neuraldsp.com

Compatibility is not universal across the Neural DSP catalog. On neuraldsp.com, individual plugin pages carry a COMPATIBLE label when the plugin can be unlocked on Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini. Plugins marked DESKTOP ONLY — including Darkglass Ultimate and Mantra — run only on Windows and Mac computers and will not be available on Quad Cortex devices. The only reliable way to check before buying is to read the label on the specific plugin page.

How compatibility is labeled on the site

Neural DSP marks each plugin product page with one of two signals:

The label appears alongside the plugin name in the product listing, so you can screen candidates before opening a page.

How unlocking works on hardware

For a COMPATIBLE plugin, the process described on the site is:

1. Purchase a license for the plugin.
2. Log in to your Neural DSP account on the Quad Cortex or Quad Cortex mini device.
3. The plugin unlocks on that device.

This means the hardware does not require a separate purchase of the plugin — the same license covers it, provided the plugin carries the COMPATIBLE label.

Examples from the current catalog

• Archetype: John Mayer X (€169.00) — labeled COMPATIBLE with Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini. Purchase a license and log in to your Neural DSP account on your device to unlock it.
• Archetype: Misha Mansoor X (€125.00) — also labeled COMPATIBLE with Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini, with the same license-and-login unlock path.
• Darkglass Ultimate (€99.00) — labeled DESKTOP ONLY. Available only for Windows and Mac computers; it will not be available on Quad Cortex devices.
• Mantra — labeled DESKTOP ONLY, available only for Windows and Mac computers.

Prices shown are from the site; for EU and UK customers VAT is included, while for US and international customers taxes are calculated at checkout.

What to check before you buy

• Read the label on the plugin's own page, not just the category listing. Compatibility is decided per plugin, not per product family.
• Check the hardware you own. A COMPATIBLE plugin covers Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini; a DESKTOP ONLY plugin covers neither.
• Confirm the plugin is not desktop-restricted if hardware use is your goal. Darkglass Ultimate and Mantra are the clearest current examples of plugins that cannot move to hardware.
• Use the free trial first. Neural DSP offers a 14-day free trial of any plugin, which lets you evaluate the sound before committing — though the trial does not change which platform the full license supports.

If your plan is to run tones on Quad Cortex hardware, filter for the COMPATIBLE label first, then verify the unlock steps on the device with your Neural DSP account.

Neural DSP is a music software and hardware company that makes tools for designing guitar and bass tones. It offers two main product lines: software plugins (such as the Archetype series and Darkglass Ultimate) and hardware amp modelers (the Quad Cortex family). The company states its products are "trusted and used by the world's top musicians," and it offers a 14-day free trial of any plugin. If you play guitar or bass and want studio-quality tone shaping on a computer or in a floorboard unit, this is the audience Neural DSP builds for.

What Neural DSP makes

Software plugins

Plugins run on Windows and Mac computers. The site lists several current examples:

Prices shown include VAT for EU and UK customers; for US and international customers, taxes are calculated at checkout. Each plugin listing includes a free trial option alongside "Add to cart" and "Buy now."

The plugin catalog is organized by category: All, Vocal, Guitar, Bass, Archetype, Multivoicer, and Synth. Some plugins are marked "COMPATIBLE," meaning that after purchasing a license and logging into your Neural DSP account on the device, you can unlock them on Quad Cortex hardware.

Hardware

The hardware lineup includes:

• Quad Cortex — described as "the most powerful floorboard amp modeler on the planet"
• Quad Cortex mini — "No compromises. Just smaller."
• Nano Cortex — "An infinite number of amps and pedals on your pedalboard"

The site also references CorOS 4.1.0, described as the biggest CorOS update yet, adding expanded plugin compatibility, new virtual devices, and device presets. It is a free update for existing users.

Who it's for

Neural DSP targets guitarists and bassists who want to design tones digitally — whether in a DAW via plugins or on a physical pedalboard via the Quad Cortex family. The product range covers different needs: desktop-only plugins for studio work, hardware-compatible plugins for players who want the same sounds on stage, and standalone hardware for those who prefer a floorboard setup.

