Muse Settings for Axe Fx3

Zach Haley

Zach Haley

Member
Any suggestions for what distortions (and other effects) would be good for copying Matt Bellamy's sound for songs like "Hysteria", solo from "Madness", "The Dark Side".... it sounds like some flanger, some kind of octave effect. I have been playing around with different things but nothing is coming close. I am also not sure of what order I should be placing the effects. Are there general rules in regards to whether flange or other effects should be before or after the distortion?
 
JoKeR III said:
I believe he uses a software synth, an Arturia instrument if I recall correctly, to get a lot of his lead tones.
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Never heard that. All I know is he uses a lot of gear to get his tones. Probably one of the harder guitarists to cop. Definitely multiple amps. I seem to recall a Diezel VH4 and AC30. I've heard the Zvexx Fuzz Factory is a big component, and the Korg Kaoss built into some of his guitars.
 
If I am not mistaken he uses Kempers and Fractals live now. More than one of each, too.
I bet he has multiple feeds going to the FOH and then their FOH guy blends them all to taste.

Seems almost impossible to me to mock his tones with one amp chain.

Also, like a lot of Muse songs "Hysteria" opens with a fuzz/distorted bass line. Chris Wolstenholme
is a criminally overlooked and underrated part of the Muse magic. He drives so many of their songs
with his killer lines and tones.

When they do those unison lines it is hard to delineate between the bass, guitars, and synths.

Check out this live clip with Wolstenholme using a Bass with what looks like a Kaoss Pad on it. So cool.

 
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TSJMajesty said:
Never heard that. All I know is he uses a lot of gear to get his tones. Probably one of the harder guitarists to cop. Definitely multiple amps. I seem to recall a Diezel VH4 and AC30. I've heard the Zvexx Fuzz Factory is a big component, and the Korg Kaoss built into some of his guitars.
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Doesn't mean it's not true. I researched his tone some time back and know he uses synth tones with some of his MIDI controller equipped guitars. There was mention of the Korg as well as Arturia, either Analog Lab 6 or Prophet software. I recall the VH4 being a staple in his rig at some point.
 
JoKeR III said:
Doesn't mean it's not true. I researched his tone some time back and know he uses synth tones with some of his MIDI controller equipped guitars. There was mention of the Korg as well as Arturia, either Analog Lab 6 or Prophet software. I recall the VH4 being a staple in his rig at some point.
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Didn't say it wasn't true.
 
I blended a VH4 Channel 4 profile with the Vox AC30 top boost to get the standard Muse live use.

For Hysteria's solo, I combined that distortion + octave + bit of a flanger + a ping pong delay but I mixed it in such a way where it's not powering the main sound.

I ran the delay in parallel to the distortion.

I recently found out that in the HAARP video for Supermassive Blackhole and also New Born's Mayan 2015 live - he actually DI'd a Fuzz Fact / Keeley Fuzz head straight into the mix for the main riff.

For the bass riff in Hysteria or just the standard Muse bass sound -- I can get away with it live by doing a three amp set up.

Chain A: Clean
Chain B: Zvex Wolly Mammoth (I have recently changed to the Malekko Diabolik Fuzz)
Chain C: Animato (you can get away with the rat distortion as well)

I gave up in trying to sound spot on like them. What I really wanted to achieve was Chris' tone in the Hysteria video live and that chain above going into an SVT 8 x 10 cab helped a lot.

I still have some tweaking to do but here's how it sounds:



I will probably dial down the muff a little, it's not perfect but my friends have not complained about the bass tone being too thin.
 
Hey fellow Musers, I need some advice with their song New Born. Our band is learning this one. After the solo at 3:55 what effect is he using on his arpeggios behind the singing? Kinda sounds like an auto wah or a type of phaser.
 
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