Test with my HX Stomp - 2000's Metalcore tone

Rex Rocker

Rex Rocker

Well-known member
I really like the tone on the record Shadows Are Security. I know The End of Heartache is what most consider the epitome of 2000's Metalcore tone, but I've always considered Shadows Are Security more aggressive, raspier, and overall, meaner. More Gothenburg-y, I guess.

So I tried to get a tone close to that with my HX Stomp. What do you think?

This is the Youtube clip:


And this is the Dropbox link which is a little higher-quality.

There are some flops on the playing here and there, so please excuse that.

So.... thoughts? Opinions?
 
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In case anyone wants the details, it's my Gibson Les Paul Tribute with a 500T in the bridge. Little tiny trick that I found is that the record (or at least that song) seems to be tuned ever so slightly flat from Drop C, so knowing that definitely helps get closer.

The patch is not very complicated. It's the Horizon Drive boosting the Recto model, then some EQ cutting a bunch of lows and low mids, and then the star of the show, IMO, a Josh Middleton IR. I can share the patch in case someone wants it, but I fear it won't really "work as intended" without the IR and, to a lesser extent, the right guitar/pickup.
 
First impressions from an average-ish dude is that it sounds pretty good for a stomp. Left channel in the intro is where most of the digitalness is but when you hit :26 the combined takes sound good. I think the digital / IR stuff falls apart on low end chugs but I don't know of an immediate fix other than messing with it.

Once you get past the intro motif the tone seems less jarring when it repeats later in the song. Its not hugely jarring, just recognized as a helix if you're looking for it.

Your playing is really good so I think that carries any tone worries for most people. Overall sounds good on first listen, only when I compared to the other takes on your channel is when the differences stand out. Great job!
 
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tjnx said:
First impressions from and average-ish dude is that it sounds pretty good for a stomp. Left channel in the intro is where most of the digitalness is but when you hit :26 the combined takes sound good. I think the digital / IR stuff falls apart on low end chugs but I don't know of an immediate fix other than messing with it.

Once you get past the intro motif the tone seems less jarring when it repeats later in the song. Its not hugely jarring, just recognized as a helix if you're looking for it.

Your playing is really good so I think that carries any tone worries for most people. Overall sounds good on first listen, only when I compared to the other takes on your channel is when the differences stand out. Great job!
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Thank you for listening!

Yeah, I feel that there is something in the highs or maybe the high mids that I can't quite dial in. It's always too little or too much, but I always assumed it had to do with my guitar/playing/setup... but now that I think about it, it could very well be the Helix voicing as well.

And yeah, the low-end is something I really struggle with not being able to hear the isolated guitars.
 
tpruitt said:
Does it inspire you to grab your guitar and headbang? If so then fuck what anyone thinks. That said,I think it sounds pretty damn close.
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LOL, well playing through the tone, I do like it. I mean, it's not as fun as a raging loud 100W head through a 4x12, but it's still fun to play, that's for sure.
 
Just want to clarify that this is being real picky. I think in a finished mix or live it would sound great. There's a lot of guys that put stuff on here that sounds awesome to me but they are really trying to squeeze every bit of tone polish out of it. (which sometimes I think is overboard)

tpruitt's comment is the most important
 
tjnx said:
Just want to clarify that this is being real picky. I think in a finished mix or live it would sound great. There's a lot of guys that put stuff on here that sounds awesome to me but they are really trying to squeeze every bit of tone polish out of it. (which sometimes I think is overboard)

tpruitt's comment is the most important
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Thank you. For me, tonechasing is every bit as fun as actually playing.
 
Put it in a mix with bass and drums before you get too critical on your EQ....some weird shit happens when it sits in the mix as opposed to listening to raw guitar tracks.
 
ewill52 said:
Put it in a mix with bass and drums before you get too critical on your EQ....some weird shit happens when it sits in the mix as opposed to listening to raw guitar tracks.
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Oh, yeah, for sure. Once dropped in a mix, there would have to be some surgical EQ making it fit to whatever drum and bass tone they're dropped with. I'm sure if I tried, it would be impossible to match the whole tone of the record. I could get in the ballpark, but I'm focusing on guitars only for now.

Thanks for the feedback. :)
 
Rex Rocker said:
Oh, yeah, for sure. Once dropped in a mix, there would have to be some surgical EQ making it fit to whatever drum and bass tone they're dropped with. I'm sure if I tried, it would be impossible to match the whole tone of the record. I could get in the ballpark, but I'm focusing on guitars only for now.

Thanks for the feedback. :)
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sounds awesome!
 
I think it sounds great, the original recording is a lot more smoothed out on the high end though.

I would mess around with filters or multiband compression a bit to try and approximate the smoothness, rather than just try to EQ it out.

With hi/lopass filters its alot easier to hone in on the exact frequencies youre trying to cut out
 
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