Neural DSP has reduced the price of the Quad Cortex – it’s now the same as Fender’s new Tone Master Pro (but that’s probably just a coincidence)

There’s been a lot of headlines about rising prices recently, so it’s a pleasant surprise to report that Neural DSP is lowering the price of the Quad Cortex, its flagship amp modeler and multi-effects unit.

In a new statement, the firm says the new standard MSRP for the unit will be $1,699, as of October 2, 2023. 

“The supply chain disruptions experienced globally throughout and beyond COVID-19 translated into extremely long lead times for critical electronic components,” writes the firm in a statement on its website. 

“This resulted in us having to buy parts from resellers at outrageous prices and forced us to buy enough stock for at least a year to ensure adequate delivery times for our vendors, which translated into a price increase in June 2021.

“We are pleased to say that the supply chain has finally normalized, and we have worked through most of our inventory. Since we can now produce the Quad Cortex at a lower cost, we’d like to pass on those savings to you.”

As it mentions, the firm had raised the Quad Cortex price to $1,849 back in 2021, citing the semiconductor shortage, rising PCB (printed circuit board) prices and increased shipping costs. The new price is a reduction of roughly 8% on that figure.

The timing of the announcement is particularly interesting, too, coming a day ahead of the launch of Fender’s Tone Master Pro unit, which is also priced at $1,699 and brings a serious new competitor to the modeler market.

Indeed, Neural DSP appears to be looking to step up its game – last week, the firm confirmed that, after three years of waiting, compatibility between the Quad Cortex and the company’s suite of plugins is finally on the cards, providing a clear USP that separates the floor unit from its competitors.

For more on Neural’s modeler, read our full Quad Cortex review, or head to Neural DSP.