NAM Pedalboard User Manual

NAM Pedalboard is a guitar amp modeler and effects pedalboard. On first launch it loads the bundled Foundation Clean model and scene - plug in and play.

1. Set your audio device - click the Options button (top-left) and choose your interface.
2. Set your input level - adjust the IN knob (top-right) so your guitar signal is clean and controlled.
3. Pick a scene - use the scene dropdown to explore different sounds.
4. Load a model - press Load NAM for a local file, or Tone3000 to browse and download models online.
5. Load a cab - choose Cab Type:
   • IR for a traditional impulse response
   • NAM for a dynamic NAM speaker/cab capture
   • None to bypass the cab stage
   Then press Load Cab.

The header bar runs across the top of the window.

Left side #

Center display #

• Model loaded - shows the name of the current NAM model.
• Cal - shows the automatic loudness calibration applied to the model, for example Cal -1.1 dB.
• Cab loaded - shows the current cab file name for IR or NAM, or None if the cab stage is bypassed.
• Cab Type - switches the cab stage between IR, NAM, and None.

Right side - level knobs #

Settings gear #

The gear icon (top-right) opens the settings menu. See Settings Menu.

The footer strip runs across the bottom of the window.

Scenes are complete snapshots of your pedalboard. Switching scenes instantly recalls pedal settings, EQ, effects, drive order, and voicing.

Factory scenes #

User scenes #

You have 8 user scene slots for your own sounds.

• Select a user slot from the dropdown, then press Save to store the current board.
• Rename changes the name of the selected user scene.
• Delete clears the selected user scene slot.

What a scene stores #

• All pedal on or off states and knob positions
• EQ settings, including on or off state, preset, band values, and position
• Tremolo and reverb settings, including modes
• Delay and chorus settings
• Drive order
• Voicing: Sweeten, Deep, Bright
• Persistent scene output level (TRIM)

What a scene does not store #

• Global IN and OUT levels
• The loaded NAM model or IR
• Temporary Match offsets until you explicitly save them
• Settings menu preferences such as input gate and noise reduction

Match lets you balance the loudness of two scenes so they sit at the same perceived volume.

Use it when two scenes feel like the same amp and cab, but not the same volume.

Even with the same NAM loaded, scenes can still jump in level because of:

• Compression
• Drive pedals
• EQ changes
• Chorus, delay, tremolo, and reverb
• Scene output trim

Scene Match is most useful for balancing clean, edge-of-breakup, lead, and ambient scenes so they switch more smoothly while you play.

Workflow #

1. Select your reference scene, the one that is already at the level you like.
2. Press Set Ref.
3. Play a phrase - the app listens and captures it automatically.
4. Switch to the target scene, the one you want to match.
5. Press Apply.
6. Play a similar phrase - the app captures it and calculates a loudness offset.
7. The button changes to Save. Press it to commit that offset into the scene's Trim knob.

• Reset clears the temporary match state without saving.
• The Match: display below the buttons shows the current offset.

Comp #

A musical guitar compressor - smooths your dynamics without squashing.

Best for clean scenes, subtle bloom before the boost, or evening out your attack.

Boost #

A clean boost that wakes up your tone or pushes the drives harder.

BB (Blues Breaker) #

A warmer, softer low-gain overdrive. Rounder and more amp-like.

Gold Drive (Klon) #

A tighter, more articulate low-gain overdrive. Clearer and more forward.

Drive Order #

The drive order tile on the right side of the drive row switches the order of BB and Gold Drive in the signal chain.

• BB > KL - Blues Breaker feeds into Klon. Softer edge.
• KL > BB - Klon feeds into Blues Breaker. More focused cut.

Click the tile to toggle between the two.

Chorus #

A stereo chorus for shimmer and width.

Delay #

A polished short echo - great for slapback, space, and atmosphere.

TremVerb #

Tremolo and reverb combined in one panel, each with independent bypass.

Trem:

Reverb:

The EQ is your main tone-shaping tool - use it to sculpt the character of each scene.

Controls #

• EQ button - turns the EQ on or off.
• Reset - sets all bands back to 0 dB.
• Preset dropdown - choose a starting point:
  • Custom
  • Grav Clean
  • Dance Edge
  • Belief Attack
  • Vultures Funk Clean
  • Lead Push
  • MayerX Warm Dark
• Position dropdown - where the EQ sits in the signal chain:
  • Post-IR (recommended) - shapes the final tone after the amp and cab.
  • Pre-NAM - shapes the tone before it hits the amp model.

Bands #

Adjusting any band automatically switches the preset to Custom.

IR Voice adds speaker cabinet coloring on top of your loaded IR, or the default IR-style cab. It is only active when Cab Type = IR.

The Voicing section adds a final layer of polish and character.

Click the gear icon in the top-right corner to open the settings menu.

Show Quick Start now #

Reopens the Quick Start welcome banner with setup tips.

Show Quick Start on launch #

When checked, the Quick Start banner appears automatically each time you open the app.

Enable debug logging (console) #

Turns on diagnostic logging to the system console. Only useful for troubleshooting, so you can usually leave this off.

Enable amp auto-level (NAM loudness) #

When enabled, the app automatically adjusts each model's output so that different NAMs play back at a consistent volume. The calibration value is shown in the header as Cal. Turn this off if you want the model's raw output level.

