Metallica guitar sound

[anomaly]

The funny thing is that Metallica's live tone has been slammed by many folks for years now, long before they started using the Axe2 in the last year or so...........I guess their tube amps were mushy & not 3D either! lol

You know, Metallica hasn't had the best tone for a while, but even "Through The Never" had a somewhat heavy tone... ever since the introduction of the Axe FX it's been a really dry wimpy rock tone... hardly metal at all.

They sounded best when it was 100% Mesa Boogie. That's when they sounded the best, most aggressive and unique. They found their sound with those Mark IIC+ heads.

 

[lll]

Funny answers to this question so far.

You could add "organic" or "bloom" and be talking about the same thing.

It's hard to explain, but you know it when you hear it. Hard to capture on a recording, but live in a room you'll pick up on it. There's more to the sound than just a plucked string coming through the speakers. It's as if "breath" or some other action is being added to the base note making if "fuller", more "rounded".

If you know what a "sterile" amp sounds like, "flat', "lifeless", "thin",.... "3D" would be the opposite of that.

Hey you sound familiar... didn't you used to hang out on Unofficial Warmoth?

 

[tfridgen]

Ya, their guitar tone may blow, but James seems to have been working on regaining his voice. Sounds A LOT better than he did the past 5 years or so.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Funny answers to this question so far.

You could add "organic" or "bloom" and be talking about the same thing.

It's hard to explain, but you know it when you hear it. Hard to capture on a recording, but live in a room you'll pick up on it. There's more to the sound than just a plucked string coming through the speakers. It's as if "breath" or some other action is being added to the base note making if "fuller", more "rounded".

If you know what a "sterile" amp sounds like, "flat', "lifeless", "thin",.... "3D" would be the opposite of that.

Hey you sound familiar... didn't you used to hang out on Unofficial Warmoth?

I still do.

 

[lll]

Hey you sound familiar... didn't you used to hang out on Unofficial Warmoth?

I still do.

I was there maybe 4-5 years ago. Thought that place died.

I used to tease you about your modeling tone.

Dig your sig, BTW.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Hey you sound familiar... didn't you used to hang out on Unofficial Warmoth?

I still do.

I was there maybe 4-5 years ago. Thought that place died.

I used to tease you about your modeling tone.

Dig your sig, BTW.

Lizard?

 

[lll]

Lizard?

Touche' !

I've been doing my own forum (and recently revived it).

Speaking of modelers, you should check out Positive Grid's BIAS if you haven't already.

I'll stop going off-topic here (can't PM yet).

 

[aftec]

Deciding on a guitar tone through a broadcasted gig on youtube is f@king priceless.
Go to a gig.

 

[RockyStar]

I wasn't aware they scrapped amps for the Axe FX units...

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Lizard?

Touche' !

I've been doing my own forum (and recently revived it).

Speaking of modelers, you should check out Positive Grid's BIAS if you haven't already.

I'll stop going off-topic here (can't PM yet).

Glad to see you're still alive.

Speaking of modelers,..... Lizard POD Pie

POD XTLIve
https://www.soundclick.com/player/single ... i&newref=1

 

[lll]

Glad to see you're still alive.

Speaking of modelers,..... Lizard POD Pie

POD XTLIve
https://www.soundclick.com/player/single ... i&newref=1

Lizard POD Pie I don't remember, did you post that way back when as a modeler tone test?

I sound like a shill, but really, Positive Grid's BIAS made me change my opinion on modelers.
Here's something I did with BIAS (Megadeth Holy Wars); played on a Gibson Elliot Easton Tikibird w/
'57 Classics pickups:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6fVBUL3SmFiNUNZeWJsWUlwN0E/view?usp=sharing

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Glad to see you're still alive.

Speaking of modelers,..... Lizard POD Pie

POD XTLIve
https://www.soundclick.com/player/single ... i&newref=1

Lizard POD Pie I don't remember, did you post that way back when as a modeler tone test?

I sound like a shill, but really, Positive Grid's BIAS made me change my opinion on modelers.
Here's something I did with BIAS (Megadeth Holy Wars); played on a Gibson Elliot Easton Tikibird w/
'57 Classics pickups:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6fVBUL3SmFiNUNZeWJsWUlwN0E/view?usp=sharing

It was shortly after. Somebody posted a "1 minute clip" contest and I put that together for it. I thought you were still around during that time? It was around the time of the "modelers are crap" wars.

