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How do I get that metal sound?


Jono-60

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Posted

Apologies if this sounds like the most basic stupid question but I don't normally listen to (let alone play) metal style guitar.

 

However the project I am working on requires the metal sound.

 

Heres an example - http://www.box.net/shared/o9jzg6e79x

 

Are they just power chords? Whenever I play power chords I just sound like punk rather than metal. Are they specific types of chords? What about guitar effects, just extreme overdrive?

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Posted

Be careful with your gain. Just because you need a lot, doesn't mean that cranking the gain, bass, and treble to 10 and the mids to zero.

 

First turn up the bass just enough so there's plenty of low end, but not sounding farty or muddy.

 

Turn the midrange to about halfway, for starters.

 

Turn the treble at least past halfway, say about 2 o'clock.

 

Turn the gain to about 1 o'clock. If your pickups aren high output humbuckers, you won't really need to turn the gain up more. Maybe say at 3 o'clock at most.

 

Turn up the presence to halfway, then adjust with the treble until the sound is clear, but with the treble and presence you can make it as dark or bright as you want. Turning down the treble will create a darker sound, and the presence turned up will help it sound more, well, present.

 

If your amp still doesn't sound too "crunchy", turn down the mids a little. Some amps sound great when distorting plus a lot of mids, in other amps the mids are too coarse and can cover up the crunch, which is why people suggest scooping the mids.

 

But remember, boosted mids are where it's at. :thu:

 

 

Try to play as percussive as possible, doing lots of accents, palm mutes, and strong downpicking. You want a sharp, firm attack so the notes sound powerful.

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Posted

Since you never said what kind of amp/effects you have/use, I'm guessing that you have something that doesn't have a lot of gain or you would have already found the sound you're after. If your amp doesn't have enough gain to give you that metal sound that you're after, you're going to need to borrow/buy an amp that does have the gain you need, or get a distortion pedal with enough gain.

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