Trying before buying

Every plugin listing includes a free trial, and the site's own description states you can "download a 14-day free trial of any plugin." Hardware is sold through dealers — the site provides a "Find a dealer" link rather than direct hardware pricing.

CorOS 4.1.0 is Neural DSP's largest CorOS update to date, and it is a free update for existing Quad Cortex users. It expands plugin compatibility and adds Virtual Devices, Device Presets, and more. If you already own a Quad Cortex, there is no purchase decision to make — you can update at no cost. The main question is whether the new plugin compatibility and preset features change how you use the device.

What CorOS 4.1.0 Adds

Based on Neural DSP's own description of the release, the headline changes are:

• Expanded Plugin Compatibility — more of Neural DSP's plugin lineup can now run on Quad Cortex hardware.
• Virtual Devices — a new category of device modeling within CorOS.
• Device Presets — preset management at the device level.
• "And more" — Neural DSP frames this as its biggest CorOS update yet, so the above are the confirmed highlights rather than an exhaustive list.

The update is explicitly labeled "A FREE UPDATE FOR EXISTING USERS," which means the cost question is settled for current owners: €0.

Why Plugin Compatibility Matters Most

The most consequential item is expanded plugin compatibility, because it changes what you can actually load onto the hardware.

Neural DSP's plugin pages show a clear split between two groups:

For compatible plugins, the process described by Neural DSP is: purchase a license, then log in to your Neural DSP account on the device to unlock it. So compatibility is not automatic with ownership of the plugin alone — the license and the on-device login are both part of the chain.

This is the practical takeaway from 4.1.0: if you own a Quad Cortex and a compatible plugin license, the update is what lets that plugin run on the floorboard. If your plugin is marked "DESKTOP ONLY," no CorOS version will bring it to the hardware.

Who Should Care About This Update

• Existing Quad Cortex owners: update, since it is free and expands what your device can run. The value depends on whether you own compatible plugins.
• Prospective buyers weighing Quad Cortex vs. plugins: check the compatibility table before buying a plugin you intend to use on hardware. A desktop-only plugin like Darkglass Ultimate or Mantra will not move to the device.
• Users of Quad Cortex mini: the compatibility notes list Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini together, so the same plugin-unlock logic applies.

What to Verify Before Updating

1. Confirm which of your owned plugins are marked compatible versus desktop-only on their product pages.
2. Make sure you can log in to your Neural DSP account on the device, since that login is what unlocks a purchased compatible plugin.
3. Treat the "and more" in Neural DSP's announcement as unconfirmed detail — check the full release notes on neuraldsp.com for the complete feature list rather than relying on the summary.

The Bottom Line

CorOS 4.1.0 is a free, feature-expanding update for existing users, with expanded plugin compatibility as its most useful change. The decision is not whether to pay — it is whether your plugin library is compatible, which you can check against the compatibility labels on each plugin's page.

Neural DSP's hardware line splits into three products with different physical footprints and roles: Quad Cortex is the full-size floorboard amp modeler, Quad Cortex mini is the same platform in a smaller enclosure, and Nano Cortex is the compact unit meant to sit on a pedalboard. All three run Neural DSP's amp and pedal modeling, but they differ in size, how much you can do on the device itself, and whether they can host licensed plugins. If you want the most capable single unit, look at Quad Cortex; if board space is the constraint, compare mini against Nano Cortex.

The three products at a glance

What actually separates them

Quad Cortex: the reference unit

Neural DSP describes it as the most powerful floorboard amp modeler it makes, and it is the product most of the listed awards attach to (Best Multi-Effects Pedal 2026, Best Amp Modelers 2026–2025, Gear of the Year Winner 2021, and a run of Best Amp Modelers awards from 2021 through 2025). If you are choosing one device to cover amp modeling, effects, and plugin hosting, this is the one the rest of the line is measured against.

Quad Cortex mini: same platform, smaller box

The site's own framing is the useful part here — "No compromises. Just smaller." That tells you the intent is not to strip features down to a budget tier but to shrink the enclosure. Plugin compatibility is shared across the family: Archetype: John Mayer X and Archetype: Misha Mansoor X are both listed as compatible with Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini, unlocked by purchasing a license and logging into your Neural DSP account on the device.

