I didn't know it was a secret. Lots of mods out there to make it even better.
It's a standard pedal for metal but can be backed off for less distortion and
some overdrive grind. Anyways, it's a standard mass market pedal that a
lot of people use. No secret at all.
I don't have a Boss MT-2 but I have that as a setting on my Digitech
Distortion Factory pedal (it has 7 types of pedal). I quite like it - it
sounds like a half-cocked wah pedal sometimes, not a bad UFO sound. That's
with a Les Paul running through a Hot Rod Deluxe by the way. I'm not sure I
could live with that as my only distortion pedal, but one is never enough
anyway.
Speaking of my Distortion Factory pedal, I'm rather fond of it lately. I
actually put my Visual Sounds J&H back in the "pedal cupboard" because I'm
favouring the DF-7 (this month). My family came home yesterday and caught
me shaking the windows playing Into The Void with the Big Muff Pi setting.
It's fantastic!
Brett
> Just heard it when a friend brought it over in my Vox 15 watt amp and it
> shook my world..harmonics out the wazzooo ..cant dial a bad sound
> really..why has this been a secret all these years?
>
>
It's one of those pedals that can make any crappy amp sound good - if you
like lots of distortion - but, doesn't translate well live...
It's almost like Rockman stuff... Nice EQ curves for headphones or easy
listening, but, loud, sounds fake as crap...
I've had 2, and sold them both. LIke you, I liked the harmonics, but it
wasn't useable at gig or practice levels..
I've always thought it's an awful pedal. It makes a thin, buzzy harsh
sounding distortion that is thoroughly unmusical IMO.
+1
Jose
--
www.mcnach.com
Richt Hoat Chillis:
http://www.myspace.com/rhcpscot - Bass: OLP MM2
http://www.freakmusic.co.uk/scotland/bands/the_richt_hoat_chillis
www.myspace.com/purplenoise68
-
Current favourite guitar: Fender 'Sambora' Stratocaster
Current favourite bass: Warwick Corvette $$
The time I've had good luck with that one at high volume was using it
to punch out solos when using a POD through my Atomic Reactor 112 tube
slave amp. It cuts through without sounding thin. Haven't used it
for rhythm, though, other than low level noodling.
-d
I have one of the original belt-clip amps - a Fender MA-10 that I got in
1987... Little sandwich-sized plastic thing with a 2 inch speaker..
The Metal Zone sounded like God through that... on a real amp... no so
much )
What POD setting did you use? Like one of their clean line amp settings?
Well I discovered it could create just about any distortion tone you could
imagine as well as deliver a very gainy lead sound.
It was one of the cleaner patches, a little crunchy, with some
chorus. It may have been 3C or 3D.
-d
+2 sold mine
Marty
They are way too buzzy for my tastes. Used prices have DROPPED, because
there are more popular choices out there.
Somebody mentioned the Digitech Distortion Factory DF7. It'll give you
SEVEN different models ranging from mild OD through the MT-2 Metal Zone.
If you think that the MT-2 gives you just about any distortion tone, you
need to pick up a DF7.
Here's the DF7 audio demo. I'm pretty sure the MT-2 can pull any of those
sounds and more.
http://www.digitech.com/flash/DF7Demo.php
Wow. I'm pretty sure it can't, but if you like it, buy it.
>
> http://www.digitech.com/flash/DF7Demo.php
>
The demo posted by Digitech just goes to prove that you CANNOT judge a
pedal by factory demos, good or BAD.
The actual pedal sounds better than the demos, *if* you play it into a
decent amp.
The demos are direct out, using the DF7's built in amp and cab modeling.
Yup, it has a built in modeler with direct out. But it also has a
normal jack like any other pedal. And that's how to use it, into a
decent AMP (not direct to recording).
The DF7 isn't "magic.' But you get the MT-2 model and six others, for
the same sort of money.
> Here's the DF7 audio demo. I'm pretty sure the MT-2 can pull any of those
> sounds and more.
>
> http://www.digitech.com/flash/DF7Demo.php
>
Lu, let the subject drop will you?
Just accept it mate, you're the only person round here that likes it.
Everyone else has given pretty much the same reason for not liking it :
"fizzy"/"buzzy"
Personally I'd never go near anything that has "Metal" in the product name,
but that's just me.
