I was holding out for a Neural DSP Nano Cortex saving this Black Friday – but I'll happily settle for a free plugin worth up to $149 right now

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There may not be any discounts on Neural DSP hardware right now, but you can still get yourself some extra value for money with this deal

A Neural DSP Nano Cortex amp modeler on top of a guitar cable
(Image credit: Future)

I’ve been covering the Black Friday guitar deals for many years now, and I’ve yet to see any Neural DSP hardware get a discount. Sadly it’s the same story this year, but if you really want a Neural modeler and want more bang for your buck, then this deal is for you. Simply purchase a Neural DSP Nano Cortex from any qualifying retailer and you can help yourself to a plugin of your choice.

You can grab a Nano Cortex at the following qualifying retailers, and those who buy from Sweetwater in the US will bag a free Eminence Impulse Response Sampler pack too:

This offer is only live in the Black Friday period from December 21 to November 3, and you’ll need to provide proof of your purchase in the form of a receipt in .jpg, .png, or .pdf format. Once you’ve submitted your receipt, you’ll receive your free plugin within 21 days, and you can choose absolutely any one you like. You’ll need to bear in mind that you can’t run plugins on the Nano Cortex itself, but you can use it as an audio interface to run the plugin on your laptop or computer.

If you need more information on how to claim your plugin, just head over to the Neural DSP website for a step-by-step guide.

I’ve tested the Nano Cortex personally and it’s one of the most powerful pieces of guitar hardware around right now. It’s also incredibly popular, which means there’s not much reason for Neural to discount them right now so I don’t expect one to crop up over Black Friday. If you want one though, the free plugin is a great way to get some extra value from your purchase, and you get some extra sounds for your tone locker.

Neural DSP Nano Cortex: Free plugin

Neural DSP Nano Cortex: Free plugin
The Neural DSP Nano Cortex is ideal for players who don’t want to fully commit to a floor modeler but want the convenience of amp modeling for playing live shows. It’s jam-packed with some of the most incredible captures we’ve ever heard, and you can make your own captures with it too – impressive for such a small unit. With this deal, if you buy a Nano Cortex from an approved retailer between November 21 and December 3, you can bag yourself any Neural DSP plugin completely free of charge!

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I’ve met a fair few players who’ve permanently swapped over to Neural modeling hardware, and we gave it a full five stars out of five in our Neural DSP Nano Cortex review, which tells you a lot. It’s great for players who don’t want to ditch their pedalboard, but want the convenience a modeler gets you when playing live shows.

There’s no screen like the bigger Quad Cortex has, which is admittedly a slight hurdle when you’re first getting used to it. It doesn’t take long to find your way around the pedal’s controls though, and you can use the companion app in lieu of a screen for fine-tuning settings. You can also pretty aptly control it using the knobs and buttons once you learn what everything does.

It’s also super compact, which makes it a great option for a travel or practice rig. It’s lightweight weight so you can easily chuck it into a backpack, and as well as being powered by a traditional pedalboard power supply, you can also run it off a 5V USB-C. Simply put, it’s an incredibly versatile piece of equipment.

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Matt McCracken
Matt McCracken
Junior Deals Writer

Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar Player. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at Dawsons Music and Northwest Guitars and has written for many music sites including MusicRadar, Guitar World, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog. A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live, writing, and recording in bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the UK in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at.