# Amptweaker Tight Metal Pedal - Misery Index demo (holy sh*t content)



## Wookieslayer (Jan 25, 2011)

Skip to 4:38 to jump to the playing portion.



Just stumbled across this demo vid with the guitarist from Misery Index playing through the pedal into the amp return of his amp. Sounds pretty fucking good to me. Granted I'm sure his amp and cab help out a lot but this sounds brutal  Also it has a noise gate switch in it, effects loop, and is true bypass 

Misery Index is great live btw 

Introducing TightMetal Distortion by Amptweaker - Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...
Whatcha guys think? I wonder how they'd be priced...


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## amptweaker (Jan 25, 2011)

Hi guys,
I was invited here by Wookieslayer, who went to my website to get more answers about my pedals.

In the video, Mark was playing the pedal by connecting it into the effects return of his amp. Of course the power amp and speaker can affect it a lot too, the point is that he is now able to fly to gigs with the pedal in his guitar case, and play through whatever amp that's provided and still get the right feel and tone.

Here's my response to Wookieslayer's email:
"My booth at NAMM was swarmed with metal players. I think they're all used to 'metal' pedals being something for kids that don't know what a real amp like that sounds like...more of a caricature of a metal tone. I've been designing amps for 24 years, including the 5150, XXX, and JSX at Peavey and the Kustom Coupes and Double Cross, so I approached the gain and tone on this pedal as an amp designer. Mark emailed me back yesterday and said that the pedals(he bought a second one for the other guitarist) saved their gig on Saturday since they flew in and got stuck playing through some amps that didn't respond like they needed it to. He just plugged the pedal into the effects return, and everything was fine."

Anyway, I sell them online for $180, currently just taking pre-orders until I get my chassis metal in over the next couple of weeks.

My main focus as Amptweaker has been to build products with consumer's advice and suggested features and things. I have a product suggestion button on my site, and a lot of the cool features on my stuff came from people sending in that kind of stuff. I also bounce ideas around on forums sometimes, previously on gearpage and rig-talk, but I'll be glad to throw some stuff out here for you guys' opinion if that's cool.

The TightMetal started out with some emails I got from Mark Kloeppel from Misery Index. He was looking for a distortion pedal that he could use for these fly in gigs, but couldn't find anything out there that could do the job. Other than the tone being right, he also needed a built-in noise gate that was set up to stop the notes really hard. I also received MANY emails from other players wanting something that could get in the ballpark of a 5150 or XXX tone, so I spent the last year developing the Tight Control for adjusting the attack, and the appropriate distortion circuitry based on my lower gain TightDrive to get it done. I just introduced this new model at NAMM and now I'm feverishly getting it to market.

thanks,
James Brown
Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


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## Chickenhawk (Jan 25, 2011)

Welcome aboard, Mr. Brown. Your reputation precedes you 

I love the fact that we can have famous musicians and gear designers here.

I have a good friend in Texas that is absolutely in love with everything you've touched, James. And I'm not inclined to disagree.


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## Sepultorture (Jan 25, 2011)

i sent you a suggestion James, i have a couple more for an amp but that's probably my main idea for an amp. love your site, can't wait to try one of your pedals


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## georg_f (Jan 25, 2011)

this is a great design
those fx loop switch etc. stuff is really clever


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## amptweaker (Jan 25, 2011)

Thanks guys. I've been adding these forums to my bookmark as I find out about them, so I'm glad to hear about this one....especially in light of the new Metal pedal. I'm working on some product right now, but I have a couple more videos from NAMM that I'll throw on there this week when I have time.

I already got a couple of ideas from some of you, which is great and very helpful for future products. If it's cool, I'll try and pose some questions here occasionally too, since it's a really easy way to make sure I'm not going down the wrong path on something.

thanks,
James
Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


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## amptweaker (Jan 25, 2011)

georg_f said:


> this is a great design
> those fx loop switch etc. stuff is really clever



Most of the cool features came either directly or indirectly from consumer ideas. Like the battery switch, the LED lights on the knobs, true bypass, easy battery access, stuff like that. The Effects loop came out of getting a ton of pedal ideas from people with many combinations of 2 things....like distortion/delay, boost/reverb, chorus/compressor......so it came to me that if I just added a loop on the back then you could patch in your FAVORITE delay to the distortion pedal. Kind of a poor man's Bradshaw rig or something.

Even the switch on the bottom to move the loop before or after the distortion came from me discussing the effects loop idea on forums.

My whole business plan was to get back to the way it USED to work, where manufacturer's discussed things with musicians directly instead of a bunch of 50 year olds sitting around a table arguing about what a kid would buy. There's a ton of focus in this industry on making large dealers and chains happy or what would somebody's mom pay for, rather than what does a guy playing a gig every weekend need to tweak his tone so he can get it done.

Thanks,
JB
Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


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## Krucifixtion (Jan 25, 2011)

I love Misery Index!!! I will be seeing them in a few weeks. I know those dudes use the Ampeg amps, as you can clearly see it in the vid being run through a Vader cab, but is that an Invader he's using also??? I noticed he had an boss amp/line selector pedal, so I am assuming he's running them both or maybe one for leads? Either way I'll find out when I see them. The tone on their newer record is awesome. Is he going to be using this pedal live?


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## amptweaker (Jan 25, 2011)

Krucifixtion said:


> I love Misery Index!!! I will be seeing them in a few weeks. I know those dudes use the Ampeg amps, as you can clearly see it in the vid being run through a Vader cab, but is that an Invader he's using also??? I noticed he had an boss amp/line selector pedal, so I am assuming he's running them both or maybe one for leads? Either way I'll find out when I see them. The tone on their newer record is awesome. Is he going to be using this pedal live?



I got a note from Mark earlier this week saying that the pedals saved their gig last weekend. They used it for a fly-in gig playing into the effects return on a Boogie and a Randall head, and were able to get the tone they were used to. My demo video was made using the clean channel of a Peavey Ultra into a Classic 112E cabinet. So you can see that the pedal works either through a clean channel or straight into the power amp.

He also sent me a demo he recorded using the pedal straight into Amplitube speaker simulator on the computer....awesome direct tone.

He uses the Boss line selector with a delay for a solo boost.
JB


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## Wookieslayer (Jan 26, 2011)

Hey James, thanks so much for responding. It's really nice to be able to talk directly with the designer. It's always great when companies respond to us here on the sevenstring boards! 

That's a pretty damn good price point considering this pedal can be used to replace your preamp. I would love to have one as a back up as well as for recording direct into the computer with impulses and such  


Btw, just curious, do you know which amp Mark plugged in to with his pedal in the video, the Ampeg or what looks like to be an Engl?


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## Krucifixtion (Jan 26, 2011)

Pretty sure he was plugged into the Ampeg, because that's their amp of choice. Although looks like an Invader or some ENGL there too that is clearly on. Ampeg has always been the amp of choice for Dying Fetus and Misery Index though.


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## blackrobedone (Jan 26, 2011)

This pedal could be a godsend. Really no distortion pedal ever measured up for a fly-in gig where you couldn't bring your rig. I'm really excited about this one. I could've saved a lot of money and hassle getting one of these instead of a 2 space rack and an ENGL E 570 for one gig in Mexico.


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## Inazone (Jan 26, 2011)

Someone needs to do a side-by-side comparison of the Tight Metal and an AMT E1 or P1 pronto! Obviously, the features aren't identical (TM has noise gate and effects loop, the E1 and P1 have neither but have a cab-simulating direct out) but I'm curious if the tones are comparable into an amp's effects return or into a power amp.


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## great_kthulu (Jan 26, 2011)

Seems like a fantastic pedal, I am planning on buying one when they come out, any idea when that will be? Also, James, I think it's great that you take advice from the consumers to better you're products. Hoping to hear more from the thing soon!


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## amptweaker (Jan 26, 2011)

great_kthulu said:


> Seems like a fantastic pedal, I am planning on buying one when they come out, any idea when that will be? Also, James, I think it's great that you take advice from the consumers to better you're products. Hoping to hear more from the thing soon!



I've got the first batch of parts in process, so it could be as early as 2-3 weeks.....I have a lot of backorders for current and new dealers, but I plan to work in the guys who are pre-ordering from my site in that mix where I can.

thanks,
James
Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


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## Pedrojoca (Jan 26, 2011)

really nice creation! Plus, i feel pleased to know that it has been made by someone who took consideration for the actual sound of distortion pedals  .
I gig a lot with other amps, this would be so handy :O 

Gassssssing for one )))))))))


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## amptweaker (Jan 26, 2011)

Wookieslayer said:


> Btw, just curious, do you know which amp Mark plugged in to with his pedal in the video, the Ampeg or what looks like to be an Engl?



