Few effects achieve infamy like the Boss Metal Zone: widely regarded as the 'Worst Distortion Pedal Of All Time', yet defended by its fans as a misunderstood innovative powerhouse, there is a lot to the history and cultural impact of the MT-2. So let's take another look at this pedal and see if it deserves all the hate. Buy your own Metal Zone - US - imp.i114863.net/GWrzE EU - www.thomann.de/intl/boss_mt2_metal_zone.htm?offid=1&affid=367 #metalzone #boss #csguitars More from CSGuitars: Gain access to exclusive content at: www.patreon.com/csguitars Buy CSGuitars Merchandise - www.csguitars.co.uk/store Website - www.csguitars.co.uk Contact - colin@csguitars.co.uk Affiliate Links: Thomann - www.thomann.de/gb/index.html?offid=1&affid=367 Sweetwater - imp.i114863.net/2mGGg CSGuitars uses: LEWITT Microphones - www.lewitt-audio.com/ Hoffnine Cabinets - www.hoffnine.co.uk/ Hosa Cables - hosatech.com/ Dragon's Heart Guitar Picks - www.dragonsheartguitarpicks.com/ Title graphics and logo by: www.studiosmithdesign.co.uk/ Join the discussion at: Facebook - facebook.com/csguitars Instagram - instagram.com/csguitars/ Twitter -twitter.com/CSG_Scotland Music available at: Amazon: amzn.to/2HUdXgV iTunes: apple.co/2JvpCjp Google Play: bit.ly/2KgSzkl Or stream on Spotify: spoti.fi/2HuYPTP
I've always assumed any pedal with an eq setting was always a pre amp? But I'm not going to say I was right about this I just thought it was to try help it a wee bit cause it sounded shite
Hi !! Big THX to channel : Geoff Gordon Stuart, Riffs And Chugs TV, Robert's Guitar Dungeon, & Ola Englund !! :) For MT2 use PREAMP Thx for your new ad Bro' !!
If boss ever redesign the metalzone here’s a useful feature: make the pedal deliver an electric shock to the user if they try to put the mids below a certain point
I just picked up a used MT-2 to relive my youth when I used to play one. I've had a feeling they are going to start to creep up in value much like the HM-2 is now. in my area you can still find used MT-2's for around $50-70, but the cheapest i see used HM-2's going for is $150 for the Made in Taiwan ones. If it's a Japan one, price is over $200!!
That would be a fair comparison, Maxon. I really liked that pedal thru a semi clean Fender Preset on my first gen Cyber Twin. An apt move 3 years ago changed things. Head phone rig now.
There was a time when I used a DOD Death Metal pedal to boost a MT-2, lol. And yes, I was 14 and trying to be as heavy as inhumanly possible as well :D I decided to just use the MT-2 with more reasonable settings after awhile though, just to try to hear the actual notes better, lmao.
Heh. I do that now but the MT-2's distortion is at like 1 or 2 o'clock, and the DS-1 is used more like a TS-9 with a low gain crunch tone running with lots of volume but not at 10 or else it gets muddy. The two pedals are running into my Crate XT120R's rhythm channel at super low gain settings
I use a BD-2 to boost the MT-2, keeping the gain on both pedals somewhat low. To my ears, the MT-2 sounds too harsh and fizzy when the distortion is turned up too far. The sweetspot I like sounds clear but lacks in crunch, so I use a BD-2 with low gain to compensate. If I had a better amp than my Marshall AVT150h, I probably wouldn't be using the MT-2 altogether.
Cannibal Corpse used this on their first few albums, plugged directly into a clean amplifier, and they sounded sick. I think the metal zone is just an awesome pedal through and through. The dirty ass fizz gives it charm, and i think it sounds cool as fuck and I've been playing for almost 8 years
Same here. I've been using mine for about 13 years, plugged straight into my Mega T60R (the European/non-American version of the American Guitar Research T60R), and I love the "harsh", gritty sound. I agree. The gritty/fizzy tone does lend to its charm.
It becomes usable from the beginning if you read the Boss instructions that come with it and you start with the presets instead of thinking you're a freaking genius.
had BOSS printed in the instructions "for best results plug the MT-2 into the effects loop (if available) of your guitar amplifier as intended". Then all the hate for MT-2 would vanish.
@@SirBlitzkrieg Well I don't think they have publicly .. However they ought to..That way people won't think they're a shit pedal cos of been placed through the input jack of an amp.
actually FX loops are meant to be used - as they say, to run any external pedal through them (routing: input -> preamp -> fx loop -> power amp -> speakers). Getting your guitar plugged into a distortion pedal and feed it through the input makes the preamp get an already processed/distorted signal which - what's more, usually oversaturated/overgained - barely resembles the sound of a guitar. With this attitude, you could even fart into a mike and feed it into the pedal then the amp, you won't notice any difference :)
Well I didn't expected a pedal to be a preamp actually, it sounds killer, first I saw this method on Ola Englund's channel. Salutare din nou Nicule :))
Using the Metal Zone as a preamp to get those tones is a true masterclass case study in getting the absolute best out of a load of shite. It's almost a Jack White level of refusal to use something that's just "good" and convenient in favour of getting gold out of garbage, if you've ever seen It Might Get Loud.
I think it's use as a pre-amp was what BOSS intented it to be, but since it was marketed as an simple metal distortion pedal it got that shitty reputantion for years. You can tell it sounds legit broken in front of the amp.
I’m a beginner and didn’t know people thought it was bad when I got it. I definitely had trouble getting it to sound good at first but after a while I got it to sound amazing and feel like it has helped me learn to shape my tone alot faster than if I got something else.
I wonder if the Metal Zone or its infamous predecessor the Heavy Metal were designed to work with amplifiers that did not behave as modern pre-amps in terms of gain. It could explain why bypassing pre-amps today gives better results.
Yes, that's absolutely true in my experience. They work best with more transparent, less filtered sounding preamps with a much simpler gain structure. Particularly the Roland Jazz Chorus.
The MT-2 was more than likely developed and tested using a Jazz Chorus. That amp has a very flat, warm sounding EQ compared to Fender or Marshall style tone stacks. Almost like plugging a guitar into a recording console. That's probably why it works so well plugged straight into an effects loop's return.
Because pedals have been designed to be plugged into the front end of a preamp for ages? In fact, the level that comes out of most pedals is not line level - if it was, Radial wouldn't need to make products specifically to level and impedance match both the input and output of the effects pedal to use them with line level audio (EXTC-SA/EXTC 500).
Necro, I know. They were designed to go in front of a Roland JC-120, which may as well be a PA without tweeters. Extremely flat and linear with the EQ at 12:00. Meanwhile, most amps metal heads were using when it was introduced were based on the Marshall bright and midrange sound. The mid-boost in the MT-2 stacked on top of the mid focus of the amps made it sound like a jar of bees holding its nose. Roland assumed you were using their amp, that sounds nothing like any other guitar amp.
@@fuzzshifter Funnily/neatly enough, the pedal's instruction pamphlet has a JC-120 specifically in the connection diagram. Re-reading the instructions, I also notice BOSS suggested setting the tone/distortion controls first before matching levels (presumably to keep guitarists from blowing their ears off), but it makes me wonder if the MT-2's rep would've changed had they reversed the instructions and told folks to match levels *first* instead. I notice my perceptions of how much bass/mid/treble and distortion I need change dramatically if the pedal is already sufficiently loud to begin with...
Been using the Metal Zone since it exists. No other pedal has managed to throw it off the board. Sometimes there are addictions to it, but, always present. And will be for a while. + people don't realise how verstile it is. Long live the King!
+CSGuitars oh yeah I hear you there. for alot of people its a serious job they have a Passion for. If you have a good tech, treat them good. I myself was I guess you could say "my town's local tech" for all the guitarists in my town. that stemming from the fact that I was the only one in town that new how to setup floating bridges like Floyds.
As an amateur user of low-end guitar pedals, I'll say this: pedals that demand *perfect* use to sound good may be helpful at the highest end, like for actual recording artists, but mass-market pedals should have a _range_ of decent-sounding tones that aren't too hard to work out. That's why I like chorus pedals so much; they give you several different sounds, the controls are simple, and chorus works well with other effects. Pedals are a pretty expensive indulgence if they can only give you one very specific sound.
