When an artist spends decades refining a voice as personal and unmistakable as John Mayer’s, every detail matters. Touch, phrasing, restraint, and tone become inseparable from the music itself, shaped through years of writing, recording, and performance.

That pursuit has resulted in one of the most extensive and carefully curated collections of guitar equipment in existence. Taken as a whole, John’s gear could live behind glass as a museum exhibit; rare, historically significant, and in many cases impossible to replace. But within that collection exists a far smaller group of pieces; the tools he reaches for instinctively, refined through constant use rather than preservation.

John is also known as a committed purist, not out of nostalgia or resistance to change, but out of a deep respect for the guitar and its history. His approach celebrates the details: circuits, components, feel, and the subtle interactions that give sound its character. Any new tool, digital or otherwise, has to honor that lineage and meet the same standard of care and intent.

John opened the doors to his personal recording studio in Los Angeles and entrusted us with his most prized tools. These are the pieces at the very center of his sound, refined through constant use and chosen from an extraordinary collection. Distilling that world into a single, uncompromising plugin was one of the most demanding and rewarding collaborations we have ever undertaken.

With sincere thanks to John for his trust and vision, it is with great pride that we present to you Archetype: John Mayer X.

Pre FX

This section consists of five effects in series which can be used either separately or combined.

Justa Boost

A boost pedal that offers two distinct modes: a transparent, clean boost mode and an overdriven mode.

1. Volume Knob: Sets the amount of boost applied to the signal.

2. Boost Switch: Toggles between the clean boost and overdrive-style boost modes.

3. Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Justa Boost pedal.

Hints:

Positioned at the very start of John’s signal chain and used as an always-on pedal, it delivers a gentle boost that enhances the single-coil pickups, pushing his amps slightly harder to create a thicker, more naturally compressed and fuller tone.

Antelope Filter

An envelope filter that reacts to your playing dynamics, automatically sweeping its frequency to create a responsive, wah-like effect that moves with your attack.

1. Gain Knob: Sets the input level of the envelope. Higher values increase the sensitivity of the effect.

2. Peak Knob: Determines the resonance of the filter. Higher values create a more pronounced effect

3. Up/Down Switch: Choose the sweep direction of the envelope: upward (low→high) or downward (high→low).

4. Fast/Slow Switch: Changes the sweep response.

5. Hi/Lo Switch: Selects the frequency region emphasized by the filter effect.

6. Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Antelope Filter pedal

Hints:

• To dial in John Mayer’s signature envelope filter tone with the Antelope Filter, begin with the Gain and Peak controls set low, then gradually increase the Gain until the filter opens only during your strongest, most expressive picking attack.

• Engaging the Justa Boost pedal ahead of the filter offers another way to fine-tune the effect's overall sensitivity.

Halfman OD

A mid-gain overdrive pedal that pushes amplifiers harder while preserving their natural tone and response.

1. Gain Knob: Sets the signal level feeding the overdrive, controlling distortion.

2. Level Knob: Sets the output level of the pedal.

3. Treble Knob: Adjusts the overdrive tone; rotate clockwise for brightness, counter-clockwise for darkness.

4. Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Halfman OD pedal

Hints:

This pedal is faithfully modeled on John’s favorite unit, a staple of his live and studio setups for years.

The Halfman OD can be used alone or stacked with the Tealbreaker OD pedal for additional gain, producing a fuller distorted tone that cuts through the mix without ever sounding harsh.

Tealbreaker OD

The Tealbreaker OD is a dual-mode pedal that combines John’s favorite overdrive circuits: ‘TS’ and ‘BB’ styles.

TS

This mode provides a smooth, mid-focused overdrive that rolls off some low end, producing warm, singing blues tones.

BB

This mode provides a balanced overdrive that enhances the amp’s natural character while remaining clear and responsive.

