BOSS MT-2 –Metal Zone Effects Pedal for Guitar and Bass. Legendary High-Gain Distortion Pedal with over 1 Million Sold. BOSS 5-Year Warranty.

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In fact, many killer metal tones use a mid gain setting, whether from a pedal or amplifier. The key is usually gain staging. That Metal Zone offers so much control over its EQ presents players with options, and that can either be inspiring or confusing. A little patience is needed. Often it is a case of using the Metal Zone with another drive to bring out the sound you need. Mirror, mirror on the studio wall, which is the fairest metal pedal of them all? Given sales of more than one million, its searing tonal capabilities, and an undeniable cult-classic standing, the direction of the devil horns unequivocally points to the BOSS MT-2 Metal Zone.

So what is a buffer pedal? Buffer pedals aim to reinforce your signal to prevent loss of volume or clarity. They prevent AC (alternating current) from entering a circuit, thus preventing your signal from being interrupted or affected. A stronger, clearer signal means better sound – it’s as simple as that. Boss pedals all have buffered bypass circuitry built-in, meaning that when they’re bypassed, they still act as buffers. With that out of the way, let’s get to tone-shaping. We’d advise you start at a very low gain setting, and increase it gradually until you find the sweet spot for your guitar and amp. There's more gain than you'll ever need here! The Metal Zone is almost always a key ingredient to the mix. The reason we’ve used it so often in the studio is because it just sounds so evil. And it’s very flexible Nathan Weaver, Wolves in the Throne Room Distortion stompboxes are quite straightforward. They’re designed to be plugged into the main input of your amplifier and engaged over a clean tone — adding tonnes of gain to your signal. Most distortion pedals also have fairly simple controls, often sporting ‘Level’, ‘Drive/Distortion’ and ‘Tone’ knobs. The famously “mean and green” Tube Screamer possesses unique EQ characteristics; shelving flabby low-end and boosting mid-range to increase clarity. Because of these qualities, Tube Screamer pedals interact incredibly well with distorted high-gain guitar amplifiers and also help to produce extra saturation by adding a touch more gain. Most metal players will typically set a Tube Screamer’s ‘Drive’ knob low, and use the ‘Volume’ control to adjust the gain to taste — with ‘Tone’ acting like a presence control.Since the beginning, the engineers at BOSS have been committed to achieving the finest guitar tones using any technology necessary, from old-school analog circuits to high-tech DSP. This enthusiastic spirit continues on with the Waza Craft series, which brings you exceptional tone and touch response through carefully selected analog components, refined circuitry, and meticulous attention to detail. In Japan, “Waza” is the term for art and technique, and these special edition pedals proudly carry the Waza symbol to represent the pinnacle of BOSS design and craftsmanship. Specifications Nominal Input Level -20 dBu Input Impedance 1 M ohm Nominal Output Level -20 dBu Output Impedance 1 k ohm Recommended Load Impedance 10 k ohms or greater Bypass Buffered bypass Controls Pedal switch The key magic was focusing and boosting midrange in the first gain stage to enhance the sweet spot for guitar sound Yoshi Ikegami, president of Boss Now, take some time to really experiment with the EQ, bearing the above points in mind – particularly when using the pedal’s active EQ boosts to overdrive your amp, in conjunction with that highly tweakable midrange. Our preferred setting, in fact, uses the high and low band controls as a boost, with a heavy cut in the upper mids.

Ibanez build lots of different Tube Screamer overdrive pedals, but there are loads of pedal companies out there that have cloned the circuit and offer tweaked versions of it — from affordable to high-end. Trust us, a Tube Screamer style overdrive pedal is a must for a metal guitar pedalboard! At the time of its release, it was the first pedal to feature dual-concentric pots. This means that one dial is split into two different parts, meaning you can adjust two different settings, without taking up too much space on the pedal. The MT-2 has two dual-concentric pots within its EQ section, with one control for High/Low gain and the other for Middle gain/Mid frequency. This number makes the Metal Zone one of Boss’ best-selling pedals of all time. This is generally attributed to one of three things: This cookie stores user-like settings for the chat system provider, which are required for our online chat service. Trusted Shops Many of those who have built their sound on it – the Simon Neils and Nathan Weavers and the jazz and blues cats – have used it in so many different ways. It was clever marketing to call the pedal the Metal Zone, but perhaps that sold the pedal short.No matter where you stand, with BOSS recently introducing a celebratory 30th-anniversary iteration, it’s the perfect time to reset the MT-2’s polarizing impact and formidable legacy. 1991: The Metal Zone Makes Its Debut

Three-band active EQ with semi-parametric midrange provides intense sound customization with up to 15 dB boost/cut on each band Also of note Tim Sult's use of a Firebird-style electric guitar in the music video, despite being more commonly associated with Gibson Les Pauls and SGs. AC adaptor (PSA series: sold separately) Current Draw 35 mA Expected battery life under continuous use Alkaline: Approx. 18 hours Overdrive and distortion are unique sounds that can be confused. Gain an increased awareness of the differences between the two terms. Read more… What is the Waza Craft Pedal Line?

Honourable Mentions

You also might be surprised to learn that none other than Prince got crazy with the MT-2 as it found its way onto his pedalboard in the mid-’90s. Additionally, Warren Haynes of Allman Brothers Band fame is purported to have used the Metal Zone in his live rig.

But perhaps the Metal Zone’s greatest cultural impact can be observed in the generations of guitar players it has weaned on high-gain. For many metal players, the MT-2 was a rite of passage, a crucial staging post en route to finding the sound they’d take on the road. The key magic was focusing and boosting midrange in the first gain stage to enhance the sweet spot for guitar sound. Then the MT-2 can provide singing sustain with any amp and [at any] volume.The Boss MT-2 is famously used by a wide array of artists, including Biffy Clyro, Korn, Prince, Dave Mustaine, Daft Punk, Tom DeLonge, Jared Dines and many more. But what do chorus pedals sound like? Chorus is a lush modulation effect that, when applied to a guitar, creates a “doubled” sound that’s akin to a 12-string guitar. This is because a chorus pedal works by splitting an instrument’s signal into two — leaving one unaffected, while slightly delaying the second signal and modulating/detuning its pitch. That’s how the rich doubled effect is achieved! Part of the reason for the MT-2’s infamy is its sound out of the box. We’ve all been there; the confusion when you first plug it in and wonder how you could have made such a decision. But have patience – all it takes is a little tweaking. So how do you get a good sound out of a Metal Zone?