I tell you, should Boss EVER revise the Metal Zone and bring out somekind of MT-3 along the lines being argued in that video, the MT-2 will INSTANTLY become a cult classic on the second hand market to rival the HM-2
I don't think so, and it for two reasons. Most important one is because HM-2 production run was relatively short; only 8 years and these were never that popular. There are simply a LOT more MT-2 pedals out there, limiting potential appreciation value. Second is that HM-2 was (and still is) strongly associated with an entire metal genre, '90s Swedish metal. It basically defined that entire sound. MT never really established itself that way.
Put a Sonic Maximizer after the metal zone... Best distortion I've heard yet paired into my Mesa Triple Rectifier. As a bedroom player for many years, I'm surprised people don't like this pedal! Must be tone noobs.
As a bass player (primarily), I've always preferred the clean tones of good older solid state amps like Yamaha's, Peavey's, and Sunn's. I was loaned an MT-2 many years ago to fart around with in concert with my '71 Strat. tilt-neck, and while going through my usual routine of trying every conceivable setting, I discovered how badass this pedal sounded when routed through the effects loop of my old Peavey Century head feeding a pair of Altec 15's in a back-loaded horn enclosure. A truly amazing metal pedal when used in the right configuration. How many other great buys are out there for cheap because the owner was too lazy, (or dumb), to try ALL the available tone options? If you want metal, this is the pedal.
This is my favorite pedal. I always go back to it. Anyine that says it sounds bad has not taken the time to tone chase. Highly versatile and legendary, give it a try.
Its awesome... I'm very new to pedals and I'll admit the first time I tried a MZ I was unimpressed... but after messing around with the knobs, I found some REALLY badass tones! And this was with a Strat and Tele lol
I have never tried the MT2 with single coil pickups. I bet you really had to turn the highs down! But i do play it with passive or active humbuckers. Either one gives a nice fat tone with the active really giving that metal crunch. Duncan blackouts have a nice modern tone and the EMG het set has an awesome 80s thrash metal sound. With the MT2 you can drop the mids in fine detail.
I realized this about 7 years ago with a Wampler Sovereign distortion pedal . I tried it through the effect loop of the Blackstar Ht20 I had at the time, and it sounded MUCH better than through the front. Great video Colin.
The Mt2 was not that bad if you could dial it in correctly , the worst ever was the digi Tech Deth Metal pedal complete pile of crap. I have enjoyed the last dregs of a warm bottle of buckfast more than the sounds from that pedal. Great vid man excellent channel \m/
I loved my DOD Death Metal back in the day. Did it sound like someone bolted a pickup to a chainsaw? Yeah. Were the labels on the controls (R.I.P. Guts, Pain, Scream) the epitome of 90s edginess? Damn right. Was it just plain awful? Oh yeah. Still loved it to bits, and I'm always on the lookout for a used one.
Well, I own a boss MT-2, my dad bought it in the early '90s to play with his band and he even recorded a couple of demo albums with it. He regularly used it live as well. I have used it for at least 2 an a half years to rehearse with bands, I used it live too and it worked perfectly (no, I didn't scoop the mids aggressively haha!), never a problem with it. It takes time to learn how to use the powerful EQ, it has been a great training for gaining knowledge with tone tweaking. I switched to a Rocktron Piranha tube preamp (it also has parametric mids) a couple of years ago, and that's my main distortion now but I always keep my MT-2 in my guitar case as a backup (or to play at home, or for rehearsals when I don't want to bring the heavy stuff). It takes blood and sweat to learn how to use it, but it can sound great through a decent amp. Funny enough, I never tried it in the fx loop, but I definitely will some time! I also have an HM-2, if you combine the two you get a perfect Swedish Death Metal tone (same setup was used on Slaughter of the Soul). It sure is a personal taste thing as well, but I like it. The way I used it, it has always reminded me of a Mesa Dual Rectifier for some reason. I may add, that the name speaks for itself. While you can get some decent '80s hard rock tones out of it, you're not really getting a bluesy solo break-up distortion, there's not too much versatility. But I don't consider it a problem. It is called Metal Zone, it is aimed for metal, it is supposed to provide crushing metal tones, not really much genre versatility. That's my opinion anyway. Anyway, keep up the great content! Big fan of your channel! Rock on Colin! \m/
Very mature review. I can’t lie, I bought my my-2 for your exact reason 10 years ago. To push my 15 watt Marshall practice amp. When I upgraded to a the Marshall hdfx half stack, I kept the my-2 close at hand. I just love that obnoxious ‘bite’ this pedal gives you. With my settings I get a solid Rammstein/Bullet for my Valentine sort of tone. And now that I have a TSL 100, it’s still there. And honestly, it will forever be a part of my arsenal.
I've been using the Metal Zone MT-2 since 1992/3. It's in my live and studio set up. It's the main pedal in some of the song in our upcoming album. I love it. It gives me the sound I want. Nothing else comes close to it.
I've played guitar for 20+ years and yet I'm very new to using pedals... one of the few I have is that MZ MT 2... I had no idea it was so hated! It makes no sense, its really badass, like a lot of Boss products
Thru the effects loop is a huge game changer, i play it thru my peavey bandit 75 with a little chorus and reverb. Never found a pedal that even compares
back in the olden days i ran my metalzone into a fender bxr 300 solid state bass amp , essentially as a power amp due to the flat nature of the bass eq . thinking about it now , that makes a lot more sense . we mainly had cheaper basic solid state amps back in the day , expensive boutique tube amps were unobtanium . that would be boss target market of younger metal players
Guilty as charged; the MT-2 was my first pedal. I tried every configuration described in this video except for running it through the return on my Orange MD. I tried running through the clean with an EQ, I tried using it as a boost, and never got anywhere. Just as you stated, I eventually upgraded my whole rig; thus negating any reason for using it. I still have it though, so I’ll give it the old college try just for the hell of it. Another awesome video Colin, thanks again for doing what you do! Keep ‘em coming! Cheers from Denver. 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻
Sweet video and love the sample tracks you used! Man, from Pantera, Disturbed, Arch Enemy to Trivium you've retraced my early metal years while I expected it the least and damn that feels good. Love the way you cover you subject in several parts, you just earned yourself a new sub :) I'd give you a cookie also but to be honest if I had one I'd probably eat it myself :)
@@doomgrindthrashdeath I did the same with my mt-2 which I completely stop playing years ago. A big difference. And then I tried the digitech metal masters. Wow!!! They both really sound good with the maxon 808.
@@woodchucksquirrel that's because people are now realizing the MT-2 is intended as a pre-amp pedal instead of going through the front input jack of a clean amp. I suspect a DS-1 would sound meaty going through the effects loop too..
I usually try this with all of my distortion pedals, believe it or not. I don't know if the UM300 from Behringer is a somewhat clone of that but I tried it years ago on the Behringer and it sounded better. The reason why many people don't do it is because they end up with a very dry unshaped and very direct clean sound. That's not everyone's thing. So, NOBODY, is wrong. Still the sound of the MetalZone is not as good as Ampdistortion boosted with a TS. So, why do you need a MZ, anyway? Might be possible that it would become the ultimate Rig paired with TS, who knows. Maybe CSG can try that for us.
+Django bango Yeah! I know! Back then I bought an amplifier and if you knew a couple of metallica/maiden-riffs and you HAD distortion it was all good with everyone. Now I'm buying all this expensive gear and spend days and days trying to dial in all the knobs feeling like Inspector Gadget himself and everyone still just hates your guts because everything is just plain wrong. lol
@@InTheSh8 i agree, also i think this pedal still sucks.. its just if your stuck with one then it can be used with the loop on the amp but there is better pedals out there so i see no point in getting one these days..
Nice video Colin! Glad you finally got the time to do the pedal as a pre amp. I dont personally own one but I sure am glad to watch you re review it as such. Great stuff as always!
