Okay - I am a bit of a new Neural user here - I am just using the plugins…but - here is my biggest overall comment:
There are some really good sounding clean tones, there are some pretty nice distorted/crunch tones…but LEAD TONES are rough!!! I have been doing a lot of adjusting and experimenting…but I have yet to hear any solid lead tone that sounds very good. They just sound too digital, to harsh, - again…other sounds are pretty good - but the lead tones are rough!!!
Drop the gain on lead - QC models generally are more gainy and compressed. Use a good compressor for sustain. Put a mid hump boost like 808 on.
Add delay/chorus/reverb as you like.
Honestly the easiest platform to get lead tones on. Now crunch/rhythm is another thing..
Thank you - I will try that - and that’s what I’ve been doing a lot - tweaking lead tones. I’ll keep trying - but that’s really the only area that I’ve been a bit disappointed in with the Neural stuff.
Yea, you need to play with the knobs just like any guitar gear. No one would set up a pedalboard and amp and expect to play them without adjusting everything.
Agreed - of course. But at the same time - why not try to make some great lead tone presets as an example or starting point. I have used five different Neural plugins now - and I have heard some great clean tone , and rhythm tone patches right out of the box - but I’ve yet to hear one single lead tone that wasn’t just awful. Why are there so many good examples of everything BUT a lead tone?!? A fantastic starting point would be to not make me prove your system works but instead - you show me it works - and then let me twist knobs.
Again - right out of the box - there are a lot of nice clean, acoustic, rhythm, crunch tones hand over fist - but I still haven’t heard one single good lead tone that doesn’t sound like over blown digital harshness.
Great questions. I actually have never played a factory preset, so I can only guess. My guess is that high gain tones are more sensitive to the input, particularly as each stepcof the chain can add gain or distortion, which also affects the perceived EQ. Maybe clean is more forgiving.
Try the high cut and low cut on the cab as well, and you need to check your guitar as well! because most of the presets sound differently depending on the pickups you have. but overall the first comment is gold. just put a compressor for sustain use an eq, cut a around 70Hz and 7KHz and you should be fine. just note that everything varies from your taste as well and from the models you’re using. for reference, i’m using a brit 2203 with gain at 7, a jewel comp, and a brit blues in front with the volume at full and gain at 2,3 then i have a tape delay at the end. hope this helps.
Well…again - a say a great big THANK YOU…to all that have replied. I’m still twisting the knobs - and I do understand that there are some subtle differences between pickup types, guitars, etc…but trust me…I’ve been doing this for a minute LOL - those things do make differences…but they are subtle. Regardless - thank you all again! I will keep working at it. But I have still yet to create a rich warm full but yet sharp lead tone. Let’s see if I can’t get there! And when I do…maybe I’ll share! LOL
Thanks again,
Cary
No worries 
btw are you plugged into an amp, monitors, studio monitors or frfr? that is a huge factor in the end. and what guitar do you have?
Currently - I am just using a couple of Neural Plugins to record directly into my DAW. I listen back through monitors and headphones. I am not using the system as a stage amp. Just recording in my DAW. And guitar-wise…I am mostly playing through some Ibanez stuff. JEMs etc.
Yo Cary,
What plugins you got? I can send you some lead tones myself.
With plugins it’s even easier! depending on the plugin you have. for my leads i mostly use JP, Nolly and Rabea’s plugins. i do a bit of tweaking but other than that they sound phenomenal. what are you using?
Why thank you - I’d love to check that out. I only have two - Plini and Petrucci.
Petrucci is great for leads, the 4th amp in particular. Is there a certain sound you’re trying to get? Any song/player’s style you’re trying to sound like?
then just experiment with the petrucci! it’s really impossible not to get a good lead tone with that plugin. i have lead tones even with the clean and piezo amps 
so just tweak a little. for my guitar i go with the 4th amp in default, i turn of the gate, i put the delay on and that’s it. it sounds phenomenal!!
No - no particular sound - nothing that I’m trying to copy. I mostly just make my own stuff these days - but as of yesterday, I started experimenting a little more in Petrucci. Let’s see what I can come up with. And again - I appreciate everyone’s feedback.
Hey!
Sorry about the delay!
here’s the thread for presets I have posted on Petrucci
There’s a lead tone in there!
If you think any lead tone sounds “hollow” add in a ribbon mic. Brings a lot of low-mid. Get the lead in the presets I posted - hopefully with some adjustments you are good to go!
First - Aviraleads…thank you! Sincerly - thanks for sharing…that was good to listen to a few tweaks someone else made. I did download all of those patches. And seriously…your lead one…the Lead June 2025 - sounds almost identical to some of the lead tones I have made myself…LOL. But anyhow…regardless…thanks again. That was great to experiment a little with someone else’s thoughts!
My pleasure brother.
Also too funny - we may have same tastes!
Don’t forget to share if you make something mind blowing - I’d love to give it a listen.
Thanks Aviraleads - and LOL sure, I can share a few things - my caveat to my crap would be - I played everything - lol - and all guitars are Neural plugins - BUT, I just started with Neural - so I’m sure there’s some more tweaking and adjusting to come.
Ohhh - but apparently I can’t attach a song file here. Maybe just a link?!? I am not sure.
AND by all means - please feel free to share some of your stuff as well. I’d love to hear some other Neural products work.