Boss MT-2 Metal Zone user reviews ( 6/10) - 115 user reviews

• 07/28/11

  iamqman's review "Garbage"

  Characteristics

  With an increase in metal players with more access to gear Boss decided to make a follow up to the Boss Hm-2. The pedal was just a few years before the release of the Boss Hm-3. This pedal had a better distortion that translated into a more smooth gain which was a little better than the Boss HM-2 and the Boss Hm-3. This pedal also featured a three band EQ which enabled it to get a better control over the frequencies used. To date this has been the most successful metal pedal put out by Boss and one of Boss's most successful pedals of all time.
  
  
  
  Version Differences
  
  There are 3 main versions of the MT-2. The opamps used have changed over time and the colour of the text has changed slightly.
  
  
  
  Version 1: All chips M5218AL, text colour orange
  
  Version 2: IC1,2,4 M5218AL and IC3 NJM4558L, text colour orange with "more blue"
  
  Version 3: IC1,2,4 NJM14558L and IC3 NJM4558L, text colour orange with "more blue"

  Utilization

  Specifications
  
  
  
  Controls: Level, Equalizer (Low, Middle, High), Dist.
  
  Connectors: Input, Output, AC Adaptor
  
  Current Draw: 20 mA (DC 9V)
  
  Weight: 410 g (15 oz.)
  
  Recommended AC Adaptor: PSA Series

  Sound Quality

  Well just because it was the smoothest distortion of the Boss Hm2- and the Boss Hm-3, that doesn't mean that it sounds good. This pedal sounds like garbage. The tone is just horrendous. It is beyond me why someone would think that this pedal sounds good. I know there are a lot of metal heads out their and me being one but come on this pedal sound like trash. The tone is thin and metallic sounding at best. The control are easy but if the sound is terrible then it is like polishing a turd. You can polish it all you want but its still a turd. I am a fan of Boss and Roland gear because they manufacturer budgeted products for the consumer and their keyboard are some of the best in the business and of course they have the best clean tone amp in the world. Many of their pedals are very user friendly and sound amazing in certain applications but this thing is just a nightmare to play. The tone if you can call it that is just terrible!

  Overall Opinion

  At new you can find these pedals right at around $99. Way too much money for the sound that this thing makes. It really is a terrible sounding pedal no question about it. I would get a BLackstar distortion pedal if you need something that is over the top but also sounds good to listen to.
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• 05/01/11

  King Loudness's review "Good for metal tones on a budget."

  Characteristics

  The Boss Metal Zone was designed to basically offer the tones of a very high gain amplifier stack like a Peavey 5150 or Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, but in their classic and compact stompbox format. It features level and gain controls, as well as two dual mode equalization controls, one controlling lows and highs, the other controlling midrange and midrange frequencies. It is housed in Boss' standard compact pedal enclosure, with 4 knobs (the two EQ controls feature concentric pots). It runs on either a 9 volt battery or on Boss' standard PSA adapter.

  Utilization

  Setting up tones with this pedal is very simple. It's designed to be a very extreme sounding distortion right from the get-go, so you know right away the type of tone you are going to get out of this pedal for the most part.
  
  
  
  The level knob controls the overall output level you are hearing (turn it up for more, or down for less, very simple), the first EQ knob controls your low end (bass) frequencies as well as your high end (treble) frequencies. The second EQ knob controls your midrange amount as well as the frequency it sits in (more of a scooped sound or more of a boosted sound).

  Sound Quality

  I've tried many different versions of this pedal through the years. They're very nice for a young musician who wants a metal tone on a budget. At the time that I owned/used these I was looking for a very classic metal sound like that of Metallica or other thrash metal bands. This pedal works well for that type of high octane tone, though it doesn't come even close to the sound of a good high gain tube amp like the 5150 or Recto. I preferred to boost the mids slightly so that I could be heard within the mix of a band, but still get enough cutting chunky tones out of it as well.
  
  
  
  It tended to sound better when I was using higher output pickups like EMGs or Seymour Duncan Invaders. However, since I don't play that sort of metal music any more, those pickups are not something I use. As a result I don't think the MT2 would work for the type of gain tone I go for nowadays, which is more of a classic hard rock vibe.

