Xploration • Curation • Recommendation
Andertons and Sweetwater collaborate with Darkglass Electronics to release Limited Guitar Essentials Edition of the Anagram Multi-FX Pedal
Key Points
Darkglass released the limited Guitar Essentials Anagram, sold exclusively via Andertons (UK) and Sweetwater (USA). Douglas Castro founded both Darkglass and Neural DSP; Darkglass was sold to Korg in 2022 and remains a separate brand.
Anagram: NAM integration, Darkglass Suite, 7" touchscreen, matte‑black chassis with premium case, KosmOS 1.15.0, 24 simultaneous blocks, 815 g weight, 1.7A current draw. As of 2026-07-13, the price was £999.
Neural DSP’s Quad Cortex Mini is the direct rival: larger screen (twice Anagram’s height), 32 simultaneous blocks, Neural Capture/Neural X compatibility, Wi‑Fi, 16‑channel USB audio, 1.5 kg, 1.2A draw. As of 2026-07-13, the price was £1,129.
This article is mostly about the new Guitar Essentials Limited Edition of the Darkglass Anagram - which is exclusively available at Andertons in the UK, and Sweetwater in the USA. It is a noted ’Limited Edition’ while no finite quantity has been defined or declared, so possibly the limitation is solely by way of those 2 outlets!
There are so many interesting angles on this release. The fact that Darkglass and Neural DSP were both founded by Douglas Castro. Douglas sold Darkglass to Korg in 2022, and while those two brands still work together, they’re entirely separate entities.
And in this instance - Darkglass’s Guitar Essentials Anagram is very much going straight up against Neural DSP’s Quad Cortex Mini - which I’ve set up here as a direct head-to-head!
Both devices are very similarly sized and priced, and have combined touchscreen and hardware controls. They have similar connectivity on the rear, and overlap very significantly. They may each do things slightly differently - but they’re totally going for the same audience. Oh - and the Anagram comes with a really cool carry-case too! In answer to that - the Quad Cortex Mini has a much lower Current Draw of 1.2A vs the 1.7A of the Anagram, although it’s nearly twice as heavy - 1.5kg vs 815g!
There are more Hardware controls on the Anagram, while the Quad Mini has a larger screen - at twice the height of the Anagram’s one. You also get more simultaneous effects blocks with the Quad Cortex : 32 vs 24. But generally there’s a lot of like-for-like here.
I really like the interface on both those devices - possibly the Anagram is a touch more intuitive to traditional mindsets - and it is £129 and $100 cheaper than the Quad Cortex Mini.
It’s a really tough decision - pitting one up against the other. Luckily I’m not currently in the market for a Multi-FX Processor - as I would struggle to decide between the two of these. For sure if I was considering something in this area - these would be my 2 finalists.
Both Andertons and Sweetwater stock both these brands - so there is bound to be some cross-brand cannibalisation here - who will turn out to be the long-term winner us anyone’s guess! Is the Quad Cortex’s brand equity already unassailable? Will be fascinating to see the impact on the sales of each - perhaps it will be like the ’Cola Wars’ and the sales of each will go up!
There’s some interesting politics at play here too - as the three most significant global Music Instrument Retailer Independents are Andertons in the UK, Sweetwater in the USA, and the biggest of all - Thomann in Germany / EU. Thomann also stocks both Darkglass and Neural DSP - but they’ve been totally left out of the Anagram Guitar Essentials action here. Obviously a proper coup for Andertons - while I do question why Thomann would be left out?
Anagram Controls / Ports / Features / Specs
Controls - 6 x Knobs : Variable Params A | B | C | D | E | Master [Hold], Footswitch A [Tuner/Tempo Hold], Footswitch B [Looper Hold], A+B = Preset Down, Footswitch C [Mode Hold], B+C = Preset Up.
Ports - Input, Send (insert), Return (exp), Phones, XLR Out 1/L, XLR Out 2/R, Out 3/L, Out 4/R, USB-C, 9-12V DC [-] 2A, MIDI In & Out (Mini TRS).
KEY FEATURES
- Fits seamlessly into your setup : USB Audio, MIDI and Bluetooth capabilities make the Darkglass Anagram Guitar Essentials easy to connect with your existing gear
- The Guitar Essentials plugin : This gives you a premium selection of iconic sounds, from award-winning amps to sought-after guitar pedals
- A full suite of pristine tones : Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) integration unlocks access to 10,000+ high-quality amp and effect models, delivering studio-grade sound with ultra-low latency
- Darkglass Suite integration : Connect to Darkglass Suite to upload and manage cabinet IRs and Neural models, refine presets and banks, plus share or download tones via the Preset Hub
- 3D high-definition interface : The 7" high-brightness touchscreen showcases each amp and pedal with its own exclusive 3D-rendered interface, creating an immersive tone-shaping experience.
- Limited edition matte black chassis & premium case : Finished in sleek matte black and paired with a premium case, every detail is designed to feel special from the moment you open the box.
- KosmOS 1.15.0 operating system
- Anagram Marketplace
FEATURED AMPLIFIERS
- Leonardo Deluxe : The sound of classic American clean. Warm, dynamic and simply legendary when pushed into breakup
- Leonardo Twin : Huge clean headroom and sparkling clarity. A benchmark amp for generations of players.
