Rodent-inspired Boutique Distortion at the Click of a Mouse
Crafted in collaboration with 1981 Inventions, MixWave’s 1981 DRV plug-in puts an all-time classic boutique dirtbox at your command. This plug-in harnesses the power of MixWave’s component-level modeling technology to ensure the utmost sonic authenticity, resulting in a tone and workflow that’s identical to tweaking the knobs on a real DRV. Like the original DRV, this pedal plug-in provides a flexible voice that skates between amp-like overdrive, crushing crunch, and an almost fuzz-like ferocity when cranked to its upper reaches. In fact, scores of Sweetwater guitarists liken the DRV and its plug-in partner to a more refined form of the classic rodent-style stompbox. What’s more, the 1981 DRV plug-in grants you significantly more sonic-shaping options than the pedal’s trio of knobs, with enhanced digital tools that include Wet/Dry mix controls for effortless parallel processing and Input/Output Filters.
Related Videos: 1981 DRV Distortion Pedal Plug-in
Ultra-accurate component-level modeling
Modeling the 1981 Inventions’ DRV pedal down to its resistors, the MixWave 1981 DRV plug-in utilizes the company’s cutting-edge component-level modeling technology. Thus, the original DRV’s dual-circuit design — consisting of a distortion circuit and a preamp boost — is here in full sonic force, along with the same highly interactive set of controls familiar to any fan of the physical DRV.
What does it sound like? Often described as a rodent-inspired pedal, the DRV delivers the same ultra-versatile mixture of overdrive, crunch, and fuzz-adjacent tones as that revered stompbox, with a slightly more polite character. Don’t get us wrong — the 1981 DRV plug-in can certainly get rude if you want it to! The DRV trims a touch of the original’s hairier elements down to size, resulting in a seriously comprehensive dirtbox that deserves a place on any distortion-obsessed guitarist’s digital pedalboard.

MixWave 1981 DRV Features:
- Plug-in re-creation of the 1981 Inventions DRV distortion pedal — designed in collaboration with 1981 Inventions
- Easy-to-navigate pedal-style UI with the same highly interactive knobs as the original: DRV, Cut, and Volume
- Delivers an immensely versatile dirt tone, often described as a more polite and refined version of the classic rodent-style stompbox
- Comes equipped with enhanced digital controls, including Wet/Dry controls for parallel processing and Input/Output Filters