Here's Mark's response to the question:

"In the demo, I'm slaving the Ampeg VH 140c. Meaning, the pedal is running into the effects return, thus bypassing the onboard preamp. I ran it through the other amps too, just not on video."

There's also another demo on the site with me just chunking through a Peavey Ultra clean channel into a Classic 112E cabinet with the stock Sheffield speaker. It was a rough audio thing I sent somebody, and I haven't had time to do a more thorough demo. It mostly shows off the difference in the Thrash switch in and out. I'm pretty sure I had the 'Chomp' gate switch on the whole time.


So you can hear that it works either through a clean channel or in the loop or power amp input. You just have to eq the amp really flat if you use its clean channel to get the same approximate tone.

James
Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


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## Wookieslayer (Jan 26, 2011)

TY! Bad ass


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## Underworld (Jan 26, 2011)

I think I need one! Maybe after the tax return? Can't wait to hear more clips!


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## cyril v (Jan 26, 2011)

awesome stuff here, keep up the good work!


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## Duke318 (Jan 26, 2011)

Cool. Have you experimented with putting 12AX7's in the pedal circuit? Was it worth it?


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## Kali Yuga (Jan 27, 2011)

Has Mark only been using this pedal for fly-in gigs, or has it become a staple in his rig? I have based my tone and gear on bands such as Dying Fetus and Misery Index, so I'm highly interested in this pedal. I'm currently playing an EMGs into an Ampeg VH140s through a Vader cabinet, normally with an EQ and noise suppressor in the loop, but lately I've been putting a POD HD500 into the effects return and using it as an all-inclusive preamp/effects unit. There more gadgets on the POD than I really need, and if this distortion is a secret to MI tone, then it's something I need to consider.


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## amptweaker (Jan 27, 2011)

Kali Yuga said:


> Has Mark only been using this pedal for fly-in gigs, or has it become a staple in his rig? I have based my tone and gear on bands such as Dying Fetus and Misery Index, so I'm highly interested in this pedal. I'm currently playing an EMGs into an Ampeg VH140s through a Vader cabinet, normally with an EQ and noise suppressor in the loop, but lately I've been putting a POD HD500 into the effects return and using it as an all-inclusive preamp/effects unit. There more gadgets on the POD than I really need, and if this distortion is a secret to MI tone, then it's something I need to consider.



I sent Mark a prototype in December and he and John from Dying Fetus checked it out through all kinds of different amps. He wrote me back a very long email and was very excited about it. He said it was ' It sounds better than the guitar tone we got on the last record using a few different amps, including your double cross.....We want to use these things for our live sound and recording from here on out."

At NAMM we spent some time tweaking the noise gate so it was tighter when cranked, and I ended up redesigning that gate so it automatically adjusts as you change the gain knob. Afterward, he bought a second pedal to use on the road. I've already gotten several emails from other guys on the same label that are interested in getting the TightMetal.

Last week he sent me a demo of a new tune they're recording using the pedal....even recorded straight into an Amplitube speaker simulator it sounded awesome to me.

I have another video that I recorded at NAMM, with Jason Frankhouser from Austin bands Human and Course of Ruin playing his 7 string through it. Sorry it's taking me so long to get it uploaded, but I promise to get it up there this weekend. 

James
Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


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## TMM (Jan 27, 2011)

What was John (DF)'s opinion of the pedal? I'm curious.


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## Kali Yuga (Jan 27, 2011)

Thanks for the response! I've got some other studio/guitar equipment on my list, but I should be getting a hefty tax return, and will have to keep this pedal in mind. Also, if there's any chance you would like to copy John Gallagher's email/opinions on the pedal or via PM, it would be much appreciated. I'm a huge fan and eat every word he says, especially when it comes to gear and tone.


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## Wookieslayer (Jan 27, 2011)

John Gallagher is the man! In his words..."FUCK shit up! Circle pit!!!" LOL 


Now I want one of these pedals even more!


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## amptweaker (Jan 28, 2011)

OK guys.....here's a 7-string demo I recorded at NAMM with Jason Frankhouser of the Austin bands Human and Course of Ruin. It's not a great video, since I didn't push the video button until halfway through his playing, but he makes it sound so good I couldn't throw it out. There's some racket in the beginning where I was taping the mic onto a stand(just like a real gig, right?) so don't let that throw you.

Check it out:



James Brown
Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


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## great_kthulu (Jan 28, 2011)

got to say, I am really impressed with the way it keeps the definition on that seventh string, definitely lives up to the "tight" in it's name. I want one even more now, got any vids of someone just jamming with a six string? Maybe mark?


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## Tysonimmortal (Jan 28, 2011)

Way interested in checking one of these out. Time to sell some gear...


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## Miserable Mark (Feb 2, 2011)

Hey guys,
It's Mark from Misery Index here. James Brown from Amptweaker told me about this thread, so I thought I'd drop in and clear a few things up.

To start, the Tight Metal Pedal is crushing. It's like throwing a VH-140c and a 5150 in a blender with some added clarity. I can run it through pretty much any power amp and sound like the baddest dude in the room. It sometimes reminds me of the Dual rec tremoverb set to solidstate modded with el34's (ala Strapping Young Lad), but I digress.

The onboard gate will get rid of guitar noise and amp hiss. If you know anything about noiseless stops with high gain, you know you need two noise units on either side of the preamp, or one boss unit in the "X pattern" to achieve this. Even then, its a challenge to get your stops to finish "naturally." The gate on the pedal does both and finishes naturally. The "tight" knob will let you adjust to your guitar or playing style, and the "tone" knob lets you reasonably modify the EQ curve. In a nutshell, James has done all the tweaking so you don't have too. I don't think it's possible to make the pedal sound bad.

Dying Fetus and Misery Index do their preproduction at the same studio, so when I got this thing in, I invited John over to check it out. We pretty much run the same stuff. Darin and Jason were there too, and we were all pretty blown away. John said he is probably getting one soon. Karl Sanders from Nile even told me at NAMM he was into it, and that guy uses a whole rack of stuff for his sound. 

It's really great for fly ins and one offs, and anything for that matter. In fact, I'm using it as my main distortion live now. It's the exact same set up you saw in my demo. Total portability...now I'm totally comfortable anywhere on any rig!! 

"What about in the studio?", you say. You are going to hear this thing recorded on our new song on the split with Lock Up next month. I'll be sure to get up some tracking vids, and show you exactly how we used the pedal for the tone.

Also, I saw some guy talking about running tubes in this thing. No need my friend. It's got enough tube rattle to shake your house down. James can explain how he made this possible better than I can. It's something about multiple inversed gain stages. At any rate, it gives that "amp-cranked-on-10-rattling-itself-apart-from-your-massive-chunky-grooves" sound, and at any volume too. 

I helped James come up with this thing by just letting him know what we've all been thinking. Who doesn't want a small portable box you can plug into anything that will give you that crushing tone and noiseless stops? And I'm not just talking about any tone. I'm talking about that sweet VH-140c style crunch coupled with some tube warmth and rattle with a little more clarity. 

Happy Riffing!


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## Wookieslayer (Feb 2, 2011)

okay... again: 

HOLY SHIT can I have one now! 


Mark, thanks so much for that in depth explanation... VH140c + 5150 qualities with clarity? Damn son. Having wanted both those amps for awhile, I am definitely going to check out this pedal for my rig as soon as I can  

Also, being a huge Dying Fetus and Nile fan, seeing those guys interested is like 


Looking forward to the new material and future shows man


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## great_kthulu (Feb 2, 2011)

Thanks mark, I hope to see you and hear this thing on the 20th! I definitely am going to get one of these things when they become available.


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## Kali Yuga (Feb 2, 2011)

I can't wait to hear that split. I'm not really a pedal guy, so I'm holding myself back.


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## Inazone (Feb 2, 2011)

Maybe I'm not enough of an effects guy to appreciate this, so I'll just ask those who are:

What would the advantage be to using the built-in loop vs. running other pedals before/after the Tight Metal? I have a pretty elaborate pedalboard that runs directly into a tube power amp in the following order - tuner > distortion > eq > hush > delay > amp - and is pretty effective that way. Is there some improvement in terms of noise reduction or tone?

