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mooseherman
Published on 02/08/10 at 19:43
The is a very heavy analog distortion pedal. The model I played had a sick feature called top boost. It can't be edited through a computer, and it's not rackable. It's got your basic 1/4" input and output, and has a power adapter.
UTILIZATION
The sound effects editing is pretty easy. There are six controls on this pedal. (Volume, Top Boost, Treble, Middle, Bass, and Distortion). The distortion knob controls gain, while the Top Boost function contributed to the higher end of your tone, making the aggressive sound of the Metal Muff better for heavier stuff. The manual explains everything pretty clearly, but it would probably only require one good read-through anyway.
SOUND QUALITY
This thing is one of the more intense distortion pedals I've ever played. I was curious to see how it would compare to its cousin, the more famous Big Muff. The main thing I noticed was the name was no joke; this is a metal pedal through and through. As such, its appeal is limited. I personally grew out of metal years ago, and I feel as though this pedal doesn't deliver the midrange that I love so much in the Big Muff. I also feel like the regular big muff has all the distortion I want, but also a lot more warmth than the Metal Muff. As such, I wasn't such a huge fan. A metal player who prefers early 90s and late 1980s tones (Dimebag Darrell, Metallica) might really dig this pedal. The top boost feature especially makes it cut through some of the more dense mixes, and gives your leads a piercing tone that really kills it. However, the lack of midrange sort of kills the pedal for me in my book, as it doesn't do any other genre much justice. It's too bland to be used in a rock context, especially since it's got sort of an artificial brightness. Metal isn't my thing, but if it was, I'd probably be using this guy a lot more.
OVERALL OPINION
I have to say, I like the sheer power that this pedal has. Sometimes if you're in the mood to create a lurching metal riff, you need just the right pedal, and this is certainly good for that. However, I usually demand more versatility out of my pedals. I don't think that this pedal is particularly versatile at all, in fact, its frustratingly monotonous. I think that for the price, it's not bad. Certainly metal players looking for a really good tone would be well-advised to spend a lot of money on this. However, I don't really think that it's worth it for anyone else. Other players would be well-advised to check out the other Electro Harmonix distortions for more variety, and incredible quality.
UTILIZATION
The sound effects editing is pretty easy. There are six controls on this pedal. (Volume, Top Boost, Treble, Middle, Bass, and Distortion). The distortion knob controls gain, while the Top Boost function contributed to the higher end of your tone, making the aggressive sound of the Metal Muff better for heavier stuff. The manual explains everything pretty clearly, but it would probably only require one good read-through anyway.
SOUND QUALITY
This thing is one of the more intense distortion pedals I've ever played. I was curious to see how it would compare to its cousin, the more famous Big Muff. The main thing I noticed was the name was no joke; this is a metal pedal through and through. As such, its appeal is limited. I personally grew out of metal years ago, and I feel as though this pedal doesn't deliver the midrange that I love so much in the Big Muff. I also feel like the regular big muff has all the distortion I want, but also a lot more warmth than the Metal Muff. As such, I wasn't such a huge fan. A metal player who prefers early 90s and late 1980s tones (Dimebag Darrell, Metallica) might really dig this pedal. The top boost feature especially makes it cut through some of the more dense mixes, and gives your leads a piercing tone that really kills it. However, the lack of midrange sort of kills the pedal for me in my book, as it doesn't do any other genre much justice. It's too bland to be used in a rock context, especially since it's got sort of an artificial brightness. Metal isn't my thing, but if it was, I'd probably be using this guy a lot more.
OVERALL OPINION
I have to say, I like the sheer power that this pedal has. Sometimes if you're in the mood to create a lurching metal riff, you need just the right pedal, and this is certainly good for that. However, I usually demand more versatility out of my pedals. I don't think that this pedal is particularly versatile at all, in fact, its frustratingly monotonous. I think that for the price, it's not bad. Certainly metal players looking for a really good tone would be well-advised to spend a lot of money on this. However, I don't really think that it's worth it for anyone else. Other players would be well-advised to check out the other Electro Harmonix distortions for more variety, and incredible quality.