleanup, power amp sag, and other subtle nuances. Capture creation is currently only available on the Quad Cortex, with support for creating V2 Captures on the Nano Cortex under development. To showcase the capabilities of Neural Capture V2, Neural DSP has loaded the Nano Cortex with 669 new Captures across 41 devices.
NanOS 2.2.0 also allows you to access your device settings in the Cortex Cloud app without an internet connection. You can audition Captures and IRs using the Cortex Cloud app, and you can create up to five Cloud backups and store them on Cortex Cloud. Furthermore, you can drag and drop presets in the Cortex Cloud app for easy rearrangement. Beyond that, you can automatically sum all of the Nano Cortex’s output signals to mono when only one cable is connected.
Finally, NanOS 2.2.0 includes a useful array of fixes and productivity-enhancing updates.
Take your sound anywhere with NanOS 2.0.0
Neural DSP's NanOS 2.0.0 update significantly enhances the Nano Cortex's already impressive capabilities, offering extensive customization options for your signal chain. You can now choose which devices to place in the two pre-FX blocks and three post-FX blocks. The update also expands the range of available effects and utilities, adding three new EQs, three utilities, eight compressors, four wahs, two filter effects, nine guitar overdrives, two bass overdrives, six modulation effects, five delays, and five reverbs to your tonal toolbox. Additionally, the update places an input gate at the start of the signal chain, allowing you to deploy a noise gate without occupying one of the pre-FX blocks. NanOS 2.0.0 also introduces Cloud Backups, making it easy to save and manage your Nano Cortex settings. Meanwhile, the IR Loader Global Bypass function lets you bypass the unit's IR loader across all presets — a must-have feature when playing through real-world cabs. Even at its original unveiling, the Nano Cortex was a powerful unit, condensing the capabilities of the full-sized Quad Cortex into a palm-sized package. Now, with the NanOS 2.0.0 update, the Nano Cortex is truly a full-featured, all-in-one guitar and bass rig that rivals the best compact modelers on the market. And, thanks to its portable USB-powered design, you can take its flagship-quality sounds anywhere!
Neural DSP Nano Cortex Features:
- An immensely powerful pedal-based processor, packing the might of the Quad Cortex down into a palm-sized package
- Delivers the industry-leading sonic authenticity of the full-size Quad Cortex
- Ultra-compact design can easily be tossed into a gig bag or placed on a pedalboard
- Neural Capture technology and XLR combo jack allow you to capture your favorite amps, cabs, and drive pedals and save them as digital copies
- IR Loader Global Bypass function bypasses the unit's IR loader across all presets
- 7 customizable device blocks: 2 pre-FX blocks, 3 post-FX blocks, a Neural Capture block, and an IR loader
- Input gate at the start of the signal chain allows you to deploy a noise gate without occupying a pre-FX block
- 2 modes: Capture Mode for capturing your gear and Performance Mode for when you’re ready to play or record
- Any device block can be bypassed, allowing a variety of configurations
- +26dB boost on combo input to aid you in capturing your gear
- Saves up to 256 User Neural Captures, 256 User IRs, and 64 Presets
- Global 3-band EQ, Gain, and Level controls
- 5 effect slots can be used solo or in tandem
- 2 encoder footswitches double in function, allowing you to select captures/IRs with the twist of the knob, while a stomp switches between 4 total presets (2 on each switch)
- Bluetooth functionality, allowing you to connect to the companion Cortex Cloud app to access and share countless user-created and artist-crafted captures
- Cortex Cloud app also provides enhanced editing capabilities, updates firmware, and can be used to remotely control many of the device’s standard functions
- Cloud Backups make it easy to save and manage your settings
- USB-C allows for comprehensive 24-bit, 48kHz audio interface functionality with low latency; USB-C cable included
- Onboard tuner to ensure you’re always pitch-perfect
- Versatile I/O consists of an instrument input, stereo outputs, EXP/MIDI jack, a headphone jack with a dedicated volume knob
- Ground lift button to cut down on unwanted noise
- Heavy-duty metal enclosure and top-quality components ensure road-ready durability
