What works on your Neural DSP device
MultiTracks currently sells two formats for Neural DSP devices: Quad Cortex hardware presets and Impulse Responses. We do not sell Neural Captures for these devices today. Neural DSP does not yet offer a way for third-party sellers to deliver purchased captures to customers, so capture packs for Quad Cortex depend entirely on Neural DSP opening that path. We will add them as soon as it exists.
Device | MultiTracks hardware presets | MultiTracks Impulse Responses | MultiTracks Neural Captures |
Quad Cortex | Yes, built on Quad Cortex amp models with our IRs | Yes | Not yet available |
Quad Cortex mini | Yes, same presets as Quad Cortex | Yes | Not yet available |
Nano Cortex | No; Nano uses its own simple presets | Yes, uploaded through the Cortex Cloud website | Not yet available |
Neural DSP devices also do not load NAM, ToneX, Kemper, or Line 6 capture files. If you own NAM captures from another source, see the general NAM guide for hardware and software that plays them.
Know your device
Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini share one operating system, CorOS, and one editor, Cortex Control. Nano Cortex is a simpler pedal with its own firmware (NanOS) and is managed from the Cortex Cloud phone app.
Quad Cortex. The full floor unit with a touchscreen, four rows of blocks, two instrument inputs, and the built-in capture engine. It creates Neural Captures (V1 on the unit, V2 trained in Cortex Cloud) and plays every MultiTracks preset and IR.
Quad Cortex mini. The same CorOS and the same sounds in a smaller chassis with fewer footswitches and less I/O. CorOS adapts its screens and feature set to the hardware, so a few menus look different, but captures, IRs, and presets load the same way. Fully supported since CorOS 4.0.
Nano Cortex. A compact capture player: one Neural Capture at a time, a fixed set of effects, and storage for up to 256 captures. You load captures and IRs through the Cortex Cloud app and website, not by USB file transfer. It cannot create V2 captures but plays them on NanOS 2.2.0 or later. MultiTracks presets built for Quad Cortex do not load on Nano; use the pack's IRs with your own captures instead.
Before you start
Neural DSP devices depend on Cortex Cloud more than any other platform in our catalog. Set up the account and the Wi-Fi connection first; everything else follows from that.
Create a free Neural DSP account at neuraldsp.com if you do not have one.
On Quad Cortex or Quad Cortex mini: connect the unit to Wi-Fi in Settings, log in to your Neural DSP account on the device, and register it. On Nano Cortex: install the Cortex Cloud app on your phone, log in, and pair the pedal.
Update to the latest CorOS (Quad Cortex, QC mini) or NanOS (Nano Cortex). Presets saved on newer firmware will not open on older firmware, and Cortex Cloud blocks devices on old firmware.
Install Cortex Control on your Mac or PC to load presets and IRs over USB.
Unzip your MultiTracks download. It contains the IR files (.wav), the Quad Cortex preset files, and a readme listing each preset, its scenes, and the IR it uses.
Downloads, manuals, and editor software
Neural DSP keeps firmware, Cortex Control, and manuals on its own site. Firmware updates install from the device itself over Wi-Fi, so most owners never download firmware manually.
Device | Editor and apps (free) | How firmware updates | Manual |
Quad Cortex | Cortex Control for macOS and Windows; Cortex Cloud app for iOS and Android; Cortex Cloud on the web | On the unit: Settings → Device Updates over Wi-Fi. Cortex Control prompts when its own update is out. | Quad Cortex user manual in the Neural DSP knowledge base |
Quad Cortex mini | Same as Quad Cortex | Same as Quad Cortex | Quad Cortex mini section of the Neural DSP knowledge base |
Nano Cortex | Cortex Cloud app for iOS and Android; Cortex Cloud website for IR uploads | Through the Cortex Cloud app |
Release notes for every CorOS version: Quad Cortex updates. The Neural DSP Unity forum is where Neural DSP staff post development updates and answer questions.
Update Cortex Control on your computer and CorOS on the unit together. A mismatched pair can block preset imports and cloud sync.
What you get in a MultiTracks Quad Cortex pack
A MultiTracks Quad Cortex pack is a set of hardware presets plus the Impulse Responses they were built with. Our producers build each preset on the Quad Cortex's own amp models, swap in a MultiTracks IR for the cabinet, and dial effects for the song or style.
A typical pack includes several presets covering clean, edge of breakup, crunch, and lead; scenes inside each preset for song sections (verse, chorus, bridge, solo) named in the readme; the MultiTracks IRs every preset uses; and a readme with the amp model, IR, and recommended input settings for each preset.
About Neural Captures. A Neural Capture is Neural DSP's own capture format, trained from real gear. It can capture an amp with its cab and mic, an amp alone through a load box (a DI capture that needs an IR after it), or a drive pedal such as an overdrive, distortion, or boost that sits in front of an amp. MultiTracks IRs pair with any DI capture you make yourself or download from Cortex Cloud. The Quad Cortex can create and play them. We are not selling captures for Neural DSP devices yet because Neural DSP has no delivery method for purchased third-party captures: they live only in Cortex Cloud and cannot be installed from a file. You may see Quad Cortex captures for sale elsewhere. MultiTracks releases products only through methods each platform officially supports and permits under its terms of use, so we are waiting for Neural DSP rather than working around them. When Neural DSP adds that path, MultiTracks capture packs will follow, and this guide will be updated.
