Best Pedals - Best Tones

[Vhyle]

I'm running a boss gt-8 and I fucking love it. You can customize the all-might hell out of every effect, as well as mix and match them just about as much as you want.

Its a bit of a pain getting all the tech for it down (comes with a book thats close to 100 pages), but once I figured it out I've really been able to tweak the sound to exactly what I want to hear.

Saved about $200 by getting it from someone on ebay who had just gotten himself a gt-10, and it didnt have as much as a scratch on it

Awesome. The GT8 looks pretty fucking sick. I'd love to have one!

 

[brainimpalement]

For pedals I am currently using:
Dunlop Zakk Wylde signature Wah
Line 6 Uber Metal (when I use it, I can't seem to get anything but angry mid-less rage out of it)
Boss GE-7 EQ - used live for a tone boost, much like Alcaline
Boss NS-1 Noise Suppressor - it took a bit of fine-tuning, but I think I've managed to cut out the hiss. Plus you can use it to mute between songs.

One of the best tones I've ever heard come out of a pedal was from what I think was an MI Tube Zone. My old guitar teacher had one and it sounded insane.

 

[TheBeast666]

93!
I concur! Symbiant.
The ToneWorks HyperDistortion by Korg produces a Metal sound beyond belief.
I've got one, and the only distortion sound like it, is what you get coming off the stage at concerts.
So the question then is(and only people having had this pedal would know)--is there a pedal available that comes anywhere near unto it?
I have a Stealth GT50 head, and the legendary distortion these amps are rumored to have is there, but I've found that you have to crank it up high to achieve it. Being how it is that unless you have enough money to have a place of your own, neighbors are likely to impose themselves upon your autonomy if you play loud enough to reach the sacred spot--(apartment dwellers for instance)--a pedal comes in handy getting a distorted sound at lower volumes. The HyperDistortion did this--at any volume.

Also, we have the Metal zone (the old standby)--!
And new stuff like the Death Metal Pedal.
If anyone has had experience with both of them, and plays Death Metal--which is best for achieving a sound that can indeed be defined as such? I've a feeling that oddly enough it would probably be the Metal Zone most people that actually play Death would choose.
How close does the Death Metal pedal come to a true Death Metal sound? Or is it just hype?

93! 93! 93!

 

[Cynical]

I have a Digitech Death Metal. It's fine by my standars, which are admittedly significantly lower than most around here. Trebely and harsh, with no gain control. It may work for you if you want a black metal tone, or if you want a Sunlight Studios sort of tone, but it's pretty much completely eclipsed by the old Boss Heavy Metal (which, sadly, is no longer made). I do, however, prefer it to the Metal Zone, but the two sound quite different- the Metal Zone is fuller, while the Death Metal is "rawer" and harsher.

 

[viewerfromnihil]

I have a Digitech Death Metal. It's fine by my standars, which are admittedly significantly lower than most around here. Trebely and harsh, with no gain control. It may work for you if you want a black metal tone, or if you want a Sunlight Studios sort of tone, but it's pretty much completely eclipsed by the old Boss Heavy Metal (which, sadly, is no longer made). I do, however, prefer it to the Metal Zone, but the two sound quite different- the Metal Zone is fuller, while the Death Metal is "rawer" and harsher.

i actually love the death metal pedal and i can't stand the metal zone

 

[I Breathe Spears]

I used to have a DOD FX-86 distortion pedal before I grabbed a Digitech RP-50. The FX-86 death metal distortion pedal is now a Digitech pedal, I don't know if they sound different but I loved my DOD pedal. It sounded mean as fuck, but then the RP50 replaced it. The RP50 was a pretty decent piece of equipment.

 

[TheBeast666]

93!

I’ve an RP100, and you can get great Metal tones from it, if you create them yourself.
The problem is, that when you crank up the volume to usable levels (meaning exceedingly loud)
one is presented with a high pitched squeal, and other noises that are not supposed to be there.
I am working with the treble eq of the RP in an attempt to rectify these problems. Anyone else experienced this too? And what were you able to do about it?
Even though I play low where I am now, I fancy to play loud when the circumstances permit.

I am torn between getting the Death Metal pedal, or the Metal Zone. But the price for the Metal Zone is so, so much! It would really have to be great for me to spend that much.
So maybe the Death Metal pedal is good for what it is named for, and DOD is not just trying to capitalize on the genre..
Had a listen to Atropos, and if that is the Death Metal pedal the guitarist is playing, then it is definitely
made for what it’s named after! I liked what I heard.

At the risk of being ridiculed—what about the Grunge?
I’ve one of those too, and you can get a metal tone with it, but it lacks for the ultra brutal pleasantries.
I played it through an old Fender Super Six tube amp, of about 100 watts, and I must say, the sound was damn good. Not for Black or Death Metal; but it was indeed an heavy kind of Metal; and it was a tube amp.

93! 93! 93!

 

[viewerfromnihil]

the recording is through a crate head and the cab had 2 eminence texas heats and 2 black powders.

go for the death metal

as for the grunge, trust me on this one, no

 

[BOOGEY]

i use a ts-9 to boost the already distorted channel it adds a little more bite with the gain and treble set at zero.and sometimes i do the same with the mt-2 but i wouldnt use it as a distortion pedal.i want to also try a boss overdrive they sound pretty nice as a boost pedal but yeh you cant really beat a good amps disortion.i aslo like boss delays

 

[TheBeast666]

93!

Boogey,

I've just dug up my Boss Overdrive/Distortion os-2 from storage, and am going to try it out in combination with the gain channel on my amp.
There is not much bottom end on that particular pedal, and a lot of reviewers complain about it; but is there really supposed to be a big bottom end boost from an overdrive pedal?