1. Gain Knob: Sets the signal level feeding the overdrive, controlling distortion.

2. BB/TS Switch: Toggles between the two distinct overdrive circuits.

3. Level Knob: Sets the output level of the pedal.

4. Tone Knob: Adjusts the overdrive tone; rotate clockwise for brightness, counter-clockwise for darkness.

5. Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Tealbreaker OD pedal

Hint:

In TS mode, John sets a fairly high overdrive while keeping the output volume close to his clean tone. In this setup, the pedal’s mid-forward character and natural high-end roll-off produce smooth blues lead tones.

Millipede Delay

An analog (BBD) delay pedal that produces warm and percussive repeats, which can thicken your tone or be driven into self-oscillations.

1. Time Knob: Sets how long it takes for the echo to repeat after the original sound.

2. Feedback Knob: Controls how many times the echo repeats. Higher values create more repeats.

3. Blend Knob: Sets how long it takes for the echo to repeat after the original sound.

4. Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Millipede Delay pedal.

Hints:

John typically uses the Millipede Delay as a very short, almost hidden, slapback effect, which he calls his “secret weapon.” While a standard rockabilly slapback sits around 100-150ms, his setting is close to the pedal’s minimum delay time at about 60ms. The short delay, paired with the unstable BBD clock, produces a subtle doubling and thickening effect that works especially well for solos.

Verb & Trem

This section consists of the Gravity Tank unit, featuring two distinct effects in series that can be used either separately or combined. Although John loves the Harmonic Tremolo from his standalone tube unit, he prefers the spring reverb from his pedalboard. To address this, we created a hybrid device that combines both in a single unit.

Harmonic Tremolo

A detailed model of an all-tube harmonic tremolo unit.

1. Sync Switch: Synchronizes the harmonic tremolo effect to host tempo.

2. Speed Knob: Sets the speed of the harmonic tremolo effect.

3. Intensity Knob: Adjusts harmonic tremolo depth; higher values give a more pronounced effect.

4. On/Off Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Harmonic Tremolo effect.
   

Hints:

• Unlike a standard tremolo, a harmonic tremolo divides the signal into two separate frequency bands, producing a swirling, almost Univibe-like modulation.

• This effect recreates John’s actual tremolo unit, faithfully capturing its circuit’s sound and behavior, with a custom modification that allows for much slower modulation speeds.

Spring Reverb

A spring reverb inspired by the American standalone reverbs commonly used in the 1960s.

1. Mix Knob: Controls the mix between dry and reverberated signals.

2. Tone Knob: Adjusts the brightness of the reverb. Turn clockwise for a brighter reverb or counter-clockwise for a warmer, darker sound.

3. Decay Knob: Controls the length of the reverb tail.

4. On/Off Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Spring Reverb effect.

Amp

Smooth Operator

A 40w US combo amplifier from 1964 featuring a 15” speaker.

1. Bright Switch: Emphasizes the upper frequencies to make the tone brighter.

2. Volume Knob: Adjusts the preamp gain level, determining the amount of distortion produced.

3. Bass Knob: Adjusts the bass-frequency response of the amp.

4. Treble Knob: Adjusts the high-frequency response of the amp.

5. Output Knob: Controls the amp’s output level without coloring the tone.

6. Bypass Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Smooth Operator amp.
   

Hints:

• This iconic amplifier, closely associated with the legendary “Texas Blues Tone”, delivers big, punchy, and dynamic clean tones. When the Volume control is set above 3, it starts to break up and produce a beautiful natural overdrive. 

• The plugin models only the original Vibrato channel, which John Mayer uses exclusively on this amplifier. Only the preamp and power amp stages are included, deliberately leaving out the tremolo and spring reverb, as John prefers to use standalone units for those effects (see Gravity Tank).

Headroom Hero

A rare 100w amplifier, renowned for its massive clean headroom and hi-fi character.

1. FET/NOR Input: Changes the input type; FET adds a front boost for increased distortion.

2. Bright Switch: Emphasizes the upper frequencies to make the tone brighter.

3. Mid Switch: Activates the mid-boost to make the tone more aggressive.

4. Gain Knob: Adjusts the preamp gain level, determining the amount of distortion produced.

5. Bass Knob: Adjusts the bass frequency response of the amp.

6. Middle Knob: Adjusts the mid frequency response of the amp.

7. Treble Knob: Adjusts the high frequency response of the amp.

8. Master Knob: Sets the amp’s master level—higher settings add power amp saturation and sag.

9. Output Knob: Controls the amp’s output level without coloring the tone.

10. Bypass Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Headroom Hero amp.

Hints:

• Very responsive and “immediate”, this amp delivers exceptional dynamics that make it an excellent platform for overdrive pedals. 