- Admiral Supreme Drive : Pure British rock tone. Loud, open and unmistakably classic
- Admiral JJM800 : The definitive ‘80s rock amp. Tight, aggressive and built to cut through any mix
- HiWoltt 103 : Massive headroom, incredible sustain and the clean platform behind countless iconic tones
- Patchless C-III Emerald : Boutique chime with rich harmonics and exceptional touch sensitivity
- Patchless C-III Crimson : A darker, more aggressive take on the boutique DC30 formula
- Victory Deputy : A modern British favourite that’s quickly earned classic status
- Phoebe SiSO : The high-gain sound that’s helped define modern metal and hard rock
- Magner Delicacy Blue : Expressive boutique gain with stunning harmonic detail
- Magner Delicacy Red : Saturated, articulate high gain designed for huge rhythm and lead tones
- Imperial Triode Current : The unmistakable sound of ‘90s alternative rock and metal
FEATURED GUITAR PEDALS
Kentauri : One of the most sought-after overdrives ever made. It’s transparent, dynamic and endlessly musical.
Indigo Carrier : A genuine pedalboard staple known for its versatility, feel and pure usefulness.
Valve Crier 808 : The legendary mid-push that’s shaped everything from blues to modern metal.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Input : The primary input for connecting an instrument or the output from a pedalboard via a 1/4” mono jack
- Send : A dual-function 1/4” jack that supports either a stereo send or a mono insert, allowing for the creation of an effects loop
- Return : A dual-function 1/4” jack that supports either a stereo return or an expression pedal input
- Headphone output : A 3.5mm stereo headphone jack featuring three adjustable gain levels, ensuring optimal volume and clarity for any pair of headphones
- Main outputs : Two 1/4″ outputs and two XLR outputs, with the latter featuring an integrated, software-controlled ground lift. These outputs allow for stereo effects, split wet/dry signals or multiple amplifier connections, delivering an immersive sonic experience
- USB-C port : Enables Anagram’s USB audio interface capabilities and allows for interaction with the Darkglass Suite app for software updates and access to the Darkglass library. USB MIDI is also supported. Additionally, Anagram can be powered using a USB-C power supply that supports Power Delivery (PD), such as compatible laptop chargers, phone chargers or power banks
- MIDI in : A 3.5mm TRS (Type A) jack for connecting an external MIDI controller
- MIDI out : A 3.5mm TRS (Type A) jack for sending MIDI data from Anagram
- Power : 9V DC PSU included
- Current Draw : 9-12V DC [-] 2A (1.7A)
- Dimensions : 210 x 105 x 62mm
- Weight : 815g
- MAP / RRP : £999 / $1,299
Quad Cortex Mini Controls / Ports / Features / Specs
Controls - 4 x Roto-Stomp combined Rotary Encoders & Footswitches A | B | C | D, A+C Hold = Tuner, B Hold = Page, D Hold = Tap Tempo, B+D Hold = Modes.
Ports - Input 1, Return 1/2, EXP, XLR Out 1/L, XLR Out 2/R, MIDI In + Out/Thrus (Mini TRS), Out 3/L, Out 4/R, USB-C, Capture Out, Phones, Send 1/3, On Button, 12V DC [-] 1.2A
FEATURES
- As mighty as the Quad Cortex, just smaller: All the processing muscle, pristine audio quality and world‑class Neural Capture tech from the original QC in a more compact chassis
- Big, bright & beautiful 7" multi‑touch display: A crisp, high‑brightness touchscreen that makes editing fast and intuitive — whether you’re on stage, in the studio or tweaking on the sofa
- Neural X plugin compatibility: Works with supported Neural DSP plugins
- Preloaded with a vast library of virtual devices: Arrives with 90+ amps, 100+ effects, 1,000+ cab IRs and 2,000+ Neural Captures. Enough to keep even the most tone‑hungry players busy
- Four intuitive footswitches : Use the Rotary Encoders for Preset, Scene and Stomp control — plus fast, hands-on parameter adjustments
- The Cortex Cloud awaits : Get free access to thousands of community‑created Neural Captures for endless inspiration
- USB-C audio interface : Doubles as a USB-C audio interface with 16 channels (8 inputs and 8 outputs).
- Big power, small footprint: Weighing just 1.5kg and measuring 22.8 x 11.8 x 6.5 cm, the Quad Cortex Mini is your perfect gigging and travel companion
SPECIFICATIONS
- Full grid-based signal chain with touchscreen and footswitch control
- Up to four parallel signal paths with flexible routing and up to eight blocks per row
- Preset, Scene, Stomp and Hybrid modes for flexible live and studio workflows
- Pages system for extended footswitch control without increasing the hardware footprint
- Opposite Page Preview for instant visibility of Page assignments during live performance
- Full integration with the Quad Cortex ecosystem, sharing the same CorOS operating system
- Cortex Control desktop app for full device management, editing, backups and content organization
- Built-in Wi-Fi for wireless downloads, firmware updates and cloud backups
- Rugged anodized aluminium unibody with strengthened glass, designed for touring, studio and mobile use
- Locking power connector for secure, reliable operation in live environments
- Looper X with advanced looping features
- Built-in tuner and metronome
- Neural Capture V1 and V2 support for creating and using ultra-accurate digital replicas of amps, cabs, drive pedals, fuzzes and compressors
- Inputs : 1 x 1/4" TS (Input 1), 1 x combo XLR + 1/4" TS (Input 2), 1 x 1/4" TRS (Return 1/2 via insert cable)
- Outputs : 2 x XLR (Outputs 1/2), 2 x 1/4" TS (Outputs 3/4), 1 x 1/4" TRS (Send 1/2 via insert cable), 1 x 1/4" TRS (Capture Out), 1 x 1/8" Headphone Out
- Control : 1 x 1/4" TRS-F (Expression Input 1), MIDI In and Thru/Out via 3.5 mm TRS-F (Type A), MIDI over USB-C
- Dimensions : 228 x 118 x 65mm
- Weight : 1.5 kg
- MAP / RRP : £1,129 / $1,399
Demos
