bx_blackdist_non-std.pngbx_blackdist_param.pngbx_blackdist_preset.pngbx_blackdist_std.png

Overview

 

Guitar stomp boxes are great for their durability and simplicity. Dial-in your settings, stomp on the switch and add new dimensions to your rig’s signature sound. The RAT 2 from ProCo Sound is the epitome of this idea- three knobs and a switch are all that stand between you and the heady distortion that helped shape iconic sounds of some of the greatest bands around the world.

Brainworx has now introduced the bx_blackdist2, a plugin version of the RAT 2, modeled to an exacting degree of guitar tone goodness. Simply dial in the ‘Distortion’, filter to shape between sounds ranging from warm to crunchy to screaming, and adjust volume to taste. It’s such a straightforward approach to customizing your pedal chain, no wonder the RAT 2 has become the beloved choice of guitarists and pedal collectors worldwide. The bx_blackdist2 brings the tonal charisma and flexibility of the original right into your DAW.

Activate the fully functional 14-day demo with your Plugin Alliance account today to hear for yourself (no dongle required)!

Legal Disclaimer: RAT 2 is a registered trademark of ProCo Sound. The bx_blackdist2 was developed by Brainworx based on its own modeling techniques. ProCo has not endorsed nor sponsored the bx_blackdist2 in any manner, nor licensed any intellectual property for use in this product.

Features

  • Simple, straightforward parameters include Distortion, Filter and Volume
  • Mono or Stereo operation
  • Light CPU load, AAX DSP support
  • Faithful re-creation of ProCo’s RAT 2
  • Warm overdrive to creamy, tube-like distortion to screaming fuzz
  • Plugin version has all the tone, but not all the noise, of the original
  • Plugin does things the pedal can’t, like automation and stereo buss processing

Audio Examples

Customer Reviews

  • New patient

    ★★★★★
    by Exodus
    Yay!
  • rat

    ★★★★★
    by Aodmosis 1977
    good
  • bx_blackdist2

    ★★★★★
    by Goran Alavuk
    having few knockoff's this is really usable ! dont think twice !
  • Great for 808 bass

    ★★★★★
    by LaGGarto
    add a little distortion to your 808's to give them definition
  • Phat Rat

    ★★★★★
    by Mark M Thompson
    Stunningly good emulation. Whack it in front of a good '65 Twin sim and this is filthy as hell.

Specifications

Supported Plugin Formats
AAX DSP, AAX Native, AU, VST2, VST3

Supported Operating Systems
macOS 15 down to macOS 12
Windows 11 down to Windows 10

Mac
Intel, or Apple Silicon

PC
x64-compatible CPU

System Requirements
Display resolution: 1440 × 900px or 1280 × 960px or higher
Memory: 2 GB RAM

Downloads

Use the links below to download your free copy of this plugin.

ChangeLog

bx_blackdist2

Brainworx bx_blackdist2 - Changelog

Version 1.9.1 (Oct 9, 2023)
- General: fixed CPU spikes on Mac OS

Version 1.9.0 (Aug 15, 2023)
- General: added native Apple Silicon compatibility for AAX
- General: added macOS Ventura support
- General: improved plugin loading time in the DAW
- General: fixed issue causing Logic to crash when closing the plugin UI
- General: improved font drawing behavior

Version 1.8 (Mar 15, 2022)
- General: added native Apple Silicon compatibility for VST3, VST2 and AU
- General: added macOS Monterey support
- General: added Windows 11 and Windows 10 21H1 support
- General: discontinued Windows 7 support
- General: discontinued macOS 10.9 and 10.11 support
- General: fixed metering behavior in block sizes of 2048 samples and higher

Version 1.7 (Mar 22, 2021)
- General: Compatibility with Logic on Apple Silicon devices via the Rosetta-2 layer
- General: Fixed possible artefacts when freezing or bouncing tracks in Pro Tools
- General: Fixed automation highlighting disappearing in Studio One
- General: Improved license dialog visibility in dark mode

