Metal lead guitar FX thread (geeky)

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well, you state lead tone...so I'll stick to that. For leads I prefer overdrive to fuzz, with finger vibrato, squeals and bends I find the sustain much more controllable with overdrive. Fuzz for me tends to break up and crumble on me for those things. I set up OD to be on the edge...

As far as tone it really matters what the song is and what guitar I'm playing. My basic approach is to keep the tone and presence fairly close to each other and they tend to be on the higher side of my tone settings. The bass I usually start off around 1/3 of the treble and then often I bring it up depending on how it sits with whatever mix I have. The mids often fluctuate the most, almost as if they define the character of the sound. (I hate to use 'voice' here, but in a sense the mids basically address that for me)

I rarely use any modulation fx on leads, the one song I have that possibly I did use modulation on the lead is The Whisper which was very clean tone wise. I prefer modulation on rhythm parts where it embraces the mix.

Delay is usually somewhere between 300-450 ms with a little feedback and I prefer ping pong. I do sync it because I can and I think it's less distracting.

Reverb is set to where it just sounds a little wet unless it's a very clean piece, then I'm apt to bring it up some.

Pretty much my philosophy on lead is that it needs to cut through the mix, subtle things (like pinching the string in different places for different squeals) are much better done through my playing. Adding feel to a lead with a lot of fx is fine sometimes, but I find that 'feel' is much more genuine when it's impromptu... :)
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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Hink,
thanks for your suggestions, looks like we share a lot of concepts, especially the "feel" bit. :)
Am I correct assuming you're running delay and reverb in parallel ?
Nice music and some fine tones on your page !
I especially dig the subtle quiet lead on "The Whisper".
Cheers,
susiwong

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NEKRO.MACHINE,
allright, I'll try the Landgraff clone a friend built for me (Tubescreamers always seem to be too nasal when I play them myself, though I dig what they do for others), or maybe borrow a Boss SD-1.
Always wanted to try that TAL Chorus 60, now the time is right !
I'll try all those good ideas over the next days and let you folks know what worked best for my taste !
Thanks again,
susiwong

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susiwong wrote:NEKRO.MACHINE,
allright, I'll try the Landgraff clone a friend built for me (Tubescreamers always seem to be too nasal when I play them myself, though I dig what they do for others), or maybe borrow a Boss SD-1.
Always wanted to try that TAL Chorus 60, now the time is right !
I'll try all those good ideas over the next days and let you folks know what worked best for my taste !
Thanks again,
susiwong
Hmmmnnn...was going to stay out of this, as I'm not a metalhead. However, I saw Tubescreamer and SD-1...realised you guys are using the same FX, or are you? Aren't there a whole string of FX aimed at this niche? Methinks.

Also, isn't the amp most of what the metal sound is driving at? :shrug:

Of course, a lot of metal guys start at the PUP's, as well. In addition, the feel, as Hink pointed out, is the human element that can at a uniqueness that Fx cannot duplicate exactly. Perhaps, this is where the tones are? In fact, this is where I get them for other styles.

The best reverb unit I have used is my '63 Fender Reverb. :D
I've got nothing to sell...am I on the right site?

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susiwong wrote:Hink,
thanks for your suggestions, looks like we share a lot of concepts, especially the "feel" bit. :)
Am I correct assuming you're running delay and reverb in parallel ?
Nice music and some fine tones on your page !
I especially dig the subtle quiet lead on "The Whisper".
Cheers,
susiwong
first, thanx on The Whisper, that song was written with a purpose, I wrote it and tuned my guitar to Dm to try and bring out some emotions. I am fortunate because my souncard lets me monitor my guitar through my Alesis midiverb 4 but record my guitar without any fx. Before this card (presonus firestudio)I used my Akai DPS12 as a mixer for the same reason. So all my songs (except Azimuth, that was the pod xt live all at once) have the delay and reverb added while mixing. I never really have used many pedals in my life because most of my life I just couldn't afford them, I still have yet to do a song (well finish one) that has a wah wah pedal. Though it isn't mentioned and a little OT I absolutely detest those whammy pedals.
The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world. It requires profound, purpose‐larger‐than‐the‐self kind of understanding.