  Overall Opinion

  All in all I feel that the Boss MT2 is a good pedal for someone on a budget who is looking for a classic metal sound. It's not recommended for someone who knows great tube amp tone, because it will almost certainly fall short, but for a sub $100 pedal it does an okay job at capturing a slice of molten metal tone.
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• 04/28/11

  denied's review "Not Great"

  Characteristics

  - Controls for Volume, highs, lows, high mids, low mids, drive
  
  
  
  - Solid construction, components.
  
  
  
  - Powered by either 9v battery or 9v (-) adapter, standard Boss style
  
  
  
  - Easy access battery compartment
  
  
  
  - Bright red LED
  
  
  
  - Buffered bypass

  Utilization

  Pretty standard pedal setup, input, output, footswitch, power.
  
  
  
  Controls for volume and distortion are likewise easy to setup. The 4 band EQ is a little more unusual in a pedal, and can be difficult to dial in for people who aren't familiar with it. The manual is pretty good about providing starting points for various genres and sounds.
  
  
  
  Pretty reliable as most boss pedals are. Never had any issues with it.

  Sound Quality

  There isn't a whole lot of leeway, the MT2 is definitely a metal guitarists pedal. It CAN be coaxed into producing more of a hard rock sound, but that isn't really what it was designed to do.
  
  Overall, the sound is a little thin and fizzy. This can be capitalized on to achieve a very particular form of distortion, but it definitely doesn't have the bottom end that a lot of heavy music requires.
  
  
  
  I've found that placing a graphic EQ pedal directly after the Metal Zone can really bring it to life through a little fine tuning. I've also heard great things about the Keeley and Monte Allums mods for it.
  
  
  
  Keep in mind it uses the standard Boss buffer which doesn't do great things to your bypassed signal.

  Overall Opinion

  This pedal definitely has a bad reputation among guitarists and the online music community. To be fair, a lot of this has to do with beginners who run it through cheap digital amps that don't take pedals well at all.
  
  But that aside, its not the best pedal out there. It is definitely no replacement for a good high gain channel.
  
  
  
  This was the first pedal I bought many years back, and would have probably made a different choice had I been exposed to different options. In my opinion it just isn't worth the money when you can get a digitech TL2 or used Barber Dirty Bomb for the same amount of money.
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• 04/07/11

  Hatsubai's review "Awful sounding"

  Characteristics

  The Boss MT-2 is one of the more infamous pedals in the Boss line up, and I don't mean that in a good way. Boss set out to create a crazy "heavy metal" to cater towards the metal scene that was prominent at the time. It features a level knob, distortion knob and a three band EQ along with a mid-band knob to adjust the overall tone of the pedal.

  Utilization

  Boss actually did a really good job at throwing everything in there. It's housed in the famous Boss enclosures, so it'll withstand a nuclear bomb. That said, it also has a pretty bad FET bypass that sucks quite a bit of tone. The manual does a great job at describing what everything does, and first time users might want to glance it over considering this has a 3 band EQ that most people probably aren't used to.

  Sound Quality

  The sound of this pedal is famous for its poorness. Basically, this pedal sounds pretty bad. The distortion is very harsh and buzzy, and there's no real way of cleaning it up. It's so over the top and noisy that it's almost unusable. I have no clue what Boss was thinking of when they released this pedal. The only saving grace to this pedal is that there's a trick you can do -- Given that it has a three band EQ, you can actually use this as a parametric EQ to boost the amp like a lot of 80s players did back when the Furman PQ-3 was popular. That's actually not a bad way of running this pedal, and it can get some decent tones as it's acting more like an overdrive than a distortion pedal.

  Overall Opinion

  Aside from the trick of using this pedal as an EQ to boost the amp, I really can't recommend this at all. It sounds way too buzzy and fizzy to be of any real use. Most people who buy these are beginners who have no clue what they're getting themselves into. What's worse is they tend to run these things through solid state amps which just square waves the entire signal into some awful mush they call distortion. There are some modders out there that can make them sound good, but I honestly don't think it's worth messing with.
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• 04/01/11

  darkwolf291's review "Sub-par distortion pedal."

