devices · Nano Cortex · reference · installing captures, step by step
installing captures, step by step
Downloading a capture gives you one ingredient, not a finished sound. It arrives at the uploader's level, with no decision made about whether the pedal should also supply a speaker. You are done when you have loaded it into a preset, set its volume against your other sounds, chosen the cab simulation state and saved it.
The shape of it
Three places, and only one of them makes a sound
The website holds your account and is the only place to upload your own IRs. The phone app is the only thing that can move a capture onto the pedal. And the pedal is the only place a capture becomes something you can play.
- Bluetooth · needs internet once
- Stop before this lane and you have no sound
If you already know the pedal
8 stepsThe short path
The short path is eight steps. The full version below explains why each one matters and what to do when it doesn't work.
- 01Pair the app, update firmware, take a backup.
- 02Audition in the app before spending a slot.
- 03Download to the User Library if you're trying it out.
- 04Turn Footswitch II to settle cab sim on or off—do this first.
- 05Hold CAPTURE 2 s and level-match against a factory capture, by ear.
- 06Set GAIN, then tone.
- 07Press SAVE, pick a slot, hold SAVE 3 s.
- 08Rename it in the app.
Phase 1
Do onceset up once
This takes five minutes, once. Skip a step and a later transfer can fail halfway through.
How to get hereOpen Cortex Cloud and go to the device tab: the pedal-and-Bluetooth icon, third along the bottom bar.
1. take the update before anything else
The banner sits at the top of Devices. Get to NanOS 2.2.1 or later first. Several things in this guide don't exist on older firmware. Leave the phone unlocked, awake and next to the pedal until it finishes.
2. tap Add New to start pairing
Tap it, then on the pedal hold EXIT and CAPTURE together for one second. The Nano appears in the list: pick it. The combo isn't printed anywhere on the pedal.
3. check which device is selected
Downloads go to whichever device is selected here. If you tap download and nothing lands on the pedal, the app was almost always pointed at another device.
4. back up now, while it's still factory
Save a cloud backup before you add a single capture. It takes one tap, and it is the only way back if all 25 slots later fill with captures you don't want.
How to get hereDevice tab → add a device. This screen appears while it searches.
1. hold EXIT + CAPTURE together for one second
Do this on the pedal, not in the app. The two buttons are next to each other on the top panel. The combination is printed only in the app, on this screen.
2. the app is searching for the pedal
The app scans until it finds a pedal already in pairing mode. If it spins forever, the pedal isn't in pairing mode. Do the button hold again instead of tapping anything here.
3. check the serial it names
It shows the specific modeler it's looking for. Use it to confirm you're pairing your own Nano Cortex in a room with more than one.
4. stay within two meters
The app says so explicitly. Distance is the other reason this screen spins without finding anything, so put the phone next to the pedal.
- 01Website
create the account and register the pedal
- Make a free Neural DSP account.
- Register your Nano Cortex to it.
Nano Cortex FAQ · Using the Cortex Cloud app with Nano CortexWhy, and how you know
Cortex Cloud shows your modeler on your account. Without one registered there is nothing to download to.
- 02App
install the app, then update it before anything else
- Install Cortex Cloud from the App Store or Google Play.
- Let it update fully before you touch the pedal's firmware.
watch outUpdating your Nano Cortex · Using the Cortex Cloud app with Nano CortexUpdate the app before the firmware. If you update the firmware first, the app can't show the new features.
- 03Pedal
pair over Bluetooth
- In the app, go to Devices, then Add New.
- On the pedal, hold EXIT and CAPTURE together for one second.
- Keep the phone within 2 meters, as the app says. Distance is a common reason the search never finishes.
- Pick the pedal in the app when it appears.
Why, and how you know
The GAIN ring sweeps clockwise and the Footswitch I LED blinks slowly—that's pairing mode.
Nano Cortex Quick Start Guide · Bluetooth pairing guide · Forum: pairing problemsOn Android, grant the app Location permission. Bluetooth Low Energy scanning requires it. Without it the pedal never appears.
- 04App
get firmware to 2.2.1 or later
- Open Devices and take the update banner at the top.
- Leave the phone unlocked, awake and next to the pedal until it finishes.