• For this plugin, we recreated John’s preferred settings: the High and Low tone controls are fixed and hidden, the “Deep” switch is always engaged for added low-end and depth.

Signature 83

A 50w prototype amplifier designed for high definition clean to edge-of-breakup tones.

1. Bright Switch: Emphasizes the upper frequencies to make the tone brighter.

2. EQ-1/EQ-2 Switch: Toggles between two distinct EQ voicings. EQ-2 emphasizes mids, and adds more bite and gain.

3. Gain Knob: Adjusts the preamp gain level, determining the amount of distortion produced.

4. Bass Knob: Adjusts the bass frequency response of the amp.

5. Mid Knob: Adjusts the mid frequency response of the amp.

6. Treble Knob: Adjusts the high frequency response of the amp.

7. Pres Knob: Adjusts the high-end response of the power amp section.

8. Master Knob: Sets the amp’s master level—higher settings add power amp saturation and sag.

9. Output Knob: Controls the amp’s output level without coloring the tone.

10. Bypass Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Signature 83 amp.

Hints:

While this amp is already extremely rare (only 25 production units were made) this particular 50W prototype is even more unique, featuring custom tweaks and modifications that never went beyond the prototype stage.

Three-in-One

When activating this mode, each amplifier uses John's exact settings, is paired with the right cabinet, the correct microphone placed exactly where it should be, and equalized to match his studio tone.

1. Gain Knob: Adjusts the input level of the Three-in-One amplifier, determining the amount of distortion produced.

2. Smooth Operator: Sets the output level of the Smooth Operator Amplifier.

3. Headroom Hero: Sets the output level of the Headroom Hero Amplifier.

4. Signature 83: Sets the output level of the Signature 83 Amplifier.

5. Output: Controls the Three-in-One amplifier’s global output level without affecting the tone.

6. Room Send: Controls the Three-in-One Amp's Room Send level.
   Room Send adds an algorithmic “room” ambience, giving you the sense of hearing the cabinets in a real space - similar to what a room mic might capture.

7. Bypass Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Three-In-One amp.

Hints:

• The Three-in-One amplifier featured in Archetype: John Mayer X stands out as a truly unique feature. John Mayer himself combines multiple amplifiers both during live performances and in the studio to blend the distinctive qualities of each amp. He treats this setup as a single, cohesive amplifier and speaker system, forming the foundation of his signature tone. This is the first time combining multiple amps in a single Neural DSP plugin is possible.

• John would fine-tune the balance between the different amps similarly to how one would adjust an equalizer.

Cab

A comprehensive cabinet simulation module that features virtual mics that can be positioned around the speakers. Additionally, in this section, you can load your own Impulse Response files.

Hints:

Activating the Three-in-One amplifier mode automatically hides the Cabinet section, since cabinet configurations are predefined for this mode and microphone position editing is unavailable.

What is an Impulse Response?

An Impulse Response is the measurement of a dynamic system reacting to an input signal. This information can be stored in WAV files that can be used to recreate the sound of spaces, reverberations, and instrument speakers.

1. Microphone Selector Drop Down Menu: Click to select between the factory microphones or loading your own IR files.

2. Navigation Arrows: Click to cycle through factory microphones and custom IRs.

3. Bypass Button: Click to bypass/enable the selected microphone or custom IR.

4. Position and Distance Knobs: Control the position and distance of the factory microphones around the speaker cone.

5. Mic Level Knob: Controls the volume level of the selected mic/IR.

6. Pan Knob: Controls the output panning of the selected mic/IR.

7. Room Send Switches: Click to activate/deactivate the room reverb Send per microphone.

8. Room Level Knobs: Determine how much signal is sent to the room reverb module. Room Send adds an algorithmic “room” ambience, giving you the sense of hearing the cabinets in a real space, similar to what a room mic might capture.

