DARTA DIGITAL AUDIO · DISTORTION PLUGIN
SWEDEATH
The chainsaw tone that defined Swedish death metal, modeled from the original schematic: DISTORTION, LOW, HIGH and LEVEL just like the pedal, plus four Darta extras: TIGHT for low tunings, GATE, MOD with six diode variations and VOICE for more gain.
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.
The Swedish chainsaw.
Few pedals have a sound this recognizable: the torn low end and the sawing upper mids you get by cranking LOW and HIGH all the way. Swedeath models that circuit part by part and adds what it was missing: TIGHT, GATE, six diode variations and more gain on VOICE.
The real circuit
The two transistors of the first stage, the op-amp with diodes in its feedback loop and the pair of diodes to ground, with the original schematic's values and checked against circuit simulation.
The original Color Mix
LOW around 90 Hz and HIGH around 1 kHz, with about ±20 dB. At 5 they're flat; both on 10 give you the classic chainsaw.
Built for low tunings
TIGHT removes low end before the distortion and keeps it from getting muddy; GATE cuts the hiss in the pauses between riffs.
The controls
Seven knobs, one switch and the footswitch, all automatable in your DAW. Below them, your presets and A/B comparison.
DISTORTION
The gain of the two transistors and the op-amp before the diodes: from dirty crunch to a wall of distortion, rising evenly across the whole turn.
LEVEL
The pedal's volume. Around 2.5 it matches the level of the guitar with the pedal off.
GATE
Cuts the hiss when you stop playing. It listens to the clean guitar, before the pedal, so it doesn't eat the end of your notes. At 0 it is off.
LOW
The Color Mix low band, around 90 Hz. At 5 it's flat; at 10, the full low end of the classic sound.
HIGH
The Color Mix high band, around 1 kHz: this is what makes it saw. At 5 it's flat; at 10, the chainsaw.
TIGHT
Removes low end before the distortion, from 20 Hz (off at 0) up to 400 Hz. Use it for fast picking and low tunings.
MOD
Six variations of the circuit's diodes: STOCK, LED, OPEN, RAW, WARM and FILTHY. The volume is matched between them, so you compare the sound, not the loudness.
VOICE
ORIG is the original circuit. CUSTOM adds +12 dB at the input and pushes more low end into the distortion.
FOOTSWITCH
Turns the pedal on and off, with no click. With the pedal on, the madman's eyes glow red.
PRESETS AND A/B
Save your settings by name and switch between two settings, A and B, to compare them. A>B copies the active side to the other one.
The six MOD variations
MOD swaps the diodes that flatten the sound, like opening the pedal and changing parts. Each one is calculated from the real component's equation.
STOCK
The circuit as it left the factory: the balance between attack and compression.
Great forThe classic sound.LED
LEDs in place of the diodes to ground: they clip higher, with more dynamics.
Great forRiffs with more attack.OPEN
No feedback diodes: brighter, with less compression.
Great forLeads, notes that need to breathe.RAW
One rectifier diode in the feedback loop and germanium to ground: rawer and asymmetric.
Great forDirty, aggressive rhythm.WARM
One rectifier diode in the feedback loop and a softer top end: a rounder sound.
Great forLeads and darker tones.FILTHY
Germanium in every diode: the dirtiest and most compressed of the six.
Great forWall of sound, doom.Tips to get the most out of it
Ideas to get started.
Start at 2.5
With LEVEL around 2.5, switching the pedal on and off doesn't change the volume, so you judge the sound, not the loudness.
Everything on 10
DISTORTION, LOW and HIGH maxed and MOD on STOCK: the classic chainsaw setting.
Low tunings
Raise TIGHT until the lows stop getting muddy, without making the sound thin. Between 3 and 5 is usually enough.
More gain
Set VOICE to CUSTOM: more signal and more low end go into the distortion, and notes sustain longer.
Compare with A/B
Dial in A, copy it with A>B, change just one thing on B and switch between them.
Before the amp
Put Swedeath before your amp simulator, with a clean amp, just like a pedal on the floor.
Under the hood
Modeled circuit
Transistors, op-amp and diodes solved with the real components' equations, using the schematic values, and checked against circuit simulation (SPICE).
16x oversampling
The distortion runs at 16 times your DAW's rate, so the highs stay clean, with no aliasing.
Gate before the pedal
The gate listens to the clean guitar, before the pedal, and only closes what comes after it: notes end naturally.
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 six MOD variations, the VOICE switch 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.
Start the chainsaw.
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.
FAQ
Which pedal is it based on?
On the HM-2, the distortion pedal that became the signature of Swedish death metal. HM-2 is a Boss (Roland) product; Darta is not affiliated with it and the name is used here only to describe the style of sound.
Why LOW and HIGH on max?
That's the setting that created the sound: the lows and the 1 kHz band boosted together, driving into saturation. But both go from cut to boost, so it also does more balanced tones.
Does it work with low tunings and 7-string guitars?
Yes. Use TIGHT to keep the lows from getting muddy and GATE to keep the pauses dry.
Do I need an internet connection?
Only to activate. After that, Swedeath 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. Swedeath 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\Swedeath\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.
