Dialing 90s solid state sounds

Heinzi

Inspired
Hey Folks,

has anyone tried to dial in the sound of the 90s solid state amps, that some metal bands were using back then - like the Peavey Bandit, Rage, VT120?
I´m trying to replicate the sound of the combination Boss HM-2 with the ss amp.
What amp model would be a good starting point?

Thanks for your help!
 
Granted there's not a lot of solid state amps in the box, but it should be possible to replicate some of the behaviour by taking a high gain amp like an ENGL or Friedman and lowering parameters like the supply sag, speaker compliance, speaker compression and hitting them with a savage front end mid boost around 1k. Essentially you're going for a sound that's good for super tight chugga chugga low end and lots of that "chainsaw" sizzle right?

This article has some analysis on the pedal which is useful.

https://66.media.tumblr.com/c6d7b4872a687d95a1ed72808e780c33/tumblr_inline_o2gj66RAri1qbux40_500.png
 
Thanks!
Yeah right - I´m writing an article about the HM-2 and apart from some "Momentary lapse of reason" Sounds
by Gilmour with his Mesa Mk I, the pedal was used by some european, mainly swedish metal groups and i wish to do some soundfiles regarding these sounds.
 
Use the Das Metal amp block as your HM-2 drive pedal in front of your desired amp block model, just stiffen up the Supply Sag parameter. Years ago, @Swedish Chef demonstrated that particular amp block clones the HM-2 pedal sounds almost exactly. The thread should still exist in a search on this forum.

For the SS amp, depending upon if the SS amp has a tube pre or not, you have 3 choices :

  1. The stock JC 120 amp model (sat switch on or off to taste) feeding appropriate ir cab.
  2. JC 120 amp model with the appropriate tone stack of the tube amp front end that you want to emulate feeding appropriate ir cab.
  3. Tube pre amp model with the JC 120 tone stack feeding the appropriate ir cab.
If you need to fine tune the distortion roar, the Crunch Control and the Variac control are your friends.

I have had some good results using those experiments.
 
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Take any one of the drive pedals and put it in front of the jazz 120, change the jazz 120 tonestack to neutral (or whatever the neutral equivalent is). Or you could just roll your own ss preamp with 3 or 4 drive blocks set really low drive, make a cascading gain preamp and run it through the jazz 120. Run two or three drive blocks in parallel to get stuff you've never even heard before.
 
I wouldn't at all mind an HM-2 pedal model with no variables besides level. Its not a pedal I care about the variety with.
Basically, I want the Ola E. / all things on 10 settings as a button...

That sound of Wolverine Blues is a rare metal classic.
You will need a noise gate. : )
 
I wouldn't at all mind an HM-2 pedal model with no variables besides level. Its not a pedal I care about the variety with.
Basically, I want the Ola E. / all things on 10 settings as a button...

That sound of Wolverine Blues is a rare metal classic.
You will need a noise gate. : )

Behringer makes a cheap clone that sounds near identical. The enclosure is cheap, but you basically just dime every control, so it’s set and forget. Stick it in a loop and you’ve got a dead on HM2
 
Sunn Beta Lead head with an OD pedal was the chainsaw sound of the 80/90’s hardcore bands like Dr.Know, Corrosion Of Confirmity and The Melvins. It’s definitely the only all SS amp I liked for high volume stuff. It would be very cool to have in the Axe, I would use it for lines/riffs.

There was also a weird little Japanese combo amp which had 1 tone and 1 volume knob, maybe it was called National? My first guitar teacher had one in 1977, though he never turned it up. I borrowed it and took it home one day, man did that thing sound good on 10. Not as overall great as the 2x12 JMP Marshall combo which was my first real amp, but that Japanese amp had a very uniquely thick and detailed distortion I’ve never heard the likes of again. I wish I could definitely remember the name, I would buy one if could.
 
Behringer makes a cheap clone that sounds near identical. The enclosure is cheap, but you basically just dime every control, so it’s set and forget. Stick it in a loop and you’ve got a dead on HM2
Thank you for mentioning. I'm aware of the clones. I have the money, I just don't more stuff.
Part of why I love the Fractal line is the completeness. I don't want things into things into things into things.
 
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