Updating your Nano Cortex · NanOS 2.2.0 release notes · NanOS 2.2.1 release notesWhy, and how you know
You need 2.2.0 or later for one-tap capture auditioning and cloud backups, and 2.2.1 specifically fixes a boot failure when an expression or MIDI pedal is connected.
- 05App
take a cloud backup now, while the pedal is still factory
- Save a cloud backup before you add anything.
Why, and how you know
You get five backup slots. This one is your way back if a library of downloads turns into a mess.
watch outNanOS 2.2.0 release notes · Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0Restoring a backup overwrites everything on the modeler. It is a restore, not a merge.
Phase 2
Every capturefind one worth installing
Cortex Cloud holds tens of thousands of captures, and quality varies: inconsistent naming, minimal descriptions, no quality tagging. Filter hard and your library stays usable.
How to get hereThe search tab: the magnifying glass in the bottom bar. Make sure your Nano Cortex is the selected device first.
1. start with Neural DSP's own profile
Search their profile before the open cloud. The quality floor is far higher, and a new owner can't yet tell a good capture from a badly made one.
2. sort by popularity, then filter
Filter by instrument and gain range. Popularity is a crude signal, but it is the only one you have until your ears know this pedal.
3. check the description for one thing
Does it include a cab? A capture taken from a mic'd cabinet already contains a speaker. One taken through a load box does not. Get this wrong and it sounds boxed-in or fizzy.
4. audition before you spend a slot
One tap plays it through the pedal without downloading. You only have 25 footswitch-reachable slots, so spend them on purpose.
5. download opens the destination picker
Tapping this is what opens the bank-and-slot picker on the next screen. Don't lock the phone, background the app or turn off Bluetooth until it completes.
- 06App
exhaust the 25 factory captures first
- Press BANK to move through the five capture banks.
- Turn Footswitch I to scroll captures within a bank.
Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0 · MusicRadar review · Forum: volume levels not saving between presetsWhy, and how you know
The factory set is curated, consistent in level, and shipped with parameters at noon. It teaches you what a good capture sounds like on this pedal before you judge a stranger's.
- 07App
start with Neural DSP's own profile, not the open cloud
- Open the Search screen and browse Neural DSP's own Cortex Cloud profile.
- Sort by popularity, then filter by instrument and gain range.
Nano Cortex firmware updates · NanOS 2.2.0 release notes · Cortex Cloud search and performance updateWhy, and how you know
Over 1,393 Quad Cortex factory captures were opened up to Nano owners in November 2025, plus 669 Capture V2 captures across 41 device types. That is a large first-party library to work through before any community upload.
- 08App
check the description: is a cab included
- Look for whether the capture was taken from a mic'd cabinet or from an amp through a load box.
Why, and how you know
The answer decides whether you run the IR Loader on or off later. Get it wrong and the capture sounds boxed-in or fizzy.
Forum: amp + cab captures · MusicRadar reviewUploaders don't always say. If the description doesn't, settle it by ear at step 12.
- 09App
audition before you spend a slot
- Use one-tap capture auditioning in the app.
NanOS 2.2.0 release notesWhy, and how you know
Added in NanOS 2.2.0, it is the biggest quality-of-life change to this workflow. Audition first and no bank fills up with unusable downloads.
Phase 3
Every captureget it onto the pedal
The Bluetooth transfer is the least reliable step. Where you put the capture matters, because you scroll captures by foot and only four presets are foot-reachable.
How to get hereTap the download button on any capture. This picker opens before the download starts.
1. five banks of five · 25 slots
These are the only capture slots your feet can reach. Press BANK on the pedal to move between banks, and turn Footswitch I to scroll captures within one. Choose the slot on purpose here.
2. a filled slot gets overwritten
Slots already holding a capture are shown filled. Dropping a new one on top replaces it, with no undo. Take the cloud backup on the Devices screen before you start.
3. the User Library has no footswitch access
A capture sent here is stored without using one of your 25 slots, but you cannot select it with a footswitch. The library is unlimited. Use it for auditioning and the banks for the sounds you play.
- 10App
choose the destination on purpose
- Tap the download button next to the capture. The app then offers to assign it directly to a bank and slot.
- Pick a slot in one of the five banks of five, or send it to the User Library.
Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0 · Creating Neural Captures on Nano CortexWhy, and how you know
Assigning to an occupied slot replaces what is already there, so pick deliberately. The User Library is the position where all five capture indicators light at once. Use it for anything you're trying out. Keep bank slots for captures you reach for, because those are the ones you scroll to with Footswitch I mid-session.
- 11App
download, and leave the phone alone
- Make sure the Nano Cortex is the selected device on the app's Devices screen.
- Use the Search screen to find the capture, then tap its download button.
- Don't lock the phone, background the app, or disable Bluetooth until it completes.
Why, and how you know
You need internet at download time but never again—once a capture is on the pedal it plays with no phone and no signal.
watch outUsing the Cortex Cloud app with Nano Cortex · Forum: Bluetooth disconnection during recording · Updating your Nano CortexA Bluetooth disconnect mid-transfer usually needs a power cycle. If it fails, power-cycle the pedal and start the transfer again. Don't retry into a half-open connection.
Phase 4
Every capturemake it playable
A fresh download sits at a stranger's level with no cab decision made. Three minutes here is the difference between “this sounds bad” and “this sounds great”.
1. turn Footswitch I for captures
The footswitches are rotary encoders. Turn the left one to scroll captures within the current bank. No marking on the pedal shows that they turn.
2. press BANK for the five banks of five
BANK moves between the five capture banks. It does NOT change presets, so don't reach for it mid-song.
3. turn Footswitch II for IR slots
The right encoder cycles the cabinet IR slots. Each position lights one dot in the IR row.
4. keep turning past the last one
Past the final IR there is a position where NO dots are lit. That is cab simulation bypassed, and the dark row is the only sign of it. Use it whenever you're going into a real guitar amp and cab.
1. press SAVE once, without holding
A short press arms the save. The destination indicators start blinking: pick where to put it. Holding at this point saves over whatever slot was already selected.
2. now choose the slot
While the indicators blink, pick your destination. This is the only moment the choice is offered. There is no confirmation screen, because there is no screen.
3. hold SAVE until the blinking stops
When the blinking stops, the save is confirmed. Watch the dots instead of counting seconds. It is the only signal the pedal gives, and it is more reliable than the published durations.
4. two seconds or three: sources disagree
Neural's manual says press-and-hold for 2 seconds, and their own presets guide says 3. So the instruction above is “hold until the blinking stops”, not a number.
- 12Pedal
load it, then settle the cab question first
- Turn Footswitch I until the new capture is selected.
- Turn Footswitch II to cycle the IR slots. Turn past the last one, where no indicators are lit, to bypass the cab simulation.
Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0 · Forum: amp + cab captures · Forum: turn off cab simWhy, and how you know
If it sounds bad with the IR off, the capture probably has no cab in it: turn the IR on. If it sounds bad with the IR on, it probably already includes one: leave the IR off. Settle this before judging anything else.
- 13Pedal
level-match it against a capture you already trust
- Hold CAPTURE for two seconds to open the volume view.
- Set per-capture level with the LEVEL knob—the range is −24 dB to +12 dB.
- A/B against a factory capture and match by ear, at playing volume.
Why, and how you know
The LEVEL knob on top is a global master. This view is the only place per-capture level lives.
Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0 · Forum: volume levels not saving between presetsMatch by ear, not by meter. Perceived loudness tracks spectral density, so a clean and a high-gain capture can measure identically and sound nothing alike.
- 14Pedal
set GAIN, then the tone controls last
- Set GAIN for how hard you're driving the capture—down cleans most captures up.
- Adjust BASS, MID and TREBLE only after the cab and level are right.
Forum: clarification on the capture tone/EQ block · Forum: lush clean presets · MusicRadar reviewWhy, and how you know
GAIN sets how hard you drive the capture, not the captured amp's own gain. The tone controls are a generic layer after the capture, so they come last.
Phase 5
Every capturekeep it
A capture is not a preset. Scroll away before saving and everything you set is gone.
How to get hereOpen your preset list, then tap the button to the right of any preset.
1. the button to the right of any preset
This opens the contextual menu, and it is the only route to everything below. Nothing on the pedal itself will rename or reassign a preset.
2. tap Rename Preset first
Four foot-presets called “Preset 2” are no use on a dark stage. Name them for the song or the sound while you remember what you built.