Want MultiTracks captures on your Quad Cortex? Tell Neural DSP. The decision is theirs, and customer demand is what moves it. If you want to buy MultiTracks Neural Captures, let Neural DSP know in two places:
Contact Neural DSP support through neuraldsp.com and tell them you want an official way to buy Neural Captures from MultiTracks.com and other sellers.
Add your vote and a short comment to the community request for an official captures marketplace on the Neural DSP Unity forum.
Keep it short and specific: which device you own, that you want MultiTracks captures, and that you want to buy them through a method Neural DSP supports. Every request adds weight.
Loading Impulse Responses and presets
IRs and presets are ordinary files, so they load from your computer. Load the IRs before the presets that use them.
Impulse Responses on Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini (Cortex Control)
Connect the unit by USB and open Cortex Control.
Open the IR library in the side browser and create a folder named MultiTracks.
Drag the MultiTracks .wav files from your download folder into that folder. Cortex Control converts them for the unit.
In a preset, tap an empty grid square, choose IR Loader (under Cab), and select the MultiTracks IR. A Cab block can also hold an IR if you prefer to blend it with a stock cab.
Save the preset.
You can also load IRs without a computer by uploading them to your Cortex Cloud account and downloading them on the unit over Wi-Fi.
Impulse Responses on Nano Cortex
Log in to Cortex Cloud on the web and open your Nano Cortex.
Upload the MultiTracks .wav files to your IR slots.
In the Cortex Cloud app, select the IR for the current capture slot. Use it only with captures marked Amp only (DI).
MultiTracks presets on Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini
Load the pack's IRs first (steps above). Presets that reference a missing IR open with an empty IR Loader.
In Cortex Control, select an empty preset slot in the setlist you want.
Import the MultiTracks preset file.
Open the preset and confirm each IR Loader shows the MultiTracks IR named in the readme. If one is empty, select the IR manually and save.
Save.
MultiTracks presets use Scenes for song sections. Each preset's scene names match the readme, so you can map them to footswitches before rehearsal. Quad Cortex presets load on Quad Cortex mini; Nano Cortex owners can use the pack's IRs with their own captures.
Making it sound like the demo
Input level and output routing decide most of your tone. Get them right first and most of the matching is done.
Input gain. Our presets are built at a specific input level. Leave the input block's gain at 0 dB unless the readme gives a different value, and set your guitar's volume to full while you set up. Hot humbuckers may need a few dB less; low-output single coils a few dB more. Adjust in small steps and listen for the gain to match the demo.
Input impedance. Set the input block's impedance to 1M (or the highest available setting) so your pickups load the input like a real amp. Lower settings mimic a pedal in front and dull the top end.
Output setup. Send Outputs 1/2 or the XLR outs at line level to front-of-house, your interface, or a full-range speaker. If you also feed a guitar amp, use a separate output row and bypass the IR or cab on that row only. CorOS has a global Cab/IR bypass for exactly this.
Global EQ flat. The Global EQ on Outputs 1/2 and 3/4 changes every preset. Keep it flat while auditioning; use it later to fit the room.
One cab, once. Every MultiTracks preset uses one IR Loader per amp. Do not add a second Cab or IR block after it.
Then adjust in this order: amp gain for feel, the IR Loader's low and high cut for the room (around 80 to 100 Hz and 8 to 10 kHz is a sensible start for a direct worship mix), and finally the preset's output level so it matches your other presets.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
Does MultiTracks sell Neural Captures for Quad Cortex? Not yet. Neural DSP does not currently offer a supported way for sellers to deliver purchased captures, and we only sell through methods a platform officially permits. When Neural DSP adds one, our capture packs will follow. If you want them, tell Neural DSP; see "Want MultiTracks captures on your Quad Cortex?" above. Our presets and IRs are available today.
The preset opened with an empty IR Loader. The IR was not on the unit when you imported the preset. Load the MultiTracks IR in Cortex Control, select it in the IR Loader, and save.
Cortex Control will not import the preset. Update CorOS and Cortex Control together, then try again. Presets saved on newer firmware will not open on older firmware.
It sounds thin and fizzy. The IR Loader is bypassed or empty. Turn it on and select the MultiTracks IR named in the readme.
It sounds muffled and boxy. You are feeding a guitar amp's front input with the IR on, or you added a second cab. Bypass Cab/IR on the output that feeds the amp, or remove the extra block.
It breaks up too early or not enough. Input gain does not match your pickups. Lower it a few dB for hot humbuckers; raise it for single coils.
Can I use MultiTracks IRs with my own captures or captures from Cortex Cloud? Yes. Put an IR Loader after any DI capture and select the MultiTracks IR. Skip it on captures that already include a cab.
Can I load MultiTracks NAM, ToneX, or Kemper captures? No. Neural DSP devices play Neural Captures only.
Do MultiTracks Quad Cortex presets work on Nano Cortex? No. Nano Cortex owners can use the pack's IRs with their own captures.
What to look at next
Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini owners: MultiTracks Quad Cortex preset packs, with scenes per song section and the IRs they were built with.
Nano Cortex owners: MultiTracks Impulse Responses to pair with your captures.
Anyone going direct who wants to swap speakers or play acoustic: MultiTracks Impulse Responses work on every Neural DSP device and on most other modelers you may own later.
Related guides: Cab Impulse Responses, Acoustic Instrument IRs, and NAM captures.