After a 2024 year with many new product launches and many product updates, amp and cab capture technologies have invaded the market and have become omnipresent. Here is a short retrospective of the year 2024 as well as an overview of the latest developments in that profiling domain….

Previously…

Capture technologies have long been supported by a handful of companies like Kemper or Neural DSP, with hardware like the Kemper Profiler Amplifier or the Quad Cortex or with proprietary software solutions like Overloud’s Rig-to-Model (in the TH-U plugin via the Rig Player module, available for PC/MAC). From the end of 2022, technologies based on machine learning began to appear – such as the first versions of the NAM project (Neural Amp Modeling by Steve Atkinson) – followed by other projects of the same type (AIDA-X for PC/MAC and ModDwarf in 2023, GuitarML/Proteus in 2023). And among these solutions, we also need to mention IK Multimedia, which has become a reference in this field in the last two years with its Tonex products (software and pedal)…. Tonex was launched in August 2022 for its software version, followed by the Tonex pedal in February 2023. 2024 was also very rich in this area, with a proliferation of new hardware and software: check the short retrospective below…..

2024: many new solutions for profiling !

Kemper Player

Launched in December 2023, this small Kemper model is a simplified version of the Kemper Stage, capable of using Kemper profiles – but which does not allow you to create your own captures-. It began to be available in early 2024 (698 Euros for the basic edition, +300 Euros approximately for the two upgrades).

Genome

Launched in January 2024 by Two Notes, Genome is the successor to Wall-Of-Sound and allows you to use NAM, AIDA-X and Proteus models via a DAW plugin and a standalone application (80 Euros approximately for the basic edition). Note: Genome does not integrate capture functionalities, you will have to create your captures with the tools offered by NAM, AIDA-X or Proteus, or leverage the community models from tonehunt.org, which already hosts a pretty large number of these.

Tonex One

A miniature version of the Tonex pedal, capable of using captures -or “tone models”- from the Tonex ecosystem. The Tonex One pedal was launched in April 2024 (149 Euros). It can handle 20 presets.

Snapshot Maker and Snapshot Player

In April 2024, Audio Assault launched its Snapshot Maker and Snapshot player software (respectively 15 and 5 Euros) to create amp captures and allow them to be used. The software seems capable of generating a specific tonestack for the captured models (capture via signal analysis, without using machine learning). AA-SNAPSHOT community models are accessible via ToneHunt (a few models are already available at this stage) and Audio Assault also markets amp packs in this format.

STL Tone – Tracer

In May 2024, STL updated its ToneHub software solution with the addition of a capture feature called Tracer: users can capture an amp, a pedal or a pedal-amp-cab set. The capture process uses files to perform re-amping followed by a model construction phase using machine learning technology. Tracer offers the configuration of the tone stacks of the captured models with predefined models (Bogner, Diezel, Marshall, Mesa, etc.), similar to Liquid Profiling proposed by Kemper.

Dimehead

Made by a small German company (MKFS in Braunschweig), the DimeHead pedal is equipped with a 4-core DSP capable of running NAM models (use of one or two models simultaneously, loading IRs up to a length of 4096 points for the cab part (approximately 100 ms) and a reverb IR up to 60 seconds. It is equipped with a delay with a modulation option and a tremolo. Launched in May 2024, 595 Euros. More information on https://www.dimehead.de/

Nano Cortex

Launched in September 2024, the Nano Cortex pedal is a simplified version of the Quad Cortex (reduced number of effects and predefined module chain). The Nano Cortex allows you to make your own captures (569 Euros). More information on https://neuraldsp.com/nano-cortex

Poly Effects Ample

This small and very compact pedal provides 56 models based on the NAM technology (Neural Amp Modeler), pre-loaded on the pedal (without the possibility of loading other profiles). Simple and compact, the “Ample” is available for 425 Euros. More information on https://www.polyeffects.com/polyeffects/p/ample . Poly Effects is an Australian brand, and is distributed in Europe in particular by Thomann.

Ampero II Stage and Ampero II

Hotone added a profile capture function to two of its multi-effects in November 2024 (preceded by a beta launched in August 2024): these captures now complete the range of modeled amps available on the Ampero II. Tone Catch allows you to capture pedal, amp or amp + cab profiles directly from the multi-effects. Ampero II: 568 Euros, Ampero II Stage: 699 Euros. More information: https://www.hotone.com/

At the beginning of 2025…

And this year also began with the launch of new products or upgrades in the field of profilers :

Mooer

In January, Mooer added two new multi-effects to its already very rich range: the GS1000 and GS1000Li (lithium battery), available respectively for 449 and 499 Euros. These two new models are based on an update of the in-house capture system, named “MNRS”, which is now in version 2.0 and the capture system can now be used directly from the GS1000 hardware to create new models (MNRS 1.0 relied on an IOS application – GE LABS – to create captures).

Hotone: Ampero II Stomp

Hotone has been very active and dynamic in its updates last year and added a capture system – named “Tone Catch” – to its Ampero II Stage and Ampero II models (see above). A first firmware update at the end of the year allowed Ampero II Stomp users to use captures… which was followed by a second update at the end of January, which now also allows captures to be created directly from the Ampero II Stomp….

Conclusion

After 2024, a year with many launches and updates, 2025 is also starting very strong in the field of capture solutions ! With such a plethora of competitive offerings, we can bet that the various players in the field will continue to invest and differentiate themselves, by increasing the attractiveness of their solutions through the development of their communities, the development of their sound libraries, the creation of partnerships with brands and artists, the “sound/price” ratio of their solution, the quality and precision of the restitution, the playing sensation and the response to dynamics…. Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below to share your feelings and experiences with these systems: are you won over by these thousands of sounds that become accessible in a few clicks or do you prefer the authenticity of your tube combo ?

David

Change Log

  • Created : 03 Feb 2025
  • Updated : 04 Feb 2025, typos