GrooveMOD is a circuit-inspired stompbox lab for shaping fuzz, drive, and pedal-style saturation inside a modern DAW session. Instead of locking you into one fixed pedal sound, GrooveMOD lets you swap the parts that define the response: input capacitors, clipping diodes, tone caps, transistors, feedback resistance, output caps, and power/sag behavior. The result is a flexible fuzz and distortion plugin that feels closer to modding a pedal than scrolling through generic presets.
We built GrooveMOD with a strong focus on component behavior, not just surface-level tone shaping. Each selectable part has been modeled to capture its practical effect on feel, frequency response, clipping character, output behavior, and circuit interaction as closely as possible within a plugin format. Real analog circuits are deep, messy, and beautifully nonlinear, so this is an ongoing pursuit. Future releases will continue refining the component models, reference pedal behaviors, and real-world accuracy as we test against more hardware and user feedback.
Use it to build tight overdrive, vintage fuzz, broken battery textures, aggressive Big Muff-style sustain, gated sputter, or darker bass-friendly grind. The component controls affect the way the circuit reacts, not just the EQ curve, so changes feel musical and connected. GrooveMOD includes input level, drive, tone, level, bias, sag, presence, mix, gate, oversampling, A/B comparison, factory starting points, and GrooveShare preset sharing. It is designed for guitar and bass first, but also works well on synths, drum buses, re-amped DI tracks, and anything that needs analog-style dirt with hands-on control.
GrooveMOD is a circuit-inspired stompbox lab for shaping fuzz, drive, and pedal-style saturation inside a DAW. Instead of giving you one fixed pedal circuit, GrooveMOD lets you swap key components and hear how those choices change the feel, response, and character of the sound.
The plugin is built around the idea of pedal modding: changing input capacitors, clipping diodes, tone caps, transistors, feedback resistance, output caps, and power behavior. Each choice affects the way the virtual circuit reacts, from low-end tightness and clipping texture to output weight, sag, brightness, and sustain.
GrooveMOD is not meant to replace the experience of soldering real parts into a real pedal, but it brings that kind of exploration into a fast, musical plugin workflow. We have modeled each component choice as carefully as possible, and future updates will continue refining the circuit behavior as more hardware comparisons and user feedback come in.
INPUT LEVEL — Circuit Hit
Controls how hard the signal hits the virtual circuit before the fuzz stage.
Lower settings keep the response cleaner and more controlled.
Higher settings push the circuit harder, increasing saturation, compression, and harmonic density.
DRIVE — Gain & Saturation
Controls the amount of fuzz or drive generated by the circuit.
Lower settings are useful for gritty overdrive and edge-of-breakup textures.
Higher settings push into thick fuzz, longer sustain, and heavier compression.
TONE — Overall Brightness
Shapes the main tone response after the gain stage.
Lower settings produce darker, thicker sounds.
Higher settings add bite and presence, helping the sound cut through a mix.
If the top end gets too sharp, reduce TONE or PRESENCE before lowering DRIVE.
LEVEL — Output Volume
Controls the final output level of the plugin.
Use this to match bypass level or compensate for louder component combinations.
Some fuzz-style settings can get big quickly, so adjust LEVEL after choosing your components.
BIAS — Transistor Balance
Changes the operating point of the virtual transistor stage.
Centered settings are more stable and even.
Lower or higher settings can create asymmetry, sputter, gating, and more broken-pedal behavior.
SAG — Power Supply Feel
Simulates voltage drop and power supply softness.
Lower settings feel firmer and more immediate.
Higher settings create a softer, more compressed response with a slightly starved or worn-battery feel.
PRESENCE — Upper Detail
Adds or reduces upper-mid and high-frequency edge.
Use it to bring back articulation after darker component choices, or reduce it when the fuzz gets fizzy or raspy.
MIX — Dry / Wet Blend
Blends the processed signal with the original dry signal.
100% gives the full pedal-style effect.
Lower settings are useful for bass, parallel grit, drum buses, and synths where you want texture without losing the original punch.
INPUT CAPACITOR — Low-End Into the Circuit
Controls how much low frequency enters the gain stage.
Smaller values tighten the low end and reduce mud.
Larger values allow more bass into the circuit, producing a fuller and heavier response.
For bass, larger values can sound huge, but may need lower DRIVE or more output control.
CLIPPING DIODES — Distortion Character
Changes the clipping behavior of the circuit.
Silicon tends to be tighter and more focused.
Germanium is softer, lower-output, and more vintage-feeling.
LED clipping is louder, more open, and more aggressive.
Asymmetrical clipping adds uneven harmonic movement.
Lifted clipping removes the diode clamp for a louder, more open response.
TONE CAPACITOR — Tone Stack Voicing
Changes the frequency focus of the tone section.
Smaller values keep the tone brighter and tighter.
Larger values shift the response darker and thicker.
This is especially useful when chasing Muff-style or vintage fuzz voicings.
TRANSISTOR — Gain Stage Personality
Changes the modeled transistor behavior.
2N3904 is tighter and more modern.
BC108 has a familiar classic fuzz character with strong gain and bite.
AC128 gives a softer germanium-style response with a more vintage feel and lower perceived output.
FEEDBACK RESISTOR — Gain & Sustain Structure
Changes the amount of feedback around the gain stage.
Lower values are tighter and more controlled.
Higher values increase sustain, saturation, and thickness.
This control has a strong effect on how “big” or compressed the fuzz feels.
OUTPUT CAPACITOR — Low-End Leaving the Circuit
Shapes the amount of low frequency passed to the output.
Smaller values tighten the output and reduce boom.
Larger values give more body, weight, and bass extension.
Use this with INPUT CAPACITOR to balance tightness versus fullness.
POWER / SAG — Supply Voltage
Changes the virtual supply voltage feeding the circuit.
7V gives a weaker, softer, more starved response.
9V is the standard pedal-style setting.
12V is cleaner, firmer, and more open with slightly increased headroom.
GATE
Enables the built-in noise gate.
This is useful for high-gain fuzz settings, especially when stopping between riffs.
Use the threshold control to decide how quickly the gate closes.
If sustained notes cut off too early, lower the threshold.
OVERSAMPLE
Changes the internal oversampling amount.
Higher settings can reduce aliasing and make heavy distortion smoother, especially at extreme DRIVE settings.
2x is lighter on CPU, 4x is a good default, and 8x is best for maximum quality when the session can handle it.
GrooveShare lets you save, recall, and share complete GrooveMOD settings. Use the numbered buttons for quick preset slots, or open GrooveShare to copy a share code, load someone else’s sound, or save a sound to your local library.
Classic Fuzz
Input Cap 220 nF — Clipping Lifted — Tone Cap 3.9 nF — Transistor AC128 — Feedback 100 kOhm — Power 9V
Good for vintage-style sustain, softer attack, and expressive lead lines.
Muff-Style Wall
Input Cap 100 nF — Clipping Asymmetrical — Tone Cap 6.8 nF — Transistor BC108 — Feedback 220 kOhm — Output Cap 22 uF
Thick, sustaining fuzz with a heavier low end and strong harmonic density.
Tight Overdrive Edge
Input Cap 10 nF — Clipping Silicon — Tone Cap 2.2 nF — Transistor 2N3904 — Feedback 47 kOhm — Power 12V
More controlled and articulate, useful for riffs that need definition.
Broken Speaker
Input Cap 1 uF — Clipping Lifted — Tone Cap 10 nF — Transistor AC128 — Power 7V — Sag high
Starved, unstable, dark, and sputtery.
Great for lo-fi textures, bass damage, and weird synth layers.
