Last updated: August 31, 2026. StompStation PRO specs below come from Sonulab's own product page and firmware notes; all sources are listed at the end.
The native-NAM pedal category has gone boutique and international. From Treviso, Italy, Sonulab's StompStation PRO is a €479 stainless-steel capture player that runs Neural Amp Modeler A2-Full with no conversion, stacks two captures per preset, processes everything in stereo, and — as of this summer — syncs directly with TONE3000 from its companion app. That last part makes it the fifth product in this series to plug into the same open library the Stratus is built on. The two pedals agree on the format and the philosophy; they disagree about what to do with the rest of the box. Sonulab spent its budget on stereo audio quality; we spent ours on an effects chain, a looper, and an AI that writes new effects. Here's the honest breakdown.
The short version
- StompStation PRO is the audiophile's native-NAM player. A2-Full at native quality, two NAMs per preset, a stereo IR loader with independent left/right processing, stereo effects, 192 kHz/32-bit converters with 117 dB dynamic range, MIDI in and out/thru, a USB-C audio interface, a color display, and a stainless-steel shell at 600 grams. Serious hardware from a small team that ships firmware constantly.
- Stratus is the same library with the whole rig attached. NAM A2-Lite amps, 19 effects free in any order, a 5-minute looper, 128 presets with 14 hands-free, full USB-MIDI — in 11.6 ounces for $299, or roughly €200 less.
- Same app-to-pedal idea, different AI. Both let you browse TONE3000 wirelessly and push captures to the pedal. Only Stratus adds an AI FX Builder that generates brand-new effects from a description.
Side by side
| Chaos Audio Stratus | Sonulab StompStation PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299 | €479 (list €579; pre-order €439) |
| What it is | Multi-effects + NAM amp modeler with a generative AI effects builder | Native-NAM stereo capture player with a curated effects section |
| NAM support | Native NAM A2-Lite | Native NAM A1 and A2-Full, no conversion; up to 2 NAMs per preset; 60 amp slots |
| TONE3000 access | In-app: 500,000+ free captures and IRs | Sync from the VoidX-Control app straight to the pedal |
| Audio engine | 1 GHz processor on embedded Linux, ~5 ms latency | 32-bit/192 kHz converters, 117 dB dynamic range |
| IRs | NAM IRs from TONE3000 (mono) | Stereo IR loader, independent left/right |
| Effects | 19 free in any order; premium from $14.90; unlimited AI-built | Stereo modulation, delay, reverb (plate, spring), compressor, EQ, wah, dual-voice pitch, gate |
| Generative AI | AI FX Builder writes new FAUST DSP effects; 30 free builds/month | None |
| Looper | 5 minutes, unlimited overdubs | None |
| Control | Bluetooth app; 2 footswitches; 14 hands-free presets, 128 stored | Color display; 3 footswitches (banks, tuner, tap); dedicated knobs; wireless + desktop app |
| Preset switching | Standard | Gapless A2 preset changes (firmware 1.5.12) |
| MIDI | Full USB-MIDI map (host adapter required) | TRS Type-A MIDI in and out/thru; full PC/CC |
| Audio I/O | Mono 1/4" in/out | Two 1 MΩ inputs; stereo 1/4" outs; headphones; USB-C audio interface |
| Power | 9V DC 400 mA+ or USB-C | 9V DC 1 A or USB-C 5V 1 A |
| Build & weight | Aircraft-grade aluminum, 11.6 oz | AISI 304 stainless steel, 600 g (1.3 lb) |
| Best for | Replacing a board: chain + amps + looper + AI | A stereo, studio-grade NAM engine anchoring a board or a recording rig |
What Sonulab built
The StompStation PRO reads like a wishlist from the NAM forums: full-quality A2 with no conversion, two captures stacked (amp plus pedal, or amp plus amp), stereo everything, and converters that outspec most audio interfaces. The firmware cadence is impressive too — A2-Full arrived in 1.4.0, a plate reverb and MIDI-controllable wah and EQ in 1.4.2, and 1.5.12 added a dual-voice pitch engine, 60 amp slots, and gapless A2 preset changes. The VoidX-Control app runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, handles firmware in one click, and now pulls from TONE3000 directly. Stainless steel, 600 grams, made in Italy. For players who want a native capture engine with stereo out to a mixer or interface, it's a strong, serious box.
What Stratus built
We started from the same open format — NAM Architecture 2, whose published testing (39 tones measured, 1,000+ blind-test participants, open-source data) is the reason serious makers keep adopting it — and built outward instead of upward. Stratus runs A2-Lite, the variant designed for compact hardware, which leaves room for a full free-order effects chain (19 included, more from the store and free from Chaos Cloud), a 5-minute looper with unlimited overdubs, 128 presets with 14 hands-free, and a full USB-MIDI map. Then the part no capture player has: the AI FX Builder, which writes new effects as FAUST DSP code from a description — compilation checks, automated code review, audio testing (~95% of builds deliver), 30 free builds monthly, source visible in Advanced Mode, free VST/AU versions for the DAW, and a Tone Shop where third-party developers keep 75%. It's mono by design, and it costs $299.
Stereo vs chain
This is the crux. If your rig ends at a stereo interface or two powered speakers, the StompStation PRO's independent left/right IRs and stereo effects are a real advantage the Stratus doesn't offer — our signal path is mono by design, because most guitar rigs end at one amp. If your rig is a pedalboard into an amp and you want the amp modeling, the effects, and the looper in one slot, the Stratus is the more complete pedal. Neither company is wrong; they're building for different signal chains.
On stage
Sonulab gives you three footswitches with banks, a color display, tap tempo, a tuner, gapless A2 changes, and MIDI in and thru for a controller-driven rig. Stratus gives you 14 presets hands-free from color-coded footswitch pairs, 128 stored, and per-effect bypass plus looper transport over USB-MIDI. We've built custom Stratus algorithms for players like ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons; the pedal's brief has always been to disappear into a rig. Both weigh about the same as a good overdrive.
Cost of ownership
StompStation PRO: €479 in stock (€439 on pre-order), effects and factory presets from ChopTones and others included, free firmware that keeps adding real features, and TONE3000 for captures. Stratus: $299 in, 19 effects free, premium from $14.90 (22-effect bundle $99), half a million free captures, 30 free AI builds monthly. The roughly €200 gap buys A2-Full, stereo, and 192 kHz converters. Keeping it buys the looper, the chain, and the AI.
Which should you buy?
Buy the StompStation PRO if: you want a native A2-Full capture engine in stereo, feeding an interface or a pair of speakers, with converters that flatter every capture and a firmware team that ships monthly. It's the boutique answer, and a good one.
Buy the Stratus if: you want the same open library in a mono pedal that also carries the effects, the looper, and the only AI in hardware that invents effects on request — for $299. That's the pedal we built.
Sources
- Sonulab — StompStation PRO product page & firmware notes (price, specs, I/O, TONE3000 sync, firmware history)
- Effects Database — StompStation PRO (converter and format detail)
- TONE3000 — NAM Architecture 2 (A2) (test methodology and results; code and data are open source)
- Chaos Audio — Stratus product page (Stratus specs and pricing)
Want the open library plus the chain and the looper? The Stratus is $299 with free US shipping — and your first 30 AI builds are on us every month.