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A few thoughts:

Somehow this discussion includes classic rock, not just metal. Cool.

Classic rock leads seem to prefer reverb (spring in the amp, plate afterwards), while metal leads seem to prefer digital delay.

Metal tones are very focused, sharply EQ'd, and typically has a steep scoop in the mids. Everything is high-passed -- which cuts mud -- and often low-passed as well. Vintage tones, however, are much more wide-range, and more midrange-heavy.

Pre-Cream (i.e., fuzz) and metal distortion have a lot in common: highly compressed, focused on odd-order harmonics.

Different rectifiers make a difference. Vintage amps have tube rectifiers, which makes the voltage sag, and gives a spongier feel. Modern tend to use diodes, which don't sag, which gives a more responsive, but less fun, feel.

With enough gain, all rigs sound the same -- like a square wave generator. :hihi:
Wait... loot _then_ burn? D'oh!

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some good points and amusing comments made but yeah it does begin with the Pickups and pick choice (thickness) and of course the individual touch each player no matter what level of abillity has. Anyways found this on VirSyn's website and its a demo of their tape emulation plug-ins and is a pretty big lead tone with faux tape flanging added courtesy of the plug-ins:

http://www.virsyn.de/Demo/VTAPE/TapeFlanger.mp3

right in thinking that alot of the time the older metal tones were scooped/contoured too heavily in the important mid-range however for solo's that changed and that is why the tone 'cuts' so well as the contrast is big compared to the 'scooped' rhythm guitars so that really helped in 'enhancing' the tone of the solo's a great deal and then you have player's such as michael Schenker whom used the 'cocked' wah fixed position for an even more focused mid aggressive tone (if you have not heard his tone/solos then youtube him and you will instanly hear what im on about). I personally have my mid on ten all the time as marshall amps biggest strength is in the mid-range and has alot to do with the EL-34 power amp valves so i never messed with them contour controls/mid-shift buttons apart from when i play alone quitely they help fill out the sound at very low volume but apart from that i dont touch them!

anyway take care all and susi and check the tapeflanger tone and get on the case of michael schenker :) see you all again on this thread

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NEKRO.MACHINE,
thanks for the link, sounds really good, something to keep in mind for a future purchase for sure.

All of you posters,
I did some messing with the various suggestions and am doing fine so far.
The Landgraff (which is very similar to a TS-808 or SD-1)into the JMP-1 really can get you in the right distortion ballpark.
The bottom line is, all of you were correct in a way, boosting the mids (and reducing bass) BEFORE the tube distortion is a key ingredient for that "singing" factor, no doubt. To get into the classic metal ballpark finally I found I loved the tone after extensive EQing, shaping the mids AFTER the tube distortion ITB.
A bit similar to the way Dolby NR worked, boost to get a certain tube behaviour and then remove what you don't need after the preamp has worked its magic. That way you get precise control over your basic tone.
Now the only thing I'm still not happy with are the delay settings. My standard classic rock settings as described above, ducking or not, somehow don't sound authentic for that style.
The guy in the Roland vid (exact times see above) sure got the effect I'm after.
Suggestions welcome !
Thanks again,
susiwong

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hello again friend and im pleased you got your axe's singing now for the delay!
im affraid to say that your best bet is another boss pedal! the DD-6 digital delay or Line-6 echo park are too well worth your attention and even more so the roland boss unit as you seem to like the boss/roland guys tone. take care susi and i will speak to you again soon im sure. And people think just plugging in and turning up the gain and volume = tone and metal is for idiots who smole too much weed and hang out and doss around (:oops: that sounds a bit like me) :hihi:

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