If it rocks your boat then fine, but you won't change anyone else's mind by
constantly banging on about it.
Im not trying to sell it to anyone Dave..all I can say is if it sounded crap
thru ur amp then ur amp was to blame..it is one of THE MOST POPULAR boss
pedals in history..tell me millions are wrong mate..:)
One of the most popular? That seems odd compared to say, the boss chorus
or overdrive, which I would expect to be the most popular, especially as
it was one of the later pedals introduced.
Where are the figures from?
--
Woody
> ... it is one of THE MOST POPULAR boss pedals in history.. tell me
> millions are wrong mate..:)
That's odd: a few days ago you said it was a well kept secret and
wondered if anyone else knew about them; now you stat that they're one
of the most popular boss pedals. Which is it?
The MT2 is good at what it does, but what it does is not a particularly
natural sounding distortion (A-B it with a GOOD tube amp), which is why
you're seeing the responses that were posted to your original message.
I would much sooner use a DS1 (which I believe is also more popular than
the MT2) than an MT2. I don't own either, though, preferring natural
tube distortion instead. YMMV.
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sylvain Robitaille s...@encs.concordia.ca
Systems analyst / AITS Concordia University
Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science Montreal, Quebec, Canada
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Did you miss this bit in my post:
[quote]
>Personally I'd never go near anything that has "Metal" in the product name,
>but that's just me.
[unquote]
I've never tried the pedal you're talking about!
My preferred set-up is guitar-lead-amp.
I don't normally do stomp-boxes so I bow before your superior knowledge!
For what it's worth, my preferred setups is either a 2004 Gibson Les Paul
Standard or 1993 Fender Strat Plus Deluxe into a Piranha lead[1] then either
a Peavey Classic 50 2x12 combo. (Serviced and re-valved this year by Trev
Ridney) or a Tipton Slasher 1x12 combo. (Hand-built last year(?) and
serviced this year by Trev Ridney). It's nice to be sure in the knowledge
that there's nothing at all wrong with my amps :-)
BTW: Which 15 watt Vox amp did you use? You were very vague on the details.
[1] If I'm using the Les Paul then the lead has to be a Purple one, the
Strat sounds better through a Red coloured lead
Perhaps he just has better tastes in guitar tones? <ducking> ;^)
I am NOT trying to offend. But I am making a point: It is ALL a matter
of tastes.
You simply SHOULD NOT say "if you don't like it, blame your amp."
I'll spare you the list of the amps that I own, but I will ask you this:
What 15W Vox did it work well with? ...and how were you using it? Was
that Vox already distorting, or was it fairly clean? And was the output
of the MT-2 more or less at unity, or at a boost?
I use a Vox Cambridge amp running clean with the MT-2 at unity. The MT-2
took my amp to a whole new level of tone control. I have been googling
reviews of the MT-2 and came across the fact on the Boss site that it is one
of their most popular pedals. The MT-2 is NOT just a METAL pedal. The name
doesnt do it justice. My friend who brought it along is a very fussy and
excellent player. After a few minutes using the MT-2 I knew I had to have
one.
No. Care to share?
> Tried playing one in a band situation and getting it to 'sit' in the mix?
Apparently, one of the guitarists in Cannibal Corpse used the pedal and
did just that. I'm not sure whether he was using it to boost the signal
or as his distorted sound (I only know that it was plugged into a Triple
Rectifier head). But he'd be the only person who succeeded :)
60's tube, or which version?
> running clean with the MT-2 at unity.
I can't explain why, but I had better luck getting some use out of it in
the Digitech DF7 form. I owned the DF7, never owned the MT-2 (because I
couldn't get it to work for me when I tried it). The DF7 has similar
tone controls. You can give it some lower mids and cut some highs to
tame the buzz. But the stock pedal just sounded too buzzy to me.
I distinctly remember an outdoor street festival gig where I had to go
up and see exactly how the guitarist could possibly sound THAT bad.
MT-2 into a Marshall AVT. He was doing the scooped mids thing, with too
much treble on the buzz.
It could just be that that tone with that amp and speaker combination
works for you.
You should NEVER let other guys talk you out of a piece of gear that
works for you.
> The MT-2
> took my amp to a whole new level of tone control.
Is it the EQ in the pedal that you like? It does have a very tones with
a semi parametric mids. Have you tried a good EQ with the pedals that
you already have? I like the Boss EQ-20.
