Hello Native Instruments team,
I’m a long‑time Guitar Rig user who relies heavily on its modular workflow, preset management, and routing flexibility. GR’s ability to save multiple variations of a module and swap them inside a preset is one of its greatest strengths, and it’s a workflow that no other guitar platform matches.
However, the current amp modeling engine in Guitar Rig is beginning to show its age compared to modern machine‑learning approaches such as NAM (Neural Amp Modeler). NAM captures offer exceptional realism, but they lack a flexible and intuitive host environment. Guitar Rig, on the other hand, offers the ideal modular structure for experimenting with multiple amp variations, A/B testing, and building complex signal chains.
This leads to a natural opportunity:
Guitar Rig could become the best platform for NAM‑style amp captures by allowing users to load NAM models as an Amp component.
There is strong industry precedent for this. NAM is fully open‑source and available at no cost for both software and hardware integration. Its permissive license allows commercial use without fees or royalties. As a result, NAM has already been embedded in several hardware pedals and integrated into multiple plugin hosts. This demonstrates both technical maturity and strong market acceptance. NAM’s free availability significantly lowers the barrier for Guitar Rig integration and provides NI with a modern amp modeling engine without the need for internal development.
It’s also worth noting that Guitar Rig already supports third‑party content through its Cabinet components, which allow users to load external IRs. Extending this concept to the Amp section—by enabling the loading of NAM captures—would be a natural evolution of a capability GR already possesses. The underlying idea is the same: allow users to bring in high‑quality external assets and use them within GR’s modular environment.
Beyond this, the guitar modeling landscape is shifting. Machine‑learning amp captures have become so accurate that “tone quality” is no longer the primary differentiator between platforms. The realism of modern captures is effectively a solved problem. What now separates competitors is the workflow, modularity, and user interface experience — and this is precisely where Guitar Rig excels. GR’s drag‑and‑drop modularity, component‑level preset system, routing flexibility, and intuitive interface are unmatched. Integrating NAM would allow Guitar Rig to pair its industry‑leading workflow with state‑of‑the‑art amp realism.
Benefits to users:
- GR’s modular workflow is perfect for swapping multiple gain‑staged NAM captures (Clean, Edge, Crunch, Lead, etc.) without rebuilding presets.
- GR’s routing tools (splitters, containers, macros) complement NAM’s single‑block design.
- GR’s effects and utilities provide everything NAM lacks.
- GR would instantly gain access to thousands of professionally captured amps.
- Users who prefer GR’s interface and preset system would finally have access to modern amp tones.
Benefits to NI:
- Guitar Rig gains a modern amp engine without needing to build one from scratch.
- GR becomes relevant again in a market dominated by AI‑based amp modeling.
- NI positions itself as the first major company to integrate open‑source ML amp technology.
- GR becomes a hybrid platform: NI’s effects + NAM’s amp realism.
- NAM’s existing hardware adoption shows clear market validation and reduces risk.
- NI can differentiate on workflow — the new competitive frontier — where GR already shines.
- Integration aligns with GR’s existing support for third‑party IRs, making NAM support a logical extension.
Even a simple “NAM Loader” module inside the Amp section would be transformative.
Guitar Rig already has the perfect architecture for this — it only needs the ability to host NAM captures as a native component.
Thank you for considering this. Guitar Rig remains one of the most intuitive and flexible guitar environments available, and NAM integration would give it the modern amp engine it deserves.
