DamyFx has introduced a new overdrive effect plugin that is inspired by the Hermida Zendrive, the famous “Dumble in a box” loved by Robben Ford and by generations of guitarists chasing that warm, vocal, dynamic tone.
At the heart of ZenD lies a faithful emulation of the original circuit: an asymmetric MOSFET-style soft-clipping stage that reproduces the behavior of the 2N7000s in the pedal’s op-amp feedback loop. The result is a smooth, harmonically rich saturation that compresses like a tube: it stays clean when you brush the strings and opens up when you dig in, responding to your guitar’s volume knob just like a real amplifier.
Four controls, endless shades. Gain sets the amount of saturation, from a nearly transparent boost to singing lead sustain. Tone sculpts the high end after the distortion stage, from dark and smoky to bright and articulate. Volume sets the output level with automatic gain compensation. And then there’s Voice, the Zendrive’s signature control: roll it counterclockwise for a tight, focused character, or clockwise for a fatter, rounder, velvety response — that’s where the magic lives.
ZenD is available to download for free as a VST3 plugin for Windows.
More information: DamyFx
