NAM A2 Native — Any Amp You Want
ANY AMPYOU WANT.NAM A2 NATIVE
Load real Neural Amp Modeler captures straight onto your NUX pedal. No conversion. No proprietary re-encoding. The same open file the community trains — running on your board.
NUX hardware runs NAM A2-Lite natively: the embedded-optimised size packed inside every A2 file.
The basics
What is NAM?
Neural Amp Modeler is an open-source way of capturing gear. Instead of writing equations that describe a circuit, you record what a real amp actually does to a signal — and a neural network learns the relationship between what went in and what came out.
The result is a .nam file: a model of that amp, at that setting, with its harmonic content, dynamics and response under your hands intact. It can capture amps, cabs, full rigs, drive pedals and outboard gear.
Because NAM is open source, a .nam file isn’t locked to any brand. It behaves the way an IR or a MIDI file does — make it once, play it anywhere NAM is supported. TONE3000 hosts a library of them, free to download.
The difference
What “native” means
There are two ways to get a NAM capture running on a guitar pedal. They are not the same thing, and the distinction is worth understanding before you buy anything — from us or from anyone else.
Converted. The device reads the .nam file, re-encodes it into the manufacturer’s own internal format, and plays that re-encoding. What you hear is an approximation of the original model. How close it lands depends entirely on how good the conversion is.
Native. The device runs the NAM model itself. Nothing is re-encoded. What you hear is the model — the same one the plugin on your computer would run.
Native was historically impractical on affordable pedal hardware, because the original NAM architecture was designed for computers. A2 changed that. NUX MG hardware now runs the native path.
Architecture 2
What changed with A2
A2 is the second generation of Neural Amp Modeler, built by TONE3000 in partnership with Steve Atkinson, NAM’s creator. It was rebuilt from the ground up with two goals: raise accuracy, and cut the processing cost enough that NAM could finally run on the small chips inside mass-market hardware.
Every A2 file carries two sizes in one download. A2-Full is the maximum-accuracy version for DAWs and devices with processing headroom. A2-Lite is the same model run at a smaller size, designed for processing-constrained hardware like multi-effects pedals. The device picks whichever fits its budget — and A2-Lite is what makes native NAM on commercial pedal hardware possible at all.
Figures published by TONE3000 from tests run in March 2026. In their blind listening test A2-Lite scored above the commercial modelers they benchmarked against, including Neural DSP, IK Multimedia ToneX and Line 6 Proxy. Their test code and raw ratings data are open source — read the full A2 guide.
Two engines, your call
Deep Image and NAM A2
Your NUX doesn’t make you pick a side. Deep Image is our own profiling technology; NAM A2 is the open community standard. Both live in the AMP block, and you choose per preset.
They are built for different jobs, and the honest difference comes down to one thing: Deep Image captures multiple layers, NAM captures one state. A Deep Image profile consolidates several layers of simulation into a single amp profile, so the gain structure stays responsive after the capture. A NAM model learns your gear exactly as it was set on the day you recorded it — extraordinarily faithful to that setting, but that setting is what you get.
| NUX Deep Image | NAM A2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | NUX proprietary black-box profiling | Open source, trained by a global community |
| Where tones come from | Capture your own gear with the NUX IMAGE app, plus NUX factory profiles | Tens of thousands of free captures on TONE3000, or train your own |
| After capture | Multi-layer — gain structure stays responsive | A snapshot of one setting; tone controls sit around it, not inside it |
| What it can capture | Amps, preamps, overdrive and distortion pedals | Amps, cabs, full rigs, pedals and outboard gear |
| Cabinet | Pair it with the IR block | Usually baked in — the IR block steps aside |
| Portability | Runs on NUX hardware | Open format — plays anywhere NAM is supported |
Most players end up using both: Deep Image for the amps they own and want to keep tweaking, NAM for the ones they’ll never get their hands on.
For the record
Three technologies, not two
NUX amp tone comes from three separate engines. They get mixed up constantly, so here is the short version of what each one actually is.
Supported now
Runs NAM A2 Native today
All you need is a firmware update. Grab it from the product’s support section, and your AMP block gains NAM slots.
Firmware downloads:MG-300 MKIIMG-400MG-30MG-50Li
Get started
Four steps to your first NAM tone
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Update your firmware
Head to your model’s support section and download the latest firmware for macOS or Windows. Back up your presets first — a firmware upgrade resets user settings.
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Install the matching editor
GEN2 firmware only works with the GEN2 QuickTone editor, so update both together. The editor is on the same support page as the firmware, and it’s what you’ll use to move NAM files onto the device.
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Find your tones on TONE3000
TONE3000 hosts the community library — amps, cabs, rigs, pedals and outboard gear, free to download. Filter for A2 captures, or capture your own gear if you’d rather model something you already own.
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Load a slot and play
Drop the .nam file into one of your NAM slots in the editor, select it in the AMP block, and set your Gain, Bass, Mid, Treble and Master around it. That’s the whole workflow.
Questions
Good to know
Do I have to pay for NAM tones?
No. The TONE3000 library is free to browse and download, and NAM itself is open source under an MIT licence. You can also train your own captures at no cost.
My IR block switched itself off. Is something broken?
That’s expected behaviour, not a fault. When NAM is enabled the IR block is automatically disabled by default, because a NAM capture usually already includes the cabinet simulation. Running both would stack two cabs. If your capture is an amp head only, you can turn the IR block back on.
What happens to my older A1 files?
A2 is a new architecture rather than a drop-in update, so A1 and A2 are handled differently. The MG-400 GEN2 firmware, for example, lists support for .nam files as both A2-Lite Native and A1 Converted models. Check your specific model’s firmware notes for exactly what it accepts.
A2-Full or A2-Lite — do I need to pick?
No. A single A2 download contains both sizes, and the device or application loads whichever suits its processing budget. On NUX pedal hardware that’s A2-Lite. You don’t download anything different.
Does NAM replace Deep Image?
Not at all. Both engines stay available in the AMP block and you choose per preset. See the comparison above for where each one is the better tool.
Can I capture my own amp?
Yes, and it’s the reason a lot of people get into this. You record your amp’s dry input and wet output, then train a model from that recording. TONE3000 walks you through it. You can also capture with the NUX IMAGE app if you’d rather make a Deep Image profile.
Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) is open-source software created by Steve Atkinson. TONE3000 is an independent platform and is not affiliated with NUX or Cherub Technology. All brand and model names mentioned on this page are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with NUX Effects and Cherub Technology Co., Ltd.