Stratus vs Neural DSP Nano Cortex: NAM vs Neural Capture

Updated September 18, 2026. Written by Chaos Audio, maker of Stratus. Product specifications and comparison sources are linked below.

Stratus and Nano Cortex put captures on a compact pedalboard in different ways. Stratus combines up to three native NAM A2-Lite blocks with a reorderable effects chain, a looper, and FX Builder 2.0. Nano Cortex creates Neural Captures on the hardware and offers its own capture library and connections. Start with whether you want to capture equipment you own or assemble and personalize sounds from captures.

Three NAM models, one Stratus preset. With the latest Chaos Audio app and Stratus firmware 1.0.100, Stratus runs up to three NAM A2-Lite models simultaneously in a single preset/chain, using your own uploads or TONE3000 captures. Each NAM block now uses roughly half the CPU it used before this update; other effects still share the pedal’s processing budget.

As of September 17, 2026, Stratus is the only factory-built compact pedal under US$300 we’re aware of that natively runs three NAM A2-Lite models simultaneously in one preset/chain. Its price is $299. See the latest Stratus and FX Builder 2.0 update.

The short version

• Stratus: A capture/effect chain with looping and an effect you can create for the song.
• The alternative: Nano Cortex creates Neural Captures on its hardware and combines them with its current effects, stereo outputs, headphones, and recording.
• Start with the rig: decide which sound, control, or connection you need before comparing catalog totals.

Side by side

Two capture philosophies

Nano Cortex creates Neural Captures on the device using its supported capture connections and workflow. That is relevant if you own amps or pedals you want to capture yourself. Follow Neural DSP’s setup instructions and use suitable capture/load equipment for the source; an amplifier’s speaker output must not be connected directly to an audio input.

Stratus plays every NAM capture on TONE3000 natively in A2 Lite mode. The library has 600,000+ amp and pedal captures, all retrained to A2; each A2 model includes both Lite and Full modes. You can also create your own captures with NAM/TONE3000 tools and recording equipment, then install them on Stratus. A format study is not a direct test of these complete pedals, so it should not be used to declare a hardware sound-quality winner.

Effects and the chain

Nano Cortex’s effects have expanded substantially. Neural DSP’s current product page lists 50+ effects and utilities with customizable pre- and post-effect slots. It therefore offers a broader effects workflow than its original release. Check current NanOS requirements for the particular effect or capture feature you want.

For a particular sound, describe an effect in FX Builder 2.0—for example, a delay with darker repeats and gentle movement. Audition the result, ask for a change, then install it in your Stratus chain. Pedal captures can feed an amp capture, with other effects sharing the available processing power. Once installed, your sounds run locally and can be recalled without a phone or internet connection. Hear FX Builder 2.0 examples and explore the workflow. The examples on that page are software-rendered demonstrations.

FX Builder 2.0 is now on mobile. Build effects directly in the Chaos Audio app for iOS and Android, then use them in your Stratus chain alongside NAM captures. These current app screenshots show the builder and a finished effect.

On stage and at home

Nano Cortex offers stereo outputs, headphones, MIDI/expression control, and USB audio. Those connections are useful for a rig that needs monitoring or recording in the same device.

Stratus provides 14 presets reachable from its footswitches and up to 128 through USB-MIDI, with a host needed for conventional MIDI controllers. Its five-minute looper and reorderable mono chain suit a player who already has amplification and wants several prepared sounds in one pedal.

The Quad Cortex question

Quad Cortex is a separate floorboard with its own routing, screen, and processing capabilities. This comparison concerns Nano Cortex. Stratus’s appeal here is the combination of multiple capture stages, custom effect creation, and looping—not a claim to reproduce every function of another product.

Cost of ownership

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.

Openness

Stratus uses the open NAM format, with the entire TONE3000 NAM catalog available in A2 Lite mode, and FX Builder 2.0 exposes generated effect source. Neural Captures belong to the Cortex workflow; format openness alone does not rank the sound quality or completeness of either pedal.

Which should you buy?

Choose Stratus for a repeatable mono chain built around pedal and amp captures, with a way to create an effect the chain is missing. Install it from the app and recall it on the pedal without keeping the phone connected.

Choose Nano Cortex when on-device capture creation, stereo output, or its monitoring and recording connections drive the purchase.

Sources

• Neural DSP — Nano Cortex announcement (price, dimensions, seven blocks, factory captures, IR system, capture workflow)
• Neural DSP — NanOS 2.2.0 (V2 Capture player, tremolo, summed outputs)
• Neural DSP — 1,393 captures for Nano Cortex users
• Sweetwater — Nano Cortex listing (preset/slot counts, I/O detail)
• Guitar World — Quad Cortex vs Nano Cortex (Quad Cortex specs and pricing)
• TONE3000 — NAM Architecture 2 (A2) (test methodology and results; code and data are open source)
• Chaos Audio — Stratus product page (Stratus specs and pricing)
• Chaos Audio — three NAM blocks, firmware 1.0.100, and FX Builder 2.0 on mobile

Explore Stratus, its included effects, and current availability.