9. Phase Button: Inverts the phase of the selected mic/IR.

How can I load custom IR files on Neural DSP plugins?

Click on the Microphone Selector and select Load next to the “Custom IR” field. After that, use the browser window to search and load your custom IR file. Once the IR is loaded, you can adjust its Level, Pan, and Phase. Using the navigation arrows above the Microphone Selector while a custom IR is loaded will cycle through all the IR files in that folder.

EQ & Comp Section

4-Band Semi-Parametric EQs

This section features a 4-Band semi-parametric equalizer with High-Pass and Low-Pass filters per amplifier, giving you precise control over different frequency ranges.

1. Frequency Knobs: Adjust the center frequency of each band.

2. Lo, Lo Mid, Hi Mid & Hi Knobs: Each knob adjusts the gain of a specific range of frequencies (bands) determined by the frequency knobs. Click-and-drag the knobs up or down to increase or decrease their volume +/- 12dB.

3. HPF Knob: Sets the cutoff frequency of the high-pass filter. Increase to remove low frequencies.

4. LPF Knob: Sets the cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter. Decrease to remove high frequencies.

5. Bypass Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the EQ module.

Compressor

A simple 2-knob compressor inspired by one of John’s favorite studio units.

1. Gain Reduction Meter: Displays the amount of gain reduction applied to the signal in decibels (dB).

2. Input Knob: Adjusts the input level of the Compressor, determining the amount of compression applied to the signal.

3. Output Knob: Adjusts the output level of the Compressor.

4. Bypass Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Compressor module.

Hints:

• Attack, release, ratio and sidechain filters parameters are set to replicate John’s exact studio setup, making it effortless to dial in compression settings.

• Unlike the original unit, this compressor features automatic gain compensation that keeps your levels steady while adjusting the compression amount.

Post FX Section

Dream Delay

A Delay pedal that draws inspiration from the classic 1980s rack delay units.

1. Sync Button: Selects delay timing mode: Free (manual), App/DAW tempo sync, or Tap tempo.

2. Ping Pong Switch: Enables ping pong to alternate delay repeats between left and right channels.

3. Mix Knob: Adjusts the mix amount between the dry and the delayed signal.

4. Hardness Knob: Controls the timbre of the delayed signal. Reduce to soften the repeats.

5. Feedback Knob: Controls how many times the echo repeats. Higher values create more repeats.

6. Time Knob: Sets how long it takes for the echo to repeat after the original sound.

7. Active Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Dream Delay pedal.

8. Tap Tempo Switch: Sets how long it takes for the echo to repeat after the original sound.

Hints:

• This pedal delivers a very clean digital delay sound that can be darkened using the "Hardness" knob.  This control acts as a filter within the feedback loop, simulating the effect of tape degradation. Each repeat becomes progressively darker adding a warm character to the echoed sound.

• By default, the delay display indicates the tempo subdivision (e.g. 1/4T). In Tap mode, hovering over the Tap Tempo switch temporarily reveals the BPM value.

Studio Verb

A dual-mode reverb combining John’s favorite studio reverbs.

Hall

Delivers a lush, warm, musical sound that evokes classic early-digital studio reverbs.

Plate 

Delivers that classic ‘80s algorithmic plate tone, featuring the musical modulation and shimmer unique to these early digital algorithms.

1. Mix Knob: Adjusts the mix amount between the dry and the reverberated signal.

2. Pre Delay Knob: Sets the amount of delay before the reverberation begins.

3. Decay Knob: Controls the length of the reverb’s tail.

4. Low Cut Knob: Cuts the low frequencies from the reverb. High settings produce a brighter sound.

5. Hall/Plate Switch: Toggles between Hall and Plate reverb algorithms, each offering a distinct character.

6. High Cut Knob: Cuts high frequencies from the reverb. Lower settings will give a darker sound.

7. Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the Studio Verb pedal.

