homecrate amp — Neural Amp Modeler + IR Cabinet

homecrate amp is a guitar amp simulation plugin, available as an AUv3 effect extension you can load on any audio track in Homecrate. It uses Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) technology to capture the exact character of real amplifiers, combined with Impulse Response (IR) cabinet simulation, a 5-band EQ, and a lush plate reverb — all of which can run in true stereo with independent left/right amp profiles.

🟢 New to amp sims? Skip to Quick Start. You can get a working guitar tone in about 60 seconds.

🔵 Familiar with NAM / Kemper / Quad Cortex? homecrate amp loads standard .nam profile files and runs the newer NAM Architecture 2 (A2) engine. The default chain is: input → (PAD) → input gain → EQ (pre-amp) → NAM → IR cab → reverb (post-cab) → output. EQ and reverb each have a placement toggle so you can move them before or after the amp.

What is NAM?

Neural Amp Modeler is an open-source technology that uses machine learning to capture the behavior of real guitar amplifiers and pedals with high accuracy. A .nam file is a trained model of a specific amp — its distortion character, frequency response, touch sensitivity, and dynamics.

Think of a NAM model as a photograph of an amplifier’s sound. Load it and your guitar sounds like it’s going through that amp. NAM models are widely shared by the guitar community — thousands of free models are available online for everything from clean Fenders to high-gain Mesa rigs.

This build runs NAM Architecture 2 (A2): more accurate, cleaner high-gain highs, better feel (sag and dynamics), and about 30–40% lighter on CPU than the older A1 engine. Legacy A1 .nam files still load — A2 is just the default.

Quick Start

Load homecrate amp as an AUv3 effect plugin on an audio track in Homecrate
Set the track’s Input to your guitar interface, then put the track in Monitor mode (orange R button) — you should hear your guitar
Tap the NAM MODEL readout to open the model picker and choose one of the bundled amps
(Pro) Tap the IR CABINET readout and load an impulse response for the speaker cab
Dial INPUT for how hard you’re driving the amp and OUTPUT for overall level

Your guitar now sounds like the modeled amplifier through the modeled cabinet.

Loading homecrate amp in Homecrate

See Loading & Removing Plugins for the general steps. homecrate amp appears under the Effects tab in the Plugin Browser. It also works great in a Master Track plugin slot for stereo bus processing — see Adding & Removing Tracks.

After loading it, set the track’s input to your guitar interface (tap the Input button on the channel strip) and put the track in Monitor mode (orange R) to play through the amp in real time. homecrate amp processes internally at 48 kHz.

The Interface

[SCREENSHOT: Full homecrate amp interface — amp head, IR cabinet, EQ, reverb]

The interface scrolls vertically and is divided into four sections:

Amp Head — STEREO / PAD toggles, presets, the NAM model readout, INPUT and OUTPUT knobs
IR Cabinet — impulse-response selection and the NORMALIZE toggle
Equalizer — 5-band EQ with a pre/post-amp placement toggle
Reverb — plate reverb with a pre/post-amp placement toggle and a gate

Amp Head Section

[SCREENSHOT: Amp Head — STEREO/PAD toggles, NAM readout, INPUT/OUTPUT knobs]

NAM Model

Tap the NAM MODEL readout (the lit green LCD) to open the model picker. It lists the models in your library. When a model loads, the LCD shows:

an architecture badge (e.g. “WaveNet”; “Loading” while parsing)
the model’s sample rate (e.g. “48 kHz”)
input level and loudness metadata when the file carries them (used for automatic level-matching, so swapping models doesn’t jump the volume)

If the previously used file is missing, the readout turns yellow: “FILE NOT FOUND — RE-SELECT”.

Bundled amps. Five amps ship built-in, each recaptured with A2:

Model	Character
`red_face_75_4vol`	Blackface Fender-style clean-to-edge-of-breakup
`soy_milk_12AX7_4vol`	Milkman-style 12AX7 preamp, lower gain stage
`soy_milk_12AX7_8vol`	12AX7 preamp, higher gain stage
`soy_milk_12AX7_Fender_8vol`	12AX7 preamp, Fender voicing
`soy_milk_12AT7_RCA_8vol`	12AT7 / RCA-tube variant

Each amp comes in two forms — a full version (highest performance, the default) and a lighter slim version. Both are available to Pro users; free users see the current bundled A2 defaults. Older legacy files are hidden from the picker but still load if a saved project references them, so nothing you built ever breaks. The A2 pack updates itself automatically — nothing to download.

📁 Browse Files (Pro)

The folder icon on the NAM readout opens a system file picker to import your own .nam captures. This is Pro-only — free users see a Pro banner in the picker instead. Imported files are copied into your library and then appear in the model list. After downloading a .nam from the community (see Finding NAM Models), transfer it to your device and use this to import it.

