How to Use .nam Files on iPhone & iPad

Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) started as a desktop/plugin format, but you don't need a computer to use it anymore. Ampz runs .nam files natively on iPhone and iPad with sub-2.5 ms round-trip latency. Here's exactly how to get a model onto your device and playing through your guitar in a couple of minutes.

What you need

• An iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 18.0 or later
• Ampz, installed from the App Store
• A USB or Lightning audio interface with an instrument-level input (for connecting your guitar)
• A .nam file — see step 1 below if you don't have one yet

Step 1 — Get a .nam file

You have two options:

Option A: Browse Tone3000 inside Ampz (easiest)

Open Ampz, tap the NAM Amplifier slot, and switch to the Tone3000 tab. Sign in with a free Tone3000 account, then search or browse by Trending, Newest, Oldest, or Most Downloaded. Tone3000 captures often include multiple file variants (different cabs, mic positions, with/without room ambience) — pick the ones you want and tap Download. The files land directly in your My Models list, ready to load.

Option B: Import a file you already have, or paste a Tone3000 link

If you've downloaded a .nam file on your computer (from Tone3000's website, ToneHunt, a community forum, or your own capture), get it onto your iPhone via AirDrop, iCloud Drive, email, or any file-sharing method, then:

1. Open the Files app (or wherever the .nam file landed)
2. Tap Share → Ampz, or use the "Open In" menu and choose Ampz
3. The model appears automatically in Ampz's My Models tab

Ampz also supports pasting a tone3000.com link directly into the app — paste the link and Ampz will resolve and download the capture without needing to open a browser first.

Step 2 — Load the model

1. In Ampz, tap the red NAM Amplifier slot in the effects chain (it's there by default, ready to load a model)
2. Open the My Models tab and tap the model you just imported or downloaded
3. The model loads into the audio engine — this takes a moment, and any other slot in the chain can also load its own .nam model if you want to run more than one amp at once

Step 3 — Play

1. Connect your audio interface to your iPhone/iPad via USB or a Lightning adapter
2. Plug your guitar into the interface's instrument input
3. Play a few notes — you should hear the amp model through your signal immediately, with no perceptible delay
4. Adjust the NAM slot's INPUT, GATE, BASS/MIDDLE/TREBLE, and OUTPUT knobs to taste, and add effects by double-tapping any empty slot in the chain

If you don't hear anything, check that iOS granted Ampz microphone/audio-input permission (Settings → Privacy → Microphone → Ampz), that Global Bypass isn't active, and that your interface's input channel is selected correctly in Ampz's Settings overlay.

Why NAM feels different on Ampz vs. other iOS rigs

A lot of "amp sim" apps on iOS route audio through layers that add latency you can feel as a slight delay or mushiness when playing. Ampz uses Apple's RemoteIO Audio Unit directly with 64-sample buffers at 48 kHz — a buffer latency as low as 1.33 ms — and a native C++ NAM inference engine, so loading a .nam file gets you the model's real tone with no added sluggishness.