Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

[RolanTHUNDER]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

Just like power amps, some amps preamp sections are just either mediocre at taking/interpreting pedals, or just bad at it. You need to determine what sounds best to you.
Again, sometimes...results will vary as the main variables change.
I also believe your amp needs to have a serial loop in order to use preamp pedals.

Yip, subjective.

I believe my amps have serial loops - Orange #4 and Marshall 6100LM... could be wrong.

 

[dave74]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

I'm not sure the loop-type matters if one is going guitar into pedals then into the amp's return.
The blend on a parallel loop is between the send and return, so going straight into the return should bypass that and give 100% "wet" tone.
Unless there's more to it than I'm seeing.

 

[DonP]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

I'm just getting into pedals after 30 years of tune head only. Sounds like a cool pedal to try.

 

[RolanTHUNDER]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

I'm just getting into pedals after 30 years of tune head only. Sounds like a cool pedal to try.

What type of player are you mate? Genre I mean

 

[RolanTHUNDER]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

I'm not sure the loop-type matters if one is going guitar into pedals then into the amp's return.
The blend on a parallel loop is between the send and return, so going straight into the return should bypass that and give 100% "wet" tone.
Unless there's more to it than I'm seeing.

OK cool. I have yet to experiment with the pedal in the loop using this method of the return only.

 

[dave74]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

OK cool. I have yet to experiment with the pedal in the loop using this method of the return only.

But don't quote me on that lol. (about the loop)
I've only tried it a couple times (one being the ML-2) and really hated not having more EQ, but some of these total preamp pedals might be killers like that.

 

[RolanTHUNDER]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

But don't quote me on that lol. (about the loop)
I've only tried it a couple times (one being the ML-2) and really hated not having more EQ, but some of these total preamp pedals might be killers like that.

Don't worry I won't quote you on that

 

[IMENATOR]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

I have it and yes it can be a lot of gain, I hardly set the gain knob past 12 o'clock. My complain is it very mid scooped, it used to get lost in the mix in front of a Roland Cube 40XL. I have not used it again in a band context but I bet it can sound better if using my Boss GE-7 and adding a good dose of mids.

 

[RolanTHUNDER]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

I have it and yes it can be a lot of gain, I hardly set the gain knob past 12 o'clock. My complain is it very mid scooped, it used to get lost in the mix in front of a Roland Cube 40XL. I have not used it again in a band context but I bet it can sound better if using my Boss GE-7 and adding a good dose of mids.

I can agree with the amount of gain. About the scooped nature too but I run my amp's mids at about 12 o'clock or higher than dial in the pedal accordingly. It is a specific kind of metal sound as well so it should be used sparingly depending on what you're going for. sounds very good when set accordingly though.

 

[Nacho8807]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

I found that is actually is a very good distortion, for practicing alone. I had one at one time, specifically to sound more like my Triple Rectifier but in my room at home. It did great. I decided to try it with the band the next time we practiced and my guitar disappeared. Everything was mush. Granted, I never intended to really use it for that purpose, I was just curious. And I did not run it as a preamp as many have said here, only in front of the clean channel. Perhaps I would have had a different experience.

 

[DonP]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

What type of player are you mate? Genre I mean

Sorry, didn't see your reply until now.

Hard Rock / Metal. 70's 80's early 90's. I've had pedals from the late 80s (TS-10) but very rarely used them. Always been guitar > amp. Now having a little fun and quickly building up a collection.

TS-10 (George Lynch)
DS-1 (unsure if I like this)
MT-2 (like this)
HM-3 (like this)
RV-5 (from what I read, this is the most unliked of RV's, but I put it into the loop of my AOR 50 and it sounded good to me)
Chase Bliss Warped Vinyl MkII (to get a Maiden tone)
MXR-10 (great in the loop of the Marshall 3203)
Boss EQ-20 (still messing with)

I think I may want to get a pair of SD-1's to try for a Criss Olivia tone. I need a delay, and maybe another reverb pedal. But if I spy an ML-2 cheap, I'll scoop it up.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

Looks like the MT-2 bug is starting to make the rounds on YouTube.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

I'm a defender of the MT-2. It's not for everyone, but it does what it's made for just fine. Just like every other aspect of one's sound, it has to be ajusted with one's ears, not eyes. And it's not for classic rock or NWOBHM. It's for thrash, speed and death metal.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[DonP]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

Same here. I can take the MT-2, pump it into a Kalamazoo Model 1 (5 watts, 12AX7, EL84, and a 6X4 tube rectifier, 10" CTS ceramic speaker) and get a pretty pumping thrash tone at a low volume level. The tubes all round off the edgyness / fussiness of the pedal, and the pedal finds thump in an amp which should have no thump.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

But don't forget, some of us like that edginess.

