Metallica Sound

C

chadmcbee

New member
Okay, so here's my situation. I am using a Behringer 4x12 cabinet with a Fender Mustang V head. However, I have a Boss ME-80 pedal board that I plug into the FX Send of the head, rendering all but the master volume settings useless on the head. (As far as I think, that is.) I am trying to get a solid, Metallica sound from the board, however I cannot seem to do it to save my life. More specifically, when I palm mute, it sounds very weak, and it does not pack any punch at all. I know for a fact that it is not my technique, for if I plug my guitar (ESP LTD Snakebyte) directly into the head, my palm mutes sound great, however it is not the tone I am looking for.

My pedal board settings go as follows:

OD/DS - Metal Distortion
Drive: 99
Tone: 0
Level: 50

PREAMP - Clean
Gain: 91
Bass: 27
Middle: 0
Treble: 88
Level: 50

Pedal FX - Off (acts as a volume pedal)

Comp/FX - Off

Modulation - Off

EQ/FX2 - EQ
Bass: 48
Middle: 10
Treble: 95
Level: 63

Delay - Off

Reverb - Off

The delay and reverb I may enable after I get their tone, however I really need to find the tone first. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you so much!!
 
Re: Metallica Sound

Well, Metallica uses a ton of chorus (they've used the Roland Jazz). So for modulation, add a chorus block.

Add a bit more bass to your EQ.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

Can you just run through how you have your whole rig plugged in together? I'm confused.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

Leave your mids at at least 12 o clock. It won't be exactly Metallica album tones, but it will be punchier.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

Lampy H said:
Leave your mids at at least 12 o clock. It won't be exactly Metallica album tones, but it will be punchier.
Click to expand...

I would agree, but Tallica scoops their mids quite a bit. Having a bit more bass and maybe a little more mids will get a good chugging going.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

Johnny the Kid said:
I would agree, but Tallica scoops their mids quite a bit. Having a bit more bass and maybe a little more mids will get a good chugging going.
Click to expand...

The notion that Metallica scooped their mids isn't entirely accurate, except for AJFA which is VERY scooped. If you've ever played a Mark series Mesa the basic tone of the amp is VERY mid-rangy, and it works great for a singing Santana-esque lead tone. In order to dial in a punchy rhythm tone like Metallica or Dream Theater, you'd set the on board graphic EQ (which is post-gain, btw) to a 'V' shape to pull some of the mids back. When it's time to solo switch the graphic off, and you've got your cutting, sustaining lead tone back.

On Load and later they were using Rectos pretty heavily, so the same rules don't really apply. Leaving the mids around 12 o'clock or 50% as Lampy suggests is a good starting point, as is bringing up the bass as Johnny suggests.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

Also, are you going for their live tone? That has a lot more mids.

If it is Kill Em All or Ride The Lightning, under no circumstances should your mids be at 0/100. Their tones still had a bit of midrange honk to them, but not a whole lot. For palm mutes, low mids (around 500 Hz) and bass are your friend.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

They were kind of all over the place for gear between different albums - would help to say which album sound you are going for.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

He's probably looking for the super dry AJFA sound. Nothing does that better than the much maligned Boss MT-2.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

Demanic said:
He's probably looking for the super dry AJFA sound. Nothing does that better than the much maligned Boss MT-2.
Click to expand...

For you, if you are going to max the gain with the distortion setting, you have to back it waaaaaay down in the pre amp. Probably no more than 30. Swap your values for treble and bass, you want more bass than treble. Flatten the eq settings a bit more, while leaving the mids cut just a bit. That and put a short delay on it.
See how that works out for you.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

chadmcbee said:
Okay, so here's my situation. I am using a Behringer 4x12 cabinet with a Fender Mustang V head. However, I have a Boss ME-80 pedal board that I plug into the FX Send of the head,
Click to expand...

You should be plugging into the FX Return.

I'd try more settings on the Mustang head to be honest.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

dominus said:
You should be plugging into the FX Return.

I'd try more settings on the Mustang head to be honest.
Click to expand...

Good catch. Missed that on the first post. Fx return and if using amp models with fx, try turning off cab simulation and mixing the modeled amp with your own power amp/cab sound. The built in eq will help there. Thats how I use my RP360XP, although do some experimenting because sometimes you can still get a model with cab sim to sound good through actual cabinet. Just depends on what you are going for and how Boss implements the model.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

dominus said:
You should be plugging into the FX Return.

I'd try more settings on the Mustang head to be honest.
Click to expand...

And, are you plugging your guitar into the Boss? or guitar into the Mustang's input?

I'd first try using only the Mustang as suggested and if that didn't get me there, I'd use a very clean setting on the Mustang with the Boss fully in-the-loop.....amp send to Boss in; Boss out to amp return and try various Boss settings.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

Until Chad comes back with a specific Album, gonna be tough.

But, I will say, the distortion, the EQ, and delay are key. And maybe a noise gate. Right chorus is key for Black.

A set of Duncan Distortions never hurts.
 
Re: Metallica Sound

That ME80... well lets just say it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of Metallica tone. But beyond that why are you dialing it in goofy. You have a clean preamp selected then you are cranking the gain? Why? Why not use on of the distortion tone preamps? That way you can boost with the ODs instead of trying to get all your distortion there. If you want to scoop the mids you need to do it as late in the chain as possible.

Here what you do. Set your ODS for a boost or screamer and run the drive low and the level high. Find a Preamp you like, Drive, stack, metal something like that. Run the mids at least half dial back the bass and treble some. Run the drive up around half to 3/4's but not cranked

Then use the EQ/FX2 portion to do your scooping.

This might get you something passable and would be about as good as you will get out of that unit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Butch Snyder
Delay/Reverb Pedal Help Needed
Replies
12
Views
210
Aceman
Aceman
Ascension
Bought a Xotic Super clean buffer booster and now don't want to play without one!
Replies
1
Views
106
Artie
Artie
Ascension
what are you guys using for power supplies?
Replies
17
Views
353
Hank-
H
J
What OD to put after my spring reverb?
Replies
10
Views
269
Cynical
C
Ascension
Spent the last 2 days rebuilding my pedal boards.
Replies
7
Views
180
80's_Metal
80's_Metal
Back
Top