DSP4Guitar
May 3, 2026 · View on GitHub
"Plug in. Drop out. Enter the Matrix."
Overview
A professional-grade, multi-effect VST3/AU plugin built with the JUCE framework, wrapped in a full cyberpunk / Matrix-terminal aesthetic — neon-green-on-black UI, scrolling Matrix-rain header animation, glowing LED toggles, and custom rotary knobs.
The plugin provides a 10-effect processing chain, each independently bypassable, running in a fixed signal-flow order optimised for guitar. Parameters are DAW-automatable via JUCE's AudioProcessorValueTreeState and plugin state is persisted across sessions.
UI Preview
| Plugin UI | Logo |
|---|---|
 |  |
The SVG vector mockup is at
assets/screenshots/plugin_ui.svg.
Features
✅ Cyberpunk / Matrix terminal UI — neon green #00FF41, dark-panel aesthetic, scrolling rain animation
✅ 10-effect signal chain — each effect independently bypassable
✅ Bitcrusher — bit-depth reduction and sample-rate downsampling for lo-fi tones
✅ Fuzz — hard-clipping drive with tone shaping and output level
✅ 3-Band Multiband Compressor — independent crossover compression per band
✅ Ring Modulator — LFO-driven amplitude modulation
✅ Auto Wah — LFO-swept band-pass filter with resonance control
✅ Phaser — all-pass stage phasing with feedback
✅ Chorus — modulated delay chorus
✅ Tremolo — LFO-controlled amplitude tremolo
✅ Delay — feedback tape delay (up to 2 s)
✅ Reverb — Schroeder-style room reverb
✅ Preset save/load — full parameter state persisted via XML
✅ Real-time waveform visualisation
Effect Chain
Effects are processed in the following fixed order. Each effect can be enabled or disabled independently with its toggle button.
| # | Effect | Key Controls |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bitcrusher | Bit Depth (2–16 bits), Downsample rate (1–100×) |
| 2 | Fuzz | Drive (1–100), Tone, Level (dB), Mix |
| 3 | Multiband Compressor | Per-band threshold (Low/Mid/High), Ratio, Attack, Release, Makeup gain |
| 4 | Ring Modulator | LFO Rate (20–5 000 Hz), Depth |
| 5 | Auto Wah | LFO Rate, Sweep Depth, Centre Frequency (300–3 000 Hz), Resonance, Mix |
| 6 | Phaser | Rate, Depth, Feedback, Mix |
| 7 | Chorus | Rate, Depth, Mix |
| 8 | Tremolo | Rate, Depth |
| 9 | Delay | Time (1–2 000 ms), Feedback, Mix |
| 10 | Reverb | Room Size, Damping, Wet Level, Dry Level, Width |
See Documentation/effects-reference.md for the full parameter reference, including ranges and default values.
Cyberpunk Colour Palette
| Token | Hex | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Matrix Green | #00FF41 | Active knobs, borders, LEDs |
| Dark Green | #00B300 | Track fills, secondary labels |
| Near-Black | #050505 | Knob backgrounds |
| Dark BG | #0D0D1A | Window background |
| Cyan | #00FFFF | Accent labels, corner brackets |
| Gray | #444444 | Inactive / disabled elements |
Installation
Prerequisites
| Tool | Version |
|---|---|
| CMake | ≥ 3.15 |
| C++ compiler | C++17 (MSVC 2019+, Clang 10+, GCC 9+) |
| JUCE | 7.0.9 (downloaded automatically by CMake/CI) |
Linux only — install audio dev packages:
sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev libjack-jackd2-dev libcurl4-openssl-dev \
libfreetype6-dev libx11-dev libxcomposite-dev libxcursor-dev \
libxinerama-dev libxrandr-dev libxrender-dev libglu1-mesa-dev mesa-common-dev
macOS only — install Xcode Command Line Tools:
xcode-select --install
Build from Source
# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/GizzZmo/DSP4Guitar.git
cd DSP4Guitar
# 2. Download JUCE framework
git clone --depth 1 --branch 7.0.9 https://github.com/juce-framework/JUCE.git
# 3. Configure and build (Release)
cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
cmake --build build --config Release
Install the Plugin
Copy the built file to your DAW's plugin folder:
| Platform | VST3 path | AU path |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | ~/.vst3/ | — |
| macOS | /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/ | /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ |
| Windows | C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\ | — |
Then open your DAW, rescan plugins, and load DSP4Guitar.
Download Pre-built Binaries
Pre-built VST3/AU binaries are attached to each GitHub Release and to every successful CI run (Actions tab → run → Artifacts).
How to Use
- Load the plugin on a guitar track (or any mono/stereo audio source).
- Enable the effects you want using the toggle buttons.
- Adjust parameters with the rotary knobs and sliders.
- Save your settings as a preset for instant recall.
- Use MIDI program-change messages to switch presets hands-free.
- Monitor the processed signal with the real-time waveform display.
Development
Architecture
MultiEffectProcessor (AudioProcessor)
├── EffectChain (juce::dsp::ProcessorChain)
│ ├── Bitcrusher
│ ├── Fuzz
│ ├── MultibandCompressor
│ ├── RingModulator
│ ├── WahWah
│ ├── juce::dsp::Phaser
│ ├── juce::dsp::Chorus
│ ├── Tremolo
│ ├── juce::dsp::DelayLine (manual feedback loop in processBlock)
│ └── juce::dsp::Reverb
└── AudioProcessorValueTreeState (APVTS)
└── All parameters (bypassable per-effect + per-effect controls)
MultiEffectProcessorEditor (AudioProcessorEditor)
├── CyberpunkLookAndFeel (custom JUCE LookAndFeel)
├── PresetManager
└── Per-effect panels (knobs, toggles, labels)
Source Files
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
MultiEffectProcessor.h/.cpp | Plugin entry point, DSP classes, effect chain |
PluginEditor.h/.cpp | GUI — panels, knobs, waveform display |
CyberpunkLookAndFeel.h | Custom JUCE LookAndFeel (cyberpunk theme) |
PresetManager.h/.cpp | Save/load presets to/from XML |
Delay.h/.cpp | Legacy delay helper (superseded by DelayLine in chain) |
Distortion.h/.cpp | Legacy distortion helper |
Modulation.h/.cpp | Legacy modulation helper |
StereoWidening.h/.cpp | Stereo widening utility |
DSP4GuitarApp.h | Standalone app wrapper |
CI/CD
The project uses GitHub Actions for automated multi-platform builds, code quality checks, and release packaging:
- 📖 CI Quick Start — get up and running in minutes
- 📖 CI Documentation — full workflow reference
- 🔍 Run
./scripts/pre-commit-check.sh(Linux/macOS) or.\scripts\pre-commit-check.ps1(Windows) to validate locally before pushing
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md for code standards, build instructions, and pull request guidelines.
Documentation
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| Documentation/effects-reference.md | Full parameter reference for all 10 effects |
| Documentation/readme.md | DSP theory compendium — distortion, dynamics, filters, modulation |
| Documentation/vstplugin.md | VST plugin architecture and integration guide |
| Documentation/performance.md | Real-time performance and multi-channel processing |
| Documentation/interactivemidi.md | Waveform display and MIDI control integration |
| .github/CI_DOCUMENTATION.md | CI/CD workflow reference |
License
MIT License — open-source for personal and commercial use. See LICENSE.