Suffocation gear?

[EffigyForgotten]

Hey guys i've noticed that out of all the death metal bands I listen to I think suffocation has the most brutal live sound i've ever heard, any ideas on what these guys use other than the amps?

After watching MANY live vids and searching i've found out that since their self tilted record they have used triple xxx's for their studio even though they sound WAY better live.



Like that right there to me sounds AMAZING and I see they were using 6505's (6505+ or 6505?) and I know that terrence uses dimarzio super distortions in his guitars and guy uses SD distortions. Any info on the super distortion? It doesn't really seem like a pickup used for tech death but terrence makes it work so it makes me wonder. Also they MUST be using a boost/overdrive of some sort I mean does a 6505 sound that tight and brutal on its own?

I've only played for like 2 years or so and my playing is kind of like me playing as fast as possible while throwing in a groovier riff or less heavy riff (kinda like opeth) in while trying to practice or make up stuff and I really really HATE my current amp for what I try to play, it just doesn't have enough gain and isn't tight and clear enough to play what I want.

So any info on gear they use would be helpful as their basically my favorite band along with death, obscura and opeth.

 

[colonel kurtz]

does a 6505 sound that tight and brutal on its own?

fuck yes!

 

[EffigyForgotten]

fuck yes!

You sure? I'm 70% sure I should get a triple xxx because i've read its more articulate, tight and clear plus I could use the rhythm channel for all of my rhythm work and I could set up the lead channel for much better leads then what I would get with the 6505. Basically everyone uses a boost with the 6505 and still don't sound as tight as suffocation?

 

[LiberaScientia]

it just doesn't have enough gain and isn't tight and clear enough to play what I want.

Contradiction of the century there

But yeah, dunno anything about suffocation but most people I've heard using a 6505 on it's own (some with a gate though) in person have sounded really good. Might just be cause they're all tight as fuck players though, I dunno.

 

[JakeAC5253]

I should get a triple xxx because i've read its more articulate, tight and clear

Brighter in tonality is not necessarily a more clear sound.

plus I could use the rhythm channel for all of my rhythm work and I could set up the lead channel for much better leads then what I would get with the 6505.

The 5150 doesn't have a good lead channel... says who? Eric Clapton?

Basically everyone uses a boost with the 6505 and still don't sound as tight as suffocation?

That's a ridiculous claim, how can you back that up? If a 5150 isn't tight then there's something wrong with it, or the person playing it.

By the way, I saw a Marshall head in the video you posted.

 

[EffigyForgotten]

Brighter in tonality is not necessarily a more clear sound.



The 5150 doesn't have a good lead channel... says who? Eric Clapton?



That's a ridiculous claim, how can you back that up? If a 5150 isn't tight then there's something wrong with it, or the person playing it.

By the way, I saw a Marshall head in the video you posted.

Yea there was a marshall head but I spotted 2 6505s and obviously their using those not yucky marshalls, and I have to use an EQ pedal to get any where close to the lead sound I want with my current amp. About the 6505, i'm basically talking about ANY 6505 I've ever heard doesn't sound as good as they do live. Seriously name any recording or live concert and ill still think suffocation is better

If the 6505 is the way to go though then I guess I should just get one of those though. Hows the rhythm channel on them? I guess I don't really use cleans that much but then again I can get another amp for that.

Whatever head I get will be paired with vader cab for sure.

 

[searanox]

If the 6505 is the way to go though then I guess I should just get one of those though. Hows the rhythm channel on them? I guess I don't really use cleans that much but then again I can get another amp for that.

The rhythm channel on the 5150/6505 is more midrange heavy and has less gain (though with a boost it can sound awesomely brutal). It's my choice for playing more traditional metal because it has a less modern sound (more like an old overdriven Plexi and less like a gain monster).

The lead channel is the reason most people get the 6505 and it sounds fucking awesome for almost anything metal, except, again, more traditional stuff (though even then it's still quite nice).

The reason Suffocation sound tight and brutal as fuck is because they are amazing players. I can tell from that clip that they aren't using insane amounts of gain, but rather getting it from their fingers. As a rule, almost all the best players out there don't use tons of gain, certainly not as much as you think (though of course there are exceptions, i.e. Paul Gilbert and other shredders).

Since you're relatively new to guitar I would urge you to focus more on technique than gear. If you have a solid state amp, save up and get yourself a decent tube combo like one of the lower-cost Blackstars. Solid states, especially cheap ones, suck as far as responsiveness go and usually turn everything to mush and cover up mistakes. The faster you play on a real tube amp, and at lower gain levels, the faster you will develop the technique to play cleanly and precisely, and learn to get tone from your playing rather than the gear.

 

[EffigyForgotten]

I'm not exactly "new" to guitar my technique isn't professional but it definitely good and i'm not a sloppy player. My amp amp is a blackstar stage 60 i'm not some noob with a line 6 spider and I already own 4000$ worth of gear, when I say i've played for 2 years I basically mean I haven't sucked for 2 years but I actually picked up the guitar maybe 4-5 years ago.

 

[EffigyForgotten]

Also i'm not really talking about how good they can play but how tight the actual low end of the amps are and they respond to fast riffing, for instance the triple xxx I played at my local sam ash was even tighter without a tubescreamer than my current amp with one.