Here are the notes of the clip:

Guitar used: Gibson Les Paul Gothic w/EMG 81/85 pups, D'Addario XL 10-46 strings, Fender Graffiti heavy pick, Eb tuning
Bass used: Gibson Les Paul Gothic w/EMG 81/85 pups (not a typo ), D'Addario XL 10-46 strings, Fender Graffiti heavy pick, Eb tuning
Guitar Amps used: PODxt Live: Clean - L6 Sparkle Clean, Rhythm and Solos - 1968 Plexi Variac'd w/all knobs dimed
Bass Amps used: PODxt Live: Line6 Prog Metal Bass
Software used: Vista64 Home Premium, RiffWorks Standard, Instant Drummer - Sonic Reality Lo-Fi Funk drums
Console: My Hewlett Packard dv9930us laptop and Altec Lansing desk top speakers w/sub

Notes for above track:
All guitars and bass are single tracked with the exception of the lead lines @ 48-58 sec, they were triple tracked and blended/panned to give that section an "airy" quality.
All clean tracks used the EMG 85 pup
All hi-gain rhythm tracks used the EMG 81 pup
Solo/lead lines and pup used: EMG 85 @ 26-41 sec and 59-1.10 sec, EMG 81 used 42-58 sec.
Bass guitar tracks used the EMG 85 pup
Bass guitar tracks start at 16 seconds in
Guitar volume and tone controls at full on for all tracks

 

[Beyond Black]

Can someone explain to me what '3D' means in terms of guitar tone?

It means that Metallica's guitar tone sucks balls not only in 2 dimensions, but also in 3.

I read that in Gilfoyle's voice, from Silicon Valley.

Ha!!! Gilfoyle rules and so does SV!

 

[jlb32]

Modelers have their place but IMO huge bands playing for fans for huge money isn't the place. Give the fans their moneys worth and use the best equipment tonally you have. Metallica have so much expensive gear and resources a their fingertips it's ridiculous. No reason for them to skimp with a Axe FX setup. They aren't hurting for money or profits from the live shows they perform.

 

[flash6969]

 

[DAMIAN The MAN]

They got 80 kempers lately

 

[Kemper-VS-Fractal]

Lame thread.

Firstly, it's a live feed on YouTube. How the hell can you accurately judge the quality of their guitar tones based on that? Their tones are optimised for the FOH system / crowd.

For all those crying about how their tone has changed now, do you think it might be because that's how they dial it in now? I'm sure they haven't attempted an old school Mark tone on the Axe and it just came out the speakers totally different. A modeller will sound how you want it to sound, especially now you can profile and tone match.

Also, don't they use Axe-Fx for overseas and real amps in the U.S.? Could be their analogue rig in the video for all we know.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Lame thread.

Firstly, it's a live feed on YouTube. How the hell can you accurately judge the quality of their guitar tones based on that? Their tones are optimised for the FOH system / crowd.

For all those crying about how their tone has changed now, do you think it might be because that's how they dial it in now? I'm sure they haven't attempted an old school Mark tone on the Axe and it just came out the speakers totally different. A modeller will sound how you want it to sound, especially now you can profile and tone match.

Also, don't they use Axe-Fx for overseas and real amps in the U.S.? Could be their analogue rig in the video for all we know.

No you're lame. I win.

 

[R Weaver FX]

Lame thread.

Firstly, it's a live feed on YouTube. How the hell can you accurately judge the quality of their guitar tones based on that? Their tones are optimised for the FOH system / crowd.

For all those crying about how their tone has changed now, do you think it might be because that's how they dial it in now? I'm sure they haven't attempted an old school Mark tone on the Axe and it just came out the speakers totally different. A modeller will sound how you want it to sound, especially now you can profile and tone match.

Also, don't they use Axe-Fx for overseas and real amps in the U.S.? Could be their analogue rig in the video for all we know.

No you're lame. I win.

Yup. Dan FTW

 

[rocknrolla]

After an amp is mic'd, sent to the board, eq'd, sent out to several different power amps and to speakers, then gets bounced off of every wall in a venue do you really think you could pick out a tube amp vs a modeler?
If you think you can then I have some ocean front property for sale.