The reason I ask is that there are getting to be a number of distortion stompboxes with built-in noise reduction of some kind (Ibanez Smash Box and MXR Fullbore being two I've tried) so that alone isn't a deciding factor in my book. However, for the people who are convinced that they need to buy an ISP Decimator, having amp-quality distortion from a pedal and not needing to buy a separate noise reduction unit (at least, not for most purposes) would be a big deal.


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## amptweaker (Feb 2, 2011)

Inazone said:


> Maybe I'm not enough of an effects guy to appreciate this, so I'll just ask those who are:
> 
> What would the advantage be to using the built-in loop vs. running other pedals before/after the Tight Metal? I have a pretty elaborate pedalboard that runs directly into a tube power amp in the following order - tuner > distortion > eq > hush > delay > amp - and is pretty effective that way. Is there some improvement in terms of noise reduction or tone?
> 
> The reason I ask is that there are getting to be a number of distortion stompboxes with built-in noise reduction of some kind (Ibanez Smash Box and MXR Fullbore being two I've tried) so that alone isn't a deciding factor in my book. However, for the people who are convinced that they need to buy an ISP Decimator, having amp-quality distortion from a pedal and not needing to buy a separate noise reduction unit (at least, not for most purposes) would be a big deal.



This is really 2 questions....

1)the loop is on all my pedals so you can hit one switch to turn off whatever is in it, along with the pedal. I had people asking for combo pedals with all kinds of combinations, so I thought of adding the loop so you could use your FAVORITE delay instead of one I built in. And with the switch underneath the pedal defining it as Pre or Post distortion, you can add more gain, or eq after the distortion or whatever, so you can build your own little effects chain for that one sound. Probably more important for somebody who uses this sound SOMETIMES rather than as their basic tone.

Question 2) Of course an outboard fancy noise gate can do things this one cannot, however it can't be in the middle of the distortion circuit. In this way, it works effectively at cutting the pedal's inherent hiss way down while giving you a simple but effective up front gate. So I think the important thing is that it's built in so you can get the tight stops without having the fancy outboard gear. Since you have a nice pedalboard, you can probably get by without that particular gate button, but I bet you'd like being able to carry that whole rig in your guitar's gig bag pocket! Even just as a backup.

It's really the same argument for the tone. If you have a 5150 or VH140C you might not need this for your tone.....but Mark's original predicament was when he flies somewhere and gets stuck playing through whatever amp they have and it's mud city. AND the fact that nobody made a 'metal' distortion that wasn't just a caricature of that tone. Since I'm an amp engineer, I guess I designed it to work more like an 'amp' than a 'pedal', and it gets that lead tone whether in front of a clean channel or an effects return, by tweaking the Tone control and levels. 

Mark wanted the pedal for a backup, and ended up using it instead of his normal rig.

thanks..
James
Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


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## killertone (Feb 3, 2011)

Hey everyone, I am the guy in the video above. I did some demos for the TightMetal at the NAMM show and let me tell you, it is a kickass pedal. The absolute best hi gain metal type pedal I have ever played on. This does not sound like a toy, but a real amplifier. James has designed a pedal that can hang with an actual cranked tube amp. The TightMetal is super tweakable so you can get YOUR sound easily. All the knobs work extremely well and the Tight control is indispensable. James has built a super innovative pedal here, not just another distortion pedal. On top of that, he is a suoer cool guy and really wants to hear from everyone about how his products can be made better. How cool is that?


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## MetalDaze (Feb 3, 2011)

I filled out the form on his website to get in line for one. I'm glad to see someone breaking the mold from the traditional distortion pedal mentality.


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## killertone (Feb 3, 2011)

dmccarthy said:


> I filled out the form on his website to get in line for one. I'm glad to see someone breaking the mold from the traditional distortion pedal mentality.



You're gonna love it. It is killer.


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## TMM (Mar 8, 2011)

Just got an email that my TightMetal is one the way!


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## Wookieslayer (Mar 8, 2011)

TMM said:


> Just got an email that my TightMetal is one the way!



Picked one up 2 weeks back from a local shop here in SoCal 

Only played with it a few times, but it's bad ass!

Edit: When I get the time I will post some clips and recordings!


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## cyril v (Mar 8, 2011)

Wookieslayer said:


> Picked one up 2 weeks back from a local shop here in SoCal
> 
> Only played with it a few times, but it's bad ass!
> 
> Edit: *When I get the time I will post some clips and recordings*!


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## Kali Yuga (Mar 8, 2011)

I'm waiting for more clips before I can justify spending 180 bucks on a pedal. I'm not a pedal guy, so I need some solid convincing. I'm probably going to be using it with impulses for DI recording more than with a poweramp.


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## great_kthulu (Mar 9, 2011)

cant wait to here some more clips


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## TMM (Mar 9, 2011)

Kali Yuga said:


> I'm waiting for more clips before I can justify spending 180 bucks on a pedal. I'm not a pedal guy, so I need some solid convincing. I'm probably going to be using it with impulses for DI recording more than with a poweramp.



My TC Nova Drive was $250, my Bodenhamer Leviathan over $200 (forget the exact cost), and my Hermida Mosferatu was was also in that range, so $180 didn't seem too bad  Especially if it's even half as badass as it seems like it's going to be. I'm really hoping it not only sounds good direct w/ IRs, but that it works well as a boost, so I can "kill 2 birds w/ 1 stone" and lose the TC.


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## MetalDaze (Mar 9, 2011)

James contacted me today. He's working his way down the preorder list so hopefully more people will be able to experience some Tight Metal goodness.

Mine ships soon!


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## gunshow86de (Mar 9, 2011)

Pre-order list?

Is Tonefactor lying when they say they have them in stock?

AmpTweaker TightMetal


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## Kali Yuga (Mar 9, 2011)

TMM said:


> My TC Nova Drive was $250, my Bodenhamer Leviathan over $200 (forget the exact cost), and my Hermida Mosferatu was was also in that range, so $180 didn't seem too bad  Especially if it's even half as badass as it seems like it's going to be. I'm really hoping it not only sounds good direct w/ IRs, but that it works well as a boost, so I can "kill 2 birds w/ 1 stone" and lose the TC.


yeah i don't mean the price is too high at all, but for someone like me who doesnt use pedals all that much, its hard to make a decision to drop 200 bucks on a pedal that i could put towards a rackable preamp or a head. It doesn't strike me as something you would use for a boost. It's a preamp so it's meant to go through your effects return, not the input. 

i also just bought an 8 string to fiddle around with so im curious how the tight metal would handle that. although music i normally play is more akin to misery index and dying fetus so if this pedal is what they are doing now, then im sure id dig it.


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## Kali Yuga (Mar 9, 2011)

gunshow86de said:


> Pre-order list?
> 
> Is Tonefactor lying when they say they have them in stock?
> 
> AmpTweaker TightMetal


No, I sent an email to AmpTweaker about a week ago asking about preorders. He's going down the list but he has also shipped out some to distributors so if you aren't already on the preorder list, you could actually get them from other shops.


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## cyril v (Mar 10, 2011)

it _was_ definitely in stock.


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## gunshow86de (Mar 11, 2011)

cyril v said:


> it _was_ definitely in stock.


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## McKay (Mar 12, 2011)

I think I'm a little late here, but here goes..

James you have a real shot here at getting a massive market by putting a good speaker sim on this, or by making a speaker sim pedal of some kind.

As it is, you still require the actual amp & cab to make noise, you can't run it direct through a PA. I don't know if this is something that interests you or not, as I don't know your stance on digital technology (I actually find it refreshing to see a solid state pedal for once in the face of a slew of digital modellers such as the GSP1101 and the AFX).

If you could find a way of putting an impulse loader in the pedal, or design an impulse pedal, you will sell them by the ton, providing they're affordably priced. A high quality metal oriented simple speaker sim would suffice but the ability to load your own using a simple USB interface or something would blow everyone else out of the water.

Maybe you could design your own high quality speaker sim or set of impulses, with your experience with power amp stuff? Most impulses people use at the moment are from cabinets and our tones generally have a power section shaped hole in them.


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## Kali Yuga (Mar 12, 2011)

I actually emailed him sometime last week and asked about if speaker/cabinet simulation was something that was considered, and he said that it might be something available down the road in a more expanded version. I agree though, if it had an IR loader or some other speaker simulation output, I would've pre-ordered one the moment it was posted here.