Hints:

John uses multiple subtle reverb stages along his signal chain: Spring Reverb, Room Reverb, and Studio-Verb with little to no pre-delay, creating spacious tones that blend with the guitar without overwhelming it.

Utility bar

• Input Knob: Adjusts the level of the signal being fed into the plugin.

• Gate Knob: The noise gate helps to reduce unwanted noise or hum in your signal. The level of audio signal will be reduced when it drops below the set value.

• Transpose Knob: Transposes the signal up or down in pitch by a constant interval (+/-12 semitones). Use it to easily change the tuning of your instrument. The transpose module is bypassed at its default position (0 st).

• Input mode Switch: Toggles between Mono and Stereo input processing. The Doubler is disabled while in Stereo Input Mode.

• Doubler Knob: While in Mono Input mode, the doubler can simulate a larger stereo mode. The higher the value, the wider the stereo image is.

• Output Knob: Adjusts the level of the signal the plugin feeds out.

All top-bar Utility Controls can be preserved across presets, just hover your mouse/cursor over to it to see the Lock icon.

Preset Manager

A Preset is a saved configuration of settings and parameters that can be recalled instantly. Neural DSP factory presets are an excellent starting point for your tones. After loading a preset, you can fine-tune the parameters across the different sections of the plugin to create a new tone that suits your needs.

Presets you make can be organized into folders and subfolders, making it easier to find and manage them.

• Preset Dropdown Menu: Quick preset access. Click to open a dropdown list of all the Presets available. Use the navigation arrows above to cycle through presets.

• Favorite: Adds the selected preset to your favorites folder for quick access.

• Preset Browser: Access to the full preset browser experience.

• Edit: Only available for user presets, use it to update the selected preset's name or tags.

• Delete: Click to delete the currently loaded preset (factory presets cannot be deleted)

• Save: Used to update a preset with the latest changes (indicated by a dirty state: an *asterisk in the preset name).

• Save As: Used to save the current configuration as a new user preset.

Clicking the More button (⋮) will display additional features:

• Import: Used to import Preset files from custom locations.

• Reset: Click to make all parameters recall their default values.

• Locate file: Click to find the preset's actual location in your computer. Neural DSP presets are stored as shareable, encrypted XML files.

Saving Presets

When creating or modifying sounds, you can save them as presets to access later on. The Save As window makes it easy to name, tag, and organize your presets.

When saving a preset, the Save As window will appear with the following options:

• Preset Name: Enter a custom name for your preset. By default, the name of the preset will match the name of the edited preset.

• Tags: Add tags to make your presets easier to find. There are three types of tags available, each with fixed options: Category, Character, and Style.

  • Category: Choose a main category to describe the preset’s overall type (e.g. Clean, High-Gain, Lead, Rhythm, etc.) Only one category can be selected per preset.

  • Character: Add descriptive tags that define the tonal qualities or effects of the preset (e.g. Compressed, Atmospheric, Delay, Modulated, etc.) Multiple character tags can be applied.

  • Style: Select the musical style or genre the preset fits best (e.g., Metal, Pop, Jazz, Rock & Hard Rock, etc.). Multiple style tags can be applied.

• Add to Favorites: Tick this box to automatically add the new preset to your favorites list for quick access.

About Tags

Factory presets are already tagged by default. For user presets, tags should be added manually during the saving process. Appropriate tagging helps when searching and filtering presets in the Preset Browser.

Preset Browser

Our plugins include a preset browser that makes it easier to organize, search, and filter presets. It can be accessed by clicking the Folder icon next to the Preset dropdown. The browser has two main views.

Directory View

The Directory view is a list of presets in their specific folder. In addition to all specific folders, you can see All, Recent and Favorite presets. The list includes Tags to help describe what each preset sounds like.

Search view

The Search view is accessed by clicking the Search Bar. You can either type in queries, or use the Tags to narrow down your search. The Locate icon will take you back to the folder where that specific preset is, for editing purposes.

Footer

• Tuner: Click to open the Tuner interface.

• MIDI: Click to open the MIDI Mappings window.

• Tap: Controls the standalone global tempo by clicking. The tempo value is set as the interval between the last two clicks.

