Finland · Est. 2017
Neural DSP
The Finnish company that democratised elite guitarist tones. Their plugins and the Quad Cortex combine artificial intelligence with high-level amplifier modelling.
About the brand
Neural DSP was founded in 2017 in Helsinki, Finland by Doug Castro and his team. The company began with software plugins based on artificial neural networks to model the behaviour of amplifiers and pedals with unprecedented fidelity. Their first plugins — Darkglass Ultra, Plini, Fortin Nameless — achieved captures that the musicians who used them described as indistinguishable from the hardware versions.
The Quad Cortex, launched in 2021, was Neural DSP's first hardware processor: a floor multi-effect combining neural network modelling with a touchscreen and a radically more intuitive user interface than the competition. Its ability to capture real amplifiers in minutes and the quality of its factory models made it the most anticipated product of its year.
The company collaborates with top-level guitarists to create signature plugins: Tosin Abasi, Plini, Tim Henson, Gojira, Cory Wong, Nolly and many others have their own Neural DSP plugin collections. This strategy of collaborating with new-generation artists has made Neural DSP the most relevant modelling company for the modern guitarist.
Key facts
- Founded in 2017 in Helsinki — the fastest-growing modelling company
- Quad Cortex: the most advanced modelling processor at its launch
- Signature plugins with Plini, Tim Henson, Tosin Abasi and Gojira
- Neural network technology applied to amplifier modelling
Iconic models
Quad Cortex
An amplifier modelling processor with a touchscreen and neural capture capability, considered a direct rival to Kemper and Fractal for its modern interface and exceptional sound.
Quad Cortex Go
A compact and more affordable version of the Quad Cortex that inherits neural capture technology in a reduced form factor aimed at musicians on the go.