I've used it in a loop for almost 15 years. I'm surprised only recently people have caught on to it. In fact I'll tell you exactly how I've used it for certain gigs, and I've always had people shaking their heads in disbelief. I call this $200 or less solution. You have an amp that gets you a nice clean sound but weak distortion. It has an effect loop, if it has a presence knob even better because the presence is always after the loop. Get a Metal Zone, a Boss SD1 super overdrive, an A,B switch, and a Y jack that's all male quarter inch mono to mono connectors.. You can find all four items for less than $200. Plug your guitar into the A,B switch. A goes into amp set nice and clean. B goes into SD1 overdrive, then onto Metal Zone . You will need the Y jack one part of the Y on the amps send the other part of the Y out of the Metal Zone, and the end of the Y jack to the return. Set the Metal Zone to sound as good as possible, don't set the gain more than 1:00, so it doesn't become crappy and weird. This is where the SD1 comes in. Use it to drive the Metal Zone. It will give you a massive super tight chunky tone. It will filter out the buzziness and the flubby low end. Tweak the two pedals EQ and tone, and if your amp has a presence dial it in accordingly. The AB switch will act like a channel switching on an amp. Adjust all levels so they are even, and the amps master volume will control the overall volume for whatever your situation is. I guarantee you, that you will have absolutely head turning, crushing and musical metal tone. Give it a try Colin, make a video. You won't be disappointed.
I found this out by accident, and necessity. I was a young guitarist and had a fender combo amp that I had worn out the inputs. I had to hook all my pedals into the effects return. I always loved my MT-2, but I had hard times and sold it. Just got a used one today and it was nice to have it back. Now I understand why I never thought it sucked. :)
For ME and only me, the BOSS Metal Zone has been in my chain since it first came out. I run mine straight into a BOSS 7 band EQ and the rest of my effects from there. It has become my own signature sound and there's been a handful of beginners who have copied my sound or at least got close to it after asking me how I get that sound. They ran off and.bought their own Metal Zone and 7 band EQ and copied my settings. One guy bought the same amp I use and even the same bridge pickup I use (Seymour Duncan TB 6). Works for them too. I love the Metal Zone. I bought an MXR Fullbore Metal Distortion and it couldn't hold a candle to my 30 year old Metal Zone.
The Metal Zone, when set correctly, can do a reasonable "Rockman" impersonation as well. You know, that mid heavy Tom Scholz / "wah pedal left somewhere in the middle of the sweep" type tone. Fun pedal for sure!
Awesome video like always, Colin! Fun fact: In the early 2000's, when i was playing in my first band, i had an MT-2. Was the first pedal i ever bought and i still have it today. After experimenting with it (yea, into the clean channel ), i started using it just like that, straight into the PowerAmp. Its funny, that a lot of the guitarists of other bands at the rehearsal place liked the sound i got from it, but when they saw that i was using the MetalZone, they gave me nothing but crap for it. Go figure...
I loved this pedal since I was a teenager as it gave me massive amount of boost back in the old days! It's got a lot of scope for metal depending on how you use it.
Bloody hell, thats a30 year old design...no wonder its iconic. But luckly the bew Colins Sexy Guitars Tshirts do not need to be 30 y.o. to be iconic because the are iconic right out of the box.
Huh... i pretty much live under a rock when it comes to pedals. And I've only recently started using them. I borrowed a metal zone from someone and LOVED it... I really don't see how it could be so hated. Boss makes good shit and this is no exception!
I've been using one for years and years. People often ask me how I get such a great metal sound in my recordings. I mic my Peavey studio amp up with a 57, just top right of centre, I never loop the MT2, straight in the front. I set all dials on pedal and amp to flat then just play and play and twiddle until I get the sound I want. Some major bands take days and days to get the sound they want in the studio. Patience is the key, give your ears a rest during the process, and put a guide track on of your favourite metal band so you can hear the sound you want, this helps loads.
I think your analysis about everyone latching onto the "you're supposed to use it as a preamp" is completely spot on. I had never once seen anyone suggest it in any comment sections until those videos started appearing very recently. I maintain that you can still get an ok-ish sound from it in front of an amp with the right eq settings, but clearly it's not going to be an absolutely awesome sound. Either way it's kind of cool to see you've "made peace" with the metal zone. Hopefully now people will stop polluting every pedal discussion on the internet with the same old "ALLL THE GAINNN" comments...
@@ScienceofLoud But it's gain can't be taken out at all. And also has a noise gate. I think, apart from the noise gate, the Metal Zone is more versatile. At least it can be used as a boost, but the Fullbore can't.
I got the metal zone for modding and ran it in front of an amp, turned the knobs for a bit only to find that you can get a pretty nice boost drive if you slightly remove the scoop by adding your desired mid frequency very slightly and just barely cutting some bass and highs, running the distortion knob fairly low and boosting with volume. Probably not why you'd get the pedal but I found it pretty neat. I'd probably remove a bit of the scoop and sensitivity of the eq, as well as taking a lot of the distortion out if I was modding it. Makes me wonder how Cannibal Corpse runs Metal Zone. Could you talk about the buffers in Boss pedals and your opinions about them in some video? Dan from TPS and some boutique pedal builders seem to think Boss has one of the best buffers.
For what it's worth: Boss design all their distortion pedals using the Roland Jazz Chorus as the 'sonic blueprint' of the tone. The Jazz Chorus has a much flatter, more transparent voicing than most conventional guitar amps. Fewer peaks in specific frequencies designed to give the guitar a more distinct voicing, and fewer peaks to make it all too easy to over-emphasise certain frequencies to the point of nastiness with the metal zone's EQ. Honestly, while everyone says the pedal works better in the FX loop, which I think is true for most amps, I also think it works best into a Roland Jazz Chorus. It's kind of a design flaw that the EQ section just works so horrendously badly with so many of the amps that people are likely to want to use for the style of music the pedal was designed for. But that's quite a common problem with Boss TBH - a lot of their dirt pedals work best into the Jazz Chorus because that's what these pedals were voiced to work best with.
You can use the extreme EQ for very sick lo-fi effects by cutting all the lows and highs, boosting all the mids, then use the mid-freq knob to dial up some frequency, even adjusting it while playing some audio through it.
FYI - BOSS' first attempt at a "Metal" pedal after the HM -2 Heavy Metal was actually the MZ - 2 Digital Metalizer released in 1987. A very interesting pedal that's not very well known. It's a must have if "Hair Metal" is a tone you're looking to achieve. Worthy of its own video for sure. Great videos!
Great review just a heads up just watched a rather failed review by Henning who couldn't get it to work please contact him and advise him how to use this icon of a pedal !!!!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😎
I bought the Metal Zone because of the eq. More control over the tone just made sense to me. I took your advice from a while ago and put the Diezel mod in it.
Since a 'few' years everybody say: metal zone is for idiot, poor, metal kids, this pedal is a garbage. Last week Ola made a good video and said: it's not a garbage, just use like a preamp with a valve poweramp and 4x12 cab. Now everybody say: 'it's a good metal preamp pedal, it's evident, I always knew and said that.' That's the nature of mankind... (sorry for my english skills)
Wow! You have three hands! As far as the MT-2 goes, it's awesome! They pushed the boundary of distortion and advanced the EQ further than anyone at the time and it's hard to argue with sales. If people genuinely hated it so much they wouldn't buy it making it one of the best selling pedals of all time to this day. Use mine everyday even if I use another distortion for a time. I don't like the fizz on top that it has but I can knock it down a bit in the D.A.W.
I hope to soon become a patron, Colin. I've been watching so long and want to help you out, plus who could resist bonus content from such a sexy scottsman.
I'm currently in the process of revising all the Patreon reward tiers so that it is inline with what I can now provide. Now is a very good time to get involved, thanks for your support :)
"You didn't know how to use it either"...I've always said run it in a bass amp, so I guess that does not apply to me. The problem with the MT2 is you are running a pedal with a lot of high end into an amp with a lot of high end, hence the angry hornets, but if you run it into a BASS amp instead of guitar, something like a Peavey TNT or Fender Rumble with a 15 and a horn? Suddenly you go from angry hornet to "T-rex gonna tear you a new one". I know this because in the 90s I used to play with a guitarist that ran an MT2 into a TNT and it sounded damn good, the MT2 gave him enough high through the amp that it wasn't muddy but the TNT didn't have enough high for angry hornets and with that 15? Good lord did he have chunk, he had enough low end chunk I'd often play an octave up on my bass when he did rhythm as he had enough low end to cover guitar and bass all by himself.
