In this article
Updated September 18, 2026. Written by Chaos Audio, maker of Stratus.
If you like your existing board but want to add captured pedal and amp sounds, Stratus lets you build a chain around them in one compact pedal. Up to three native NAM A2-Lite blocks can share a preset with other effects as CPU allows, and FX Builder 2.0 lets you create an effect for a particular musical idea. Flex Prime addresses a different need: bringing expression, floor editing, stereo routing, and recording into a single floorboard.
At US$299, Stratus gives a board you already use another way to develop sounds: combine pedal and amp captures, then shape an effect around the phrase you are playing. Flex Prime’s current US reference offer is $499; its built-in controls are useful when those are missing from your setup.
What changed for Stratus
With the latest Chaos Audio app and Stratus firmware 1.0.100, you can run up to three NAM A2-Lite blocks simultaneously in one preset. Each NAM block uses roughly half the CPU it used before this update; every other effect in that chain still shares the processing budget. The same release brings FX Builder 2.0 to the iOS and Android app, alongside the released web builder.
Read the full Stratus and mobile FX Builder 2.0 release notes.
Side by side
| Feature | Chaos Audio Stratus | HeadRush Flex Prime |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299; power supply sold separately | $499 US in HeadRush/inMusic’s current NAM announcement; dealer offers vary |
| NAM and amp sounds | Native NAM A2-Lite; up to three simultaneous NAM blocks with firmware 1.0.100 and the latest app; total chain CPU still applies | Native A2-Full, A2-Lite, and legacy NAM support; built-in amp models, Clones, and SuperClones |
| Effects and routing | 19 free effects covering all effect categories; reorder the chain and add custom FX Builder 2.0 effects within the CPU budget | 600+ combined amps/cabs/microphones/effects; up to 14 DSP blocks and five routing types |
| Creating effects | FX Builder 2.0 generates editable FAUST effects from a description; 30 free AI builds every month | Edit built-in algorithms; included ReValver Amp Cloner captures gear into the HeadRush ecosystem |
| Finding and loading sounds | Chaos Audio app for iOS/Android; install any of TONE3000’s 600,000+ amp and pedal NAM captures or your own supported uploads over Bluetooth | Direct TONE3000 access through HeadRush Cloud over Wi-Fi; touchscreen and remote browser editing |
| Live controls | Multiknob and footswitch; 14 directly accessible presets, up to 128 through MIDI; app editing | Four-inch touchscreen, three assignable footswitches, and built-in expression pedal with toe switch |
| Looping | Built-in five-minute looper with overdubbing | Up to five-minute loops / twenty minutes of layered audio, WAV save/import/export, MIDI sync, and drum integration |
| Audio connections | Mono 1/4-inch input and output; no headphone output, stereo audio, or effects loop | Stereo TRS outputs, stereo effects loop, headphones, and Bluetooth backing-track audio |
| Computer and MIDI | USB-MIDI; a USB host is needed with conventional MIDI controllers; USB-C is not a recording audio interface | USB recording/reamping up to 24-bit/96kHz; 1/8-inch MIDI in/out |
| Power | 9V DC, center-negative, at least 400mA; compatible USB-C power is another option | Use the included/specification-matched HeadRush supply |
| Size and weight | 5.5 × 3.125 × 2.125 inches; 11.6oz | Approximately 3.5lb (1.59kg); a floorboard rather than a single conventional stompbox |
What the extra hardware buys
Flex Prime’s screen and expression pedal suit floor editing and direct control. Its loop can integrate other pedals or a four-cable-method setup. For someone who already has preferred pedals, an amp, and an interface, Stratus instead adds capture-based sound creation while keeping that setup intact.
For practice and arranging, HeadRush’s looper can save or exchange WAV files and synchronize with MIDI and the built-in drum machine. Stratus has a five-minute looper but should not be assumed to match that export and drum-machine workflow. Read the actual functions rather than treating the shared loop-duration number as feature parity.
Both load NAM captures from TONE3000. Each A2 model contains Full and Lite modes, and all 600,000+ amp and pedal NAM captures on TONE3000 have been retrained to A2. HeadRush supports both modes; Stratus uses Lite to run up to three NAM blocks within the chain’s CPU budget. FX Builder 2.0 adds custom effect creation alongside those captured tones.
Building an effect with FX Builder 2.0
Try an effect tailored to a song: a delay with darker repeats and gentle movement, or modulation that stays subtle under the dry sound. Describe it in FX Builder 2.0, audition it, request a change, and install it alongside captures. You can use the generated controls without writing code. Hear FX Builder 2.0 examples for an idea of the results; these demonstrations are software-rendered.
Generation and installation use online services. Once an effect and preset are installed, Stratus processes your instrument locally and can play without the phone or an internet connection. A generated effect is an interpretation of a prompt; it is not a promise of an exact circuit clone or an artist’s recorded sound.
Libraries, limits, and ongoing cost
Stratus is US$299 with 19 free effects covering all effect categories, 30 free AI builds every month in FX Builder 2.0, and access to all 600,000+ amp and pedal NAM captures on TONE3000. See the product page for configuration, regional pricing, and shipping estimates.
Distinguish an amp-only capture from one that already includes a cabinet before adding an IR. All 600,000+ amp and pedal NAM captures on TONE3000 work on Stratus in A2 Lite mode. Stratus’s storage and total chain CPU limits still apply. See the linked FX Builder 2.0 page for generated-code terms.
Which fits your rig?
Choose Stratus to expand the sounds in your current rig: combine captures, shape a custom effect, and recall the finished chain without the phone connected. Choose Flex Prime when its expression pedal, touchscreen, recording, or stereo routing would replace equipment you need.
Explore Stratus · Try FX Builder 2.0
Sources and current specifications
- HeadRush Flex Prime: current features, NAM formats, routing, recording, and looper
- HeadRush/inMusic NAM and TONE3000 announcement: firmware and current US price
- TONE3000: HeadRush 5.1 rollout
- Chaos Audio Stratus specifications and current offer
- Chaos Audio September release: three NAM blocks and FX Builder 2.0 on mobile
- FX Builder 2.0: workflow, code rights, and installed effects
Comparison notes: product images are scaled for visibility, not to physical scale. This article compares published specifications and workflows; it is not a controlled listening test. Check current regional offers and shipping estimates before ordering.
