Hear it
Rona Audio RA-43 – Metal Drive is an overdrive / distortion pedal in the Vintage Effects collection from Rona Audio: a plug-in recreation of a classic RA-43 metal drive, with the pedal itself as the interface. Every knob, switch and footswitch you see works; the circuit behind them is modelled stage by stage so the controls interact the way the hardware’s do.
- OUTPUT — Output volume (audio taper) before the digital section
- COLOR — Active tone after the distortion: LO cuts the treble above ~1.2 kHz, HI lifts it (~+6 dB)
- GAIN — Gain of the first op-amp stage (x5 .. x400) into two cascaded silicon diode clippers
- TYPE — Digital section, printed I-IV: I single; II ~24 ms doubled voice on output B; III / IV stereo chorus (wet added on A, subtracted on B; IV deeper and faster)
- Footswitch — Switches the effect on and off (the LED lights while on).
12 factory presets in 5 categories. Formats: VST3 and AAX (Windows 10/11 64-bit); VST3, AU and AAX (macOS). Stereo output. Installed, activated and updated with RONA License Manager.
System requirements
What’s included
Windows: VST3 / AAX · macOS: VST3 / AAX / AU · PDF manual · one license, 3 computers · installed and activated with RONA License Manager · free updates within the major version
Version
Version 1.0.0 29 September 2026
First release of RA-43 Digital Metalizer in the Rona Vintage guitar pedal collection. Windows VST3, AAX and Standalone. Installed, activated and updated with RONA License Manager.
Questions
How do I install and activate Rona Audio RA-43 – Metal Drive?
Download RONA License Manager from rona.com.au/license-manager, log in with your rona.com.au account and click Install next to the product. It activates this computer, downloads the right installer for your system and installs every format. There is no serial number to enter and no activation button inside the plug-in.
How many computers can I use it on?
Each serial number can be active on up to 3 computers at the same time. On a Mac the VST3, AU and AAX formats share one activation. You can see your computers and free a slot at any time in RONA License Manager (Activations) or on rona.com.au under My Account → My Products.
Which formats are included?
Windows: VST3 and AAX. macOS: VST3, AU (Audio Unit) and AAX, Universal 2 for Intel and Apple Silicon. RONA License Manager installs all formats of a product together and they share one activation.
Do I need an internet connection?
An internet connection is needed for RONA License Manager to log in, activate, download and update your products. You do not need to be online while you work in your DAW.
Where are the controls that are not on the front panel?
Right-click the pedal (anywhere away from a control) and choose Settings, licence and about… to open the settings panel. It repeats the preset and MANUAL buttons and holds: QUALITY: the oversampling used by the clipping stages – Normal (2x), High (4x, default) or Ultra (8x). Higher settings reduce aliasing at the cost of CPU; the latency reported to your DAW changes with it and is compensated automatically. SIZE: window size, 75 % to 200 %. About: product, version and support details; COPY DIAGNOSTICS copies a diagnostic report for support.