It was back in 1988 when I first heard the combination of a Peavey Bandit 112 and a Boss MetalZone. I was instantly n love and certain this was the best amp and the best distortion I ve ever heard for thrash and death metal (for the budget at least). I ve never changed my mind.
It’s kinda funny watching this years later. The Waza Craft version is one of my favorite pedals I’ve ever used. I love it on guitar and bass (usually with an LS-2 to mix some clean signal back in), but also for adding extra grit to synthesizers (often again with an LS-2 and also a phase shifter). Thank you for making this video which really got me into the interesting history of this pedal and inspired me to give it a try for myself (albeit in an updated form)! I really want to learn more about the HM-2 and its Waza craft version now too!
I think I still have this pedal stashed away somewhere. I started out running the MT-2 through a Peavey combo amp in my first band. It sounded like my guitar sound was being mic’d with a tin can and string, but I loved every second of it. We all started with this pedal, and while I have much better sound now, I will always keep the MT-2 in my favorite memories of jamming with my friends in the drummers garage.
My first pedal🐝💯🔥. I was 12 and that first sound you get was like a time machine back to 2007 haha. So glad I kept her and now know how to use the metalzone properly from y’all on YT
Actually, every distortion pedal with a mid knob should be used in the loop. I found that a long time ago, when I bought a Blackstar HT-Dual and played with a Harley Benton British Sound of a friend of mine. They sound powerful, clear and feel better to play in the FX return/PWR IN. And also something many people will probably not agree with. I prefer the sound of a distortion pedal in the loop compared to a boosted with overdrive pedal amp. That's just my opinion and I like valves as much as you all do. Last but not least, great video Colin, I'm a big fan of the channel. Cheers from Bulgaria and rock on \m/ (no matter the gear ;) ) hehe
It makes a pretty fun dirty boost for the OD channel on a lot of my amps. I still dig it out once in a while for this. You can still hear the MT-2 goodness even through your amp's OD channel.
Before ola discovered this, there were 2 more youtuber who discovered this n posted video 1/2 yrs back I guess.search as"how to use metal zone properly"
If you have the time, check out the video Simon Smith did facing the Metal Zone off against three different tube amps. He showed the pedal can do pretty sick tones. Also, great content as usual, Colin!
With some Amos having a switchable effects loop, this gives some Amps a third channel, as with a Fender Supersonic, through in a TC booster or gain pedal like the MZ, and you have even more variety. Nice revisiting.👍👍👍
I use Behringer's clone version as a boost in tandem with a Zoom G1XOn and two ART microphone tube preamps and an ART rack power unit. Also tested with a NuX GT-20 my friend owns. Guitar > MultiFX > Behringer UM300 > ART Tube MP/C > ART Tube MP Studio > ART SLA-1 > Seismic Audio 4x12. It's noteworthy that I set the preamps to just barely break up, yet still remain wholly and unmistakably clean, with the two pedals bypassed, as well as with the distortion pedal off and the zoom on acoustic sim, and the neck pickup selected. Also, there's the fact I'm using the stock tubes in the preamps.
Wow huge difference in effects loop. Ive never been a hater of the Metal Zone anyway. The best part about a pedal with several knobs is searching for your own tone. I dont want to sound like other guitarist. Sure, its fun for a few songs when youre doing covers but I like a distortion, overdrive, compressor, delay, reverb, chorus, phaser and an octave pedal in front of me, turning their knobs and searching for my own tone. The trick to having a great guitar tone is patience. You can have entry level pedals and still get a great tone, it just takes longer to do it. Even a cheap $20 Danelectro distortion pedal can sound decent if you take your time with it and pay attention to the three things every new guitar player forgets about when they get their first distortion pedal. #1. Amp settings. Seems obvious but we all forgot about those knobs on the front of the amp when our first distortion pedal was plugged in for the first time, except for the volume of course. #2. Guitar tone knob. #3. Guitar volume knob. When used right the guitar volume knob can help a lot with your tone. It actually has numbers between the 0 and the 10. It surprised me too when an old guy told me that.😀
You're right. I didn't know NOT to throw it in front of my amp. But I didn't have an amp. I always jimmy rigged it through the pre-amp in my little early mackie mixer, or in my tascam cassette 8-track, then into my "stereo system", and I was able to dial in tones much more like what you hear in the second portion of your demo. More than anything it just took usage to dial in a tone. Start with something really vanilla and un-scooped and just tweek it a tiny bit at a time. PS: Rose tinted headphone test? Dug up an old recording. It doesn't sound "great" by any stretch - but it doesn't sound god awful like the first portion of your demo. None of that intense scratchiness. Much more like the second portion. Smooth. If anything, too smooth, not enough attack.
![ทุกครั้งที่หลับตา (Lucid Dream) - AYLA's [ Official MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4i1OBAQyv58/mqdefault.jpg)
Few effects achieve infamy like the Boss Metal Zone: widely regarded as the 'Worst Distortion Pedal Of All Time', yet defended by its fans as a misunderstood innovative powerhouse, there is a lot to the history and cultural impact of the MT-2. So let's take another look at this pedal and see if it deserves all the hate.
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I've always assumed any pedal with an eq setting was always a pre amp? But I'm not going to say I was right about this I just thought it was to try help it a wee bit cause it sounded shite
Hi !!
Big THX to channel :
Geoff Gordon Stuart, Riffs And Chugs TV, Robert's Guitar Dungeon, & Ola Englund !! :) For MT2 use PREAMP
Thx for your new ad Bro' !!
U mad bro?
So no mention of your fellow Scotsmen simon Neil on his amazingly splendid tone
Can you make a video on how to add FX loop to an amp that doesn't have an FX loop?
Not sure you know, but there are dinosaurs on your amplifier. I can probably help you with that...
Checking in to make sure he isn't taking any of your ideas aye? ;)
@chase fochler they both play riffs from vulgar display of power on their metal zone videos. CSG CONFIRMED COPYCAT.
I think whoever has the most viewed Metal Zone video on TH-cam should be considered the real OG.
All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating ;)
CSGuitars tsss call me when you play mouth for war in standard tuning and not drop and we can talk!
haha :D
If boss ever redesign the metalzone here’s a useful feature: make the pedal deliver an electric shock to the user if they try to put the mids below a certain point
just induce live current into the strings through the magnetic fields produced by the pickups.
The Waza Kraft version provides this feature
The no mid chuggy chuggy at certain volumes cured my bronchitis.
Scoop the mids
If we're honest, everyone here secretly loves it. Gotta get one and track down an HM-2 while I'm at it to add to the collection :)
right on brother.i have both.👍..
I just picked up a used MT-2 to relive my youth when I used to play one. I've had a feeling they are going to start to creep up in value much like the HM-2 is now. in my area you can still find used MT-2's for around $50-70, but the cheapest i see used HM-2's going for is $150 for the Made in Taiwan ones. If it's a Japan one, price is over $200!!
Those HM-2s are banging
g mat isn’t the bad monkey DoD’s take on the TubeScreamer? Except it has a Low control. Right?
That would be a fair comparison, Maxon. I really liked that pedal thru a semi clean Fender Preset on my first gen Cyber Twin. An apt move 3 years ago changed things. Head phone rig now.
actually BOSS should do a Colin Signature limited edition ALL THE GAIN Metal Zone with the revised circuts. I would SO buy that.
I'll pitch the idea to them, see what they think :P
darillio would be written on it in all red "SLAYERRRR"
Y E S ! That would be SO epic! :D
With the gain knob superglued on 10
and on the back it should say: "cheap drive pedal,use only on the clean channel". 😀😀
There was a time when I used a DS-1 to BOOST A MT-2, yes, I was 16 and trying to be as heavy as inhumanly possible
There was a time when I used a DOD Death Metal pedal to boost a MT-2, lol. And yes, I was 14 and trying to be as heavy as inhumanly possible as well :D
I decided to just use the MT-2 with more reasonable settings after awhile though, just to try to hear the actual notes better, lmao.
@@DeathBringer769 I had a DOD Death Metal pedal too.. perfect for those Pantera type sounds..
Heh. I do that now but the MT-2's distortion is at like 1 or 2 o'clock, and the DS-1 is used more like a TS-9 with a low gain crunch tone running with lots of volume but not at 10 or else it gets muddy.
