REVIEW: Archetype: Petrucci X by Neural DSP
We Review Neural DSP Archetype: Petrucci X - Capture the legendary tone of Dream Theater's John Petrucci in your DAW
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Neural DSP
Douglas Castro and Francisco Cresp founded Neural DSP Technologies in Helsinki in 2017, growing it out of Castro's earlier bass-gear venture Darkglass Electronics. The Archetype series of artist-signature amp plugins — built with players including John Petrucci, Tim Henson and John Mayer — established the brand's software side, and the Quad Cortex hardware unit followed in 2020, using quad-core processors and Neural Capture technology that Guitar World called a new "gold standard" in amp modelling. A smaller Quad Cortex Mini arrived in 2026. We follow the plugin updates and hardware reviews closely, and it's a fixture in our amp modeler roundups. Here's what we've covered.
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Founded2017
Based inHelsinki, Finland
FounderDouglas Castro and Francisco Cresp
Articles here31
Makes
- Amp modelling software
- Digital amp modellers
- Guitar plugins
Known for
- Quad Cortex
- Archetype series
- Nano Cortex
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Neural DSP FAQ4 questions
What is Neural DSP?
A Finnish audio company founded in 2017 by Douglas Castro and Francisco Cresp, headquartered in Helsinki. It started with amp-modelling plugins and is now best known for the Quad Cortex, a floor unit that models amps and effects and can capture your own rig.
What is the Quad Cortex?
Neural DSP's flagship hardware modeller — a compact floorboard with a touchscreen and four footswitches that runs the company's amp and effects models and can make Neural Capture profiles of a real amplifier. It is the product that took Neural DSP from a plugin developer to a hardware competitor to Kemper, Fractal and Line 6.
What are Neural DSP Archetype plugins?
Artist-signature plugin suites, each built around a particular player's rig — the range includes Archetype: Gojira, Archetype: Nolly, Archetype: Plini and others. Each bundles amps, cabs and effects tuned to that player's sound, and they run standalone or in a DAW.
Do you need a Quad Cortex to use Neural DSP plugins?
No. The Archetype plugins are ordinary desktop plugins and need only a computer and an audio interface. The Quad Cortex is separate hardware; some Neural plugin models can be loaded onto it via Cortex Cloud, but the two lines are bought and used independently.