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## amptweaker (Mar 12, 2011)

McKay said:


> I think I'm a little late here, but here goes..
> 
> James you have a real shot here at getting a massive market by putting a good speaker sim on this, or by making a speaker sim pedal of some kind.
> 
> ...



Adam,
I just responded to your product suggestion email with this, but I'll repeat it on the forum for the other guys:

In fact, when Mark Kloeppel from Misery Index started talking to me about this pedal, he included the DI part as a logical part of the product, in addition to a full featured noise gate. After developing the lower gain pedals to figure out how I wanted to do 'distortion', the next step for me was to make a simple one first to get the tone worked out.....since that's the most important element. That's where the TightMetal came in.

I also have done quite a lot of cabinet simulations in the past by using studio mics placed up where your ear is, and recording that curve to see what we wish the cabinet could sound like....not what it sounds like with an SM57 shoved into the speaker, which is always in-your-face sounding. I developed what I think are awesome speaker simulations on the Coupe and Double Cross amps at Kustom using this technique, and almost every artist that we work with uses the DI to go to the board, due to the consistency and the accuracy, and the fact that it sounds more like you're standing by the cabinet. If you can get hold of one, try out the DI on one of the Kustoms and you'll see what I mean(not the older ones like the Quads, just the newer stuff like Coupe, Double Cross, HV models have this circuitry). The Double Cross one even has a straight or slant 412 option, which is very cool.

So my plan is to 1st do a DI pedal with a tweakable version of this circuit on it, so you can put it on any pedalboard and add that feature to your rig. Then all the pieces will be in place for the NEXT series of pedals to work on....the larger double switch version of TightMetal and TightDrives which will include footswitchable solo boosts and the DI built in. I also plan to put extra effects loops on them as well, including one I modded for a guy that wanted a loop that only worked when the pedal was OFF. He put a compressor in it, so his clean tone would have that, but the distortion would kick it off. I thought it was a great idea, and plan to implement it in these future bigger pedals.

I'll do some research into the impulse thing and see what that's all about. It definitely complicates the situation for me, however, since then it would include digital circuitry which requires FCC testing since it puts out digital noise that can interfere with other products....and that testing costs a lot(thousands). So I will have to be a lot further along in building up the business before I can start doing that kind of stuff. 

thanks,
James Brown
Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


----------



## Kali Yuga (Mar 12, 2011)




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## Wookieslayer (Mar 13, 2011)

Amazing, looking forward to it James.


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## great_kthulu (Mar 14, 2011)

amptweaker said:


> Adam,
> I just responded to your product suggestion email with this, but I'll repeat it on the forum for the other guys:
> 
> In fact, when Mark Kloeppel from Misery Index started talking to me about this pedal, he included the DI part as a logical part of the product, in addition to a full featured noise gate. After developing the lower gain pedals to figure out how I wanted to do 'distortion', the next step for me was to make a simple one first to get the tone worked out.....since that's the most important element. That's where the TightMetal came in.
> ...



GREAT! the next thing I was going to ask about was a built in boost!


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## TDSTIAYW (Mar 16, 2011)

I have one. It does a good job of copping a heavy 5150/6505-style crunch sound.

Has great low end response, but doesn't do searing high gain all that well. 

(Its sounds don't work all that well with my present gear, unfortunately.)

Best with a tube amp. Not great through solid state amps, from what I can tell. 

Awesome bass guitar distortion pedal however.

Anyone else have one yet?


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## MetalDaze (Mar 17, 2011)

James shipped mine out yesterday. I plan on using it with a tube amp.


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## swedenuck (Mar 17, 2011)

I think I may be making a pedal purchase in the near future, like to hear a few more clips though.


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## capoeiraesp (Mar 19, 2011)

My tightmetal just shipped yesterday and is on it's way to Oz. I'll be having a go at it through my mark V


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## Adolfo (Mar 19, 2011)

just got one of these last week and it kills!!!!! im slaving it thru a tripleX to a vader cab....i really like the tight control it can go from the loosy low end to the tighter solid state sound easily....


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## Wookieslayer (Mar 20, 2011)

Just used mine yesterday in a jam sesh with a drummer and another guitarist's Randall RH200 halfstack. Ran mine through the power amp return of my father's old "ProAmp" Viper 100 tube combo with a EV12L speaker and the tone was crushing! Plan to put up some clips in the next few days!


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## amptweaker (Mar 29, 2011)

Guys,
The TightMetal is 'officially' shipping now. I've finally gotten through all the dealer backorders and pre-orders. Thanks for your patience,
James


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## Wes Mantooth (Mar 29, 2011)

Glad I stumbled across this, I've got plenty of fuzz on my board but no true metal distortion.

Once I'm done downsizing (selling my Fireball sadly) I'm putting this on my board to replace it!


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## TDSTIAYW (Mar 29, 2011)

Still no new demos?


----------



## capoeiraesp (Mar 30, 2011)

^as soon as mine arrives I'll make a demo or two.
I'm planning on demoing one through my mark Vs power amp and another through the front of a Vox valvetronix 30.


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## Goatfork (Mar 30, 2011)

I'm loving the idea of this pedal, but I've got a question that has yet been answered:

On a decent high-gain tube amp, you can roll the volume back on your guitar and get a really warm and decent clean tone. You can't really do that with a distortion pedal or a tight gate, and this pedal is both. Is this pedal so awesome that it responds to the volume-roll-off-thing like the high-gain tube amps it sounds like?


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## Ericbrujo (Mar 30, 2011)

Adolfo said:


> just got one of these last week and it kills!!!!! im slaving it thru a tripleX to a vader cab....i really like the tight control it can go from the loosy low end to the tighter solid state sound easily....



can u do a demo clip ? i would like to here how that pedal sounds with that head and amp.


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## s5470Pro (Mar 30, 2011)

Krucifixtion said:


> I love Misery Index!!! I will be seeing them in a few weeks. I know those dudes use the Ampeg amps, as you can clearly see it in the vid being run through a Vader cab, but is that an Invader he's using also??? I noticed he had an boss amp/line selector pedal, so I am assuming he's running them both or maybe one for leads? Either way I'll find out when I see them. The tone on their newer record is awesome. Is he going to be using this pedal live?


 

Ill have to check out the pedal clips. Looks great, and well I hate to do this but I found the tone on the new Misery Index CD to be a little weak and dull. I can only assume he did not use this pedal on the recording?


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## TDSTIAYW (Mar 30, 2011)

TheGhunther said:


> I'm loving the idea of this pedal, but I've got a question that has yet been answered:
> 
> On a decent high-gain tube amp, you can roll the volume back on your guitar and get a really warm and decent clean tone. You can't really do that with a distortion pedal or a tight gate, and this pedal is both. Is this pedal so awesome that it responds to the volume-roll-off-thing like the high-gain tube amps it sounds like?



It cleans up pretty well, if you don't have super hot pickups. If you do, you will still get some breakup.


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## Wookieslayer (Mar 30, 2011)

TDSTIAYW said:


> It cleans up pretty well, if you don't have super hot pickups. If you do, you will still get some breakup.



 Yeah it cleans up pretty well, but there was def a bit of breakup at jamming volume / gain at 1ish on the pedal when I tried it (with a crunch lab in the bridge)


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## great_kthulu (Mar 31, 2011)

just ordered mine


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## Jzbass25 (Apr 1, 2011)

I like all of his pedals, I need monies damnit! I feel like his overdrive could add the tightness I need to get a better petrucci tone out of my legacy... hmm


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## Goatfork (Apr 5, 2011)

Maybe a stupid question, but how does this pedal handle a low F#?


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## great_kthulu (Apr 5, 2011)

got mine, its fantastic!! I don't think any of the vids show this, but I find it really shines for a lead tone.


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## TDSTIAYW (Apr 10, 2011)

TDSTIAYW said:


> Still no new demos?


Nothing?


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## idunno (Apr 10, 2011)

TDSTIAYW said:


> Nothing?


I concur!


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## MetalDaze (Apr 12, 2011)

The Tone King review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k3Hk5CwyRU&feature=player_profilepage


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## TDSTIAYW (Apr 14, 2011)

Love this thing on the bass. 

Still not loving it on guitar here at home...


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## Wookieslayer (Apr 15, 2011)

Scott Hull now 

Scott Hull - Guitarist with Pig Destroyer & Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...


