MOD Devices Dwarf

The MOD Dwarf is a standalone modular audio processor that lets you build your own custom pedalboards, made by the German company MOD Devices¹. Instead of a fixed list of built-in effects, it runs a Linux-based platform on which you assemble virtual rigs: amp sims, synth engines, and the usual range of overdrive, delay, reverb and modulation blocks, wired together however you like. Guitar.com's reviewer described it as a multi-effects, amp sim and synth pedal in one box, assembled in Germany².

It is an evolution of MOD's earlier devices, running mostly the same software as the MOD Duo and MOD Duo X, which both run on a custom Linux distribution with a full DSP platform rather than an Arduino-style microcontroller³⁴. The Dwarf launched in 2021 after a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2020³.

What it does and how it works

MOD Devices describes the Dwarf as a device that lets you "build your own custom pedalboards"¹. The core idea is routing freedom: audio, MIDI and CV signals can be blended, split and assigned to control anything, freely, according to the maker¹. Guitar.com's reviewer, Richard Purvis, found that once the Dwarf is linked to a PC or Mac through the included USB cable, it offers the kind of deep-level control more familiar from computer software, with drag-and-drop pedals and amps connected by virtual cables².

Presets are organized as banks, pedalboards and snapshots, which the reviewer called an easily navigable system that adds up to a full performance rig once you have stored a bunch of them².

The controls

The Dwarf is built for hands-free live use, with four modes of operation selected from the front panel¹:

The maker's product page lists 4 silicone push buttons and a 2.9" LCD display¹. Guitar.com's review describes the hardware controls as a menu button, three multi-function knobs, three multi-function push-buttons and three multi-function footswitches². The review also notes input and output LED meters and Bluetooth among the features².

Connections, MIDI and computer control

The rear panel carries stereo jack inputs and outputs, mini-jack MIDI in and out, a control chain port, USB-A and USB-B, and a headphone output². In the maker's terms:

• MIDI: 3.5mm TRS MIDI type-A input and output¹
• USB Type-A host port: for MIDI controllers, Bluetooth and flash drives¹
• USB Type-B device port: for connecting to a computer¹

The USB-B connection is the route into the computer editor, where pedalboards are assembled with drag-and-drop pedals and virtual cables². The earlier MOD Duo offered full MIDI support over both legacy DIN and USB⁶, and the Dwarf carries that MIDI capability forward in the smaller TRS format.

Power and what is in the box

The Dwarf runs on a 12V DC 2A supply through a 5.5 x 2.1 x 10mm barrel connector¹. Guitar.com notes it is powered by a 12-volt mains supply that is included².

The retail box includes⁵:

• MOD Dwarf device
• 12V/2A power supply
• EVA protective case
• Velcro strips for pedalboard attachment
• Rubber strips for floor usage
• USB cable

Where it is made and where it came from

The Dwarf is assembled in Germany by MOD Devices, a company Guitar.com describes as taking a problem-solving, community-driven approach to hardware and software development²⁷. The device ships worldwide from the company's German warehouse, with most orders shipping in one to two business days⁵.

The Dwarf is the third device in the MOD line. The MOD Duo, the original Kickstarter-funded multi-effects pedal built around an open-ended internal Linux operating system, came first⁸, followed by the MOD Duo X. The Dwarf is a continuation of both, running the same custom Linux distribution and DSP platform⁴.

What reviewers said

Guitar.com's Richard Purvis reviewed the Dwarf in October 2021 at a price of £450, and his verdict was measured²:

He rated it 7 out of 10 overall².

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