• Tempo: Displays the current standalone app’s global tempo value. Click to enter a custom BPM value with the keyboard. Click-and-drag them up and down to increase or decrease the BPM value respectively.

• Metronome: Click to open the Metronome interface.

• Settings: Click to open the audio settings. MIDI devices can also be assigned from this menu.

• Tooltips area: Hover over parameters to display tooltips in the bottom utility bar. 

• About: Click to access extra information about the plugin (Version, Store shortcut, etc). 

• Window Size: Click to resize the plugin window to five fixed sizes. The latest window size used is recalled upon opening new instances of the plugin.

Note

The Tap Tempo, Metronome and Settings features are only available on the Standalone app.

Tuner

Both standalone and plugin versions feature a built-in chromatic tuner. It works by detecting the pitch of the note that is being played and then displaying it on the screen.

• Tuning: Displays the note that is being played and its current pitch.

• Mute: Mutes the DI signal monitoring. This setting is recalled upon opening new instances of the plugin.

• Mode: Toggles the pitch values between Cents or Hz.

• Live Tuner: Enables a compact tuner that is displayed in the footer. You can also use ⌘ or CTRL + Click on the Tuner button in the footer to toggle the Live Tuner on and off.

• Frequency: Adjusts the reference pitch (420 - 460 Hz)

Metronome

The standalone app features a built-in Metronome. It works by producing a steady pulse to help you to practice and play in time. Playback for the metronome can be quickly started or stopped by clicking the Play button in the bottom bar.

• Volume: Adjusts the output level of the metronome's playback.

• Time signature: Navigate time signatures. Includes compound and complex variations.

• Sound: Set your preferred sound for the metronome beats.

• BPM: Displays the current beat tempo. Click-and-drag it up and down, or use the arrows, to increase or decrease the BPM value (40 - 240 BPM).

• Pan: Adjust the output panning of the metronome beats.

• Tap: Set the tempo by clicking. The BPM value is set as the interval between the last two clicks.

• Rhythm: Determines how many pulses can be heard per beat.

• Beat LEDs: Click to customize the different accents, or whether a beat will be played or not.

MIDI

Neural DSP plugins can be controlled by external MIDI devices and DAW commands. This allows you to connect MIDI controllers such as footswitches and expression pedals to control parameters and UI components within the plugin. Any MIDI device capable of sending Control Change, Program Change or Note messages to your computer will be compatible with Neural DSP plugins.

MIDI Device setup

Follow these steps to set up a MIDI controller to use with our plugins:

1. Connect your device to your computer. Depending on your device, this might be done via USB (straight into your computer using a USB Cable) or MIDI Out to MIDI In (into a MIDI interface using a MIDI cable).

2. Although most MIDI controllers are plug-and-play devices, some require driver software to be installed before they can be used. Double-check the user manual for your specific controller to see if this is necessary.

3. Once your MIDI controller is connected to your computer, check that it is recognized by your plugin standalone app. Click Settings in the bottom bar and check if the controller appears in the MIDI Input Devices menu.

4. To use MIDI controllers with a DAW, look for its MIDI settings menu and enable your MIDI controller as a MIDI Input device. (Optional)

MIDI Learn

Using the MIDI Learn function is the quickest and easiest way to map MIDI messages on your plugin. To do so:

1. Right-click a parameter that you wish to control and click Enable MIDI Learn.

2. Press the button or move the pedal/slider on the MIDI controller that you want to use to control that parameter. The plugin will then automatically assign the button or pedal to the chosen parameter, which will now be highlighted in the interface.

3. All the assigned MIDI messages will be registered in the MIDI Mappings window in the bottom bar.
   
   
   

MIDI Mappings

In the MIDI Mappings window, you can view and modify all the MIDI messages you have assigned to your plugin.

To add a new MIDI message, click on “New MIDI Mapping” located on the left side of the empty row. This will allow you to manually map a MIDI message to a parameter. You can also save and load MIDI Mapping Preset XML files.