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## Kali Yuga (Apr 15, 2011)

We need more clips of this damn thing.


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## Wookieslayer (Apr 15, 2011)

another bump for a quick clip!!!! 



Kali Yuga said:


> We need more clips of this damn thing.



Just me riffing around to get an idea of this pedal!

Naturally if I spent more time tweaking the pedal or the post EQ you can get some killer tones 

Tight Metal Pedal Test by Wookieslayer on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free

"Quick test of the Amptweaker Tight Metal pedal thru Pod XT clean signal, using LeCab 2 with an orange2x12 and "AWSEM RECTO V30 L2" impulse. Low pass at 100hrz and -3.5 at 270hrz.

Spent all of 5 min making this and with better EQ on the pedal / post EQ you can get some killer metal sounds of this!

Thrash switch disengaged, chop engaged. 
Volume level at 10:30 o'clock, Tone at 3, gain at 2, then almost max at the end of the clip, Tight knob at 10 o'clock"



I promise to get a better clip uploaded soon as I get the chance!


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## Wookieslayer (Apr 15, 2011)

Another clip... because the last one pissed me off. It sounds better with these impulses when I turned the gain up at the end of that last clip... so heres a another quick rough riff of 100% panned L/R 

Tight Metal Test 2 by Wookieslayer on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free


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## TDSTIAYW (Apr 16, 2011)

Nice tones. 

Gonna have to use mine with my POD and see if I can get it somewhere in this neighbourhood. 

Straight into the power section of an amp I was not getting this type of rich harmonic tone....


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## Ribboz (Apr 16, 2011)

Yes, it would be appreciated if a review would be made going through the front end. 
Doesn't have to be a video. 
Just some more info would be nice.


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## Goatfork (Apr 16, 2011)

YES. I need to hear it right in the front of a clean amp.


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## Jzbass25 (Apr 17, 2011)

TheGhunther said:


> YES. I need to hear it right in the front of a clean amp.



+1


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## Wookieslayer (Apr 17, 2011)

OK GUIZ i will do soon as i can 

pedal to two 6l6's combo asap! sowwy for the delay )))))))


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## amptweaker (Apr 17, 2011)

Ribboz said:


> Yes, it would be appreciated if a review would be made going through the front end.
> Doesn't have to be a video.
> Just some more info would be nice.



FYI...you guys probably already saw these demos, but for clarity these are ALL going through the front end of a clean channel....no added gain by other pedals or lead channel:

This one is just a crappy one I did just to email someone some audio, but it sounds cool. It's straight into a Peavey Ultra head into a Peavey Classic 112E cabinet which is closed back. Recorded with an M-audio microtrak:
YouTube - TightMetal Quick Fix.m4v

This one is 'Killertone' at NAMM and was recorded into the input of the new Defender 15H head we just introduced at Kustom. It's only 15 watts, but the preamp is essentially a clean channel with just a bass eq switch and a tone control, set basically flat. Recorded with an M-audio microtrak:
YouTube - Amptweaker TightMetal Demo Jason Frankhouser.m4v

This one is some old guy(me) playing through it at NAMM in that same configuration. It's recorded with a video camera:
YouTube - Amptweaker TightMetal pedal demonstrated by James Brown

thanks,
James


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## ShadyDavey (Apr 17, 2011)

Tremendously impressed by the clips and playing guys, sick stuff indeed


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## Kali Yuga (Apr 17, 2011)

I was under that this was a preamp, and meant for the effects return or into a poweramp, not the clean channel.


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## amptweaker (Apr 17, 2011)

Kali Yuga said:


> I was under that this was a preamp, and meant for the effects return or into a poweramp, not the clean channel.



The TightMetal has sufficient Volume and appropriate EQ to be a preamp, but in front of the amp usually just means a little different setting for the Tone(highs). Typically a clean channel is a little brighter than the flat tone of a power amp input or effects return. So it will work either way.

Some preamps also have less headroom, like a 5150 clean channel for instance, and they tend not to have the lowend of going straight into the power amp. However, the tighter lowend of the TightMetal helps this issue anyway, when compared to most preamp/pedals.

Hope that clears up the difference.
James
amptweaker.com


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## Ribboz (Apr 23, 2011)

amptweaker said:


> FYI...you guys probably already saw these demos, but for clarity these are ALL going through the front end of a clean channel....


 

Ohhhh ok.  awesome! Thank you for clearing that up.


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## Wookieslayer (Apr 27, 2011)

moar testing...  

just using the sperimental framus cab impulse w/ post EQ to boost / cut

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7675826/Burning Times 4c.mp3


then here is just a different style riff, just guitars, catharsis and sperimental

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7675826/crypto fathers.mp3


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## cyb (Apr 27, 2011)

Wookieslayer said:


> moar testing...
> 
> just using the sperimental framus cab impulse w/ post EQ to boost / cut
> 
> ...




Nice clips dude! My pedal should arrive in the mail tomorrow. Can't wait


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## TDSTIAYW (Apr 28, 2011)

Cool tones man!

What tuning is that?


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## idunno (Apr 28, 2011)

Can this work like a tube screamer and boost the hell outta a tube amp?
Kinda like how cannibal corpse use MT2s to get that ultra brutal thick sound.
Would it add a lot of color to the sound or be more or less the natural boosted amp sound?
Im interested but id like to know a lil bit more, thanks gguys.


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## Wookieslayer (May 1, 2011)

TDSTIAYW said:


> Cool tones man!
> 
> What tuning is that?



Thanks dude. It's actually in standard D (original song is Eb).

I made a slight master EQ adjustment here... but it's a work in progress.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7675826/Burning Times 4c EQ.mp3



idunno said:


> Can this work like a tube screamer and boost the hell outta a tube amp?
> Kinda like how cannibal corpse use MT2s to get that ultra brutal thick sound.
> Would it add a lot of color to the sound or be more or less the natural boosted amp sound?
> Im interested but id like to know a lil bit more, thanks gguys.



I think it can with enough tweaking... When I first got it I tried boosting my Pod patches where I lowered the gain and brought it back with the Tight Metal. I'll try to get good results doing that another time. I guess the amount of color added depends where you have the knobs set and how much gain you're adding with the pedal... 

Here is a quick clip I did bout a month ago I forgot about...  Brutal.

Only H/L pass: 
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7675826/PRAISE the Lord BRUTAL.mp3

"cleaner" EQ:
Praise the Lord Brutal EQ (TMP) by Wookieslayer on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free
with a bass this would be sweet.

For any next clips I'll just start my own thread  

I am curious to hear anyone else's clips!


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## Pedrojoca (May 2, 2011)

just ordered mine  ... should be here in 1/2 weeks


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## amptweaker (May 13, 2011)

TMM said:


> What was John (DF)'s opinion of the pedal? I'm curious.





Kali Yuga said:


> Thanks for the response! I've got some other studio/guitar equipment on my list, but I should be getting a hefty tax return, and will have to keep this pedal in mind. Also, if there's any chance you would like to copy John Gallagher's email/opinions on the pedal or via PM, it would be much appreciated. I'm a huge fan and eat every word he says, especially when it comes to gear and tone.



Guys,
Here's the latest Amptweaker news about John Gallagher:
John Gallagher - Guitarist-Vocalist-Songwriter of Dying Fetus - Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...

Enjoy!
James 
amptweaker.com


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## Wookieslayer (May 13, 2011)

Damn... John's on it too... that is awesome. Definitely gonna see Fetus again this summer...

my latest clips with the pedal:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7675826/Burning Times TMP 2b.mp3 (Sperimental IR)

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7675826/Burning Times TMP 3.mp3 (God's Cab)



Almost to where I want it. Speaker / IR choices make a big difference. Gotta keep tweaking!

Anyone make clips of their own yet?


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## cyb (May 13, 2011)

Wookieslayer said:


> Damn... John's on it too... that is awesome. Definitely gonna see Fetus again this summer...
> 
> my latest clips with the pedal:
> 
> ...



Those clips sound great man. Are you using 9v or 18v? I haven't gotten a sound out of the pedal that I'm satisfied with yet, but I haven't had much time to tweak lately.


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## Wookieslayer (May 14, 2011)

Thanks cyb! I'm using a 9 volt adapter. Been curious to try an 18v though. 

