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Getting Started with NAM (Neural Amp Modeler) Captures on Any NAM A2 Hardware or Software

What NAM A2 captures are, which hardware and software play them, and how to load them.

Written by Trevor

What NAM is, and why it matters for your rig

NAM (Neural Amp Modeler) is an open-source amp capture format created by Steve Atkinson. A NAM capture is a .nam file that recreates one real amp, pedal, or full rig at one setting. Unlike Kemper, Neural DSP, ToneX, or Line 6 captures, NAM is not tied to one company's hardware: the same file plays on any device or plug-in that supports it. Buy a MultiTracks NAM capture once and you can use it on your pedal today, your computer tonight, and whatever NAM-ready unit you buy next year.

A1 and A2. The original format is now called A1. In June 2026, TONE3000 and Steve Atkinson released NAM Architecture 2 (A2), which sounds more accurate and needs far less processing power. Every A2 file contains two versions:

  • A2 Full for the best realism, on powerful multi-effects units and computers.

  • A2 Lite for pedals, budget multi-effects, and small amps with less processing power.

Your device picks the version it can run. All MultiTracks NAM captures are A2, so one file covers both. Older devices and plug-ins that only read A1 cannot load A2 files; update them first.

A NAM capture is not always a full amp. It can capture three kinds of gear:

  • Amp + Cab: the amp, its speaker cabinet, and a microphone. The complete sound, ready to play direct.

  • Amp only (DI): the amp through a load box, with no speaker. Pair it with an IR so you can choose the cabinet and mic yourself.

  • Pedal: an overdrive, distortion, fuzz, boost, or preamp. A pedal capture sounds and behaves like the real stompbox: put it in front of an amp model or an amp capture, the way you would on a real pedalboard.

The same is true of the other capture formats in our guides: Line 6 Proxy, Neural DSP Neural Captures, and IK ToneX Tone Models all capture amps with or without a cab, and drive pedals too. The readme in every MultiTracks pack tells you which kind each file is.

NAM A2-ready hardware

This is the hardware that plays NAM A2 as of October 2026. Manufacturers are adding support quickly, so check your device's latest firmware notes. Where we have a dedicated MultiTracks guide, start there.

This list reflects what we know at the time of writing (October 2026). New hardware and software add NAM A2 support almost every month. For the most current list, check TONE3000's NAM A2 guide, which TONE3000 keeps updated as manufacturers add support. If your device appears there, MultiTracks NAM captures will play on it.

Device

A2 support

Captures at once

MultiTracks guide

Fractal Axe-Fx III

A2 Full (A2 Lite when sharing with an Amp block)

2 NAM blocks, 4 captures per block by channel

Fractal guide (firmware 33.00, public beta)

HeadRush Prime, Core, Flex Prime

A2 Full and A2 Lite; A1 too

2 A2 Full, or up to 4 A2 Lite (firmware 5.2)

HeadRush guide

Darkglass Anagram (bass)

A2 Full and A2 Lite

Up to 5 A2 Full or 9 A2 Lite

This guide

Dimehead NAM Player

A2 Full; A1 too

2

This guide

Hotone Ampero II Stomp, Ampero II Stage

A2 Lite

See Hotone's firmware notes

This guide

Mooer GE1000, GS1000, GE300, GE100 Pro and others

A2 Lite

See Mooer's firmware notes

This guide

Nux MG-30, MG-400, MG-50Li, Trident

A2 Lite

See Nux's firmware notes

This guide

Blackstar Beam Mini

A2 Lite

1

This guide

Budget and entry-level units: you are covered too. MultiTracks NAM captures work on every NAM A2-ready unit, including the full Mooer, Nux, Hotone, Sonicake, Valeton, and Blackstar lines as they add A2 support. These units run A2 Lite, which is built for exactly this kind of hardware. We do not build device presets for most of these units, but you do not need them: load the MultiTracks capture, add a MultiTracks IR if it is a DI capture, and you are playing the same amp we captured for the record.

Not NAM-ready as of October 2026: Line 6 Helix and HX (Helix Stadium uses Line 6's own Proxy clones), Neural DSP Quad Cortex and Nano Cortex, IK Multimedia ToneX, Kemper Profiler, and Fractal FM9, FM3, and AM4. Each has its own MultiTracks guide for the formats it does support.

Announced, not yet shipping: Valeton (GP series), Lava Music smart guitars, Sonulab StompStation, and Chaos Audio have announced or are working on A2 support.

NAM A2-ready software

You do not need hardware to play MultiTracks NAM captures. These play A2 on a computer, phone, or tablet as of October 2026; TONE3000's guide linked above also tracks new software players:

  • Gateway (official NAM plug-in, free). The current official Neural Amp Modeler player for Windows and macOS, as a VST3 and AU plug-in or standalone app. It loads A1 and A2. If you still have the older plug-in named "Neural Amp Modeler," download Gateway to play A2 files.

  • TONE3000 plug-in (free). Plays A2 Full and A2 Lite and browses the TONE3000 library. MultiTracks captures load into it from your computer.

  • Mobile apps (iPhone and iPad). Several AUv3 and standalone apps load .nam files; confirm A2 support in each app's listing before relying on it.

In any DAW (Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Reaper, Cubase, Studio One), insert Gateway or the TONE3000 plug-in on a guitar track, load the MultiTracks .nam file, add an IR loader after it for DI captures, and play. This is also the fastest way to audition a pack before you send it to your pedal.

What you get in a MultiTracks NAM pack

Every MultiTracks NAM pack is captured in our studio from the real amps and pedals used on the records.

