DARTA DIGITAL AUDIO · FUZZ PLUGIN
RAMSES
The four-transistor fuzz behind the wall of sound from the 70s to the 90s, now with even more to offer: two clipping switches, a 4-band EQ, three classic versions on one switch and a gate that listens to your guitar.
Charged in Brazilian Reais (BRL), converted from US$ 19 at the day’s exchange rate. PayPal or your card converts it back and shows the exact amount in your currency before you confirm. Download link and license key by e-mail right after payment. Windows and Mac.
A pedal made for digital.
Darta Effects has been building pedals by hand since 2009, and one of ours is exactly this kind of fuzz, with EQ and clipping switches. Ramses takes that idea further, straight into a plugin: the real circuit, modeled transistor by transistor and diode by diode, with the three classic versions on one switch and the mods we always wanted to make.
Two clipping switches
Each of the two distortion stages has its own switch: germanium, silicon or LED. Nine combinations, from soft, compressed fuzz to torn and open.
4-band EQ
Instead of the single tone knob that scoops the mids and makes the fuzz vanish in the band mix: Bass, Low Mid, High Mid and Treble, each with ±12 dB.
Three versions in one
The VERSION switch swaps the parts that change the sound between the classic versions: Ram's Head, NYC and Green Russian.
The controls
Seven knobs, three switches and the footswitch, all automatable in your DAW. Below them, the presets and A/B comparison.
SUSTAIN
How hard the guitar drives the two clipping stages. Low, a more open fuzz that cleans up with your guitar’s volume; high, the wall of sound with endless sustain.
LEVEL
The pedal’s volume. At 3 it matches the level of the guitar with the pedal off; above that, up to +24 dB to push the amp.
GATE
Cuts the hiss when you stop playing. It listens to the clean guitar, before the fuzz, so it doesn’t eat the end of your notes. At 0 it is off; turn it up if hiss still gets through.
BASS · LOW MID · HIGH MID · TREBLE
4-band EQ after the distortion: 100 Hz, 380 Hz, 1.5 kHz and 4 kHz, with ±12 dB. Centered (5) is flat.
CLIP 1
The first stage’s diodes: GE (germanium, softer and more compressed), SI (silicon, the original) or LED (more open). Changes how the fuzz reacts to your picking.
CLIP 2
The second stage’s diodes, with the same three options. Changes the final texture of the sound.
VERSION
RAM (Ram’s Head), NYC or RUS (Green Russian). Click the top or bottom half of the switch to change it.
FOOTSWITCH
Turns the pedal on and off, with no click. The LED sits in the sun disk above the pharaoh.
PRESETS AND A/B
16 factory presets, all at the same volume, so you compare the sound, not the loudness. Save your settings by name and switch between two settings, A and B. A>B copies the active side to the other one.
The three versions
The parts that change from one version to the next: the coupling between stages, the capacitors that tame the highs, the gain and the mid scoop of the tone stack.
Ram's Head
More mids and more bite, with a tighter low end. The most open of the three, cutting through the band without any EQ.
Great forSolos, classic rock, being heard.NYC
Full lows, deeply scooped mids and the most sustain. The wall of sound everybody knows.
Great forHeavy rhythms, shoegaze, stoner.Green Russian
Huge lows, darker and smoother. The favorite of doom and down-tuned players.
Great forDoom, sludge, slow riffs.Germanium, silicon or LED
The diodes decide where the sound flattens out. Each type has its own knee and ceiling, calculated from the real component's equation.
GE · Germanium
Clips early and gently: the softest, most compressed and warmest fuzz. Great on the second stage for a velvety sound.
SI · Silicon
The circuit's original diode. The balance between attack and sustain, the classic sound.
LED
Clips much later: more volume, more dynamics and less compression. The fuzz sounds more open, almost like a distortion.
Tips to get the most out of it
Fuzz is easy to switch on and hard to tame. These ideas help.
Mids for the band
If the fuzz disappears when the band comes in, raise LOW MID and HIGH MID to 7 and pull back some BASS.
Start at 3
With LEVEL at 3, switching the pedal on and off doesn’t change the volume, so you judge the sound, not the loudness.