> I have been googling
> reviews of the MT-2 and came across the fact on the Boss site that it is one
> of their most popular pedals. The MT-2 is NOT just a METAL pedal. The name
> doesnt do it justice. My friend who brought it along is a very fussy and
> excellent player. After a few minutes using the MT-2 I knew I had to have
> one.
I try to get most of my tone guitar > cable > amp > speaker. That, of
course, has led to an accumulation of a few different amps. It has also
led to a reduction in pedals. But I don't have to lug all of this stuff
around to gigs, so I get why some guys rely more on pedals.
The MT-2 came about in a time when guys were wanting a scooped metal
tone. And that's why it tends to get lost in the mix. And I think
that's also why it sounds way buzzy live. When the volume is brought up
back to get into the mix, BUZZ dominates!
Yep......death metal buzz box. S'pose it could work for "sludge/doom"
metal as well. A regular DS-1 buries it....and that pedal is not the
most impressive.
Maybe you could get a usable tune out of it by backing the gain *way*
down and using the sweepable mid as a mid boost instead of cut.
Dunno...never screwed with one. Every bedroom jammer in the world has
one.....
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the input. I see the MT-2 as a great distortion pedal to start,
then the added bonus of semi parametric EQ as the icing on the cake. I can
imagine that a SS amp could sound rather shitty with one tho, accentuating
the high end and therefore the buzz. Why buy an EQ box if the MT-2 has one
already plus killer distortion to boot?
I heard the DF7 on youtube and wasnt impressed at all..to say the DF7 is the
MT-2 and 6 more pedals is total crap..you cant just sample a tone from a
pedal then expect to have the same sound as you could with the real mccoy.
I've been there with Zoom pedals and they suck shit rather hard!!
Of all the possible guitar setups on earth. of course someone's going to
have a whine about a pedal etc..I know what I heard from my setup using the
MT-2 and it should be delivered any day now..cant wait. :)
So you have the vintage 60's Cambridge?
> accentuating
> the high end and therefore the buzz. Why buy an EQ box if the MT-2 has one
> already plus killer distortion to boot?
Well, the EQ that I mentioned (Boss EQ-20) is a very versatile unit.
It's not buried inside of a dirt box. It gives you flat, one memory,
and one manual setting of ten bands at your foot. Several more setting
in memory (but you can't toggle with your foot without a modification).
Very quiet. And settings for instrument or line level, allowing you
to use it in an effects loop. So you can EQ your amps preamp, or any
other pedal.
> I heard the DF7 on youtube and wasnt impressed at all..to say the DF7 is the
> MT-2 and 6 more pedals is total crap..you cant just sample a tone from a
> pedal then expect to have the same sound as you could with the real mccoy.
Keep in mind:
- In actually OWNED The pedal, I didn't just listen to it on the net.
- I also own/owned some of the pedals that it models. AND an
oscilloscope. You might be surprised at how decent of a job that the
Digitech pedal does (although you can see a bit of digital edginess with
the DF7 on a scope).
- You should NOT be impressed with the clips on the net, because they DO
suck. Read my prior post for an explanation.
> I've been there with Zoom pedals and they suck shit rather hard!!
It's a mistake to generalize with brand name or even technology.
Digitech does NOT equal Zoom. Keep in mind that the digital modeling in
the DF7 is of SOLID STATE stomp boxes, which are easier to fake than
tube amps.
> Of all the possible guitar setups on earth. of course someone's going to
> have a whine about a pedal etc..I know what I heard from my setup using the
> MT-2 and it should be delivered any day now..cant wait. :)
Did you look for used? Heck, there's a Keely modified one right now on
my local craigslist for the price of a new stock version! They are just
way out of favor, despite what Boss says on their website.
Hi Jim, Nope got it new wasnt going to trust an old stomp box that could be
17 yrs old! My Vox is a reissue amp bought 3 yrs ago with a hybrid setup, 1
tube. I havent heard a Keely mod in person and what Ive heard online doesnt
impress me as being much different. Have you played a Keely mod? Digital
edginess is not kind to the ears IMO.
The MT-2 setting on my Distortion Factory is good fun on its own, but I
suspect the DS-1 setting would do a much better job of competing with other
instruments. The DS-1 setting has a less scooped tone (although you can
scoop it with the low/mid/high pots on the DF-7).
