transform the Metal Zone into something
completely non-metal, much like Pete Cornish
did with the Big Muff when he turned it into an
overdrive. The sky’s the limit!
OTHER INSTRUMENTS
Yes, we all know that the Metal Zone is
technically a “guitar effect,” but nothing good
ever came out of staying on the beaten path. In
fact, for you experimental musicians out there,
there’s not much finer than the Metal Zone for
texturizing any instrument. Noise musicians
have been sandwiching entire signal chains with
the MT-2 since the pedal came out, and
continue the tradition today. Rhodes piano
sound awesome through it, as do bass
synthesizers and oscillators. The powerful builtin equalizer lends a great tone-shaping feature
set to any instrument lacking one.
Experimentalists would be wise to invest in a
reamping box to fully integrate the Metal Zone
into a studio rig. Reamping is a process
commonly used in a studio where pre-recorded
tracks are able to be run through chains of
effects. Try the Metal Zone in your studio to
process drum tracks; the MT-2 sounds great on
14
TONE TALK //
a kick drum or hi-hats.
The Akai MPC series offers resampling, which
means users can process a sound externally and
loop it back into the machine, storing the new
sound in place of the old one. The Metal Zone is
so high gain that resampling a sound over and
over can process it to mush quickly, leaving
behind a soundscape that can be used as an
ambient backing track for live or studio use.
There’s a lot to like about the Metal Zone,
especially when one thinks outside the
proverbial box. After all, the box is called an
“effects pedal” for a reason; it provides an
effect. What “effect” means to you is totally up
for debate, as the uses detailed in this article
stretch the boundaries of what a pedal is
“supposed” to do, i.e. “plug in and go.” When
you put your mind to it, there are plenty of uses
for everything. Is there really such a thing as a
“bad” pedal, or are there just pedals that
haven’t been fully discovered yet? Well, my
friends, the Metal Zone is not a bad pedal—in
fact, with all this aside, it’s actually a really great
high-gain metal box, just as it was in 1991. The
defense rests.
In Defense of the Boss Metal Zone