3. tap Assign to Footswitch
This puts a preset under your foot. Only four are reachable that way at once, so choose them carefully.
4. tap Delete Preset with care
It is in the same menu. Take a cloud backup before you use it.
- 15Pedal
save a preset around it
- Press SAVE—the destination indicators start blinking.
- Choose the slot you want.
- Hold SAVE until the indicators stop blinking. Neural DSP's manual says two seconds for a preset and their presets guide says three, so watch the indicators instead of counting.
Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0 · Creating and managing presetsWhy, and how you know
The SAVE ring blinks slowly whenever you have unsaved changes. If it's blinking, you haven't saved. Only four presets are foot-reachable: IA, IB, IIA and IIB.
- 16App
name it, so you can find it later
- Tap the button to the right of any preset to open its contextual menu.
- Choose Rename Preset. The same menu is where you delete a preset or assign it to a footswitch.
Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0 · NanOS 2.2.0 release notesWhy, and how you know
The pedal has no screen, so names exist only in the app. Program Change numbers belong to the slot, not the preset: slot 1 is PC 0, slot 64 is PC 63, and reordering doesn't move them.
- 17App
back up when you've got a set you like
- Save a cloud backup once your four foot-presets are settled.
NanOS 2.2.0 release notesWhy, and how you know
You get five slots. Take a backup before every gig and every firmware update.
When it goes wrong
8every way this goes wrong
Find the symptom and apply the fix. Most of these come from an unclear workflow, not a broken pedal.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The download stalls or the app loses the pedal | Bluetooth dropped mid-transfer. It's the least reliable part of the chain. | Power-cycle the pedal, reopen the app, and start the transfer again from the beginning. Don't resume into a half-open connection.Forum: Bluetooth disconnection during recording · Forum: pairing problems |
| The pedal never appears in the app | It isn't in pairing mode, or on Android the app lacks Location permission. | Hold EXIT + CAPTURE for one second and look for the GAIN ring sweeping. On Android, grant Location—BLE scanning needs it.Bluetooth pairing guide · Forum: pairing problems |
| The new capture sounds boxed-in and muffled | It already contains a mic'd cabinet and the IR Loader is stacking a second speaker on top. | Turn Footswitch II past the last IR slot until no indicators are lit.Forum: amp + cab captures · Forum: turn off cab sim |
| The new capture sounds thin, raspy and fizzy | It's an amp-only capture with no speaker, and the IR Loader is bypassed. | Turn Footswitch II to select a cab. Then high-cut around 8–10 kHz and low-cut around 80 Hz.Forum: amp + cab captures · Forum: lush clean presets |
| It's much louder or quieter than everything else | Cloud captures are gain-staged by whoever uploaded them. Cortex Cloud doesn't normalize them. | Hold CAPTURE for two seconds and set per-capture level, −24 to +12 dB, by ear against a factory capture.Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0 · Forum: volume levels not saving between presets |
| Everything I set disappeared when I scrolled away | You never saved a preset. A capture is an ingredient, not a saved sound. | Press SAVE, pick a slot, hold SAVE for three seconds. If the SAVE ring is blinking slowly, you have unsaved changes.Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0 · Creating and managing presets |
| I can't find the capture I downloaded | It went to a bank slot or the User Library and you're scrolling the wrong one. | Press BANK to change bank, then turn Footswitch I. The User Library is the position where all five capture indicators light at once.Nano Cortex User Manual 2.2.0 · Creating Neural Captures on Nano Cortex |
| A capture I want won't load at all | Cortex Cloud “cab captures” are not IRs and don't go in the IR slot—they occupy the capture slot. Quad Cortex presets never load on this pedal. | Check what you're downloading. Captures transfer freely between Quad Cortex and Nano Cortex, but presets do not.Nano Cortex FAQ · Forum: amp + cab captures |
- measured
- Read off the hardware by us, not taken from a document.
- official
- From the manufacturer's manual, FAQ, guides or release notes.
- retail spec
- From an authorized dealer's published specification.
- review
- Observed and published by a professional reviewer.
- community
- Reported by owners and used to corroborate, not as a primary spec.
- our reading
- Our interpretation, not something the manufacturer states.
- unverified
- We could not confirm this, or sources disagree.