This discussion reminds me of the frustration I had with my band (not much
more than a garage band really) using a Boss Heavy Metal (HM-2) when I was
about 17, some 18 years ago. The HM-2 did a reasonable representation of a
Shout At The Devil- era Motley Crue tone, which again sounds ok on its own
but was just totally overwhelmed by everything else. I still have the HM-2,
which I will keep for the memories but I doubt I'll be plugging it in again.
Brett
For what its worth, I'm using my DF-7 currently and have put my Visual
Sounds Jeckyl & Hyde back in the "pedal cupboard". I also run a Bad Monkey
and a Sparkle Drive for overdrive flavours. I could use the TS-9 setting on
the DF-7 and get a very reasonable overdrive tone, but having the Bad Monkey
there means I can switch by feet rather than fingers on pots.
Brett
I also got a lot of use from the DOD 250 model. That convinced me to
get a yellow DOD 250 reissue. Guess what? I didn't like the reissue
pedal. It's a different circuit with a different OpAmp. So I gutted
the reissue and built the early gray version circuit with an LM741 on
perfboard. Now it sounds great. Better than the DF7 because it'll give
more boost, but lacks some of the EQ.
That's where the DF7 makes up for some of the digital edginess (that you
probably won't hear into a good tube amp being driven). It gives you
much more tone control than the original pedals offered. More or less
the setup that the OP fell in love with on the MT-2.
I still parted with mine, when I was in my contracting pedals/expanding
amps stage. Now I'm in a increasing quality, contracting every thing
stage. Trying to figure out what gear are keepers, and what's on my
bucket list to try to get at some time.
The DF7 is a bargain for what you get. (BUY USED) Even if you
eventually part with it, you will learn which of the original pedals
you'd like to own.
I can guarantee you that Dave's hand built custom amp is far superior
to your 15w Vox.
I can also guarantee you the Dave (and most people on uk.music.guitar)
has far better idea of what good tone is than you.
Most popular doesn't mean better. Do your research into professional
guitarists pedal board and tell me how many use a stock MT-2.
Ford Mondeo's are popular, but are they really better than an Aston
Martin DB7.... I think not. And don't get me started on Windows v Mac
v Linux.....
Greg
Listen to the "king" of tone rattle on here lol..show us what you've got
then knowall...Dave probably has a better amp than mine. If I had the
perfect tube amp Id probably not bother buying the MT-2 either..
They should make it compulsory to give everyone buying an amplifier a little
leaflet explaining how and why finding a sound that sounds good by yourself,
in your bedroom, will almost certainly sound terrible once you 1) put it in
a band mix, and 2) you bring the volume up to gig levels.
A lot of people think it's ok to find a good sound at low volume and just
turn it up. It's not. At all. Same with teh sound of a guitar (or anything)
alone and in a band context.
Jose
--
www.mcnach.com
Richt Hoat Chillis:
http://www.myspace.com/rhcpscot - Bass: OLP MM2
http://www.freakmusic.co.uk/scotland/bands/the_richt_hoat_chillis
www.myspace.com/purplenoise68
-
Current favourite guitar: Fender 'Sambora' Stratocaster
Current favourite bass: Warwick Corvette $$
I don't think Greg is a "knowall"... but he does know a thing or two (and
I'm sure there are a few examples in teh net if you care to look).
You made the decision to buy the MT-2, and came here looking for approving
nods. You didn't find that. Live with it.
I hope you enjoy the MT-2 and it's all you want it to be.
Your brothers of metal will love its awesomeness when you show your chops in
your bedroom (until dinnertime, of course). But it does one type of sound
only and it's not a great one. Once you put it into a band context you'll
either be buried in the mix, or you'll sound very harsh and unpleasant. It's
not really about the type of music or band we're interested in. I listen to
all kinds too. But anyway, sometimes we have to find these things by
ourselves and make our own mistakes. Just don't get pissy when people don't
agree with you and you keep trying to flog the dead pedal into some sort of
shiny afterlife. There ain't one.
> I can guarantee you that Dave's hand built custom amp is far superior
> to your 15w Vox.
I don't know what the Vox sounds like so I won't comment on that, but the
Slasher does make some rather nice noises
Anything from a really nice Marshall Plexi type tone through to full on
hi-gain JCM-800 - and all in a cute little, purple tolex covered, 1x12
combo.
