From Helsinki, Neural DSP has released what it calls the largest software update in its history — CorOS 4.1.0 — quietly dissolving the boundary that once separated its plugin software world from its Quad Cortex hardware ecosystem. The update arrives not as a single dramatic gesture but as a convergence: five more Archetype plugins now speak the same language as the hardware, a new Device Presets system changes how musicians build and recall sounds, and eight new virtual instruments expand the palette available to every Quad Cortex owner. It is the kind of update that doesn't just add features
Neural DSP Launches CorOS 4.1.0 With Full Plugin Compatibility and Device Presets
Device Presets fundamentally changes how quickly musicians can build sounds
Mark
So this is a software update for a piece of hardware. Why does that matter to someone who isn't already deep in the gear world?
Mimi
Because it changes how fast you can work. Imagine you've spent hours dialing in a guitar tone you love. Before this, you'd have to save the entire rig to use that tone again. Now you save just that one sound and drop it into any other rig instantly.
Mark
That sounds convenient, but is it really a big deal?
Mimi
It is when you're on stage or in the studio and you need to move between songs that need different sounds. You're not rebuilding from scratch anymore. You're assembling from pieces you've already perfected.
Mark
And the plugin compatibility thing—what's that about?
Mimi
Neural DSP sells guitar and bass amp simulations as software plugins. They've been adding those to their hardware device, but only some of them worked. Now all of them do. So if you own the software, you can use it on the hardware too.
Mark
So you're paying for the plugin and then you get it twice?
Mimi
Essentially, yes. But more importantly, you can use them together. You can layer a plugin amp with a hardware effect, or vice versa. It breaks down the wall between software and hardware.
Mark
Does this cost extra?
Mimi
The update itself is free. But you'd need to own the hardware and the plugins separately to take full advantage of it.
Der Puls
- Neural DSP's plugin and hardware ecosystems have long existed in parallel — CorOS 4.1.0 collapses that divide by making every X-updated Archetype plugin fully compatible with Quad Cortex hardware.
- Musicians previously had to rebuild favorite tones from scratch or load entire rigs just to access a single sound — Device Presets now let players save and recall individual blocks instantly across any preset.
- Over 2,000 factory Device Presets ship with the update, giving players an immediate library to draw from while they build their own collections.
- Eight new Virtual Devices — including a granular delay, ring modulator, and a Darkglass-inspired compressor — expand the creative toolkit available to all Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini owners.
- Cortex Control's new Multiple Device Management feature allows professional musicians to connect and control several hardware units simultaneously from one computer, opening new possibilities for complex live and studio setups.
From Helsinki, Neural DSP has released what it calls the largest software update in its history — CorOS 4.1.0 — quietly dissolving the boundary that once separated its plugin software world from its Quad Cortex hardware ecosystem. The update arrives not as a single dramatic gesture but as a convergence: five more Archetype plugins now speak the same language as the hardware, a new Device Presets system changes how musicians build and recall sounds, and eight new virtual instruments expand the palette available to every Quad Cortex owner. It is the kind of update that doesn't just add features — it reframes what the instrument is.
Neural DSP announced CorOS 4.1.0 on August 26, 2026 — a release the Helsinki-based company describes as the largest in its history. The update extends plugin compatibility to five additional Archetype plugins: John Mayer, Petrucci, Misha Mansoor, Rabea, and Tim Henson. With these additions, every X-updated plugin in Neural DSP's lineup now runs on both the Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini, unlocking more than 70 additional amps, cabinets, and effects that can be layered with native tools and Neural Captures.
The update's centerpiece is Device Presets — a fundamentally different approach to saving sounds. Where musicians previously saved entire signal chains, they can now save the settings of a single block — an amp, a reverb, a drive pedal — and recall it instantly across any preset. Neural DSP ships the update with more than 2,000 factory Device Presets ready to use. The workflow shift is meaningful: assembling a rig becomes a matter of mixing and matching saved configurations rather than rebuilding tones from scratch.
Eight new Virtual Devices arrive for all Quad Cortex owners, including a Multivoicer harmonizer, Glitch granular delay, Ring Modulator, Crystal Delay, Vintage Digital Reverb, and the Douglas Shining Comp — a compressor modeled on Darkglass Electronics' Hyper Luminal. Additional refinements include Dual Footswitch Assignments, redesigned Favorites and Recent menus, improved USB audio stability, and Device Preset support extended to I/O Settings and Global EQ.