Doom
Green Russian, GE on both switches, SUSTAIN all the way up and TREBLE at 4.
A singing solo
Ram’s Head, SI on the first stage and LED on the second, SUSTAIN at 7: long sustain without losing the notes.
Before the amp
Put Ramses before your amp simulator, with a clean or slightly driven amp, just like a pedal on the floor.
Gate just right
Raise GATE only until the hiss is gone in the pauses. Too high and it cuts notes that fade out slowly.
Under the hood
Modeled circuit
The pedal's four stages, with the diodes solved by the real equation (Shockley) and the transistors' saturation. Not an EQ with saturation on top.
8x oversampling
The distortion stages run at 8x your DAW's rate: clean highs, without the digital fizz of fuzz plugins.
Smart gate
The gate listens to the guitar before the fuzz and only closes when you really stop playing.
Light
About 6% of one CPU core.
Standalone
It also opens as an app, with a clean amp and cabinet (or your own IR), to play without a DAW.
Try before you buy
Download the trial with everything unlocked: every control, all three versions and clipping options, and the standalone app with amp and cabinet. The only difference is that the sound drops out for 3 seconds every 45 seconds and presets can’t be saved. Like it? Buy a license and paste the key into the plugin, no reinstall needed.
Windows 10 and 11 (VST3 and standalone) and macOS 10.15 or newer (AU, VST3 and standalone).
Specifications
System
Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. macOS 10.15 or newer (Intel and Apple Silicon).
Formats
Windows: VST3 and standalone application. Mac: AU, VST3 and standalone application.
License
One license key activates up to 2 computers. Once activated, it works offline.
Channels
Mono or stereo. A mono guitar comes out on both sides.
FAQ
Does this pedal really exist?
No. Ramses was designed straight for the plugin and has no physical version. That’s why it carries the Darta Digital Audio name.
Which pedal is it based on?
On the world’s most famous four-transistor fuzz, the Big Muff, and the three versions that marked its history. Big Muff is a registered trademark of Electro-Harmonix; Darta is not affiliated with it and the name is used here only to describe the style of sound.
Where do I put it in the chain?
Before the amp (or amp simulator), like a pedal. With the guitar straight into the interface and no other effect in front, it responds best to your guitar’s volume knob.
Why is there hiss in the pauses?
Because this kind of fuzz boosts the noise of the guitar and the interface a lot. That’s what GATE is for: turn it up until the hiss is gone.
Does it work on bass?
Yes. To keep the low end, use the Green Russian version with BASS above 5.
Do I need an internet connection?
Only to activate. After that, Ramses works offline.
Can I use it on more than one computer?
Yes, each license key activates up to 2 computers. To move it, deactivate it on the old computer from inside the plugin.
How do I get the plugin?
Right after payment, you get the download link and your license key by e-mail. Both are also in My account.
What currency will I be charged in?
Darta is based in Brazil, so checkout is in Brazilian Reais (BRL): the US$ 19 price is converted at the day’s exchange rate. PayPal or your card issuer converts it back automatically and shows the exact amount in your currency before you confirm. Depending on their conversion rate, the final amount may differ slightly from US$ 19.
Is there a Mac version?
Yes. Ramses runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, macOS 10.15 or newer, as AU, VST3 and standalone.
Can I play without a DAW?
Yes. The standalone app comes with a clean amp (VOLUME, BASS, MIDDLE and TREBLE) and a 1×12 cabinet, or your own IR. Just plug your guitar into your audio interface and play. In your DAW, the plugin is just the pedal, so you can use any amp and cabinet you like.
Can I save my own presets?
Yes. Your presets are saved in Documents\Darta Digital Audio\Ramses\Presets and stay there even if you uninstall or update the plugin.
Is there a trial version?
Yes. Leave your e-mail under Try before you buy and download it right away. Everything works; the sound just drops out for 3 seconds every 45 seconds and presets can’t be saved. Once you buy, just paste the key into the plugin.
Light up the sun.
Charged in Brazilian Reais (BRL), converted from US$ 19 at the day’s exchange rate. PayPal or your card converts it back and shows the exact amount in your currency before you confirm. Download link and license key by e-mail right after payment.