  Characteristics

  This is a metal distortion pedal. It has a load of gain on tap, a distortion knob, and a four band EQ consisting of High, Low, Mid, and middle frequency. It has an input, an output, and a standard BOSS style center negative 9V DC jack.

  Utilization

  This pedal is easy to set up and easy to use. Set the EQ and gain to taste, the volume so it's equal at bypass and you're ready to riff. The manual is very clear on what knob does what.

  Sound Quality

  This pedal does not sound all that good. It's harsh, fizzy, thin, and muddy. There's not much you can do to make this pedal sound good at all. It's far too trebely. It's a grating, harsh, fizzy mess. It sounds like you've connected your guitar to a can of bees instead of an amp. The best way to describe the pedal is a buzz saw. It sounds like someone hooked up a buzz saw instead of a guitar to your amp. It sounds a lot like Dimebag's tone, which, in my opinion, is NOT a god thing. I am always unbiased when reviewing and never go on bandwagon. I am reviewing this based on my impression of it, and that is, this pedal is too harsh and fizzy.

  Overall Opinion

  This pedal is ok at best. There isn't much you can do to dial out the insane amount of treble present in the sound. THAT is it's big downfall. It's harsh and muddy. For $99, there are many better options for a metal pedal than this. $99 is far too much for what it is. If you wanna sound like a buzz saw, this is the pedal for you. If you wanna sound like Dimebag Darrel, this is the pedal for you. If you want a usable and good sounding metal distortion, steer clear. I would never buy this pedal again.
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• 03/16/11

  glassjaw7's review "The road-tested, box of metal-Great platform for mods!"

  Characteristics

  The Boss MT-2 Metal Zone stomp box is a standard Boss enclosure with 6 knobs.
  
  These controls include:
  
  -Level
  
  -High
  
  -Low
  
  -Middle
  
  -Mid Frequency
  
  -Dist
  
  
  
  The pedal is powered by a standard 9 volt battery (which can easily be accessed by turning a simple thumb screw and opening the compartment under the "stomp" hatch) or a standard 9 volt adapter.

  Utilization

  Dialing in a useable sound can be a bit tricky, due to the fact that the pedal always retains a sort of "cocked-wah" type of sound, but thankfully the eq controls cover a LOT of ground so a desirable sound can usually be coaxed out of this unit.
  
  
  
  More pedals should have this type of eq section. Being able to choose what mid frequency you like and then adjusting the amount of it really adds a whole other dimension to the usual distortion box layout!

  Sound Quality

  Here's where this unit falls a little short. Keep in mind I'm judging the sound quality of this pedal based on its performance against many other high end boutique units, as well as other cheaper production units such as Boss, MXR, etc.
  
  
  
  As mentioned earlier, the eq section really lets you zone in on specific frequencies and dial in many different tones. The problem is that the basic distortion circuit and its overall tonal qualities are not the best compared to other units available. While there are tons of sounds available, I only found a couple settings really useable and convincing in a live environment.
  
  
  
  That said, when dialed in properly for my rig, the Metal Zone produced a thick, sharp and tight Metal chug that was very present with a solid low end that never got messy, and nice mids. The only negative is that the high frequencies can sound little nasally. Everything from old-school thrash to Nu-Metal, and Modern "Djenty" tones can be achieved with this pedal. It just takes a little tweaking.
  
  
  
  There are many modifications available for DIY'ers or from companies like Keeley, Analogman, Monte Allums, etc that clean up this pedal and open the sound up, making the distortion more natural and useable. It is a great modding platform!

  Overall Opinion

  As stated earlier, the only negative I can write about this unit is the average distortion tone and nasally character of the pedal. But the excellent eq controls and the fact that there are cheap modifications available make it a great pedal in my book.
  
  
  
  It's been around for many years, and is the standard for heavy metal in a pedal. Buy one used for cheap and have fun!
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• 05/14/09

  moosers's review

  Characteristics

  The Boss MT-2 Metal Zone is a distortion pedal designed for use with electric guitar. It has a 1/4 inch input and output and is powered by either a nine volt battery or by a nine volt power supply. It is not a rack mountable piece of gear because it is a stomp box.

