Heritage Audio i73 Pro audio interfaces can now run Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) A2 models directly on the interface’s DSP. The update is free for i73 Pro owners and will be available as a firmware download.
NAM is an open-source technology that captures real amplifierss, pedals, outboard gear, and full signal chains as neural models. A2 is its second-generation architecture, officially released in June 2026, and ibuilt from the ground up to deliver better sound quality while using fewer computational resources.
Until now, NAM models have mostly lived in computers and pedals/amp modelers. With the i73 Pro, they become part of the interface itself: the models are processed onboard, rather than relying on the computer’s CPU, and sit right alongside the Heritage Audio preamps the i73 Pro is known for. For guitar and bass players, that means dialing in an amp tone and running it through a studio-grade front end, all in one unit.
The custom-built loader accepts .nam captures of amps, combos, pedals, effects and outboard gear, along with IRs. And because NAM is an open format, i73 Pro owners can tap into the Tone3000 community, home to enormous libraries of captures shared by players and engineers around the world, and download any model to load straight into the interface. That opens up a sonic palette of hundreds of thousands of models, from classic amps and boutique pedals to studio outboard.
The NAM loader is one more step in what sets the i73 Pro apart. Its built-in mixer can run any Heritage Audio plug-in directly on the interface’s DSP, and these plug-ins are free for i73 Pro owners. The same mixer can also host any VST3 plug-in for monitoring, so players and engineers can shape what they hear while they record, with amps, effects, EQs, and compressors all inside the interface. Together with the NAM loader, it turns the i73 Pro into a complete monitoring and tone-shaping platform, in a single unit.
‘Our goal with the i73 Pro range has always been to make the front end of a home studio as good as it can be,’ says Heritage Audio founder, Peter Rodriguez. ‘With the built-in loader, an i73 Pro owner can play through any amp, pedal, or piece of outboard in the NAM universe, with no plug-in, no extra device, and no latency to worry about. And, as always with our i73 Pro community, we’re giving it to you for free.’
KEY Features:
- Built-in loader for NAM A2 models and IRs and Tone3000 captures.
- Loads amps, combos, effects and outboard captures.
- Zero latency, processed on the interface’s own DSP.
- Hundreds of thousands of models on the NAM community.
- Free firmware update for i73 Pro interfaces available today.
- Built-in mixer also runs any Heritage Audio plug-in on the interface’s DSP.