✕ Unload NAM

The X next to the model name clears the loaded model. The slot then passes your dry signal through (with gains and any pre-amp EQ/reverb still applied) — useful for A/B’ing the amp against the raw DI, or for using homecrate amp as a pure EQ + reverb on a non-guitar track.

INPUT / OUTPUT Knobs

INPUT (0.0–4.0×) sets the drive into the amp model. It uses a Fender-style taper: the first 75% of travel covers 0–1.0× (clean/unity) and the last 25% covers 1.0–4.0× (overdrive). When INPUT passes 1.0×, the amp’s grille-cloth graphic fades to show you’re pushing it. OUTPUT (0.0–4.0×) is a clean level control after the amp and cab — it doesn’t change the tone. Both reset to 1.00 when you load a new model.

Start INPUT around 9 o’clock and adjust by ear: higher = more saturation and compression, lower = cleaner and more dynamic.

Stereo Mode

[SCREENSHOT: Stereo mode — NAM/VOL link chips and L/R tabs between the knobs]

Turn STEREO on (top-left of the amp head) to run the entire chain independently on the left and right channels — two amps, two cabs, two reverbs — for true-stereo sources like tape machines or stereo mic pairs. With STEREO off (the default), the amp runs in mono and is heard equally on both sides.

Turning STEREO on also switches PAD on automatically the first time (see below), since stereo/line-level sources are usually hot.

When STEREO is on, a small cluster appears between the INPUT and OUTPUT knobs:

NAM link 🔗 — when linked (default), both channels share one amp profile. Unlink it to give the right channel its own independent .nam capture.
L / R tabs — choose which channel you’re editing. On the R tab, the NAM readout and INPUT/OUTPUT knobs follow the right channel only when the matching link is off; while linked, the R tab shows the left values read-only.
VOL link 🔗 — when linked (default), INPUT/OUTPUT gain is shared across both channels. Unlink it to give the right channel its own Input R and Output R. This is independent of the NAM link, so you can share one volume across two different captures, or split volume on a single shared capture.

To assign a separate right amp: turn STEREO on → unlink the NAM chip → tap the R tab → pick or import a different .nam. (While NAM is linked, the picker is locked on the R tab — unlink first.)

PAD and INV-R

PAD (−20 dB input pad) tames hot / line-level sources (interface line-outs, mixed clips) so they don’t clip into the amp. It’s available in mono too, and auto-enables when you first turn STEREO on — you can always turn it back off.
INV-R flips the right channel’s polarity to realign an out-of-phase stereo source (e.g. an L=DI / R=mic rig, or a reversed mic in a stereo pair). It’s tone-neutral and only appears in stereo mode.

IR Cabinet Section

[SCREENSHOT: IR Cabinet — IMPULSE RESPONSE readout + NORMALIZE toggle]

The IR Cabinet convolves the amp’s output with an Impulse Response — a capture of how a real speaker cabinet responds — to give the amp its mic’d-cab sound.

Loading an IR (Pro)

Tap the IMPULSE RESPONSE readout to open the IR picker, or the folder icon to import a file. IR loading is a Pro feature — the folder button and the picker list are only populated for Pro users. Supported formats: WAV, AIFF, CAF, M4A, MP3 (and anything the system audio loader opens). Stereo IRs are downmixed to mono and any sample rate is resampled to match the session automatically.

NORMALIZE

Level-normalizes the loaded IR so swapping cabs doesn’t jump the volume. On by default; the toggle stays dimmed/disabled until an IR is loaded.

✕ Unload IR

The X clears the cabinet entirely (readout shows “No IR loaded”). Removing the IR also drops the plugin’s reported latency back to zero — an IR adds about 11 ms of latency at 48 kHz, which Homecrate measures and compensates for automatically during recording. See Latency & Compensation.

Equalizer

[SCREENSHOT: 5-band EQ with the POST-AMP toggle]

Five fixed-frequency bands, each ±12 dB (default flat):

Band	Frequency	What it shapes
80Hz	80 Hz	Low end / body
250Hz	250 Hz	Low-mid / mud
800Hz	800 Hz	Mid / presence
3.2kHz	3.2 kHz	Upper mid / bite
8kHz	8 kHz	Air / pick attack

POST-AMP toggle (top-right of the section) moves where the EQ sits:

Off (default) — EQ pre-amp: the EQ acts like the amp’s own tone stack, shaping the signal before the distortion. Cutting lows here tightens a high-gain amp; boosting mids pushes it harder. It changes how the amp reacts.
On — EQ post-amp: the EQ shapes the finished amp + cab sound, like a graphic EQ pedal at the very end. A final-polish move that doesn’t change the distortion character.

