Hey everyone, Zylvio here again!
If you read my last post about granular delays, you’ll know I’m all about creative effects and sound design tools. But today, let’s switch gears and get amp’d up!
We’re diving into two of the coolest recent additions to the Zynthian ecosystem:
NAM (Neural Amp Modeler) and Ratatouille.
These two tools bring the power of machine learning and neural networks right into your Zynthian box, opening the door to incredibly realistic amp tones and complex signal chains all with low latency and impressive performance.
Let’s break it down.
What is the Neural Amp Modeler?
Neural Amp Modeler (NAM for short) is an open-source project that uses neural networks to learn and replicate the tone of real-world guitar amps, pedals, and entire rigs.
Think of it like this: You record the sound of your amp, feed it into the NAM training pipeline, and boom: you get a digital model that sounds almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
The best part? These models are lightweight enough to run on Zynthian, giving you access to studio quality amp tones anywhere.
Currently, Zynthian includes a set of free-software pre-trained NAM models, covering a range of classic amp sounds. From clean Fender-style sparkle to gnarly high-gain monsters.
If the collection included in Zynthian’s software is not enough for you, you can also download and install models from tone3000.com, and amazing repository where you will find models for almost any piece of gear you can imagine and where new models are being added all the time!
Finally. if you are skilled and brave enough, you could train your own models, capturing the tone of your favorite gear.
So… what about Ratatouille?
Ratatouille is a Neural Modeler & Mixer. It takes NAM to the next level by letting you load, combine, and control multiple neural models and audio processors in a simple, modular interface.
With Ratatouille, you can:
+ Load NAM amp models
+ Add delay and impulse response (Yes you can add your living-room as a reverb!)
+ Mix 2 different NAM models
+ Quickly swap between presets
The interface is clean and optimized for live performance, making it perfect for guitarists, bassists, or any live musician who wants powerful tones without lugging a pedal-board or laptop around.
How does it sound?
Let’s Hear Your Tone!
Have you tried the Neural Amp Modeler on your Zynthian? What models are you loving? Or maybe you’ve built a cool Ratatouille chain for synths or drums? Interested in training your own models?
Post your patches, recordings, or tips! I’d love to check them out.
And as always, I’m super open to suggestions. Is there a synth, sampler, or FX-chain you’d like me to explore in the next post? Let me know in the comments!
Superlooper already on the list 😉
Thanks for reading.
Zylvio