Input gate #

A noise gate on your input signal. It reduces hum and buzz when you are not playing.

Enable amp NAM noise reduction #

A gentle noise reducer placed after the amp NAM stage. Unlike a hard gate, this smoothly fades down the noise floor while preserving natural note decay. It works best in combination with the input gate.

Amp noise reduction threshold #

Controls how sensitive the noise reduction is. Lower values such as -60 dB only reduce the quietest noise; higher values such as -30 dB are more aggressive. Available options are -30, -35, -40, -45, -50, -55, and -60 dB. Default is -50 dB.

Audio/MIDI setup is under Options #

A reminder that audio device and MIDI settings are found under the Options button at the top-left of the window, not in this menu.

Reset user scenes to defaults #

Clears all your saved user scenes. Factory scenes are not affected.

NAM models #

A NAM (Neural Amp Model) is a captured amp tone. Load one with Load NAM or browse Tone3000.

Amp-only models capture just the amp, so they sound unfinished and direct on their own. Pair them with a cab stage, either IR or NAM, for the speaker sound.

Full-rig models capture the amp, cab, and mic together, so they sound complete without a separate cab stage.

If your model already sounds good without a cab, it is probably full-rig. If it sounds thin or fizzy, try loading a cab.

IR cabs (Impulse Responses) #

An IR captures the sound of a speaker cabinet and microphone. Choose Cab Type = IR, then press Load Cab. The app supports .wav, .aif, and .aiff files.

When no custom IR is loaded in IR mode, the app can use the built-in default cab simulation.

NAM cabs #

A NAM cab is a dynamic NAM capture used in the cab stage instead of an IR. Choose Cab Type = NAM, then press Load Cab and select a .nam file.

Good NAM cab captures now load and restore like IRs:

• They stay loaded when you switch away from NAM and back.
• They are restored on relaunch.
• The CAB knob controls loudness, just like it does for IR mode.

Tone3000 #

Tone3000 is an online library of NAM models. Use it to search, browse featured tones, and download models directly into the app. You can connect your Tone3000 account for access to your own collection.

First-time login

1. Press Tone3000.
2. Choose Connect to Network.
3. The app opens your browser to Tone3000.
4. Log in or create your Tone3000 account there.
5. After login, Tone3000 redirects back to NAM Pedalboard and the app automatically captures the returned API key and signs you in.

In the normal browser-login flow, you do not need to manually copy or paste the API key.

If you already have an API key or access token

1. Press Tone3000.
2. Choose Search.
3. If you are not already connected, the search dialog shows an API Key / Access Token field.
4. Paste your existing key or token there, then continue with your search.

If you want to switch Tone3000 accounts

• Use Tone3000 -> Reset Login inside the app.
• Then sign out of tone3000.com in your browser before reconnecting.

If you prefer local files only, you can ignore Tone3000 entirely and just use Load NAM.

Press TUNER in the footer utility strip to show the on-screen tuner. The tuner mutes your output while active so you can tune silently.

The tuner displays:

• The detected note name
• How many cents sharp or flat you are, where center means in tune
• A confidence indicator showing how locked the reading is

Press TUNER again to hide the tuner and resume normal playing.

Stereo #

Press STEREO to enable stereo widening. This adds a subtle doubling effect that spreads your tone across the stereo field, which is great for recording or playing through a stereo setup. When off, the output is dual-mono.

Phones #

Press PHONES when listening through headphones. This mode:

• Adds a gentle crossfeed between left and right channels so the sound feels more natural in your ears.
• Softens the high end slightly to reduce headphone harshness.
• Trims a touch of low-mid boxiness.

Turn it off when playing through monitors or an FRFR speaker.

• First launch - loads the bundled Foundation Clean model and scene, and shows the Quick Start banner.
• After that - your last-used model, cab selection, and scene are automatically restored.
• Clear All - returns the app to the first-launch state with Foundation Clean and the default cab flow.

The app sounds too quiet #

Check in order:

1. Is amp auto-level enabled? Settings gear -> Enable amp auto-level.
2. Check the OUT knob. It may be turned down.
3. The scene's TRIM knob may be set low.
4. If you loaded an amp-only NAM without a cab, the sound can be thin and quiet, so try loading a cab.

The app sounds harsh #

Try:

• Lower the IN knob. You may be hitting the model too hard.
• Turn down drive pedal levels.
• Reduce the 4.8k EQ band.
• Use less Bright.
• Turn on PHONES mode if you are on headphones.

One scene is louder than another #

Use the Match workflow:

1. Select the reference scene and press Set Ref, then play.
2. Switch to the other scene and press Apply, then play.
3. Press Save to commit the offset.

Or simply adjust the TRIM knob on the louder scene.

Clean tones feel stiff or lifeless #

Try:

• Turn on Comp with moderate Blend.
• Add a little Boost.
• Turn up Sweeten for some warmth.
• Bump the 425 Hz EQ band up a touch.

There is noise or hum when you are not playing #

• Enable the Input gate in settings and start with Light or Medium.
• Enable amp NAM noise reduction for additional cleanup.
• Check your guitar cable and interface gain.

Full-rig model or amp-only model? #

If the NAM sounds complete and natural on its own, it is likely a full-rig capture and does not need a cab. If it sounds thin, fizzy, or direct, it probably wants a cab.