Ideal EQ for metal tone

[axl-fx]

just for example, when the Tone Match feature was available in the Axe-Fx II, people rushed to get their favorite EVH or Metallica tone. they matched it perfectly, then played with their band and it didn't sound good at all. it's because that tone works for THAT Metallica recording.

I don't buy that so much....a good tone is a good tone.
Its more that most tone matches are done from an album which has generally double/quad tracked guitars, low shelf's , outboard eq mixed mastered final product....its not going to sound as natural compared to the sound of the amp that was recorded in that room

 

[chris]

I don't buy that so much....a good tone is a good tone.
Its more that most tone matches are done from an album which has generally double/quad tracked guitars, low shelf's , outboard eq mixed mastered final product....its not going to sound as natural compared to the sound of the amp that was recorded in that room

A good tone is good because it fits in with the rest of the mix, or the other instruments are mixed around it. Listen to the Metallica stems from And Justice and tell me that’s a good tone by itself

If everyone in a band has full-range tones, the mix will suffer and the band won’t sound good. It’s a very basic mixing concept, even for live.

 

[hippietim]

I don't buy that so much....a good tone is a good tone.
Its more that most tone matches are done from an album which has generally double/quad tracked guitars, low shelf's , outboard eq mixed mastered final product....its not going to sound as natural compared to the sound of the amp that was recorded in that room

You basically made Chris’s point. Sure, a good tone is a good tone. But as you pointed out, those good tones have been massaged to fit into a mix with a band. A classic example is the guy that dials in his Triple Rectifier in to have sizzling highs, crushing lows, and scooped mids. Sounds like all kinds of fun on its own. Thenplay with bass and drums and the the guitar vanishes.

 

[ML SOUND LAB]

Most times when I'm really impressed with a guitar sound, turns out I was mostly impressed with how nicely the bass and guitar worked together in a mix. Then when listening to those exact guitar tracks separately they weren't that ballsy after all. That goes for just about every Chevelle record out there. I love that sound but I think the bass is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Even the best Petrucci guitar sound that I was after for quite a long time turned out to be all about Myung doing something magical. That'll be the second verse of Forsaken:



What I'm trying to get a here is that we as guitar players tend to have quite an ego with our guitar sound when we should be thinking about the mix. This is one of the reasons f.ex. my IR work is designed to work live and in the studio "in the mix". Some people say the IR's have a lot of mids and bite. Yes, that's exactly what you need.