It'd take ages to really go in-depth on this topic, but I can offer a few quick suggestions for things to try for more textures (which is a key Reznor quality). I do a lot of non-traditional stuff, so these are some tricks I've picked up:
- Use the Drive set to the fuzz pedals and crank the hell out of it. Then put it into another cranked Drive pedal. Make them break down.
- Run the Amp block beyond overdrive. Max the MSTR VOL (and DRIVE, if you like). Try setting DEPTH and/or DAMP to the extremes (high or low). Make things sound like they're malfunctioning.
- Try the above, but with a non "high gain" amp type. I've made the BRIT JM45 sound like it was mid-explosion.
- Forget "balanced tone". Slash the BASS and crank the TREBLE. Or, instead, roll the TREBLE way. The Death By Audio Interharmonic Overdrive (which has been used like crazy on the last couple albums) has tone switches that do this. It's "horrible" tone. Use it.
- A Ring Modulator, especially set with the TRACK mode on and layered into a signal will give some grind to your tone. (See below)
- Layer in a little Synth block action.
- Remember to adjust the noise gate to avoid too much noise from all this stuff. Or turn it off and let the gear make it's own noise in between notes. The Fuzz Factory and a number of other modern fuzzes, like the Effector 13 stuff Trent has also been using a lot recently, don't gate "properly".
All the Ultra:
http://bitodd.com/temp/Infernal.mp3
http://bitodd.com/temp/Ultra/Ultra Ring Mod test.mp3 (You might recognize a riff in this one.)
