DARTA DIGITAL AUDIO · DISTORTION PLUGIN
RATZILLA
The world's most famous op-amp distortion, grown into a monster: a passive British amp EQ, a chip switch, a clipping switch, the Ruetz mod on a knob, the Tight 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.
Ratz's big brother.
Darta Effects builds Ratz by hand, our take on one of the most played distortion pedals in history. Ratzilla is its big brother, made straight for the plugin: the same circuit, modeled part by part, with everything we always wanted to put in it.
Amp EQ
Instead of the FILTER knob, the passive tone stack of a classic British amp: Bass, Middle and Treble, with the original circuit values. The controls interact, just like on the amp.
Three chips on one switch
The heart of the pedal is an op-amp. The CHIP switch swaps it: the original LM308, the 90s OP07 and the fast, modern TL071.
Ruetz and Tight
The Ruetz mod, which makes the sound fatter and fuzzier, on a knob instead of a solder job. And the Tight switch, which takes the low end out of the distortion for tight riffs.
The controls
Seven knobs, three switches and the footswitch, all automatable in your DAW. Below them, 16 factory presets, your own presets, A/B and undo.
DISTORTION
The op-amp gain: at zero, an almost clean boost; at max, the wall of distortion. As in the original circuit, the gain rises more in the mids and highs.
LEVEL
The pedal’s volume. At 3 it matches the level of the guitar with the pedal off; above that, up to +24 dB.
GATE
Cuts the hiss when you stop playing. It listens to the clean guitar, before the distortion, so it doesn’t eat the end of your notes. At 0 it is off.
BASS · MIDDLE · TREBLE
The passive tone stack of a classic British amp, after the distortion. The three controls interact, like on the amp: lowering Middle also changes Bass and Treble.
RUETZ
At 0, the original pedal. Turning it up lowers the mid and treble gain and fattens the sound, fuzz-like. At max, it’s the full Ruetz mod.
CLIP
The diodes that clip the signal: SI (silicon, the original), LED (louder and more open) or GE (germanium, softer).
CHIP
308, OP07 or TL071. Changes the op-amp’s speed and bandwidth, and with them the character of the distortion.
TIGHT
Switches the part of the circuit that amplifies the lows on and off. On, the low end leaves the distortion: tight palm mutes, no mud.
FOOTSWITCH
Turns the pedal on and off, with no click. Ratzilla’s eyes are the LED.
PRESETS AND A/B
16 factory presets in four categories (Classic, Heavy, Lead and Special), all at the same loudness. Save your own with SAVE, compare two settings with A and B and step back with UNDO.
The three chips
The difference between them grows with DISTORTION: at low gain they sound alike; at high gain, each one has its own character.
LM308
The classic pedal's chip: slow, with the warm, torn distortion everybody knows.
Great forThe classic sound, rock, grunge.OP07
Less treble than the LM308: the distortion gets smooth and round.
Great forSinging solos, darker tones, stoner.TL071
Faster than the others: more presence and more attack, a more modern and aggressive distortion.
Great forModern riffs, punk, fast picking.Silicon, LED or germanium
The diodes to ground decide where the sound flattens out. Each type is calculated from the real component's equation.
SI · Silicon
The circuit's original diode: the balance between attack and compression.
LED
Clips much later: louder, more dynamic and more open, almost like an amp.
GE · Germanium
Clips early and gently: softer, more compressed and warmer.
Tips to get the most out of it
Ideas to get started.
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.
Tight palm mutes
Turn TIGHT on and use the TL071 chip: the lows stop getting muddy and every pick attack comes through.
Fat fuzz
Set RUETZ to 6 and DISTORTION to 8: the sound fattens and turns fuzz-like, without losing definition.
A solo up front
Raise MIDDLE to 7 or 8: in the tone stack, the mids push the guitar forward in the mix.
Before the amp
Put Ratzilla 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
A real op-amp
The chip is simulated inside the real circuit: the feedback loop with Distortion, both gain legs, the bandwidth limit, the speed and the battery's ceiling.
8x oversampling
The op-amp and diodes run at 8x your DAW's rate: clean highs, without the digital fizz of distortion plugins.
Exact tone stack
The EQ uses the transfer function of the tone stack, calculated from the components.
Light
About 5% 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 chips 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. Darta Effects’ physical pedal is Ratz, a simpler one. Ratzilla was designed straight for the plugin, with three chips, an amp EQ and the Ruetz mod on a knob, and has no physical version. That’s why it carries the Darta Digital Audio name.
Which pedal is it based on?
On the RAT, one of the most played distortions in history; the EQ follows the tone stack of Marshall amps. RAT is a registered trademark of Pro Co Sound and Marshall is a trademark of Marshall Amplification; Darta is not affiliated with them and the names are used here only to describe the style of sound.
What is the Ruetz mod?
A classic mod for this circuit: it changes one of the two parts that set the gain, the one that amplifies mids and highs. The sound loses its rasp and gains body, fuzz-like. On Ratzilla it’s a knob: at 0, the original pedal.
Why is there hiss in the pauses?
Because a distortion with this much gain 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. Keep TIGHT off and BASS above 5 to keep the low end.
Do I need an internet connection?
Only to activate. After that, Ratzilla 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. Ratzilla 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\Ratzilla\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.
Unleash the monster.
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.