Sent from my Alcatel_5044C using Tapatalk

 

[dave74]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

That's an awesome tone the CSG guy gets going into the return!

IMO a big part of the pedal's bad rep has less to do with where it's placed in the chain and more to do with a few key points;

1. How many guys really ran this into good amps to begin with? Whenever I see one of these on craigslist(just for example) it's always sitting next to a dirt cheap open back 1x8 combo. Good amp, good speakers and a closed-back cab really does a lot for making it "usable".

2. I usually would see guys plug this into the front, but instead of starting with their amp's knobs near neutral and then using the pedal to calibrate they would leave the amp knobs in a general V-carve with boosted highs and lows (scooped mids). No wonder it's known for being mushy lows fizzy highs and scooped.

3. Beginners are beginners, and the metalzone was by and large used by them. Beginners have trouble dialing tones period. Don't even give a beginner a Mesa! (because they're soooooo hard to dial-in lol)

 

[RolanTHUNDER]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

I found that is actually is a very good distortion, for practicing alone. I had one at one time, specifically to sound more like my Triple Rectifier but in my room at home. It did great. I decided to try it with the band the next time we practiced and my guitar disappeared. Everything was mush. Granted, I never intended to really use it for that purpose, I was just curious. And I did not run it as a preamp as many have said here, only in front of the clean channel. Perhaps I would have had a different experience.

Not cutting thru the mix then...have you tried opening up the mid range some?

 

[RolanTHUNDER]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

Sorry, didn't see your reply until now.

Hard Rock / Metal. 70's 80's early 90's. I've had pedals from the late 80s (TS-10) but very rarely used them. Always been guitar > amp. Now having a little fun and quickly building up a collection.

TS-10 (George Lynch)
DS-1 (unsure if I like this)
MT-2 (like this)
HM-3 (like this)
RV-5 (from what I read, this is the most unliked of RV's, but I put it into the loop of my AOR 50 and it sounded good to me)
Chase Bliss Warped Vinyl MkII (to get a Maiden tone)
MXR-10 (great in the loop of the Marshall 3203)
Boss EQ-20 (still messing with)

I think I may want to get a pair of SD-1's to try for a Criss Olivia tone. I need a delay, and maybe another reverb pedal. But if I spy an ML-2 cheap, I'll scoop it up.

Much like me except my style reaches into the 2000's (modern) as well. I also play 7 string guitar in addition to the 6 shooter. Thanks for this list because I've learned about pedals I never knew existed! Really wanna check out the Lynch TS-10, Chase Bliss (I'm a huge Maiden fan) and HM3. I too am a purist as stated in my OP - guitar > amp and dial in from there. Use a booster - TS, Zoom Power Drive or my possibly favourite ever drive pedal Ibanez Jemini at times to kick the front (left side of pedal which is more like a TS9) end a bit harder usually in clean boost fashion since my amp/s are high enough gain already. I generally don't boost the front end at all if I use one of my higher power active axes (Ibanez RGR08 with Blackout or limited edition MIJ RG470FM with Mustaine's LW's).

 

[RolanTHUNDER]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

That's an awesome tone the CSG guy gets going into the return!

IMO a big part of the pedal's bad rep has less to do with where it's placed in the chain and more to do with a few key points;

1. How many guys really ran this into good amps to begin with? Whenever I see one of these on craigslist(just for example) it's always sitting next to a dirt cheap open back 1x8 combo. Good amp, good speakers and a closed-back cab really does a lot for making it "usable".

2. I usually would see guys plug this into the front, but instead of starting with their amp's knobs near neutral and then using the pedal to calibrate they would leave the amp knobs in a general V-carve with boosted highs and lows (scooped mids). No wonder it's known for being mushy lows fizzy highs and scooped.

3. Beginners are beginners, and the metalzone was by and large used by them. Beginners have trouble dialing tones period. Don't even give a beginner a Mesa! (because they're soooooo hard to dial-in lol)

Granted I haven't had personal experience with the MT2 but the stereotypes around it have left me considering the same variables as you mentioned above. That being said I don't see myself getting one even for the fun of it since I have the ML2 now. If a friend has one then I'd borrow it to give it a try on my rig. Beginners be like - plugging into cheap solid state amps and on top of that dialling them in all wrong lol...

 

[dave74]

Re: Boss ML2 - Metal Core Pedal - Not Bad at All

If I had one and not the other I wouldn't trade for the one I didn't have no matter which one I already had. lol

ML-2 has a bit more tooth on the highs and pop on the lows like the HM-3, like there's a slightly stronger or cleaner fundamental under the distortion/fuzz.