Zvex Box of Metal

I want to first start by saying I am not a fan of distortion pedals to get any high gain sound. I don't find that they sound or feel like real amps. Some pedal sound more natural than others but they can never replicate the feeling of tube amps overdriving and pushing that wall of air though your speaker cabinet. This is one of the best sounding distortion pedals that I have ever heard. Though it might not feel like a real amp it will sound pretty much as close as you are going to get.

* Uses one 9V battery (preferably alkaline, but the unit is shipped with a carbon-zinc battery.)
* Current draw is approximately 10mA.
* A DC power jack (standard Boss configuration with center negative) is provided on the side of the pedal.
* Use a high-quality 9V adaptor for all high-gain effects.
* Warranty:
* Your ZVex Vexter Box of Metal is warranted for 1 year from date of purchase, or 2 years if you send in your warranty card.



UTILIZATION

Controls

Gate: Adjust for your playing style. When fully clockwise, palm-muting will create an audible thump and bumping the strings will open the gate. Turn down to make the gate tighter. Gate is unaffected by other controls.

Drive: Sets the amount of distortion. The Box of Metal does NOT clean up. This control goes from hard to very hard. It may crackle when turned—this is perfectly normal.

Treble: adjust for treble content. Use this in tandem with your amp's presence and treble controls to get the precise top-end texture—the presence control is very important on your amp, if you have one.

Midrange: Adjust to accentuate or scoop out mids.

Bass: Sets the bass/sub-bass level.

Volume: Sets the output volume of the pedal.

Note that the LED on the right is for the bypass switch and the LED on the left is for the gate. The Drive and control is based on the original ZVex Super Hard-On gain control, so it may crackle when turned. This is perfectly normal.

Operation:

Plug your guitar (or any effect's output) into the right hand input jack. Plug the output into an amp or other effect's input. Enjoy in moderation. Watch the output volume setting...with the gate turned on you may not notice just how loud the distortion pedal is going to be until you play! Set the clean sound on your amp for any level of pristine cleanliness to heavy crunch.

The Box of Metal should do very well driving any amount of nominal distortion. The presence control on your amp will have a strong influence on the top-end texture of your ZVex pedal.

SOUND QUALITY

You will want to use this pedal in a clean or lightly overdriven amp. If you own a high gain amp then this probably isn't a pedal for you. If you have a clean amp such as a Vox or a Fender than this will be perfect for you to replicate sweet metal tones.

My personal favorite is playing this with a Vox Ac30. I find the Vox's have the best circuit to throw pedals in front of and get a solid sound with your guitar.

Use a Les Paul or humbucking style guitar with this pedal. After all it is a metal pedal and generally you would use that kind of pickup. Or even an active pickup like a Seymour Duncan Blackout.

OVERALL OPINION

This is a great little pedal for those who got a clean amp one yer for Christmas and it can't do metal tones. At new these units com in at around $300. There are two other versions of this pedal at different price points but all have the same circuit inside.

I would recommend this pedal to anyone who wants to get a solid metal tone for cheap. The hand painted version has a lifetime warranty which sets it apart from the others. Great little unit!

I am a follower of the Zvex pedals. I am also aware that the sound they offer can not be got at all: the Octane 3, the machine, the Wah Probe, Probe and Tremolo other Fuzz Probe is not really versatile and provide opportunities hard use.

What then of the pedals of "large" distortion? Curiosities or usable in everyday life?

- Manufactures hand-painted by hand in the United States Zvex
- Fully analog
- I / O device
- Volume, gain, noise gate and legalization 3 bands
- Switch on / off for the distortion and the noise gate
- 9V battery powered, consuming low trs, usually in Zvex, or by sector (increasingly common in Zvex)

The quality of construction and finishing can be put into default, as usual with Zvex. Simply superb. And then there's the little box sr good acronym Zvex and his little red cloth coating enclosing the pedals and using ds fantasy. Ms. habitu the hair is still a small effect.

UTILIZATION

The use is very simple. The manual gives some explanations but also demonstrated the humor of Zachary Vex dcidment who does nothing like the others.

Each trs is potentiomtre sensitive trs trs prcis and effective. The CONTRL gain "cracks" when it is turned, but not panic, it's normal!

Nothing wrong in that regard, it is simple and well thought out.

SOUND QUALITY

In gnral this point you would expect the Zvex pedals to turn.
Premire surprise: the sound of pedals Manir "conventional". There's no weird sounds, no buzz, squeeze, and other strangeness of grsillement. This is a traditional distortion pedals.
It is better to beginners with the gain at a minimum: the pedals do not lie, it's really made for mtal and nothing else. SETTING THE Ds first gain you end up with sounds of dj mtal heavy. The reserve of available gain is consquente.
Sounds obtained are closer to the grain of a large amp lamps than those of analog transistors pedals: pedals that sounds like a Marshall amp lamps. Gain commitment of heavy bass, treble perants. The sound is good in all Dfine circontances. One has the impression of playing a high gain stack lights of 100W!
The 3-band legalization is effective and can sculpt the sound as we DSIR: dig in for the heavy mdiums mtal the old well or with mdiums Submitted for mtal modern and sharp palm mute.
The pedals also unflinchingly supports the 7-string tuning and drop D or C: the sound remains clear, dynamic, prcis.

Although sr, she blows: it is a high gain pedals! O On the noise gate Intgr. This is an especially formidable efficiency indpendant of distortion. It is vritablement paramtr for large distortions and blowing palm mute quick succession: the times of opening and closing are short trs.

OVERALL OPINION

Zvex his best. The PDAL is a must for the metal. It distributes heavy distortion prcise. The legalization is sensitive and the noise gate indpendant of formidable efficiency. And for once, no weird sounds horizon.
As usual painting made by hand is superb and the original packaging trs.

on the other hand, it can not do anything else: no flexibility, no same type of Hard Rock AC / DC. On the other ct my Dean from Hell with his Bill Lawrence L-500 and my ESP KH-3 with EMG-81 are not comfortable trs outside distos massive.

Is the price ... but it is still possible to turn to the version Vexter most "democracies".