Steven Atkinson released Neural Amp Modeler, a free amp profiler based on the Neural network emulator for guitar amplifiers, available in VST3 and AU plugin formats.
Guitarists have been eating well in recent years with the advances in tech from audio plugin developers. Amp plugins like TONEX, NeuralDSP’s entire line, and Metallurgy have been personal favorites.
How would you react if I told you that you could have something akin to TONEX or the Kemper amp profilers for the low, low cost of nothing? Probably pretty stoked, right?
Well, dear reader, prepare yourself to be stoked.
Neural Amp Modeler is a freeware amp profiler developed by Steve Atkinson and has been making quite a splash. Users can profile their own amps, stomp boxes, and any other gear they might see fit. You can also download a plethora of these profiles and models for your own productions.
At its core, it works similarly to the Kemper, Quad Cortex, and any other modeler using amp profiles compared to algorithmic processing. You get the benefit of superb response, which is often lacking in amp sims.
The community around NAM has built an impressive collection of models, which can be found in this handy repository on GitHub.
There very well could be some paid packs in the future, but in the meantime, you have options like the Peavey 5150, a smattering of ENGL amps, and a bunch of stuff you typically don’t see in most amp suites like Sovtek or Ceriatone.
NAM’s sound quality is absolutely killer, and the latest version brought a much-needed noise gate. There are some occasional issues with the included IR loader, but something like NadIR from STL Tones more than suffices.
System requirements for NAM are fairly light. You’ll need to run your host at 44.1 or 48KHz, and it needs to be a 64-bit host.
Supported operating systems are VST3 and AU, with potential support for VST and AAX coming in the future. There is no explicit mention of an Apple Silicon native version, so you’ll definitely have to try it yourself.
Download: Neuron Amp Modeler / Models
6 Comments
Angie
onI don’t know why, but this does not make any sound at all, no matter which model loaded…
Angie
onokay, found out it’s an already known issue
MRG
onIt’s the neural part… It’s all in your head. :-D
MRG
onI had a thought a long time ago, it just came back to me. Would it be possible to make IRs, or neural models, of the signal paths of some classic analog synths and old samplers to color the sound of, well anything really but I was thinking softsynths back then.
Not talking oscillator and filters here, but whatever is after those. Converters, EQ, preamps, yada-yada, etc…
Actually now that I think of it, even a ‘fully open’ lowpass filter would color the sound, depending on the tolerances.
Jon B
onThat’s pretty much what NAM is doing. It can’t do compression, but it does saturation and static filtering (basically like an IR).
There are some people who have started doing models of mic preamps as well as the saturation and frequency response of very colorful compressors etc. You can find them in the FB group if you want to give them a try.
Ron C
onYou say that the host can run at either 44.1 or at 48kHz. Various online chats seem to suggest that NAM will only work if the host is at 48.