So I can either crank the od on the pedal with the gain on the amp lower, or crank the gain on the amp, with the od lower!
Then if it does not do anything special, I will see how the OD sounds using various distortion pedals with it.


93! 93! 93!

 

[EerieVon]

The death metal pedal is good for dm, as everyone has said but I find I need a noisegate with it especially if I am recording with it

 

[TomAwesome]

I know I am probably going to get laughed at but... the line 6 uber metal pedal... so sweet. If you want raw distortion this is for you... plus the noise gate allows for it to sound really raw and punchy. Such an amazing distortion pedal.

It's actually a pretty good pedal. I used one in the FX loop of my GT-6 for high gain patches until I got my POD, and it gave me a huge and brutal sound that was still pretty clear and not too ice-picky or screechy.

If I had to pick a pedal solely for distortion, I'd probably go with the Boss Metalzone that was released last year. Good dynamics, and great punch that can be made to fit in almsot any metal/heavy style. I dunno if I'd use it for anything besides practise or jamming, though.

Last year? Are they making them differently now, or are you talking about the Metal Core? I didn't like it that much personally.

93!
Also, we have the Metal zone (the old standby)--!
And new stuff like the Death Metal Pedal.
If anyone has had experience with both of them, and plays Death Metal--which is best for achieving a sound that can indeed be defined as such? I've a feeling that oddly enough it would probably be the Metal Zone most people that actually play Death would choose.
How close does the Death Metal pedal come to a true Death Metal sound? Or is it just hype?

It's been a while since I had a working Death Metal pedal (I had one back when it was a DOD effect), but it's not half bad for the price. It was my main dirt box for a while. It gets the job done fairly decently, even if it is a little noisy. The MT-2 is growlier and less compressed sounding, though, as well as being a hell of a lot more versatile and moddable. A great way to use an MT-2 is to turn the gain down most of the way and use it to slam the front end of a high gain amp. Six Feet Under and Cannibal Corpse (listen to the album Kill) get some damn good results, though I think at least CC's MT-2s are Keeley modded. I got my MT-2 modded, and now it's got all the growl and low end that makes the pedal great without the hiss and "box of bees" effects everyone complains about.

I am torn between getting the Death Metal pedal, or the Metal Zone. But the price for the Metal Zone is so, so much! It would really have to be great for me to spend that much.

Get a used one. You can get them dirt cheap a lot of the time.

 

[Elminster]

For the longest time I was using one of those Digitech Grunge pedals. Surprisingly good metal tone IMO.

 

[Element_man]

Last year? Are they making them differently now, or are you talking about the Metal Core? I didn't like it that much personally.

Sorry! I meant the Metal Core. I rather enjoy the tone of that pedal, I think it's a great pedal for beefing up a solid state amp, or getting a great crunch tone from a practise amp.

 

[mick thompson]

the best metal pedal i have played through has got to be the EHX Electro Harmonics Metal Muff with top boost. Its piss cheap and doesnt have that "bee in a jar" sound that you get from boss and digitech metal pedals. its pure raw tone cuts through the mix so nice.

if your running a nice amp - ie: im running a peavey 6505+ i would tell you go get an original ibanez tube screamer for slightly boosting your leads. thats all - the more simple your setup the more raw power you can have - thats how i see it.

 

[TheBeast666]

93!

O yes! Very well then.

Making my way to a local pawn shop, and not expecting to find anything much--I was confronted by a singular black and red shiny pedal in the case: a Digitech Death Metal pedal!
I did not hesitate to buy it, or haggle over the price--as the ancient tomes tell us, but purchased it then and there for only 30.00!

Indeed! Indeed. Indeed!
I've tried many a pedal at the shops, and have a few about; this I do declare--Is "The" Metal pedal I've been looking for. It is capable of "many" great tones, not just one, --as some have made utterance.
Pinch harmonics--shriek knife edged screams! Palm mutes--thunder blast!
This is through my tube amp, but even on my Raven 20 watt it sounded very, very good.

One day, I will get the Metal Zone, and experiment with it; for now--this satisfies.

As Gustav approached the city, I alone enjoyed the abandoned apartment. As the winds gusted at only 70 to 80 miles per hour, I knew I would be undisturbed when I cranked up the amp, with none to dare complain. The Power did not go out. The electricity did, but only for 7 hours.
I had three days to play as loud as I fancied, whilst everyone was gone.

Yes,Viewer from Nihil, ----you were right.

93! 93! 93!

 

[TartanLlama]

I've got a boss ME-50. It's great for variety of effects, has all the basics, reverb, delay, chorus, 22 distortion models etc, but it also has a built in harmonizer flange and phaser. The wah sucks though.

 

[MetallyGuitarded]

If I had to pick a pedal solely for distortion, I'd probably go with the Boss Metalzone that was released last year. Good dynamics, and great punch that can be made to fit in almsot any metal/heavy style. I dunno if I'd use it for anything besides practise or jamming, though.

Released last year? I had a Metal Zone back in the early 90's...

I've been checking out pedals on YouTube for weeks trying to decide what to get next. ProGuitarShop.com has some great demo videos and WorldMusicSupply

You could learn a lot from the Harmony-central.com effects forum too. I'm just getting into pedals all over again after a decade away from them so I don't think I really have any grounds to offer opinions on any but what I currently have. My current pedals are the Boss PW-10 V-Wah, CS-3 Comp/Sustain and SD-1 Super Overdrive. They aren't the best at what they do but they sound good and they certainly get the job done.

I will say this, a good compressor ( not a stock Boss CS-3 by any means ) is a way under rated pedal in any rig.

 

[sk8ordie97]

Boss is most liklely the best steer clear of digitech and line 6 effects korg is also really really good