Neural DSP

Founded in 2017 by Douglas Castro and Francisco Cresp, Neural DSP Technologies is a Finnish audio equipment manufacturer headquartered in Punavuori, Helsinki. Renowned for its groundbreaking innovations in guitar signal processing, the company has established itself as a leader in the field.

Neural DSP is best known for its flagship product, the Quad Cortex—a powerful guitar amp modeler—and its highly acclaimed audio plug-ins, which provide virtual amplifier and effects modeling suites for computer-based music production. These tools have set a new standard in tone creation, earning Neural DSP a reputation as a pioneer in modern audio technology.

The History of Neural DSP Technologies

In 2016, Douglas Castro, founder of the bass guitar equipment company Darkglass, and employee Francisco Cresp, both Chilean immigrants living in Helsinki, envisioned a new direction for audio processing. Initially discussing the creation of a plug-in for Darkglass, the pair decided to establish a separate company to develop a broader range of products for both bass and guitar while preserving Darkglass’ bass-focused identity. Thus, Neural DSP was born.

By late 2017, Neural DSP began assembling a team of designers. The company released its first plug-in, the Darkglass Ultra, in April 2018, followed by the Fortin Nameless in September, which became a major success. Neural DSP’s reputation soared with its Archetype series, co-developed with renowned artists like Tim Henson, Cory Wong, and Plini. This success enabled Neural to pursue its ambitious goal: creating the Quad Cortex, a cutting-edge hardware amp modeler.

To distinguish itself in a market led by companies like Fractal and Universal Audio, Neural focused on delivering an exceptional user experience alongside unmatched tone recreation. The company employed AI and machine learning to streamline the complex DSP programming process, with support from Aalto University’s DSP program. However, the development faced challenges, including high costs and delays caused by supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these hurdles, the Quad Cortex debuted at NAMM 2020 to critical acclaim, with *Guitar World calling it the new “gold standard” in amp modeling.

By 2021, Neural DSP’s revenue was evenly split between software and hardware. Its impact earned Douglas Castro recognition as Finland’s 2022 EY Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2023, both Castro and Cresp were honored by Finnish President Sauli Niinistö for their contributions to international innovation.

In 2024, Neural revealed TINA (Telemetric Inductive Nodal Actuator), a robot designed to model amplifiers with extreme precision by combining robotic data collection with machine learning. TINA eliminates human bias, accelerates DSP development, and has been a cornerstone in Neural’s product advancements. This innovation allowed Neural DSP to remain competitive and achieve milestones that solidified its position as a leading developer of audio processing technology.