  • A2 .nam captures of the same amp at several gain settings (clean, edge of breakup, crunch, lead), so one pack covers a full set.

  • Capture type labels in the readme for every file: Amp + Cab (complete with speaker and mic) or Amp-only DI (needs an IR).

  • Calibration metadata in every file, so devices that read it (Axe-Fx III, HeadRush, and others) set input and output levels automatically.

  • Matching MultiTracks IRs (.wav) for the DI captures.

  • Device presets where we build them: HeadRush rig presets and Axe-Fx III presets that load the captures with effects and scenes in place.

The .nam and .wav files work on every device in the hardware table. The presets are device-specific.

Loading MultiTracks NAM captures

Every NAM-ready device follows the same pattern. The names of the menus change; the steps do not.

  1. Update first. Install the latest firmware or plug-in version. A2 needs a firmware or plug-in released in mid-2026 or later.

  2. Get the files onto the device. Most units use a computer editor or USB file transfer; some also use Wi-Fi, Dropbox, or a phone app. Copy the .nam files to the device's NAM or capture folder, and the .wav files to its IR folder.

  3. Add a NAM block (sometimes called a NAM player, capture block, or model slot) to a preset.

  4. Load the MultiTracks capture into the block.

  5. Add an IR after DI captures. Amp + Cab captures need no cab.

  6. Save the preset.

Platform-specific steps:

  • Axe-Fx III: see the MultiTracks Fractal guide (Fractal-Bot, NAM block, channels).

  • HeadRush Prime, Core, Flex Prime: see the MultiTracks HeadRush guide (USB Transfer, Sync, NAM A2 block, doubling).

  • Computer: open Gateway or the TONE3000 plug-in, point it at the folder holding your MultiTracks .nam files, and pick a capture.

  • Other hardware (Darkglass, Dimehead, Hotone, Mooer, Nux, Blackstar): follow the manufacturer's NAM import instructions, then use steps 3 to 6 above.

Pairing NAM captures with IRs

The readme labels every capture. That label tells you whether you need an IR.

  • Amp + Cab captures include the speaker cabinet and microphone. Play them with no cab or IR after them. Adding one doubles the speaker and sounds muffled.

  • Amp-only (DI) captures stop at the amp's speaker output. They sound thin and fizzy on their own. Put an IR loader or cab block after them and load the MultiTracks IR named in the readme.

Pedal captures need no IR of their own. Place them before your amp capture or amp model; the IR, if any, goes after the amp.

DI captures give you more freedom: swap MultiTracks IRs to change the speaker and mic without changing the amp. If your device has limited processing, Amp + Cab captures save the cost of an IR block.

MultiTracks IRs work on any IR loader. They are standard .wav files, so they load on every modeler and multi-effects unit with an IR or cab loader, from flagship floorboards to budget pedals, dedicated IR loader pedals, and free plug-ins. If your device loads IRs, it loads ours. See the cab IR guide for sample rate and length.

Making it sound like the demo

NAM captures respond to input level exactly like the amp they came from. Get the level right and the rest falls into place.

  1. Let calibration work. MultiTracks captures carry calibration metadata. On devices that read it, the capture sets its own input and output levels; leave the device's input at default and avoid large trims on top.

  2. On devices without calibration, start with the input at unity (0 dB) and your guitar volume at full, then adjust in small steps until the gain matches the demo.

  3. Let your pedals manage gain. If you run drives, boosts, or compressors in front, use them to push the capture rather than raising the input.

  4. One cab, once. IR after DI captures only. Never after Amp + Cab captures.

  5. Feeding a guitar amp? Bypass the IR or cab on that output, or use the amp's effects return.

Then adjust the IR's low and high cut for the room (roughly 80 to 100 Hz and 8 to 10 kHz for a direct worship mix) and match the preset's output to your other presets. These settings are the starting point for demo-accurate tone; your guitar, pedals, and speakers all change the result, so finish by ear.

Troubleshooting and FAQ

My device will not load the file. It only reads A1. Update the firmware or plug-in to a version with A2 support. On the computer, install Gateway; the older "Neural Amp Modeler" plug-in does not read A2.

It sounds thin and fizzy. It is a DI capture with no IR after it. Add the MultiTracks IR named in the readme.

It sounds muffled. You have an IR or cab after an Amp + Cab capture. Remove it.

It sounds different on my pedal than in the plug-in. Your pedal may be running A2 Lite while the plug-in runs A2 Full, or the input levels differ. Check the input level first; Lite is close to Full but not identical.

Can I use MultiTracks NAM captures on Quad Cortex, ToneX, Kemper, or Helix? No. Those platforms do not play NAM today. See their MultiTracks guides for the formats they support.

My FM9 or FM3 does not have a NAM block. Fractal has not announced NAM for those units. Keep your NAM purchases; they play on any NAM-ready device you own now or later.

Can I get MultiTracks captures from TONE3000? MultiTracks captures come from your MultiTracks download, not TONE3000. Load them onto your device the same way you load any .nam file.

Do I need a new copy for every device? No. One MultiTracks .nam file works on every NAM A2-ready device and plug-in you own. Only device presets are specific to one platform.

What to look at next

  • Any NAM A2-ready device or plug-in, from flagship to budget: MultiTracks NAM capture packs, playable everywhere you play NAM.

  • HeadRush owners: full HeadRush rig presets with two captures per rig, effects, and scenes. See the HeadRush guide.

  • Axe-Fx III owners: Axe-Fx III presets built around MultiTracks NAM blocks. See the Fractal guide.

  • Everyone using DI captures: MultiTracks Impulse Responses for electric and acoustic. See the cab IR guide and the acoustic IR guide.

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