Neural DSP Technologies: the Fortin Nameless Suite X Plugin

Neural DSP has announced the launch of the Fortin Nameless Suite X, a guitar plugin that is the culmination of six years of sonic evolution and engineering, inspired by Mike Fortin’s singular, uncompromising approach to building some of the world’s most aggressive amplifiers.

These are now captured in a completely reimagined update to the Fortin Nameless Suite, which Neural DSP first unveiled in 2018, and which at the time was considered the ne plus ultra of assertive metal sound. An enigmatic masterpiece that shattered conventions and redefined the very essence of guitar tone, the Fortin Nameless Suite was the genesis of a new era in guitar sound. Now, six years later, this monument to metal has returned, more formidable than ever.

Fortin’s uncompromising approach to building some of the world’s most aggressive amplifiers has earned the brand the loyalty of the industry’s most legendary names. These include Kirk Hammett of Metallica, Janick Gers of Iron Maiden, Scott Ian of Anthrax, and Teemu Mäntysaari of Megadeth. Now, prepare to unleash the roar of infernal distortion that transcends the boundaries of imagination, beckoning you into realms unknown. Enter the Fortin Nameless Suite X.

“The Fortin Nameless Suite X is a complete redevelopment of the original Fortin Nameless Suite that we introduced in 2018, and it reflects the enormous advances that Neural DSP Technologies has made in that time,” states Neural CEO Douglas Castro. “Our modeling technology has been able to even more precisely capture the nuances and features of the Fortin amplifier. Mike Fortin’s sonic genius has been at the core of so many great metal guitarists’ signature sounds, and now we’re able to bring that exceptional capability to many more of them everywhere.”

Pre Effects

These sonic gems are recreations of Fortin’s stomp boxes, which let guitarists take his cutting edge to the stage. As part of Fortin Nameless Suite X, they let you craft the attack of your sound from the first note.

GRIND — Besides additional gain, GRIND adds an incredible amount of clarity and articulation to the sound, making every note defined and present, even when highly distorted.

ZUUL — Widely regarded as the epitome of noise gate performance and transparency, this studio-grade virtual noise gate lets the spaces between the notes create a sonic frame for them.

HEXDRIVE — An overdrive pedal with a higher output than most. With additional headroom and an irregular style of clipping, it provides an outstanding blend of both boost and overdrive.

Amplifier

Specifically crafted to meet the demanding needs of extreme-metal musicians — the dual-gain controls are truly unique — this single-channel amplifier is celebrated for its brutal, tight, and aggressive sound while still maintaining clarity and feel. It is meticulously hand-wired and commands a furious 50 watts through all-tube circuitry, ensuring it creates nothing but the most savage, bone-crushing tones, and it comes loaded with several brand-new features.

Features

Completely new to the Fortin Nameless Suite X’s are groundbreaking Transpose & Doubler features. Transpose will pitch your guitar up or down by a constant interval (+12/-12 semitones) and can quickly and precisely change the tuning of your guitar. The Doubler sends your guitar signal into a simulated stereo field, emulating the fat sound of a double-tracked recording. Other features include:

Cabsim + IR Loader — A comprehensive cabsim module with hundreds of IRs captured by Neural DSP and 6 virtual microphones that can be easily positioned around the speakers. This module also serves as a standard IR loader.

EQ — This new 9-band graphic EQ with high- and low-pass filters provides complete control over Fortin Nameless Suite X’s broad frequency range.

Post Effects — Brand-new Delay and Reverb processors complete the package, allowing you to create infinite soundscapes and craft unique spatial, tempo, and ambient effects.

Last but definitely not least, a built-in live tuner is displayed at the bottom of the user interface. It joins a new metronome that allows you to control time signature, accent sounds, and note values. (The metronome is only available in Standalone).