Reverb

[SCREENSHOT: Reverb — 5 knobs, PRE-AMP + GATE toggles]

A lush modulated plate reverb (rebuilt for this release with a modulated feedback network — no more metallic ring, and much longer decay tails than before).

Knob	Range	Default	What it does
DECAY	0.0–1.0	0.5	Tail length — from a short slap to a long, lingering wash
SIZE	0.5–2.0	1.0	Perceived space, from a tight room to a large hall
PRE-DELAY	0–100 ms	0	Gap before the reverb starts, keeping note attacks clear
TONE	0.0–1.0	0.7	Tail brightness — 0 = dark and damped, 1 = bright and ringing
WET	0.0–1.0	0.0	Wet/dry mix — starts at 0 (silent) until you turn it up

PRE-AMP toggle:

Off (default) — reverb after the cabinet: a clean, natural room/hall on the finished tone (the “sounds incredible” default position).
On — reverb before the amp: drives the reverb tail into the amp’s distortion for a saturated, washed-out ambient sound.

GATE toggle (only shown when reverb is PRE-AMP): gated-reverb mode. A gate keyed to your playing cuts the reverb tail abruptly when you stop — the classic “Phil Collins” gated chop. It opens instantly on your attack and closes fast (~70 ms), so the tail is chopped shorter than it would naturally decay.

Keep WET low (0.1–0.2) for most amp sounds; higher values suit ambient clean tones.

Presets

A preset saves the entire plugin state as a named snapshot: the NAM model (and the independent right-channel model when unlinked), the IR, all gains, EQ, reverb, and every toggle (EQ/reverb placement, stereo, pad, invert, and the link states).

Tap the PRESETS cap button (rectangle-stack icon) in the amp head to open the presets panel.

Save: tap SAVE AS PRESET, name it, confirm.
Load: tap a preset pill — the plugin instantly recalls everything.
Delete: long-press (or right-click) a pill → Delete Preset.

Presets reference NAM and IR files by filename, resolved against your local library at load. If you share a project, the other device needs the same NAM/IR files — inside a collaborative session those transfer automatically (see Collaborative Sessions).

Signal Path Reference

Guitar / DI in
    │
    ▼
[PAD −20 dB]  (optional, for hot/line-level sources)
    │
    ▼
Input Gain  (0.0–4.0×, Fender taper)
    │
    ▼
EQ  ── if PRE-AMP (default): tone stack into the amp
    │
    ▼
Reverb  ── if PRE-AMP: tail driven into the amp  [+ optional GATE]
    │
    ▼
NAM DSP  (loaded .nam model — A2 engine)
    │
    ▼
IR Convolution  (loaded impulse response)   [skipped if no IR]
    │
    ▼
EQ  ── if POST-AMP: EQ the finished amp+cab
    │
    ▼
Reverb  ── if POST-AMP (default): clean room/hall on the tone
    │
    ▼
Output Gain  (0.0–4.0×, linear)  →  out

In stereo mode this entire chain runs twice — once per channel — with independent amp/IR/reverb and (when unlinked) independent profiles and gains.

🔵 Note: With no NAM model loaded, the signal skips the amp block and passes through with only the gains and any enabled EQ/reverb — so homecrate amp doubles as a clean EQ + reverb on non-guitar tracks.

Finding NAM Models

NAM models (.nam files) are shared freely by the guitar community. Popular sources:

ToneHunt (tonehunt.org) — the largest community NAM library
NAM’s official GitHub — reference models and documentation
GuitarML community — additional captures and tools

Download a .nam, transfer it to your device (AirDrop, Files, iCloud), then use Browse Files… (Pro) in the NAM picker to import it.

Pro vs Free

	Free	Pro
Bundled A2 amps (5, full + slim)	✅	✅
All knobs & toggles (EQ, reverb, stereo, pad, links, invert, placements, gate)	✅	✅
Presets	✅	✅
Import your own `.nam` models	—	✅
Load impulse responses (IR cabinet)	—	✅

A Pro upsell banner appears at the top of the view and inside the pickers when you’re not Pro.

Tips

Thin tone? Boost 250 Hz slightly. Harsh/fizzy? Cut 3.2K and 8K a touch.
Match INPUT to your picking — lighter touch, lower input, for the cleanest response.
Pair an IR that suits the amp (a Fender IR with a Fender model) for the most natural result.
Put EQ pre-amp to tighten or push the distortion; post-amp to polish the final tone.
For gated 80s ambience: reverb PRE-AMP + GATE, medium DECAY, WET up.
To bake the amp into an audio clip (so it plays back without the plugin active), set the track input to Plugin Output and record. See Arming Tracks & Input Monitoring.
homecrate amp is not applied to exported mixdowns — render the processed tone to an audio clip first if you want the amp in your final export.