Version 1.6 (May 27, 2020)
- General: Qualified for use with the Windows 10 May 2020 Update
- General: VST3: Fixed potential hangs in a DAW upon loading
- General: Fixed logical issues in undo / redo behavior
- General: Fixed UI resizing issues in Ableton Live on Windows
- General: Fixed audio processing initialization issues on amp and delay products

Version 1.5 (Nov 06, 2019)
- General: Qualified for use with macOS 10.15 Catalina
- General: Qualified for use with Windows 10 November 2019 Update
- General: Fixed plugin validation in Logic under macOS Catalina
- General: Fixed preset name restore in Logic when reopening a session
- General: Fixed opening authorization dialog triggering automation
- General: Improved instantiation times for plugins
- General: Improved license functionality and branding for subscription
- General: Removed 32-bit support on macOS and Windows

Version 1.4 (Jul 10, 2019)
- General: macOS 10.14.5 Update compatibility
- General: Windows 10 1903 Update compatibility
- General: Fixed activation issue in Windows hosts set to non-English language (e.g. Cakewalk)
- General: AU: Fixed issue with increased CPU and memory on reopening UI
- General: VST3: Fixed issue with adapting to host knob mode, and now prioritizing linear
- General: VST3: Fixed issue with VST3 preset permissions
- General: VST3: Improved synchronization between parameter states and some UI functions, e.g. toolbar reset

Version 1.3 (Nov 16, 2018)
- General: macOS Mojave compatibility
- General: Windows October 2018 update compatibility
- General: adding Windows High DPI support for VST2/3 plugins
- General: Fixed potential crashes in Cubase and other VST2 / VST3 DAWs
- General: Fixed potential CPU spikes and audio dropouts
- General: Fixed rendering in Pro Tools on the start of a session
- General: Fixed missing presets in Wavelab and other VST3 DAWs
- General: Improving keyboard control, fixing issues with catched keys preventing it from passing through to DAW
- General: Fixed parallel use of host sessions (e.g. with Live)

Version 1.2 (May 24, 2018)
- General: Microsoft Windows Redstone 4 compatibility
- General: Added computer keyboard control for plugin parameters
- General: Fixed Mouse scroll wheel not working in Windows 8
- General: Fixed an issue where plugins will not validate or load after a certain amount of plugins have been loaded (Windows)
- General: Fixed visual GUI freezes when adjusting DAW parameters, meters, analyzers (Mac)
- General: Fixed possible issue with Pick Pack licenses
- General: Small licenser stability fix

Version 1.1 (Oct 23, 2017)
- General: Mac OS High Sierra compatibility
- General: Fixed possible crash on online activation (Mac OS High Sierra)
- General: Fixed Logic Pro X not validating AU plugins (Mac OS High Sierra)
- General: Fixed CPU spikes and crashes with Cubase (Windows)
- General: Fixed bug that could lead to "AAE -6 error" in ProTools (Windows)
- General: Fixed crash with FL Studio
- General: Fixed crash when cross-opening plugins in various hosts
- General: Fixed crash when using mixdown in Audition
- General: Fixed crash in Final Cut Pro
- General: Fixed delayed parameter handling and crackling issues in Cubase with VST3
- General: Fixed bug where plugin settings were not saved in Harrison Mixbus
- General: Fixed bug that led to AAE error -9317 in ProTools when instantiating plugin
- General: Fixed bug where plugins did not render properly when "x ray" option is enabled in Sonar
- General: Modifications to factory presets were lost when reopening session
- General: Fixed mouse wheel behaviour with second monitor setup (Windows)
- Some plugins: Value labels do not appear every time when clicking on parameter in UI
- General: Faster instantiation time for plugins (Windows)
- General: Adding support for automation highlighting in Presonus StudioOne

Version 1.0.1 (Dec 20, 2016)
- General: Mac OS Sierra compatibility
- General: Fixed automation issues in AU and AAX
- General: Fixed license dialog use of special characters
- General: Improved AU preset support
- General: Performance improvements

Version 1.0 (Oct 3, 2016)
- Release version