I noticed that when I run the pedal through an amp I don't set the tone knob past 1 to 2 o'clock... on this last clip it was around 3 o'clock, thrash switch turned off! It all depends on your impulse / speaker sims though.


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## Markyboy1983 (May 25, 2011)

great_kthulu said:


> got mine, its fantastic!! I don't think any of the vids show this, but I find it really shines for a lead tone.


 
I'm thinking of buying one.. Can it do this sort of sound?



You said the lead tone was good so that's what I'm kinda looking for. Can do the thrash rhythm but also the great tapping and solo parts.


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## suffo20 (May 25, 2011)

Mine should be in friday! I cant wait to fuck around with this thing. Ill post some sound samples as well!


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## Wookieslayer (May 25, 2011)

Markyboy1983 said:


> You said the lead tone was good so that's what I'm kinda looking for. Can do the thrash rhythm but also the great tapping and solo parts.



I went over to my buddy's house and plugged it into the return of his Laney VH100R... holy crap lead & and rhythm tone in one!  Wish I had a video... next time I will for sure.


This thread needs more clips...


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## great_kthulu (May 26, 2011)

Markyboy1983 said:


> I'm thinking of buying one.. Can it do this sort of sound?
> 
> 
> 
> You said the lead tone was good so that's what I'm kinda looking for. Can do the thrash rhythm but also the great tapping and solo parts.



ya, I think it can nail that tone, shouldn't be hard to dial in.


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## MF_Kitten (May 27, 2011)

Seriously, an amp needs to be made with this pedal's guts as the preamp, and then just a power section.

A low wattage amp like the little blackstar one, with this sound, would be amazing! Also, with an effects loop!


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## Sepultorture (May 27, 2011)

MF_Kitten said:


> Seriously, an amp needs to be made with this pedal's guts as the preamp, and then just a power section.
> 
> A low wattage amp like the little blackstar one, with this sound, would be amazing! Also, with an effects loop!



Fryette power amp with THIS asthe pre, utimate crushing metal win \m/


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## Wookieslayer (May 27, 2011)

MF_Kitten said:


> Seriously, an amp needs to be made with this pedal's guts as the preamp, and then just a power section.
> 
> A low wattage amp like the little blackstar one, with this sound, would be amazing! Also, with an effects loop!



I was thinking the same thing... it must be done!



Sepultorture said:


> Fryette power amp with THIS asthe pre, utimate crushing metal win \m/


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## great_kthulu (May 28, 2011)

Barren Waste | Facebook

here is the roughs from my bands EP, it was recorded live and I am the only guitar player, so the only guitar tone is using this. If you want to hear some tapping, there is some good tapping at the end of last gasp.


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## suffo20 (Jun 1, 2011)

I got my tight metal pedal a few days ago and I have to say that the guitarist in Misery Index has hit the nail right on the head with his views on the way this pedal sounds. It does remind me in alot of ways of the distortion sound of the AMPEG VH-140c as well as being similar to the distortion of the 5150. Having played on both heads and owning one of them its a very good descreption of the tones you can get with it. Im loving it for sure. I havent been 100% happy with my tone my entire life but I am 100% happy now. Thanks to James and everyone elses input to piecing this pedal together.


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## izdashit (Jun 8, 2011)

Will be ordering this by next week


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## Adolfo (Jun 24, 2011)

hey Suffo20 what are you running your tight metal thru? Thanks! btw this is Adolf from Dallas also, i was in DETRIMENTAL many years ago....anyway saw the creophagy link....


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## ridner (Jun 24, 2011)

this Tight Metal is relevent to my interests


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## ridner (Jun 24, 2011)

it must be my lucky day - I just found one of these used for $119


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## Wookieslayer (Jun 24, 2011)

ridner said:


> it must be my lucky day - I just found one of these used for $119



wow that is a score! get it!!!


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## ridner (Jun 24, 2011)

trigger pulled!


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## suffo20 (Jun 24, 2011)

Adolfo said:


> hey Suffo20 what are you running your tight metal thru? Thanks! btw this is Adolf from Dallas also, i was in DETRIMENTAL many years ago....anyway saw the creophagy link....



Hey whats up man.. I use to be in Prophecy back in the day! Im Jeff! Right now im just running it thru my propellerhead record program thru a cheap line 6 amp sim. Thats about it! Trying to get my amp set up! Dont know what im going to get with it yet though!


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## mhenson42 (Jun 26, 2011)

I bought one of these. I couldn't return it quick enough. It'd be better with more EQ functionality IMO. I suppose I could have put one in the loop, but WTF. I might have well just bought a used 5150 by the time I put another $150 in an EQ.


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## ridner (Jul 1, 2011)

got mine the other day - it is def cool - I just don't think I really need it. I was able to get a pretty awesome tone with it - the only problem with that is I can get virtually the same tone with my amp's OD channel on its own. This pedal is definitely beastly and I could see getting the same tone tossed in front of any amp but I guess I don't really need that. This would basically allow me to have 3 OD channels on my amp and two of em would sound almost identical. This is the best tone I have personally heard from a distortion pedal I just don't think I would use it all that much. I would rather get the same tone from my amp - which I can pretty much do. I am gonna mess with it some more because I think its really cool - hopefully I can find a practical use for it.


----------



## great_kthulu (Jul 2, 2011)

couple more guys jumped on the band wagon:
Paul Baayens - Guitarist for Asphyx, Hail of Bullets & Thanatos - Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...
Eran Segal - Guitarist with Aborted - Amptweaker.com - good tone comes from tweaking...

I love both of these guys.


----------



## evilsaint (Jul 12, 2011)

I didn't play any distortion pedals for quite sometime.
Since James Brown always designs great amps, I just got mine without testing ...
It's freak'n awesome and didn't let me down !


----------



## clintsal (Jul 13, 2011)

I've had my Tight Metal for a few weeks now, and it has become a mainstay in my rig, which is:

Carvin Alder neckthrough w/ BKP Warpig set
MIJ S7420 (mahogany) w/ Qtuner neck and Lundgren M7
RG7421XL w/ SD Blackouts AHB-1

Guitars -> MXR 10 Band -> Tight Metal -> Dunlop Volume -> TC Nova System -> Atomic Reactor 18W

As the guys say, and I have experienced, this pedal works perfectly with no other preamp necessary. I boost the hi-mids a bit and lo-mids a bit (but less) with the EQ on my passive pup guitars, and turn off the EQ for the actives. 

With the Lundgren M7, I set the tone about 12:30, the Gain around 2:00, and Tightness right at noon. 

With the Ceramic Warpig, I turn the tone up to about 3:00, Gain down to 1:00, and Tightness up to about 3:00. 

With the Blackouts, I have the tone about 1:00, Gain around 11:00 or 12:00, and Tightness almost all the way down. 

With these different settings and pups, I can get a HUGE variety of metal tones, including huge thick stuff with the tightness turned down, and surgically tight djenty-djent with it turned up. 

I really think this is the best distortion I've ever heard from a pedal, though nothing can really replace the feel and sound of a good tube amp. In my rig, this completely takes care of my distortion needs. I'd recommend it for anyone needing true heavy distortion when their amp doesn't (or isn't designed to) deliver it.


----------



## evilsaint (Jul 14, 2011)

I wrote a review for mine.
Guitar Gear Acquisition Syndrome: Amptweaker - TightMetal&#8482;


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## Wookieslayer (Jul 15, 2011)

clintsal said:


> I've had my Tight Metal for a few weeks now, and it has become a mainstay in my rig, which is...
> 
> I really think this is the best distortion I've ever heard from a pedal, though nothing can really replace the feel and sound of a good tube amp. In my rig, this completely takes care of my distortion needs. I'd recommend it for anyone needing true heavy distortion when their amp doesn't (or isn't designed to) deliver it.



Nice review man. It really is the best distortion pedal IMO.



evilsaint said:


> I wrote a review for mine.
> Guitar Gear Acquisition Syndrome: Amptweaker - TightMetal



Very cool dude! I didn't know you can get the SideTrak feature modded into your Tight Metal now too! I might need to do that... or maybe just order one of the new Tight Rock pedals... those sound real sweet too!


----------



## evilsaint (Jul 15, 2011)

Wookieslayer said:


> Very cool dude! I didn't know you can get the SideTrak feature modded into your Tight Metal now too! I might need to do that... or maybe just order one of the new Tight Rock pedals... those sound real sweet too!


 
James told me that another $30 for SideTrak&#8482; loop added, but I'm happy with current design.