The two pedals are running into my Crate XT120R's rhythm channel at super low gain settings
I use a BD-2 to boost the MT-2, keeping the gain on both pedals somewhat low. To my ears, the MT-2 sounds too harsh and fizzy when the distortion is turned up too far. The sweetspot I like sounds clear but lacks in crunch, so I use a BD-2 with low gain to compensate. If I had a better amp than my Marshall AVT150h, I probably wouldn't be using the MT-2 altogether.
That's awesome.
Obviously the metal zone is meant as a reverb that you put after your amp and in front of your cab :^)
Cannibal Corpse used this on their first few albums, plugged directly into a clean amplifier, and they sounded sick. I think the metal zone is just an awesome pedal through and through. The dirty ass fizz gives it charm, and i think it sounds cool as fuck and I've been playing for almost 8 years
Everyone saying don’t run it through clean channel,I’ve been doing it my whole life and it’s sounded great
Same here. I've been using mine for about 13 years, plugged straight into my Mega T60R (the European/non-American version of the American Guitar Research T60R), and I love the "harsh", gritty sound. I agree. The gritty/fizzy tone does lend to its charm.
Acid Bath used it as well
@@Braineaters8I saw a video on TH-cam where Sammy from Acid Bath/Goatwhore shows the settings on the MT-2 for Acid Bath sound
@@wc1994 Yep. He also shows the settings he used in Crowbar.
It becomes usable from the beginning if you read the Boss instructions that come with it and you start with the presets instead of thinking you're a freaking genius.
had BOSS printed in the instructions "for best results plug the MT-2 into the effects loop (if available) of your guitar amplifier as intended". Then all the hate for MT-2 would vanish.
@@LFC-Star "...as intended."
Has Boss actually confirmed this? Are any other Boss pedals meant to be used this way?
@@SirBlitzkrieg Well I don't think they have publicly .. However they ought to..That way people won't think they're a shit pedal cos of been placed through the input jack of an amp.
There's... instructions?
actually FX loops are meant to be used - as they say, to run any external pedal through them (routing: input -> preamp -> fx loop -> power amp -> speakers).
Getting your guitar plugged into a distortion pedal and feed it through the input makes the preamp get an already processed/distorted signal which - what's more, usually oversaturated/overgained - barely resembles the sound of a guitar. With this attitude, you could even fart into a mike and feed it into the pedal then the amp, you won't notice any difference :)
it's really impressive how you play and adjust the knobs at the same time
I think he's using his foot to adjust the knobs
Legend has it that he has a third arm with a hand behind his back.
I would buy a metalzone just for the sake of owning one. i would not use it, just keep it there and look at its greatness
That’s exactly what mine does, occasionally use it for memes.
Well I didn't expected a pedal to be a preamp actually, it sounds killer, first I saw this method on Ola Englund's channel.
Salutare din nou Nicule :))
That is exactly what I do with mine
Salut nicu:))))
USE it! Prince used one for f*chs sake!
Has anyone seen the video where Brian Wampler modified a shitload of Metal Zones to be completely different effects entirely?
I used to have one of those Metal Zones!
Using the Metal Zone as a preamp to get those tones is a true masterclass case study in getting the absolute best out of a load of shite. It's almost a Jack White level of refusal to use something that's just "good" and convenient in favour of getting gold out of garbage, if you've ever seen It Might Get Loud.
I think it's use as a pre-amp was what BOSS intented it to be, but since it was marketed as an simple metal distortion pedal it got that shitty reputantion for years. You can tell it sounds legit broken in front of the amp.
I’m a beginner and didn’t know people thought it was bad when I got it. I definitely had trouble getting it to sound good at first but after a while I got it to sound amazing and feel like it has helped me learn to shape my tone alot faster than if I got something else.
I've been using one for a few years now and I think it sounds great
Why are you scottish?
Because he was born in Scotland
Unfortunate side-effect of Irn Bru overconsumption, he was actually born in south-west north-east Sussex.
haha
All the best folk are!
You sure?
The Metal Zone is the best pedal ever. This is a fact confirmed by fact scientists.
As a professional fact scientist I can confirm your statement
johgus96 As opposed to an opinion scientist?
I'm definitely gonna hook this up to an acoustic when I get around to buying an acoustic guitar.
'Prince' confirmed this.
I wonder if the Metal Zone or its infamous predecessor the Heavy Metal were designed to work with amplifiers that did not behave as modern pre-amps in terms of gain. It could explain why bypassing pre-amps today gives better results.
Yes, that's absolutely true in my experience. They work best with more transparent, less filtered sounding preamps with a much simpler gain structure. Particularly the Roland Jazz Chorus.
The MT-2 was more than likely developed and tested using a Jazz Chorus. That amp has a very flat, warm sounding EQ compared to Fender or Marshall style tone stacks. Almost like plugging a guitar into a recording console. That's probably why it works so well plugged straight into an effects loop's return.
Because pedals have been designed to be plugged into the front end of a preamp for ages? In fact, the level that comes out of most pedals is not line level - if it was, Radial wouldn't need to make products specifically to level and impedance match both the input and output of the effects pedal to use them with line level audio (EXTC-SA/EXTC 500).
Necro, I know. They were designed to go in front of a Roland JC-120, which may as well be a PA without tweeters. Extremely flat and linear with the EQ at 12:00. Meanwhile, most amps metal heads were using when it was introduced were based on the Marshall bright and midrange sound. The mid-boost in the MT-2 stacked on top of the mid focus of the amps made it sound like a jar of bees holding its nose. Roland assumed you were using their amp, that sounds nothing like any other guitar amp.
@@fuzzshifter Funnily/neatly enough, the pedal's instruction pamphlet has a JC-120 specifically in the connection diagram. Re-reading the instructions, I also notice BOSS suggested setting the tone/distortion controls first before matching levels (presumably to keep guitarists from blowing their ears off), but it makes me wonder if the MT-2's rep would've changed had they reversed the instructions and told folks to match levels *first* instead. I notice my perceptions of how much bass/mid/treble and distortion I need change dramatically if the pedal is already sufficiently loud to begin with...
Been using the Metal Zone since it exists. No other pedal has managed to throw it off the board. Sometimes there are addictions to it, but, always present. And will be for a while. + people don't realise how verstile it is. Long live the King!
same here
Boss Metal Zone was my very first guitar pedal. I know it gets a lot of hate, but it'll always have a special place in my heart.
You didn't say it, and I didn't see it in the top comments, so here it is:
ALL THE GAIN!
NO MIDS!
SLAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!
\m/
I'm genuinely angry at how long I had to scroll to find the first M O R E G A I N comment
good God I'd pay this guy to be my guitar tech.
I hope you'd pay any guitar tech. They do good work and deserve more than a few beers and a floor to sleep on.
+CSGuitars oh yeah I hear you there. for alot of people its a serious job they have a Passion for. If you have a good tech, treat them good. I myself was I guess you could say "my town's local tech" for all the guitarists in my town. that stemming from the fact that I was the only one in town that new how to setup floating bridges like Floyds.
+David Enoch
Hey Colin, pass me the Les Paul-THE METAL ZONE STARTED IN 1991.....
As an amateur user of low-end guitar pedals, I'll say this: pedals that demand *perfect* use to sound good may be helpful at the highest end, like for actual recording artists, but mass-market pedals should have a _range_ of decent-sounding tones that aren't too hard to work out. That's why I like chorus pedals so much; they give you several different sounds, the controls are simple, and chorus works well with other effects.
Pedals are a pretty expensive indulgence if they can only give you one very specific sound.
I tell you, should Boss EVER revise the Metal Zone and bring out somekind of MT-3 along the lines being argued in that video, the MT-2 will INSTANTLY become a cult classic on the second hand market to rival the HM-2
Waza craft MT-2w
I don't think so, and it for two reasons. Most important one is because HM-2 production run was relatively short; only 8 years and these were never that popular. There are simply a LOT more MT-2 pedals out there, limiting potential appreciation value. Second is that HM-2 was (and still is) strongly associated with an entire metal genre, '90s Swedish metal. It basically defined that entire sound. MT never really established itself that way.
Metalzone is still a lot better than most people think.