Making your Mac® a Bluetooth MIDI host

1. Open the “Audio MIDI Setup” app.

2. Click on Window > Show MIDI Studio.

3. In the MIDI Studio window, click on “Open Bluetooth

4. Configuration...”. Set your Bluetooth MIDI device peripheral in pairing mode.

5. Select the peripheral in the list of devices, then click “Connect”.

Once your Bluetooth MIDI controller is connected to your computer, check that it is recognized by your plugin standalone app. Click on Settings in the Footer and check if the controller appears in the MIDI Input Devices menu.

Basic requirements

Getting set up is very simple, but there are a few things you will need before you begin:

1. Any Windows® PC or Apple Mac® capable of multitrack audio processing. Make sure your computer meets the minimum required specifications:
   
   Mac

   • Intel Core i3 Processor (i3-4130 / i5-2500 or higher)

   • Apple Silicon (M1 or higher)
     8GB of RAM or more

   • macOS® 13 Ventura (or higher)

   
   Windows

   • Intel Core i3 Processor (i3-4130 / i5-2500 or higher)

   • AMD Quad-Core Processor (R5 2200G or higher)

   • 8GB of RAM or more

   • Windows® 10 (or higher)

2. An audio interface to connect your instrument to your computer via USB, Thunderbolt or PCIe. Neural DSP hardware such as Quad Cortex can be used as USB interfaces.

3. Studio monitors or headphones. Having the sound play back from the computer speakers is not recommended due to quality and latency issues.

4. iLok License Manager: A free app that allows you to manage all your plugin licenses in one place and transfer them between different computers.

Suppported DAWs

DAWs, short for “Digital Audio Workstations”, are music production software programs that have a comprehensive set of tools for recording, editing, and mixing digital audio.

All Neural DSP plugins include a standalone app version, meaning that you don’t need a DAW to use them. However, if you are planning on recording your playing, you will need to install your plugins to your DAW.

A complete installation setup will automatically install all the different plugin formats:

APP: Standalone app.
AU: Plugin format developed by Apple for use on macOS®.
VST2: Multi-platform format compatible across multiple DAWs on both macOS® and Windows® devices.
VST3: An improved version of the VST2 format that only uses resources during monitoring/playback. It’s also available on both macOS® and Windows® devices.
AAX: Pro Tools native format. It can only be used on Avid Pro Tools.

Most DAWs automatically scan for new plugins upon launch. If you cannot find the plugins in your DAW’s plugin manager, manually rescan the plugin folder to locate the missing files. Our plugins are compatible with a wide range of DAWs. Below is a list of DAWs we have tested:

Ableton Live 12 (VST, Audio Unit)
Pro Tools 2024 (AAX)
Logic Pro 11 (Audio Unit)
Cubase 13 (VST)
Reaper 7 (VST, Audio Unit)
Presonus Studio One 7 (VST, Audio Unit)
Reason 12 (VST)
FL Studio 21 (VST)
Cakewalk by Bandlab (VST)

Note that even if your DAW is not listed above, it might still work. If you encounter any compatibility issues, don’t hesitate to contact support@neuraldsp.com for further assistance.

Once your plugins are available in your DAW, create a new project, insert a new audio track, arm it for recording, and load the plugin onto the track.

Default file locations

Neural DSP plugins will be installed in default locations for each plugin format unless a different custom location is selected in the process.

MacOS®

By default, the plugin files are installed in the following directories: 

AU: Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/Components
VST2: Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/VST
VST3: Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/VST3
AAX: Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-ins
Standalone App: Macintosh HD/Applications/Neural DSP
Preset Files: Macintosh HD/Library/Audio/Presets/Neural DSP
Settings Files: <User Folder>/Library/Application Support/Neural DSP
Manual: Macintosh HD/Library/Application Support/Neural DSP

Windows®

By default, the plugin files are installed in the following directories: 

VST2: C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins
VST3: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3
AAX: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins
Standalone App: C:\Program Files\Neural DSP
Preset Files: C:\ProgramData\Neural DSP
Settings Files: C:\Users\<Your profile>\AppData\Roaming\Neural DSP
Manual: C:\Program Files\Neural DSP

License activation

In order to use Neural DSP plugins, you will need an iLok account and the iLok license Manager application installed on your computer. iLok is completely free to use.

iLok setup

1. Go to iLok’s account registration page and fill out the required fields in the registration form.

2. A confirmation email will be sent to the email address provided during registration. Open the confirmation email in your inbox and click on the verification link.

