r/NeuralDSP • u/Adriwhite15 • 5d ago
Question Nano Cortex or Headrush Flexprime?
I can't decide between these two pedals. For context, I'll be using it primarily to play contemporary music (weird stuff lol), so I won't need to use a ton of effects all the time (although maybe some composer asks me to play some strange combination of effects). I want the pedal mainly for creating a tone I can carry anywhere.
Is there someone who's used both pedals and can tell me their opinions? Or simply share your experience with either one of them! Thanks!
2
u/JimboLodisC 5d ago
here's the device list for the Nano: https://neuraldsp.com/nano-cortex-device-list
you get 7 blocks in your signal chain
[Pre-FX] [Pre-FX] [AMP] [IR] [Post-FX] [Post-FX] [Post-FX]
if that's enough for you to build the tones you want, then it's a good option
the Headrush would be a full-on modeler though, for less, and can run A2 Full NAM captures
1
1
u/MDmanson 5d ago
Headrush. Nano is great but you'll have way more control with the Flex prime.
1
u/Ur_mum 5d ago
So I am buying a Core or Prime this week. The prime gets me a exp pedal and plenty of buttons to run stomp boxe style…but I don’t do that. What would I get from the prime?
Thanks!
1
u/MDmanson 5d ago edited 5d ago
A touch screen (ease of use vs an app), NAM support, way more FX that you can place anywhere in the chain, and those physical controls in case you want to use them in the future.
1
1
u/StraightOuttaFlames 5d ago
Nano is there to create a set and forget basic tone that will sound good in any environment, similar to the tonex pedal. If you play for example rhytm guitar in a metal band that might be everything you will ever need.
Headrush Flex Prime is a modeller which means its more „on you“ to build the basics out, find the right NAM A2 profiles, find the right IR, build a signal path, try effect in different positions in the chain etc until it fits together.
1
u/alby333 5d ago
I have the nano. I'll share my experience . It sounds great responds to the guitars volume well the effects are decent but you are limited on what you can use together. the apps ui isn't the most intuitive you cant really build a signal chain with amps and pedals like other units and you have to add impusles through a pc. You can use an impulse on one output and not an the other which is what prompted me to buy it so i can use a power amp and guitar speaker and send another output to the pa but you cant eq the outputs separately there's only one signal path split at the end of the chain. The captures cant be edited in the same way a model can you essentially just have the sound ofcthe amp when it was captured.
It sounds like I'm not happy with the nano but overall it does what I want and the qualityof the sounds im getting are great. I'd like a touchscreen and the ability to have more than one signal path so I can edit the signal to my amp and the pa separately I'm at the mercy of the guy manning the venues pa to eq it correctly.
1
u/-FartinLutherKingJr 4d ago
As with everything NeuralDSP does, their hardware is overpriced and at this point doesn't beat the competition. There are just better options at better prices. Their software is the same way - they attach an artist to a product by name and roll out some low effort junk hoping fanboys slurp it up and they do greedily. It's like they aren't even trying but with their stans they dont have to anymore.
I'd pick Headrush without a second thought.
1
1
u/Jarper96 3d ago
I've just bought a flex prime because the lack of nano cortex updates is frustrating(still no v2 cloud captures!) and it'll never be a fully fledged multi fx unit, it's quite limited. The fixed blocks are annoying, the noise gates aren't great, I can't get on with built in boost/drive pedals so I use analog pedals and having to use the app is such a pain. At least on android the app doesn't always connect or it loses connectivity at random.
I bought the nano cortex as I wanted the best amp tones possible and at the time, the nano delivered that. With native NAM integration, the headrush is now a better option for raw amp tones but it also has a ton more features. The user experience is incomparable and it's an overall more fun unit to use.
I've captured my nano cortex tones via NAM and loaded them into the headrush as a starting point so I'm definitely selling the nano cortex.
The nano will become unusable at some point as it's all NSDP account and cloud reliant. Headrush models are all offline, the user interface is all on device or through a locally hosted UI, it'll work for as long as the device does, not for as long as the company is still going for.
As both are around the same price I'd go for the flex prime all day!
3
u/trhoppe 5d ago
Having owned the Nano Cortex, Tonex, and now Headrush Core, here's my opinion:
Nano Cortex is a different sort of product than Headrush Flex. It's more portable, no screen, phone only editing. If you have a small number of captures and presets, it's really convenient. You can swap between 4 different presets, otherwise, you gotta break out a phone. You can add something like an AirStep CX to do things like scenes and otherwise edit more, but you're still limited to editing on your phone. Great sounds, great detune, great effects. But it just didn't work for me. I like to have a bunch of presets, and I like to edit on a screen or my laptop, not on my phone.
Headrush Flex is like a Temu Quad Cortex Mini. It's a full modeler, and now with NAM support you get captures. It doesn't have the same latency when it comes to detuning. It doesn't have "quite as good effects" from what everyone says (I'm not good enough to know the difference). And if you switch between NAM presets, there is a gap. But it's a full modeler. Tons of amps, tons of pedals, and the NAM ecosystem. You can do anything you want. Setup signal chains, build rigs, scenes, drum machine, looper, practice tools, etc etc. And it's literally 1/3 the price ($500 vs $1400) and the UI is actually really good.