----------



## evilsaint (Jul 24, 2011)

Amptweaker TightRock with SideTrak feature demo


Amptweaker TightRock demo


----------



## Ericbrujo (Aug 9, 2011)

hey guys, i was thinking of selling my 5150 and getting a ''Tight Metal Pedal'' (using the pedal as a pre amp) + ''rocktron velocity 300 power amp''. You guys think this is a good idea ?. I like the idea of having a very portable rig that has a very bonecrushing metal tone.


----------



## Sepultorture (Aug 10, 2011)

i wouldn't sell the 5150 personally, i'd keep it and still get the tight metal

you can get a close 5150 sound with the tight metal, but the 5150 will still be more flexible with having a 3 band eq plus presence and resonance controls


----------



## Aevolve (Aug 11, 2011)

"Really tight and really nice."



.....


----------



## Wookieslayer (Aug 13, 2011)

Ericbrujo said:


> hey guys, i was thinking of selling my 5150 and getting a ''Tight Metal Pedal'' (using the pedal as a pre amp) + ''rocktron velocity 300 power amp''. You guys think this is a good idea ?. I like the idea of having a very portable rig that has a very bonecrushing metal tone.



I've thought about this myself as the Tight Metal sounds crushing thru the power section of my T2. But then you'd have to have another preamp for a clean channel (any Pod comes to mind!)...



Sepultorture said:


> i wouldn't sell the 5150 personally, i'd keep it and still get the tight metal
> 
> you can get a close 5150 sound with the tight metal, but the 5150 will still be more flexible with having a 3 band eq plus presence and resonance controls



Yeah def, but you could always grab a graphic EQ  but then the more you add the more you have to carry  I'd love to compare a boosted 5150 side by side with a Tight Metal thru the power section



PeachesMcKenzie said:


> "Really tight and really nice."
> 
> 
> 
> .....



haha, it's true. love it


----------



## ShadyDavey (Aug 13, 2011)

Oh my freaking lord......ok.......why do you guys make me keep changing my GAS list?

Sounds staggering and I love the sidetrack feature.....erm.....virtually perfect?


----------



## rockstarazuri (Aug 15, 2011)

I'd like to hear more lead guitar lines and shred being played with this pedal, and also how it responds with the guitar's volume knob


----------



## great_kthulu (Aug 15, 2011)

the one flaw I have found with this pedal is that the noise gate chomps off sustain with the guitar set to lower volumes.


----------



## amptweaker (Aug 16, 2011)

great_kthulu said:


> the one flaw I have found with this pedal is that the noise gate chomps off sustain with the guitar set to lower volumes.



Understood....I actually went to the NAMM show with it more gradual on the decay. BUT, Mark Kloeppel and several other metal guys that were attending asked me to make it stop harder. Since it was 'heavily' aimed at those guys, I figured I should do it their way.

However, I DID figure out a way to make the gate loosen up as the Gain control is turned down. So you can get a decent compromise setting by using the Gain about midway rather than cranked.

Also, the gate on the new TightRock is set with less noise reduction and more natural decay across the board, AND it adjusts itself with the gain boost switch and Gain knob. So it's really more optimized for soloing, while the TM is better for chunking, in my opinion.

Maybe I'll add a noise gate control on the 'Pro' version next year......
thanks,
JB


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## slayercannibalsuffohead (Aug 17, 2011)

Well, got mine today, took her out of a very well packaged box, looked alright, built like a proverbial shithouse, only to find that the loop switch on the bottom has fallen in and the only way to swap it is to jam a fork in there. Asked the company I bought it from, and they said you should be able to use your finger to slide it across.

Sorry for the bad mobile pics!








Looking at the front, the 4 leds have sunken back into the unit as well,








so I gave the company I got it from a call, understood that not everything comes out perfect and they are sending me another one via express post tomorrow. Great service on their behalf.

Now for the tone.
First thing was that the noise gate feature worked to cut a whole lot of crap out but still had the same buzz I normally hear when I plug into my Maxon 808 into the front of the amp! 
Secondly, having put the device into the return of my fx loop, there was an overwhelming bass response that I couldnt dial out, consulted the brief manual, and it only had suggestions for more bass! I am putting this down to a bad egg of a pedal. Im not pissed, as I said before, things like this happen now and then and I fully understand. 
So, I will be waiting for another unit to arrive, and fingers crossed, that this one does the trick. Will let ya know with a second review.


----------



## amptweaker (Aug 17, 2011)

slayercannibalsuffohead said:


> Well, got mine today, took her out of a very well packaged box, looked alright, built like a proverbial shithouse, only to find that the loop switch on the bottom has fallen in and the only way to swap it is to jam a fork in there. Asked the company I bought it from, and they said you should be able to use your finger to slide it across.
> 
> 
> Looking at the front, the 4 leds have sunken back into the unit as well,
> ...


 
The switch is designed to be inset underneath like that.....you can get to it with a pick or toothpick or something. If it stuck out, you could not velcro the bottom to a pedalboard. I wished I could have put it somewhere else, but this was the only spot that worked well within the circuit, and didn't cause all kinds of cross talk from input to output.

The LEDs are not supposed to stick out, because I wanted them to only light the knobs. LEDs put out light on the sides too, so that would just make it more difficult to read the knob settings since the light would be bright to your eyes in the dark. So I don't think there's anything wrong with the pedal you received. I'd like to know who the vendor was so I can explain those details to them.

As for the low end eq, the pedal doesn't have a 3 band eq like a lot of them do, because I was trying for a simple system and assumed your amp's eq would be sufficient.....but for less low end you can turn the Thrash mid-cut Off(to the left) and then turn up the High control, and then turn down the volume. This effectively increases the Mids and Highs, giving you less relative low-end. The Tight control also has a large bearing on the low end, since turning it way up also decreases extreme low end as it makes it sound chunkier.

James
amptweaker.com


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## rockstarazuri (Aug 17, 2011)

Does the Tightrock pedal perform as well as the Tightmetal in the effects loop of an amp?


----------



## amptweaker (Aug 17, 2011)

rockstarazuri said:


> Does the Tightrock pedal perform as well as the Tightmetal in the effects loop of an amp?


 
I think it does....I set the master volume gain about the same as the TightMetal so it CAN drive a power amp directly. And you get the same kind of headroom advantages over going into the clean channel. Of course you can also add an EQ into the pedal's built-in effects loop if you need further tone adjustment. That's one of the more popular things you can do with the loop.

Maybe I should do another video demo showing the use of the TightRock directtly into the amp's effects loop. I've just been so busy trying to catch up all the back-orders on it, and my wife and I hand-build every one. But I'll try and do that soon.

I started shipping the TightRock last week, first to some dealers overseas who have had them on back-order for a couple of months....but I will begin shipping to some US dealers by next week, and start selling directly to consumers around then too....starting with people on the pre-order list.

James


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## fps (Aug 21, 2011)

Hi,
If you plug the pedal directly into the effects loop, you can still use your normal clean channel? Or is that then not an option? Interested. 
Also, since what I play can be furious and metal-y but tends to be more BLS or Alice In Chains than Cannibal Corpse or Meshuggah, should I go for the TightRock instead? I need a lotta gain sometimes but I like crunch in my sound too.


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## Cancer (Aug 21, 2011)

I bought one of these. I put in the effects loop of my Boss GT-10 then send it though the internal cab sims. It's quite the brutal, I like it alot, it complements the digital nature of the Boss quite nicely.

I do have a question though, you mentioned that the pedals can use 9 or 18 volts, however can it use 9 *TO* 18? I have some 12 volts adapters here, but wanted to ask before I tried it out.

Good job on the design, man. It's looks clearly thought out.


----------



## amptweaker (Aug 22, 2011)

Cancer said:


> I bought one of these. I put in the effects loop of my Boss GT-10 then send it though the internal cab sims. It's quite the brutal, I like it alot, it complements the digital nature of the Boss quite nicely.
> 
> I do have a question though, you mentioned that the pedals can use 9 or 18 volts, however can it use 9 *TO* 18? I have some 12 volts adapters here, but wanted to ask before I tried it out.
> 
> Good job on the design, man. It's looks clearly thought out.



Thanks.....yes it can run on any voltage from 9 to 18, and gets gradually more dynamic and more open as you increase it.