 

[searanox]

Also i'm not really talking about how good they can play but how tight the actual low end of the amps are and they respond to fast riffing, for instance the triple xxx I played at my local sam ash was even tighter without a tubescreamer than my current amp with one.

If you had issues with a 6505 not being tight you probably had the gain set too high or there was something wrong with it. 6505 has some of the tightest low end of any high-gain amp. Could be you didn't have a cab that did it justice.

For the record, Marshalls can sound fucking amazing for death metal and tons of bands use them. Personally they aren't my thing, but the way you dismiss it again kind of shows a degree of ignorance regarding what makes tone or, more broadly, a band sound good.

And no offense, but unless you're some sort of child prodigy, you're probably not getting the most out of that $4000 worth of equipment. I'm hardly a virtuoso myself, of course, and you may well be better than I am (not really a huge feat), but maybe you need to turn down the gain, stop focusing so much on the gear and focus on getting more tightness out of your playing itself. If you want to sound like Suffocation, play Suffocation songs for 20 years and come back, because that's why they sound the way they do.

 

[Joelegend]

I've seen Suffocation several times, seen em using triple xes, seen em using 6505s, line6's, they always been throwing bricks on stage. I own a Triple x, and if you a suffo fan. It does have a very Suffocation feeling if you are playing suffo kind of stuff. Although years back i used to have a band wich i wanted sound like suffocation abit (music wise). The other guy in there owned a 5150. There wasnt that much difference.
But ofc, if you want a Triple X, go get one. It is fokking brutal. (dont play it over a shitty cab tho - played over some laney and marshall once, both times it sounded like crap). One thing tho, if you planning in playing alot of melodic lead stuff, a 6505 might be better tho. The triple X (mine atleast), has a way to focussed sound when i play lead tones.

 

[slayercannibalsuffohead]

I've seen Suffocation here in Australia twice now, and during both tours I spoke with both Terence and Guy about their set ups and what was used on recordings to a fair degree.
Terence is a big XXX fan, (they used Mesa Recs the 2nd time I saw them and he hated them for what he was after, as did Guy). We discussed this about an hour before they went on, with Guy really liking the 6505+. I told them I had both the XXX and a 6505+ at home. They asked if we could get them, but they were 100kms away and I would not have been back in time. They even asked if they could borrow them next time they were here.
Guy was looking into an Engl Powerball, saying he thought it was the best amp he had ever played through.
I asked Guy what was used on the self-titled album and (to this day I am pretty sure on this), that he said it was done through PODs. They were great blokes to talk to and I didn't realize how much Guy loves his fishing.
Terence was interested talking about gear for a while, until my mates missus turned up, then it was game over.

 

[Brandon E.]

That tone is mostly coming from their hands. The 6505 and XXX are both good amps, but the 6505 is probably more what you would be after from this video. Very different amps. The XXX is ultra compressed, it almost sounds boosted without a boost. It is much more saturated than a 5150 though, and therefore not really as articulate. For that kind of tone and punch want some dynamics, not too much gain, pick hard. +1 on the XXX having a sweeter lead channel though (and cleans too). Probably one of the better lead playing amps of American voiced amps. I HATE playing leads on a 5150, it is too percussive/harsh/aggressive and there just isn't as much sweet harmonic saturation. Disastrous amp for solos IMO, but I guess it depends on what you're going for.

 

[electricred]

Suffocation have used all sorts of amplifiers. That band sounds great on stage, but their recorded tone is awful. Blood Oath was the album recorded with XXXs, IIRC. I would choose the XXX over a 6505 for BDM, and the 5150 is great for leads and solos.

 

[PhilTheBeard]

Guy ended up buying my Powerball from me when my old band played a show with them. I have his xxx in my studio now, still has all of his stage tape on it haha

 

[EffigyForgotten]

Yea I know they have used the fireball 100's live as well like here



I read that terrence is actually endorsed by ENGL but it seems he only uses them live when their not in the states.

I don't think I want to spend 1700$ when I could get a triple xxx or 6505 for even less than half that.

 

[arv_foh]

I have worked with them, and I know their engineer uses these mics on the guitars

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/wired_mics/c45c0dda459dad08/index.html

I think if I remember correctly they had a self built ISO cab with 2 XLR outputs on the side of it. Sorry but I don't remember the amp head used but I could ask my engineer buddy that has toured with them a bunch.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Effigy: VH140
Pierced From Within: Valvestate Marshall through a zone dist pedal
Despise The Sun: I believe was also the VH140
Souls To Deny: VH140?
S/T: POD

Guy uses an od808 and Terrance uses an od-9 now (live at least). I've seen them use all sorts of heads live too, generally either their old VH140's ()only in the states though), 5150's or Fireballs.

Btw, in case anyone is interested, I think that they may have used the line out of the VH140 blended with the mic'd track on Effigy.

 

[EffigyForgotten]

Suffocation have used all sorts of amplifiers. That band sounds great on stage, but their recorded tone is awful. Blood Oath was the album recorded with XXXs, IIRC. I would choose the XXX over a 6505 for BDM, and the 5150 is great for leads and solos.

I wouldn't say their recorded tone is AWFUL but it definitely isn't great. It sounds fizzy and not as clear and tight as their live tone but its definitely better than most bdm tones.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Also, the Despise the Sun tone is godly.