Nano Cortex: pedalboard-first

Nano Cortex is described as putting "an infinite number of amps and pedals on your pedalboard." That is a different job from the other two: it is positioned as the modeling engine you add to an existing board, not the board itself.

The compatibility rule that matters most

Not every Neural DSP product runs on the hardware. The site is explicit about two categories:

• Quad Cortex compatible: Archetype: John Mayer X and Archetype: Misha Mansoor X — buy a license, then log in to your Neural DSP account on the device to unlock.
• Desktop only: Darkglass Ultimate and Mantra are marked "DESKTOP ONLY" and available only for Windows and Mac. Darkglass Ultimate "will not be available on Quad Cortex devices."

So before buying hardware to run a specific plugin, check that plugin's compatibility line. A desktop-only title will not follow you onto the floorboard.

How to decide

• You want one unit to do everything, and size is not a constraint → Quad Cortex.
• You want the Quad Cortex platform but need a smaller footprint → Quad Cortex mini, and confirm the specific plugins you rely on list Quad Cortex mini as compatible.
• You already have a pedalboard and want to add amp/pedal modeling to it → Nano Cortex.
• You mainly want a specific desktop plugin → check whether it is desktop-only first; if it is, hardware will not run it.

Trying before committing

Neural DSP offers a 14-day free trial of any plugin, and each product page carries a "Free trial" option alongside Add to cart / Buy now. For hardware, the site directs buyers to "Find a dealer," so availability and hands-on testing run through dealers rather than a direct hardware checkout.

Listed plugin prices, for reference: Archetype: John Mayer X €169.00, Darkglass Ultimate €99.00, Archetype: Misha Mansoor X €125.00. For EU and UK customers VAT is included; for US and international customers taxes are calculated at checkout.

Neural DSP plugins are priced individually rather than by a single subscription rate, and each one includes a 14-day free trial. Based on the current listings on neuraldsp.com, you can expect to pay roughly €99–€169 per plugin depending on the title. EU and UK customers see VAT included in the listed price; US and international customers have taxes calculated at checkout. The trial is the main way to test a plugin before committing, and purchases go through Add to cart or Buy now, with a dealer finder available as an alternative.

Current plugin prices

These are the prices shown on the site at the time of writing:

A few things worth noting from the listings:

• Tax treatment differs by region. For EU and UK customers, VAT is included in the displayed price. For US and international customers, taxes are calculated at checkout, so the final amount may be higher than the listed figure.
• Compatibility varies. Some plugins, like Archetype: John Mayer X and Archetype: Misha Mansoor X, are marked as compatible with Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini — you purchase a license and log in to your Neural DSP account on the device to unlock it. Others, like Darkglass Ultimate, are desktop only and will not be available on Quad Cortex devices.
• Darkglass Ultimate is described as a free update for existing users, which suggests owners of a prior Darkglass product may already have access. If that applies to you, check your account before buying.

Can you try before buying?

Yes. Each plugin listing includes a Free trial, described on the site as a 14-day free trial of any plugin. This is the most direct way to confirm a plugin works with your setup and sounds the way you expect before paying.

A practical approach:

1. Pick the plugin you're considering and start the free trial.
2. Run it in your actual signal chain — the guitar or bass you use, your interface, your DAW or device.
3. Check the specific compatibility line on the product page if you plan to use it on Quad Cortex or Quad Cortex mini, since desktop-only titles won't transfer.
4. If it fits, buy through Add to cart or Buy now, or use Find a dealer if you prefer a local retailer.

How to decide

• If you're unsure about a plugin, use the 14-day trial first — it costs nothing and answers the compatibility and tone questions directly.
• If you're outside the EU/UK, budget for tax on top of the listed price, since it's added at checkout.
• If you own a Quad Cortex or Quad Cortex mini, confirm the plugin is marked compatible before purchasing; desktop-only plugins won't run on the hardware.
• If you'd rather buy in person or locally, the site's Find a dealer option points you to retailers.

Prices and compatibility are set by Neural DSP and can change, so verify the current figure and compatibility note on the product page before completing a purchase.