3. Download iLok License Manager and install it on your computer. After that, open the app and login using your iLok account email address and password.

4. Link your iLok account to your Neural DSP account by entering your iLok username in your account settings. This will ensure that purchased licenses are deposited automatically in your iLok account after checkout.

Once a plugin is installed and launched for the first time, an iLok dialog will appear.

• If you want to start the 14-day trial: Click the Try button. You will be prompted to enter, or confirm your account information and the plugin trial will begin.

• If you've purchased the plugin: Click the Activate button. Login to your iLok account when prompted and activate the license on your machine. Your Perpetual License then will be activated.

You do not need an iLok USB dongle to use Neural DSP plugins as they can be activated directly onto computers. Note that a single license can be activated on 3 different computers at the same time as long as the same iLok account is used on all of them.

Licenses can be deactivated from computers that are not in use and transferred to other devices. This process can be repeated indefinitely.

Setting up your plugin

Once you have installed and activated your plugin, you can set it up and start using it. To get started, launch the plugin’s standalone app and click Settings in the footer.

Use the following settings to optimize your plugin’s performance and achieve the best possible tone.

• Audio device type: All available audio drivers on your computer are listed here. For most audio recording applications on Windows®, ASIO is the preferred driver format. CoreAudio is the recommended option on macOS®.

• Audio device: Choose the audio interface that your instrument is connected to.

• Audio input channels: Select the interface input(s) your instrument is connected to.

• Audio output channels: Select the interface output(s) that you use for monitoring.

• Sample rate: We recommend 48000 Hz unless a different rate is required for your session.

• Audio buffer settings: Set it to 128 samples or lower. Increase the buffer size to 256 samples or higher if you experience performance issues.

What is latency?

When monitoring plugins in real-time, you may experience a slight delay between playing a note on your instrument and hearing the sound through your headphones or studio monitors. This delay is called latency. Decreasing the buffer size reduces the latency, but demands more from your computer’s processing power.

How do I change these settings in a DAW audio session?

To set up audio settings for plugins within a DAW, open the audio settings section of your DAW’s preference menu. From there, you can select your audio interface, set the I/O channels, adjust the sample rate and buffer size.

Uninstalling Neural DSP software

To uninstall Neural DSP software on macOS®, delete the files manually in their respective folders.

On Windows®, Neural DSP software can be uninstalled either from the Control Panel or by selecting the “Remove” option from the setup installer.

Get in touch

Neural DSP Technologies is happy to provide professional technical support via email to all registered users, absolutely free of charge.

Before contacting us, we recommend searching our support and knowledge base sections below to see if the answer to your question has already been published.

Support

Knowledge Base

If you cannot find a solution for your problem on the pages above, please contact support@neuraldsp.com to help you further.

Corporate contact

Neural DSP Technologies OY
Merimiehenkatu 36 D
00150, Helsinki, Finland

Special thanks to...

Aaron Geldert / Adam Diakowski / Adnan Ayub / Aleksi Peussa / Avihai Eini / Brian Arne / Christopher Walker / Craig Rollo / Daniel Blanco Bernales / Domenico Pellegrino / Felix Eichas / Francisco Cresp / François Barrillon / Greg Ramirez / Henri Penttinen / Jaakko Mäkinen / Jacopo Lovatello / João Rossi Filho / Joonas Tuovinen / Juan Herrera / Jussi Kaloinen / Jussi Saarelainen / Rafael Castillo / Tantep Sinjanakhom / Tarek Al Sibai / Yevgen Chebotarenko

Beta testing

Alex Meunier / Charlie Robbins / David Porter / Ernesto Gil / Matias Baeza / Mykyta Perfiliev / Patryk Siewiera / Peter Berg