Put a Sonic Maximizer after the metal zone... Best distortion I've heard yet paired into my Mesa Triple Rectifier. As a bedroom player for many years, I'm surprised people don't like this pedal! Must be tone noobs.
As a bass player (primarily), I've always preferred the clean tones of good older solid state amps like Yamaha's, Peavey's, and Sunn's. I was loaned an MT-2 many years ago to fart around with in concert with my '71 Strat. tilt-neck, and while going through my usual routine of trying every conceivable setting, I discovered how badass this pedal sounded when routed through the effects loop of my old Peavey Century head feeding a pair of Altec 15's in a back-loaded horn enclosure. A truly amazing metal pedal when used in the right configuration. How many other great buys are out there for cheap because the owner was too lazy, (or dumb), to try ALL the available tone options? If you want metal, this is the pedal.
~YEAHZZZ, , , Excellent Base/Foundation Peddle, Most Of These Folks
Haven't Actually Played Truly LOUD (& Found That Dist./No F.B.Balance!)
This is my favorite pedal. I always go back to it. Anyine that says it sounds bad has not taken the time to tone chase. Highly versatile and legendary, give it a try.
Its awesome... I'm very new to pedals and I'll admit the first time I tried a MZ I was unimpressed... but after messing around with the knobs, I found some REALLY badass tones! And this was with a Strat and Tele lol
I have never tried the MT2 with single coil pickups. I bet you really had to turn the highs down! But i do play it with passive or active humbuckers. Either one gives a nice fat tone with the active really giving that metal crunch. Duncan blackouts have a nice modern tone and the EMG het set has an awesome 80s thrash metal sound. With the MT2 you can drop the mids in fine detail.
I realized this about 7 years ago with a Wampler Sovereign distortion pedal . I tried it through the effect loop of the Blackstar Ht20 I had at the time, and it sounded MUCH better than through the front. Great video Colin.
People need to stop scooping the mids on this pedal. Jon from Dissection and Ola Englund knew how to use this pedal.
The Don no mids, gain on 10, smh you noob
Im doin it u cant stop hahsgagagsgstss
Isa's Happy Hour srs is this guy just parroting some meme or something
Great vídeo Man! I'm one of those crazy guitarists who always have loved the MT-2 🤘😈
The Mt2 was not that bad if you could dial it in correctly , the worst ever was the digi Tech Deth Metal pedal complete pile of crap. I have enjoyed the last dregs of a warm bottle of buckfast more than the sounds from that pedal. Great vid man excellent channel \m/
i liked the deathmetal, combined with the digidelay and digiverb i could dial in a nice leadsound.
I gave one away
But.....all the gain...
Use it as preamp. Blows your balls away
I loved my DOD Death Metal back in the day. Did it sound like someone bolted a pickup to a chainsaw? Yeah. Were the labels on the controls (R.I.P. Guts, Pain, Scream) the epitome of 90s edginess? Damn right. Was it just plain awful? Oh yeah. Still loved it to bits, and I'm always on the lookout for a used one.
I bought that pedal back in 1998 and have loved it ever since. Love it or hate it, in the right hands it's a great piece of gear.
Well, I own a boss MT-2, my dad bought it in the early '90s to play with his band and he even recorded a couple of demo albums with it. He regularly used it live as well. I have used it for at least 2 an a half years to rehearse with bands, I used it live too and it worked perfectly (no, I didn't scoop the mids aggressively haha!), never a problem with it. It takes time to learn how to use the powerful EQ, it has been a great training for gaining knowledge with tone tweaking. I switched to a Rocktron Piranha tube preamp (it also has parametric mids) a couple of years ago, and that's my main distortion now but I always keep my MT-2 in my guitar case as a backup (or to play at home, or for rehearsals when I don't want to bring the heavy stuff). It takes blood and sweat to learn how to use it, but it can sound great through a decent amp. Funny enough, I never tried it in the fx loop, but I definitely will some time! I also have an HM-2, if you combine the two you get a perfect Swedish Death Metal tone (same setup was used on Slaughter of the Soul). It sure is a personal taste thing as well, but I like it. The way I used it, it has always reminded me of a Mesa Dual Rectifier for some reason.
I may add, that the name speaks for itself. While you can get some decent '80s hard rock tones out of it, you're not really getting a bluesy solo break-up distortion, there's not too much versatility. But I don't consider it a problem. It is called Metal Zone, it is aimed for metal, it is supposed to provide crushing metal tones, not really much genre versatility. That's my opinion anyway.
Anyway, keep up the great content! Big fan of your channel! Rock on Colin! \m/
having such a beautiful Explorer should be illegal!
Freddy FuFu I think it’s a Chapman Ghostfret
I'm pretty sure he built that guitar himself.
Very mature review. I can’t lie, I bought my my-2 for your exact reason 10 years ago. To push my 15 watt Marshall practice amp. When I upgraded to a the Marshall hdfx half stack, I kept the my-2 close at hand. I just love that obnoxious ‘bite’ this pedal gives you. With my settings I get a solid Rammstein/Bullet for my Valentine sort of tone. And now that I have a TSL 100, it’s still there. And honestly, it will forever be a part of my arsenal.
I've been using the Metal Zone MT-2 since 1992/3. It's in my live and studio set up. It's the main pedal in some of the song in
our upcoming album. I love it. It gives me the sound I want. Nothing else comes close to it.
I've played guitar for 20+ years and yet I'm very new to using pedals... one of the few I have is that MZ MT 2... I had no idea it was so hated! It makes no sense, its really badass, like a lot of Boss products
@@SeanDS1989 I agree. I haven't found another distortion pedal or amp that gives me more gain and such wide midrange than MT-2
Thru the effects loop is a huge game changer, i play it thru my peavey bandit 75 with a little chorus and reverb. Never found a pedal that even compares
back in the olden days i ran my metalzone into a fender bxr 300 solid state bass amp , essentially as a power amp due to the flat nature of the bass eq . thinking about it now , that makes a lot more sense . we mainly had cheaper basic solid state amps back in the day , expensive boutique tube amps were unobtanium . that would be boss target market of younger metal players
Guilty as charged; the MT-2 was my first pedal. I tried every configuration described in this video except for running it through the return on my Orange MD. I tried running through the clean with an EQ, I tried using it as a boost, and never got anywhere. Just as you stated, I eventually upgraded my whole rig; thus negating any reason for using it. I still have it though, so I’ll give it the old college try just for the hell of it. Another awesome video Colin, thanks again for doing what you do! Keep ‘em coming! Cheers from Denver. 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻
Your commentary’s are awesome. Always a lot to learn from your videos.
Sweet video and love the sample tracks you used! Man, from Pantera, Disturbed, Arch Enemy to Trivium you've retraced my early metal years while I expected it the least and damn that feels good.
Love the way you cover you subject in several parts, you just earned yourself a new sub :)
I'd give you a cookie also but to be honest if I had one I'd probably eat it myself :)
@@chrise.3814 "After metal was dead" what do you mean? Is that an album title or do you need to expand your horizons?
Totally bought a used one a few weeks ago after Ola's video...
Same. Then I pulled out the DigiTech Death Metal and gave it the same treatment. Why did I not think of that sooner....
@@doomgrindthrashdeath I did the same with my mt-2 which I completely stop playing years ago. A big difference. And then I tried the digitech metal masters. Wow!!!
They both really sound good with the maxon 808.
I used my Metal Master running to my mixer for those late night sessions. I can't believe how much better it sounds through the return.
well, now im never finding a good deal on buying this pedal online
I picked one up as a meme for 15 bucks at Guitar Center.
@@woodchucksquirrel that's because people are now realizing the MT-2 is intended as a pre-amp pedal instead of going through the front input jack of a clean amp. I suspect a DS-1 would sound meaty going through the effects loop too..
I got one for$20 off Craigslist !
How the hell has literally NOBODY plugged it into the fx loop for 28 goddamn years and why would Boss never tell us we use the pedal wrong way?
They (BOSS) are also surprised :)
I thought the same thing......