  Utilization

  Like most Boss pedals, the configuration of the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone is really easy to figure out. From left to right, it has parameters for level, two for EQ that each have two bands on them (high and low, and two middle frequencies) and then a knob of distortion. It is really easy to zoom in on whatever sound you might be after. The manual for the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone is pretty complete and thorough, but really isn't necessary when trying to learn this pedal.

  Sound Quality

  The sound quality of the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone is respectable and like the name states, is best suited for playing metal or hard rock music. It is a really thick and heavy sounding distortion and because of this is pretty one dimensional. If you have an amp that doesn't have distortion like me, you probably have been looking for that perfect distortion pedal for a while now, but unless you play mostly heavy metal this probably isn't it. Don't get me wrong, the sound quality of the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone is clean and the distortion is big and heavy, but is really only suitable for one type of music. Being fair though, it doesn't really advertise to be anything more than that anyway.

  Overall Opinion

  I've been using the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone for about three years and while it is a good sounding pedal with a decent amount of parameters, I don't use it very often simply because I don't play the type of music that this pedal is intended for anymore. The price of this pedal makes it a very attractive option and I would encourage those interested in a distortion pedal in this price range to try out this pedal as well as some of the other pedals Boss and their competitors has to offer. All in all, the Boss MT-2 Metal Zone is definitely worth a try for those who play harder rock and need a thick sounding distortion pedal.
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• 01/22/12

  jerem7241's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " Boss MT 2"

  Characteristics

  see on the site

  Utilization

  I use it as a group in a rack for a while two years may be
  
  Operation is simple gain an equalizer and volume
  
  No need to read the manual:)
  
  possibility of several grain

  Sound Quality

  good sound quality, the problem of boss is that you have a good diet for a series of pedal powered, and the sound is changing more and more seon the pedals

  Overall Opinion

  I utlise 2 years for its price is pretty good RAPORT I tried a TRex distortion sound was much more bold, I would make that choice but if I had a little money I buy 50 euro used, I buy a MXR
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• 01/04/12

  0tom0's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " a very good pedal"

  Characteristics

  the 6 settings (level, high, middle, low, mid frequency and gain) allow almost total control of sound. BOSS pedal format standart .. are 2 circuit distortion, so it's tough sound level.

  Utilization

  the quality of the equalizer allows this pedal to be used in a wide range of styles.

  Sound Quality

  much on a guitar on a synth, it sounds from hell

  Overall Opinion

  it must be 3 or 4 years that I have, j'm'en used all the time, the doors to Meshuggah!
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• 11/15/11

  burn-notice's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " Pedal Reference"

  Characteristics

  Scultable big sound easy.
  
  Analog pure and hard.
  
  Its metal only (but still more versatile than other models of the same brand).

  Utilization

  Edition perfect for hardos, it touches everything juqsu'a what its like.
  
  Perfect for mid-bass sounding.
  
  Treble to watch or else only to bass and treble (V)
  
  The great feature of the MT-2 is in the setting of medium.
  
  It is probably very personal but it is the only distortion with which I am going chorus, MT-2 has a rather unique presence and regardless of the guitar used, we find the same sound can be modified slightly to equalizer.
  
  No need to put the volume and distortion to the background for a metal, which is rare in these products.

  Sound Quality

  Sound quality at the top, typed Trash metal.
  
  on the other hand, Requier an amp, live on a mixing desk, it's not the foot.
  
  A unique, to find exactly the sound, just find the right medium regia.
  
  Much colder and slamming that most multi-effects or amp distortion, nothing to do with the most part of competing pedals generally sound clone known, then it is very cold hardcore territory, the warmth of a fender phrasing of Marshall, is on the mind ;-)

  Overall Opinion

  This is the third that I bought in 15 years, hard to do without once you've tasted, I exchanged several times against other products to try but as @ BlackZep said, "does the job".
  
  Even though I recently tested the joys of tubes, this pedal is the ideal location for play anywhere, without the risk of the abyss and be sure to have a personalized whatever its metal amps or PA .
  
  I always have one on hand just in case, it's a little survival kit of metal with the médiatoret jack replacement.
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