Open Riff Box is a lightweight guitar effects processor that combines amplifier simulation, cabinet emulation and pedal-style effects in a single graphical application.
It can run as a standalone processor for a guitar connected through an audio interface or as a VST3 plugin. Its signal chain is built around reorderable effect slots, letting players shape a complete tone inside one program rather than assembling separate processors.
The application uses a vintage amp-inspired interface and provides real-time processing intended for low-latency playing. Effects can be bypassed individually, while the signal path includes an input DC blocker and output soft limiter.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Offers compressor, wah, noise gate, drive, distortion, delay, reverb, modulation and equalisation effects.
- Provides three amplifier simulation engines covering clean and crunch tones through detailed preamp and power-amp modelling.
- Includes cabinet impulse responses together with support for loading custom IR files.
- Lets users freely reorder the effect chain or restore the default signal path.
- Includes a built-in tuner with pitch detection and an analogue-style VU display.
- Provides a metronome with tap tempo, accented downbeats, adjustable tempo and multiple time signatures.
- Saves and loads presets, with quick switching between four preset slots.
- Supports ALSA and JACK for Linux audio, including PipeWire’s JACK compatibility layer.
- Uses oversampled nonlinear processing, circuit-modelled effects and convolution for cabinet simulation.
- Includes multiple compressor, wah, distortion, reverb and modulation modes for varied signal chains.
Website: github.com/dlujic/open-riff-box
Support:
Developer: dlujic
License: GNU General Public License v3.0
Open Riff Box is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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