Cortex Control, the companion desktop software, also updates to 4.1.0. Its headline addition is Multiple Device Management — the ability to connect and control several Quad Cortex units simultaneously from one computer, switching between them without unplugging cables. Co-founder and CEO Douglas Castro called the release the company's biggest yet, noting that it "fundamentally changes how quickly musicians can build sounds, move between devices, and bring our entire plugin ecosystem into their hardware workflow."
Neural DSP announced CorOS 4.1.0 on August 26, 2026, from its Helsinki headquarters—a software update the company describes as the largest in its history. The release brings plugin compatibility to five additional Archetype plugins: John Mayer, Petrucci, Misha Mansoor, Rabea, and Tim Henson. With these additions, every X-updated plugin in Neural DSP's lineup now works on both the Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini hardware units. The practical result is access to more than 70 additional amps, cabinets, and effects that can be layered together with the native tools already built into the devices and with Neural Captures—the company's impulse response technology.
The centerpiece of this update, though, is Device Presets. Until now, users could save entire rigs—complete signal chains from input to output. Device Presets work differently. A musician can now save the settings of a single block—an amp, a cabinet, a drive pedal, a reverb, or any other processing unit—and recall it instantly across any preset. Neural DSP is shipping the update with more than 2,000 factory Device Presets ready to use, and musicians can build and organize their own. The workflow implication is significant: instead of rebuilding a favorite tone from scratch each time, or loading an entire rig just to grab one sound, a player can now assemble presets by mixing and matching saved device configurations.
Eight new Virtual Devices ship with the update, available to all Quad Cortex and Quad Cortex mini owners. The additions include a Multivoicer harmonizer, Glitch granular delay, Ring Modulator, Arpeggio Delay, Crystal Delay, Vintage Digital Reverb, a compressor called the Douglas Shining Comp (based on Darkglass Electronics' Hyper Luminal compressor), and a Plugin Parametric-4 EQ. The compressor is particularly notable because it brings a well-known studio tool into the hardware ecosystem.
Beyond the marquee features, CorOS 4.1.0 introduces Dual Footswitch Assignments, which lets supported devices assign secondary functions independently from bypass control—expanding what a player can do in Stomp Mode without adding hardware. The Favorites and Recent menus have been redesigned for faster navigation. Device Presets now extend to I/O Settings and Global EQ, so a musician can save and recall those configurations too. John Petrucci presets have been reorganized by scene and include new custom Grid layouts. USB audio stability has been improved when using either Quad Cortex model as an audio interface.
Cortex Control, the companion software for managing Quad Cortex hardware from a computer, also receives a 4.1.0 update. The most significant addition is Multiple Device Management, which allows a musician to connect and control multiple Quad Cortex or Quad Cortex mini units simultaneously from a single computer. Users can switch between connected devices without unplugging cables, assign custom names to each unit, and move seamlessly between hardware setups. Cortex Control 4.1.0 also adds full support for managing Device Presets, I/O Settings Presets, and Global EQ Presets directly from the software.
Francisco Cresp, Neural DSP's Chief Product Officer and co-founder, framed the update as a watershed moment for the Quad Cortex ecosystem. "With Plugin Compatibility now spanning every X-updated plugin in our lineup, alongside powerful new workflows like Device Presets, we're giving musicians even more freedom to create, experiment, and move between software and hardware without compromise," he said. Douglas Castro, the company's CEO and co-founder, echoed the sentiment: "This update is our biggest yet, not only because of the amount of new functionality we've added, but because it fundamentally changes how quickly musicians can build sounds, move between devices, and bring our entire plugin ecosystem into their hardware workflow."
The release represents a consolidation of Neural DSP's plugin ecosystem into its hardware platform. For years, the company has sold Archetype plugins—software emulations of guitar and bass rigs—separately from its Quad Cortex hardware. CorOS 4.1.0 erases that boundary. A musician who owns both the software and the hardware can now use the same sounds in both places, or combine them in a single rig. The Device Presets system makes that workflow practical at scale.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
With Plugin Compatibility now spanning every X-updated plugin in our lineup, alongside powerful new workflows like Device Presets, we're giving musicians even more freedom to create, experiment, and move between software and hardware without compromise.— Francisco Cresp, Neural DSP Chief Product Officer and co-founder
This update is our biggest yet, not only because of the amount of new functionality we've added, but because it fundamentally changes how quickly musicians can build sounds, move between devices, and bring our entire plugin ecosystem into their hardware workflow.— Douglas Castro, Neural DSP CEO and co-founder
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