Where to Download Free NAM Files in 2026 (and How to Pick Good Ones)

TONE3000 (formerly ToneHunt)

TONE3000 describes itself as a free community platform where users share digital models of their own gear. If you remember ToneHunt, it is the same service under a new name — the old tonehunt.org address now redirects to tone3000.com.

The library holds two kinds of files, which the site calls "tones":

• NAM captures of amp-and-cab rigs, amp heads, and pedals or outboard gear.
• IR captures of speaker cabinets, reverbs and rooms.

The platform reports hundreds of thousands of files (a September 2026 report put the library above 700,000 captures and IRs). Quantity is not quality, so the next sections show how to choose.

Three ways to get a capture into your signal chain

1. Download and load. Download the .nam file from the site (you may be asked to sign in), then load it into your plugin or copy it to your device. Our .nam file explainer covers the basics.
2. Use the TONE3000 plugin. The free plugin lets you search the library inside your DAW. Per its official guide it runs A2 models and IRs only, and you must be signed in to load library tones; local .nam and IR files need no account.
3. Use hardware that connects to the library. For example, the Darkglass Anagram's page describes downloading models from TONE3000 inside Darkglass Suite, and PiPedal 2.0 integrates the library for Raspberry Pi pedals. See the hardware compatibility guide.

How to choose a good capture

1. Match the gear to your goal. Pick the amp and channel that sound like the tone you want — a famous name is less important than the gain structure.
2. Check the type: full rig or amp only. Amp-only captures need an IR, full rigs do not. Adding a cab to a full rig is the classic double-cab mistake (see 5 beginner mistakes).
3. Check the generation and size. A2-Full, A2-Lite and older A1 models are not interchangeable everywhere. Make sure your plugin or device supports the one you download.
4. Read the description. Good creators list amp settings, mic, cab and input level — see how to read a model description.
5. Compare at equal volume. Louder always sounds better at first. Match the levels, then choose.
6. Audition with your own guitar. Demo clips use someone else's pickups and playing. Try three captures of the same amp and keep the one that responds best to your picking.
7. Mind your CPU. Heavier models can cause crackles on small computers — see latency and buffer settings.

Licensing and good manners

Every capture is somebody's work. TONE3000 has a Tone Sharing Policy and Guidelines; read them and the listing before you use a capture in a commercial release, and never re-upload other people's captures as your own. If you build your own, you can share it with the community.

Staying safe

• Download from the official TONE3000 site or plugin, not from random mirrors or file-sharing reposts.
• Get the NAM plugin from the official project links, and keep it updated.
• A .nam file itself is plain JSON data, but treat any installer from an unknown source with the usual caution.

FAQ

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