I usually try this with all of my distortion pedals, believe it or not. I don't know if the UM300 from Behringer is a somewhat clone of that but I tried it years ago on the Behringer and it sounded better. The reason why many people don't do it is because they end up with a very dry unshaped and very direct clean sound. That's not everyone's thing. So, NOBODY, is wrong. Still the sound of the MetalZone is not as good as Ampdistortion boosted with a TS. So, why do you need a MZ, anyway? Might be possible that it would become the ultimate Rig paired with TS, who knows. Maybe CSG can try that for us.
+Django bango Yeah! I know! Back then I bought an amplifier and if you knew a couple of metallica/maiden-riffs and you HAD distortion it was all good with everyone. Now I'm buying all this expensive gear and spend days and days trying to dial in all the knobs feeling like Inspector Gadget himself and everyone still just hates your guts because everything is just plain wrong. lol
@@InTheSh8 i agree, also i think this pedal still sucks.. its just if your stuck with one then it can be used with the loop on the amp but there is better pedals out there so i see no point in getting one these days..
Nice video Colin! Glad you finally got the time to do the pedal as a pre amp. I dont personally own one but I sure am glad to watch you re review it as such. Great stuff as always!
There is a pedal call Metal Core, it's also by Boss, you should also test it!
I suspect all these distortion pedals now should go through the effects loop instead of the front of a clean amp.
I've used it in a loop for almost 15 years. I'm surprised only recently people have caught on to it. In fact I'll tell you exactly how I've used it for certain gigs, and I've always had people shaking their heads in disbelief. I call this $200 or less solution. You have an amp that gets you a nice clean sound but weak distortion. It has an effect loop, if it has a presence knob even better because the presence is always after the loop. Get a Metal Zone, a Boss SD1 super overdrive, an A,B switch, and a Y jack that's all male quarter inch mono to mono connectors.. You can find all four items for less than $200. Plug your guitar into the A,B switch. A goes into amp set nice and clean. B goes into SD1 overdrive, then onto Metal Zone . You will need the Y jack one part of the Y on the amps send the other part of the Y out of the Metal Zone, and the end of the Y jack to the return. Set the Metal Zone to sound as good as possible, don't set the gain more than 1:00, so it doesn't become crappy and weird. This is where the SD1 comes in. Use it to drive the Metal Zone. It will give you a massive super tight chunky tone. It will filter out the buzziness and the flubby low end. Tweak the two pedals EQ and tone, and if your amp has a presence dial it in accordingly. The AB switch will act like a channel switching on an amp. Adjust all levels so they are even, and the amps master volume will control the overall volume for whatever your situation is. I guarantee you, that you will have absolutely head turning, crushing and musical metal tone. Give it a try Colin, make a video. You won't be disappointed.
Get ready to start seeing those used prices go up.
I found this out by accident, and necessity. I was a young guitarist and had a fender combo amp that I had worn out the inputs. I had to hook all my pedals into the effects return. I always loved my MT-2, but I had hard times and sold it. Just got a used one today and it was nice to have it back. Now I understand why I never thought it sucked. :)
Hah Ola Just demoed the pedal himself, now this! Quick, invest in MT-2 stocks!
deadasfak
Still have my original in the box from 20 something years ago. Still works flawless.
@@jongregory886 that's cos BOSS build pedals to last.
For ME and only me, the BOSS Metal Zone has been in my chain since it first came out. I run mine straight into a BOSS 7 band EQ and the rest of my effects from there. It has become my own signature sound and there's been a handful of beginners who have copied my sound or at least got close to it after asking me how I get that sound. They ran off and.bought their own Metal Zone and 7 band EQ and copied my settings. One guy bought the same amp I use and even the same bridge pickup I use (Seymour Duncan TB 6). Works for them too. I love the Metal Zone. I bought an MXR Fullbore Metal Distortion and it couldn't hold a candle to my 30 year old Metal Zone.
Content on this channel is great 👍
The Metal Zone, when set correctly, can do a reasonable "Rockman" impersonation as well. You know, that mid heavy Tom Scholz / "wah pedal left somewhere in the middle of the sweep" type tone. Fun pedal for sure!
Gotta love that accent at 8:46 I went back and watched that more time than I'd like to admit. :D
It's very tempting to do a whole video like that. I'm trying to slip a bit more of my normal voice into the videos these days.
Awesome video like always, Colin!
Fun fact:
In the early 2000's, when i was playing in my first band, i had an MT-2. Was the first pedal i ever bought and i still have it today. After experimenting with it (yea, into the clean channel ), i started using it just like that, straight into the PowerAmp.
Its funny, that a lot of the guitarists of other bands at the rehearsal place liked the sound i got from it, but when they saw that i was using the MetalZone, they gave me nothing but crap for it.
Go figure...
Mt2: not the worst pedal.
Colin: not a mammoth.
I loved this pedal since I was a teenager as it gave me massive amount of boost back in the old days! It's got a lot of scope for metal depending on how you use it.
Bloody hell, thats a30 year old design...no wonder its iconic.
But luckly the bew Colins Sexy Guitars Tshirts do not need to be 30 y.o. to be iconic because the are iconic right out of the box.
Huh... i pretty much live under a rock when it comes to pedals. And I've only recently started using them. I borrowed a metal zone from someone and LOVED it... I really don't see how it could be so hated. Boss makes good shit and this is no exception!
ive had one since it came out...the BEST dist pedal i ever owned
This is the ONLY pedal that answers the question before it's even asked; Does it? Yes it very well does.
I've been using one for years and years. People often ask me how I get such a great metal sound in my recordings. I mic my Peavey studio amp up with a 57, just top right of centre, I never loop the MT2, straight in the front. I set all dials on pedal and amp to flat then just play and play and twiddle until I get the sound I want. Some major bands take days and days to get the sound they want in the studio. Patience is the key, give your ears a rest during the process, and put a guide track on of your favourite metal band so you can hear the sound you want, this helps loads.
Glad I got mine super cheap during the 'Hated' years. Haha. I love mine.
I think your analysis about everyone latching onto the "you're supposed to use it as a preamp" is completely spot on. I had never once seen anyone suggest it in any comment sections until those videos started appearing very recently. I maintain that you can still get an ok-ish sound from it in front of an amp with the right eq settings, but clearly it's not going to be an absolutely awesome sound. Either way it's kind of cool to see you've "made peace" with the metal zone. Hopefully now people will stop polluting every pedal discussion on the internet with the same old "ALLL THE GAINNN" comments...
Now, let's try the mxr fullbore metal in the fx loop🤔
I d love to see that happening!!!
Considering the Fullbore Metal is just a Metal Zone...
@@ScienceofLoud But it's gain can't be taken out at all. And also has a noise gate. I think, apart from the noise gate, the Metal Zone is more versatile. At least it can be used as a boost, but the Fullbore can't.
I got the metal zone for modding and ran it in front of an amp, turned the knobs for a bit only to find that you can get a pretty nice boost drive if you slightly remove the scoop by adding your desired mid frequency very slightly and just barely cutting some bass and highs, running the distortion knob fairly low and boosting with volume. Probably not why you'd get the pedal but I found it pretty neat. I'd probably remove a bit of the scoop and sensitivity of the eq, as well as taking a lot of the distortion out if I was modding it.
Makes me wonder how Cannibal Corpse runs Metal Zone. Could you talk about the buffers in Boss pedals and your opinions about them in some video? Dan from TPS and some boutique pedal builders seem to think Boss has one of the best buffers.
I use a DS1, SD1, and MT-2 on my board.
For what it's worth: Boss design all their distortion pedals using the Roland Jazz Chorus as the 'sonic blueprint' of the tone. The Jazz Chorus has a much flatter, more transparent voicing than most conventional guitar amps. Fewer peaks in specific frequencies designed to give the guitar a more distinct voicing, and fewer peaks to make it all too easy to over-emphasise certain frequencies to the point of nastiness with the metal zone's EQ.
Honestly, while everyone says the pedal works better in the FX loop, which I think is true for most amps, I also think it works best into a Roland Jazz Chorus. It's kind of a design flaw that the EQ section just works so horrendously badly with so many of the amps that people are likely to want to use for the style of music the pedal was designed for. But that's quite a common problem with Boss TBH - a lot of their dirt pedals work best into the Jazz Chorus because that's what these pedals were voiced to work best with.
Next video: plug Metal zone straight into the mixer.