You really don't need anything more than a guitar, a lead and the amp.
The output depends on what valve is in it: The 6v6GT that it's currently
fitted with gives about 5W, swapping that for an EL34 and it's about 11W
Sweet! :-)
> I can also guarantee you the Dave (and most people on uk.music.guitar)
> has far better idea of what good tone is than you.
That may or may not be true.
Please bear in mind that my hearing is almost as fucked as Pete Townsend's
is - and for the same reason : too many years of exposure to music that is
waaaay too loud.
One thing about buying a hand-built amp and collecting it from the bloke who
built it, is incredibly useful hour or so spent listening to him go through
what the amp is all about soundwise and demonstrating how to get the best
out of it. Those of you who have met Trev will know that it's somethimes
difficult to stop him talking about valve amps :-)
Age is far less critical in 9V circuit dirt boxes than in tube amps.
Once a tube amp gets to be about 20 years old, you should replace the
electrolytic capacitors (filter, bias and cathode bypass). A stomp box
doesn't have that problem.
> My Vox is a reissue amp bought 3 yrs ago with a hybrid setup, 1
> tube.
A hybrid is an amp with a tube preamp and SS power amp -or- a SS preamp
and tube power amp.
The modern Vox is a solid state amp with a single tube in it for
distortion voicing. Solid state preamp, and solid state power amp (with
an output chip, no doubt).
Compare that to the vintage Cambridge:
http://www.blueguitar.org/new/schem/vox/camb_rev.gif
Honestly, I though you were going to tell me that you had the vintage
tube amp. And that you ran the pedal with the amp already distorting a
bit.
> I havent heard a Keely mod in person and what Ive heard online doesnt
> impress me as being much different. Have you played a Keely mod?
Since I'm not a fan of the MT-2, I've never sought out the Keeley
version. My point was you can get one for the price of a new stock
MT-2. And what does that tell you? The MT-2 is out of favor. I never
would've owned any form of the pedal, based on my tries in the late
90's, had it not been for the DF7.
> Digital
> edginess is not kind to the ears IMO.
When I mentioned digital edginess, I was talking EYES, not ears. Scope
= oscilloscope. Played into a REAL tube amp that's at least warmed up
to mild overdrive (the way I like to play), edginess is minimal. I
think it'd be very hard to tell the differences in the pedals. I know
it was with my TS9/808 and my DOD 250 (after modified to gray circuit).
I still have a Line 6 DM7, but I didn't suggest it because of the price
difference. It ALSO does the Metal Zone! Overall, the Line 6 beats out
the DF7.
I'm actually a bassist and I'm no know-all, but I take great care in
getting 'that elusive' tone, and own and have owned a lot of gear to
get it. My main setup currently I use a Yamaha Attitude Ltd II (Billy
Sheehan sig) bass into a Mark Bass LMII head and Mark Bass 1x12 cab,
soon to be augmented with an EHX White Finger compressor to get the
LA2A style compression. It's taken many years of experience and using
lots of other gear to get 'my sound' and knowing what gear will
achieve it.
My other basses I still sometimes bring out to play are Warwick Thumb
BO 5 string, Warwick Corvette fretless, Yamaha RBX-JM2 (John Myung
sig) 6 string, Yamaha RBX4-A2. Other owned as gathering dust gear
(but may get used again someday) are: Warwick CCL250 1x15 combo, Boss
GT6B, Zoom B9.1ut, various Digitech, EHX, Boss and Ashdown bass stomp
boxes.
Is that extensive enough for you?
I haven't posted this to show off how much gear I have and/or how good
or expensive it is. I've done it to illustrate that the quest for
perfect tone is a lengthy and difficult process. What works and
sounds great when you're starting out, you soon realise later isn't
right for you, and you move on. Then you realise the limitations or
personal issues in the next guitar/amp/fx and the search continues. I
promise you, as you develop and evolve as a guitarist you will
understand what everyone else here is saying about your MT-2, that
it's not as versatile or as good as you currently think it is.
You really need a vintage Missisppi barn to get that classic diddley bow
sound... preferably a cotton barn, but tobacco will do.
--
Les Cargill
That's not a very good pedal. Some people mod them and get a better
sound but I think that it adds somewhat of a cheesegrater quality to
your sound - harsh and lifeless.