In the world of guitar amplification, few names shine as brightly as Morgan Amplification. For over a decade, this illustrious company has sculpted soundscapes and shaped musical journeys, earning a place of honor in the pantheon of amplifier legends.

Founded by the visionary amplifier builder and guitarist Joe Morgan in 2009, Morgan Amplification emerged as a beacon of craftsmanship and innovation in the industry. Drawing inspiration from era-defining vintage tones, Joe set out to create amplifiers that not only paid homage to the classics but also pushed the boundaries of sonic possibilities. The result? A legacy of amplifiers revered for their meticulous attention to detail, exceptional build quality, and incredible tonal artistry.

Joe Morgan started building his amplifiers during the boom of boutique pedal builders and his motto was to provide amplifiers designed for the working musician and their need for amps that work with complex pedal boards. These amplifiers have become the trusted companions of artists seeking an unparalleled blend of warmth, responsiveness, and harmonic richness.

We've painstakingly replicated the essence of three of these iconic amplifiers, ensuring that every note you play carries the rich heritage and the boundless potential of Morgan Amplification.

We proudly present to you, the Morgan Amps Suite X.

Pre FX Section

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

“CMP” - Compressor Pedal

1. Comp Knob: Controls the amount of compression applied by the pedal.

2. Release Mode Switch: Toggles the compressor time constants, switching the attack and release speed behavior.

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

4. Mix Knob: Controls the amount of compressed signal that is mixed with the original dry input signal.

5. Gain Reduction Meter: Indicates the amount of gain reduction.

6. Engage Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the CMP pedal.

“OD1” - Overdrive Pedal

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

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

3. Tone Knob: Adjusts the high-frequency response of the pedal.

4. Engage Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the OD1 pedal.

“OD2” - Overdrive Pedal

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 high-frequency response of the pedal.

4. Bass Knob: Adjusts the low-frequency response of the pedal.

5. Engage Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the OD2 pedal.
   

“TRM” - Tremolo Pedal

1. Rate Knob: Controls the speed of the tremolo effect. The higher the value, the faster the speed.

2. Sync Switch: Toggles between sync (Note) and free (Hz) behavior.

3. Depth Knob: Sets the amount of tremolo effect applied to the signal.

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

5. Engage Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the TRM pedal.

Amp Section

AC20 Amplifier

1. Power Knob: Reduces output volume by lowering the power amplifier wattage.

2. Cut Knob: Rolls off high frequencies in the power section. Turn down for a darker tone.

3. Volume: Adjusts the preamp gain level, determining the amount of distortion.

4. Bright Switch (Sun/Moon): Emphasizes the upper frequencies to make the tone brighter.

5. Bass Cut Switch (G/F Clefs): Reduces low-end in the preamp for a tighter, cleaner tone.

6. Standby and Power Switches: Click to activate/deactivate the Amp Section.

PR12 Amplifier

1. Dwell Knob: Adjusts the intensity of the reverb’s reflections.

2. Reverb Knob: Controls the amount of reverberated signal that is added to the dry signal.

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

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

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

6. Standby and Power Switches: Click to activate/deactivate the Amp Section.

SW50R Amplifier

1. Reverb Knob: Controls the amount of reverberated signal that is added to the dry signal.

2. Level Knob: Sets the amp’s master level. Higher settings add power amp saturation and sag.

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

4. Mid Knob: Adjusts the mid-frequency response of the amp.

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

6. Bass Emphasis Switch (G/F Clefs): Enables the low-mid frequencies boost.

7. Bright Switch (Sun/Moon): Emphasizes the upper frequencies to make the tone brighter.

8. Volume: Adjusts the preamp gain level, determining the amount of distortion.

9. Standby and Power Switches: Click to activate/deactivate the Amp Section.

10. Amplifier Input: The bottom position attenuates the signal by 6dB.

Hint:

Click the Amps’ logos to cycle through different amp skins.

Cab Section

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.

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.

Cab Section Controls

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

Graphic EQ

This section includes a 9-Band equalizer, giving you precise control over different frequency ranges.

1. Frequency Sliders: Each slider adjusts the gain of a specific range of frequencies (Bands). Click-and-drag the sliders up or down to increase or decrease their volume +/- 12dB.

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

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

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

Post FX Section

This section consists of two time-based effects in series which can be used either separately or combined.

“DLY” - Delay Pedal

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

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

3. Low Cut Knob: Cuts the low frequencies from the delayed signal. High settings produce a brighter sound.

4. High Cut Knob: Cuts high frequencies from the delayed signal. Lower settings will give a darker sound.

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

6. Tape Drive Knob: Adjusts the saturation amount applied to the delay repeats.

7. Width Knob: Sets the delay spread among the left and right channels.

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

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

10. Engage Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the DLY pedal.

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

“RVB” - Reverb Pedal

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

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

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

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

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

6. Engage Stomp Switch: Click to activate/deactivate the RVB pedal.

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.

• Undo/Redo and History: Revert or restore to a past state by using either the Undo/Redo icons, or by navigating the Action History list by clicking the History 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.

What is an XML file?

XML, short for Extensible Markup Language, lets you define and store data in a shareable manner. Neural DSP presets are stored as encrypted XML files on your computer.

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

4. 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.

Supported 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 / Patryk Siewiera / Rafael Castillo / Tantep Sinjanakhom / Tarek Al Sibai / Yevgen Chebotarenko

Beta testing

Alex Meunier / Alexander Oglobleff / Brock Jon / Matias Baeza / Phil Pluskota / Scott Fritz