FX Processor

Neural DSP Quad Cortex

The Neural DSP Quad Cortex is a floor-based guitar and bass modeler with quad-core processing that captures and reproduces amp tones with remarkable accuracy. Its neural capture technology can learn the characteristics of any real amp or pedal, making it a powerful tool for guitarists who want their exact studio tones on stage. Multiple outputs including XLR make it easy to feed both your IEM mix and FOH simultaneously with independent tone shaping.

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Photos

Manufacturer product photography showing the hardware, controls, and physical form.

Neural DSP Quad Cortex — Photo: Neural DSPClick to zoom

Documented outputs: 44 destination connections
Documented inputs: 2Based on documented inputs
Rack space: Outside rackPlan a shelf, tray, or stage position
Power draw: 18W25W documented maximum
Catalog estimate: ~$1,849Use retailer rows for current price and stock

01 · What it does—and what that changes in your rig.

Product overview

Start with the payoff, then work through how it functions, where it fits, and the details that change a real build.

The payoff

FX Processor decisions, organized around the whole rig.

The Quad Cortex is a floor-based amp modeler and effects processor from Neural DSP, built around quad-core processing and the company's neural capture technology — a system that can profile real amplifiers and pedals and reproduce their behavior with convincing accuracy. In a live rig context, it functions as the complete signal chain for a guitarist or bassist: amp models, cab simulation, drive pedals, time-based effects, all in one unit. The two XLR outputs and two TRS outputs let you split your signal meaningfully — XLR direct to FOH, TRS into your IEM personal mix — with independent routing and level control for each.

Documented outputs: 44 destination connections
Documented inputs: 2Based on documented inputs
Rack space: Outside rackPlan a shelf, tray, or stage position

Neural DSP product panelOutside rack · 18W

Function

How it works in the path

At 1.6 kg and 190 mm deep, the Quad Cortex lives on the floor, not in the rack. The catalog flags it as rack-mountable, but that requires a third-party adapter bracket; out of the box it sits flat on stage. Power draw is modest at 18 W nominal, topping at 25 W, so it won't stress a standard power conditioner. The touchscreen interface means patch changes and live tweaks don't require menu-diving in the dark. What matters at show time is that your XLR outputs are balanced, line-level, and ready to hit a DI box or stage box directly — no additional direct box needed for the FOH feed.

Best fit

Where it earns its place in the system

This unit belongs in the rig of a guitarist or bassist who has invested in capturing their own real-world tones and wants to reproduce them consistently night after night without hauling amplifiers. If you're running a purely IEM-based rig with no amp on stage, the Quad Cortex handles that cleanly with its direct outputs. It's less obviously the right call if you need deep MIDI integration into a complex switching rig, or if your workflow centers around a platform like Line 6's ecosystem where Helix Native plugin editing is already baked in — the Quad Cortex's editor ecosystem, while improving, has historically lagged the hardware's capabilities.

In the rack

Details worth deciding before load-in.

Run Output 3 or 4 (XLR) directly to your stage box for FOH and keep Outputs 1–2 (TRS) feeding your IEM mix — set separate cab IR or EQ blocks on each path so FOH and your ears aren't hearing the same mix-dependent compromise.
If you're bracket-mounting it in a rack, confirm the adapter positions the touchscreen at a usable angle before you commit to the rack layout — the screen is your primary interface and needs to be visible from standing height at load-in.
Use the USB-C port with a laptop running the Cortex Control editor to back up your preset library before every tour leg; cloud sync exists but having a local backup on a tour drive costs nothing and saves the gig if firmware goes sideways.
The unit draws up to 25 W at peak — plug it into its own outlet on your power conditioner rather than daisy-chaining it with other high-draw processors, and leave the IEC cable slack managed so it doesn't pull at the connector when the unit is repositioned on stage.

02 · Know the whole path before you buy.

Signal path

Learn the route as a block diagram: source, product function, transport, and destination. Select any block to see what enters, what changes, and what leaves.

Interactive block diagramAuto-looping · hover, focus, or tap to hold a stage

Port-type signalProduct functionSystem boundary

Follow one signal from source to destination

Each block answers the same three questions: what arrives, what changes here, and what leaves.

01 · Source · selected

01 · Source

2 documented inputs

¼-inch TRS

Arrives as: 2 documented inputs
Connector: ¼-inch TRS
Signal: analog audio

03 · What this product asks of the rest of the system.

Compatibility

Treat connector names as the start of the check—not the answer. These are the boundaries that determine a complete working path.

Best fit · FX Processor

Use it as fx processor tracked outside rack rails; follow the manufacturer’s mounting and form-factor guidance.

Plan the companion path

Complete the path with upstream and downstream gear that matches connector, direction, signal type, protocol, and wiring standard.

Connector boundary

Documented connectors: ¼-inch TRS, XLR male, usb c. Match connector, direction, and signal type—not shape alone.

04 · Every connector, grouped by job.

I/O ports

Switch the product view and the documented port inventory updates with it—hardware and data stay side by side.

Every connector, grouped by job.

Switch panels to keep the hardware view and the documented port list in sync.

Panel view

Front panel

Rear panel

All documented ports for Neural DSP Quad Cortex
Port	Panel	Connector	Direction	Signal	Channels
Input 1 (TRS)	rear	¼-inch TRS	input	analog audio	—
Input 2 (TRS)	rear	¼-inch TRS	input	analog audio	—
Output 1 (TRS)	rear	¼-inch TRS	output	analog audio	—
Output 2 (TRS)	rear	¼-inch TRS	output	analog audio	—
Output 3 (XLR)	rear	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
Output 4 (XLR)	rear	XLR male	output	analog audio	—
USB-C	rear	usb c	bidirectional	data	—

Showing 7 of 7 documented physical ports.

05 · Compare the decision, not just the price.

Alternatives

The rows are organized around fit, power, I/O, and system role so a cheaper unit cannot hide a more expensive workflow.

Compare	Neural DSP Quad CortexThis gear	Lexicon PCM92 Reverb / Effects	TC Electronic D-Two Multitap Delay
Fit	📐 Outside rack	📐 1U	📐 1U
Power	⚡ 18W	⚡ 18W	⚡ 14W
Weight	⚖️ 3.5 lb	⚖️ 7.1 lb	⚖️ 6.4 lb
I/O	🔌 7	🔌 16	🔌 7
Estimate	💵 ~$1,849	💵 ~$3,499	💵 ~$999
Deep dive	Current selection	Full comparison →	Full comparison →

06 · Resolve the questions that can change the purchase or build plan.

Planning questions

Short, source-backed answers surface rack fit, power, cabling, and connection details before they become surprises.

Where does the Neural DSP Quad Cortex live in a complete rig?

The catalog assigns it no rack units. Builder tracks it as non-rack gear; follow the manufacturer’s mounting, case, and form-factor guidance.

How much power does the Neural DSP Quad Cortex draw?

Typical draw is 18W and documented maximum draw is 25W.

What connections does the Neural DSP Quad Cortex have?

7 documented physical ports, including Input 1 (TRS), Input 2 (TRS), Output 1 (TRS), Output 2 (TRS), Output 3 (XLR), Output 4 (XLR).

07 · See this gear inside a complete system plan.

Builder preview

Builder keeps non-rack gear in the same bill of materials, budget, dependency, and connection plan as the rack-mounted system around it.Open in Builder

08 · Related gear, in the order you may need it.

External unit

FX Processor