You can use the extreme EQ for very sick lo-fi effects by cutting all the lows and highs, boosting all the mids, then use the mid-freq knob to dial up some frequency, even adjusting it while playing some audio through it.
Honestly, I've heard (and ridiculed) the preamp argument over the years more than once. Turns out the joke is on us, after all.
FYI - BOSS' first attempt at a "Metal" pedal after the HM -2 Heavy Metal was actually the MZ - 2 Digital Metalizer released in 1987. A very interesting pedal that's not very well known. It's a must have if "Hair Metal" is a tone you're looking to achieve. Worthy of its own video for sure.
Great videos!
Great review just a heads up just watched a rather failed review by Henning who couldn't get it to work please contact him and advise him how to use this icon of a pedal !!!!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😎
Henning used it 100% correctly.
I bought the Metal Zone because of the eq. More control over the tone just made sense to me. I took your advice from a while ago and put the Diezel mod in it.
Since a 'few' years everybody say: metal zone is for idiot, poor, metal kids, this pedal is a garbage. Last week Ola made a good video and said: it's not a garbage, just use like a preamp with a valve poweramp and 4x12 cab. Now everybody say: 'it's a good metal preamp pedal, it's evident, I always knew and said that.' That's the nature of mankind... (sorry for my english skills)
Wow! You have three hands!
As far as the MT-2 goes, it's awesome! They pushed the boundary of distortion and advanced the EQ further than anyone at the time and it's hard to argue with sales. If people genuinely hated it so much they wouldn't buy it making it one of the best selling pedals of all time to this day.
Use mine everyday even if I use another distortion for a time. I don't like the fizz on top that it has but I can knock it down a bit in the D.A.W.
That harp's face looks like he can't believe you're actually saying all this.
I hope to soon become a patron, Colin. I've been watching so long and want to help you out, plus who could resist bonus content from such a sexy scottsman.
I'm currently in the process of revising all the Patreon reward tiers so that it is inline with what I can now provide.
Now is a very good time to get involved, thanks for your support :)
How are your teeth holding up after being gritted so much as you spoke there?
Excellent stuff as always.
"You didn't know how to use it either"...I've always said run it in a bass amp, so I guess that does not apply to me. The problem with the MT2 is you are running a pedal with a lot of high end into an amp with a lot of high end, hence the angry hornets, but if you run it into a BASS amp instead of guitar, something like a Peavey TNT or Fender Rumble with a 15 and a horn? Suddenly you go from angry hornet to "T-rex gonna tear you a new one".
I know this because in the 90s I used to play with a guitarist that ran an MT2 into a TNT and it sounded damn good, the MT2 gave him enough high through the amp that it wasn't muddy but the TNT didn't have enough high for angry hornets and with that 15? Good lord did he have chunk, he had enough low end chunk I'd often play an octave up on my bass when he did rhythm as he had enough low end to cover guitar and bass all by himself.
Ola...? Is it you?
It was back in 1988 when I first heard the combination of a Peavey Bandit 112 and a Boss MetalZone. I was instantly n love and certain this was the best amp and the best distortion I ve ever heard for thrash and death metal (for the budget at least). I ve never changed my mind.
BOAT!
RUDDER!
Hahaha... That was fun.
It’s kinda funny watching this years later. The Waza Craft version is one of my favorite pedals I’ve ever used. I love it on guitar and bass (usually with an LS-2 to mix some clean signal back in), but also for adding extra grit to synthesizers (often again with an LS-2 and also a phase shifter).
Thank you for making this video which really got me into the interesting history of this pedal and inspired me to give it a try for myself (albeit in an updated form)! I really want to learn more about the HM-2 and its Waza craft version now too!
Black Metal Starter Kit
I think I still have this pedal stashed away somewhere. I started out running the MT-2 through a Peavey combo amp in my first band. It sounded like my guitar sound was being mic’d with a tin can and string, but I loved every second of it. We all started with this pedal, and while I have much better sound now, I will always keep the MT-2 in my favorite memories of jamming with my friends in the drummers garage.
As a preamp it's... bearable haha
My first pedal🐝💯🔥. I was 12 and that first sound you get was like a time machine back to 2007 haha. So glad I kept her and now know how to use the metalzone properly from y’all on YT
6:30 - Disturbed - Stricken?
Daniel Skrivan fucking right dude 😎
I know Dan used one through a Fender Princeton on the second album. May be the same track.
Actually, every distortion pedal with a mid knob should be used in the loop. I found that a long time ago, when I bought a Blackstar HT-Dual and played with a Harley Benton British Sound of a friend of mine. They sound powerful, clear and feel better to play in the FX return/PWR IN. And also something many people will probably not agree with. I prefer the sound of a distortion pedal in the loop compared to a boosted with overdrive pedal amp. That's just my opinion and I like valves as much as you all do. Last but not least, great video Colin, I'm a big fan of the channel. Cheers from Bulgaria and rock on \m/ (no matter the gear ;) ) hehe
So basically, the metal zone is a decent distortion/pre-amp pedal. But it became infamous because idiots don't know how to use it.
I love the way you can do a filter sweep on a MT-2. It’s great for intros
fucking Ola Englunddddddd
It makes a pretty fun dirty boost for the OD channel on a lot of my amps. I still dig it out once in a while for this. You can still hear the MT-2 goodness even through your amp's OD channel.
Ola did this first... but Colin did it much, Much better
Before ola discovered this, there were 2 more youtuber who discovered this n posted video 1/2 yrs back I guess.search as"how to use metal zone properly"
If you have the time, check out the video Simon Smith did facing the Metal Zone off against three different tube amps. He showed the pedal can do pretty sick tones.
Also, great content as usual, Colin!
With some Amos having a switchable effects loop, this gives some Amps a third channel, as with a Fender Supersonic, through in a TC booster or gain pedal like the MZ, and you have even more variety. Nice revisiting.👍👍👍
I use Behringer's clone version as a boost in tandem with a Zoom G1XOn and two ART microphone tube preamps and an ART rack power unit. Also tested with a NuX GT-20 my friend owns. Guitar > MultiFX > Behringer UM300 > ART Tube MP/C > ART Tube MP Studio > ART SLA-1 > Seismic Audio 4x12. It's noteworthy that I set the preamps to just barely break up, yet still remain wholly and unmistakably clean, with the two pedals bypassed, as well as with the distortion pedal off and the zoom on acoustic sim, and the neck pickup selected. Also, there's the fact I'm using the stock tubes in the preamps.
Wow huge difference in effects loop. Ive never been a hater of the Metal Zone anyway. The best part about a pedal with several knobs is searching for your own tone. I dont want to sound like other guitarist. Sure, its fun for a few songs when youre doing covers but I like a distortion, overdrive, compressor, delay, reverb, chorus, phaser and an octave pedal in front of me, turning their knobs and searching for my own tone. The trick to having a great guitar tone is patience. You can have entry level pedals and still get a great tone, it just takes longer to do it. Even a cheap $20 Danelectro distortion pedal can sound decent if you take your time with it and pay attention to the three things every new guitar player forgets about when they get their first distortion pedal. #1. Amp settings. Seems obvious but we all forgot about those knobs on the front of the amp when our first distortion pedal was plugged in for the first time, except for the volume of course. #2. Guitar tone knob. #3. Guitar volume knob. When used right the guitar volume knob can help a lot with your tone. It actually has numbers between the 0 and the 10. It surprised me too when an old guy told me that.😀
You're right. I didn't know NOT to throw it in front of my amp. But I didn't have an amp. I always jimmy rigged it through the pre-amp in my little early mackie mixer, or in my tascam cassette 8-track, then into my "stereo system", and I was able to dial in tones much more like what you hear in the second portion of your demo. More than anything it just took usage to dial in a tone. Start with something really vanilla and un-scooped and just tweek it a tiny bit at a time. PS: Rose tinted headphone test? Dug up an old recording. It doesn't sound "great" by any stretch - but it doesn't sound god awful like the first portion of your demo. None of that intense scratchiness. Much more like the second portion. Smooth. If anything, too smooth, not enough attack.
Amazing how much a slight twist of the nobs changes the tone completely. Infinite combinations, and thus both infinite greatness and shyte
Interesting and thoughtful video. Your delivery is really professional. Those guitars are awesome!