Ampz: an AUv3 Amp Modeler Plugin for iOS
Ampz isn't only a standalone app — it also ships as a full AUv3 effect plugin (type aufx ampz LHNE) that's automatically available inside any AUv3 host on your device once Ampz is installed. It's the same NAM-powered amp modeling and effects chain, running with the same sub-2.5 ms latency, as an insert inside your DAW.
What the plugin includes
The AUv3 version is not a cut-down version of Ampz — it's the full effect insert:
- The complete 10-slot effects chain — every effect and algorithm from the standalone app
- Per-slot multi-NAM — any slot can host its own
.nammodel, exactly like the app, so you can chain multiple amp captures inside one plugin instance - Host-tempo sync for time-based effects — delay, tremolo, chorus, and other synced effects follow the host's BPM automatically
- A named, host-automatable parameter tree — every slot exposes its real parameter names plus a Bypass switch, so you can record and automate them from your DAW timeline
Why NAM AUv3 latency matters
Running a neural amp model inside a plugin host adds its own I/O overhead on top of whatever latency the host itself introduces. Ampz brackets its effects chain with a high-quality resampler, so the NAM model always runs at its native training rate regardless of the host's sample rate — any host rate works: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz, and so on. Combined with a native C++ inference engine, this keeps the plugin's own processing overhead at sub-2.5 ms, so what you hear tracks your playing the way a real amp would.
Supported hosts
Ampz loads like any other AUv3 effect. It's been used and tested in:
- AUM — add Ampz as an effect insert on a channel strip
- Loopy Pro — insert it on a track for live looping with real amp tone
- GarageBand for iOS — add it as an amp/effect plugin on a guitar track
The general flow in any host: open the host app, add an AUv3 effect insert to a channel or track, and choose Ampz from the LNH Enterprises LLC manufacturer group. The full Ampz interface opens inside the host.
Force-quit the standalone Ampz app before using the plugin. The standalone app claims the device's audio input, which can prevent the plugin — running inside the host — from receiving your guitar signal. Swipe the standalone app away from the app switcher first.
Shared model and preset library
The app and the plugin share the same on-device storage:
- NAM models and cabinet IRs imported in the standalone app appear automatically inside the plugin — no re-downloading
- The plugin can browse and apply the app's saved presets, including auto-loading whichever preset is currently active in the standalone app
The practical workflow: import .nam files and dial in a rig using the standalone app's Files browser and built-in Tone3000 integration, then simply select the same model from inside the plugin when you're working in your DAW.
Saving your rig
When you save your host project — or a host/AUv3 preset — Ampz stores the entire rig: the effects chain, every slot's NAM model reference, and IR references, so the project recalls exactly as you left it. Ampz also supports AUv3 user presets, so you can save and recall rigs from the host's own preset menu.