----------



## fps (Aug 24, 2011)

amptweaker said:


> I think it does....I set the master volume gain about the same as the TightMetal so it CAN drive a power amp directly. And you get the same kind of headroom advantages over going into the clean channel. Of course you can also add an EQ into the pedal's built-in effects loop if you need further tone adjustment. That's one of the more popular things you can do with the loop.
> 
> Maybe I should do another video demo showing the use of the TightRock directtly into the amp's effects loop. I've just been so busy trying to catch up all the back-orders on it, and my wife and I hand-build every one. But I'll try and do that soon.
> 
> ...



Any video you could do showcasing the TightRock's sound would be great, I hear great things about your pedals and really want to purchase one here in the UK. It's just whether to go for the TightMetal, TightRock or another brand, Providence Heat Blaster. So yes, clips please, sounds like you're doing a great job!!


----------



## fps (Aug 24, 2011)

clintsal said:


> I've had my Tight Metal for a few weeks now, and it has become a mainstay in my rig, which is:
> 
> Carvin Alder neckthrough w/ BKP Warpig set
> MIJ S7420 (mahogany) w/ Qtuner neck and Lundgren M7
> ...



Hey, if you're plugged into the return of your effects loop then when the pedal is disengaged, you're not getting a signal right? How does it sound into the front end? Or is this a no-no?


----------



## amptweaker (Aug 30, 2011)

fps said:


> Hey, if you're plugged into the return of your effects loop then when the pedal is disengaged, you're not getting a signal right? How does it sound into the front end? Or is this a no-no?


 
The way they're using it is the guitar into the pedal, out of the pedal into the amp's effects return. So when the pedal is off, you just get the same sound as plugging the guitar straight into the power amp. So it's bypassing the whole preamp of the amp, and results in a bit more headroom for the lowend.

However, several of the videos on my website are done in the front end of an amp, through the clean channel. Some clean channels handle it better than others, but if you go to my youtube channel, there's several recorded that way in the TightMetal playlist:
AmptweakerJamesBrown&#39;s Channel - YouTube

James
amptweaker.com


----------



## fps (Aug 30, 2011)

amptweaker said:


> The way they're using it is the guitar into the pedal, out of the pedal into the amp's effects return. So when the pedal is off, you just get the same sound as plugging the guitar straight into the power amp. So it's bypassing the whole preamp of the amp, and results in a bit more headroom for the lowend.
> 
> However, several of the videos on my website are done in the front end of an amp, through the clean channel. Some clean channels handle it better than others, but if you go to my youtube channel, there's several recorded that way in the TightMetal playlist:
> AmptweakerJamesBrown&#39;s Channel - YouTube
> ...



Many thanks James!


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## eclipseall (Sep 25, 2011)

By far the best metal pedal Ive ever played.
Compared it side by side with the MXR Fullbore Metal. They have similar gain capabilities and the MXR sounds best directly into the power amp also, but it definitely sounds less amp like and does not have the response and feel of the Tight Metal.

Love both pedals though but the Tight Metal just kills. I have an Eq running in the loop and the tone Im getting is massive.

Got the Tight rock also and it does metal great also.


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## Wookieslayer (Sep 26, 2011)

how much gain would you say the Tight Rock has compared to the Tight Metal?


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## eclipseall (Sep 26, 2011)

Check out this video. They can get pretty similar.
Awesome Slayer like tones out of the tight rock. It actually cuts through much better than the tight metal. Though I use both for different applications.


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## great_kthulu (Sep 26, 2011)

so the biggest difference seems to be that the tight metal is a lot darker. Really impressed with the whole line, I gotta say.


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## tr0n (Sep 26, 2011)

Really impressed with the TightRock, hopefully they'll be in the UK soon. Will definitely bag myself one!


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 26, 2011)

eclipseall said:


>




Wow... The Tight Metal almost nails the early Machine Head tone....


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## amptweaker (Sep 26, 2011)

tr0n said:


> Really impressed with the TightRock, hopefully they'll be in the UK soon. Will definitely bag myself one!



Sounds Great Music has some TightRocks on order.....I should be shipping them in 2-3 weeks.
James
amptweaker.com


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## ShadyDavey (Sep 27, 2011)

amptweaker said:


> Sounds Great Music has some TightRocks on order.....I should be shipping them in 2-3 weeks.
> James
> amptweaker.com



They do? Fabulous!

Thanks James.


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## eclipseall (Sep 28, 2011)

They both do metal tones great. The tight rock is definitely more present and a little less gainny and the tight metal is darker. They both sound great.


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## eclipseall (Sep 28, 2011)

James,

what is the pro version of these pedals you have mentioned before?
can you give us some insight on whats coming in the future?

many thanks


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## Wookieslayer (Sep 28, 2011)

I would love to see a single rack unit preamp (or pedal unit) with the Tight Rock, Metal, and a clean channel... with cabinet simulator direct outs, preamp out, MIDI capabilities, and FX loop and chomp/noise gate of course 

Maybe even a small built in solid state power amp (D class? or mosftet in a 2 unit rack?) like the e530 for practice / small jams 

One can dream!


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## evilsaint (Oct 14, 2011)

Custom PINK Amptweaker TightRock distortion pedals built as donations 
to raise money for the *Komen.org breast cancer organization*. 

Amptweaker Special Pink TightRock Distortion Pedal, 1 of 2, 100% donated | eBay

Amptweaker Special Pink TightRock Distortion Pedal, 2 of 2, 100% donated | eBay


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## Jzbass25 (Oct 14, 2011)

evilsaint said:


> Custom PINK Amptweaker TightRock distortion pedals built as donations
> to raise money for the *Komen.org breast cancer organization*.
> 
> Amptweaker Special Pink TightRock Distortion Pedal, 1 of 2, 100% donated | eBay
> ...



Damn that is sweet, sorta makes me mad I bought a tightrock earlier this week, but after playing the tightrock for 5 minutes I can't stay mad at not having a pink pedal...this thing is sweet.

I'll be posting a new pedal day soon and hopefully I'll be getting some clips up too


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## suffo20 (Nov 25, 2011)

Official JSH | North Richland Hills, TX | Metal / Death Metal | Music, Lyrics, Songs, and Videos | ReverbNation
Got a track on this page which is the only song up using the Tight Metal Pedal! I used the TM for direct recording into a cheap line 6 amp sim on the clean channel. No Vocals yet and the guitar tracks are just scratch tracks.


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## Wookieslayer (Nov 26, 2011)

suffo20 said:


> Official JSH | North Richland Hills, TX | Metal / Death Metal | Music, Lyrics, Songs, and Videos | ReverbNation
> Got a track on this page which is the only song up using the Tight Metal Pedal! I used the TM for direct recording into a cheap line 6 amp sim on the clean channel. No Vocals yet and the guitar tracks are just scratch tracks.



holy Decrepit Birth Batman! 

hell yesss, excellent. which line 6 model did you use? sounds bloody old school awesome.

edit: also reminds me of Nile!


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## suffo20 (Nov 26, 2011)

Wookieslayer said:


> holy Decrepit Birth Batman!
> 
> hell yesss, excellent. which line 6 model did you use? sounds bloody old school awesome.
> 
> edit: also reminds me of Nile!



Its just a line 6 pod sim that came with my recording program called propellerhead record. I just set it to a 4x12 cab setting and put it on a clean amp setting. Doesnt sound too bad for what it is!


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## suffo20 (Dec 5, 2011)

Ok I have to share this! I bought a Mesa Fifty/Fifty Power amp for 350 used on ebay! It was a steal for sure! I decided for shits and Giggles to take it to band practice and put my Tight Metal Into it just to see what it would sound like with no extra EQ pedal Or no Rack eq! I was blown away on how it sounded! No extra eq needed at all. Very warm and almost Metallica master of puppets sound to it! Im in shock! Ill post some sound samples up as soon as I can!


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## slayercannibalsuffohead (Nov 12, 2012)

Necro bump here ... 
Well, I've had the TM now for over a year. Bought it on impulse after reading the reviews in this thread. Tried it through the front of my 5150/6505+/XXX/ENGL SAVAGE and while it was alright, it still didn't beat the actual amps preamp sections. Then tried it on all the amps FX return .... and same deal, while it's "good" it just wasn't the same as the amps itself. So, it has sat for 11 months doing nothing.

During this time, my Engl Savage was my go-too amp and am quite pleased that I purchased it. I am such a picky bastard when it comes to tones (death metal), that money or simplicity don't come into it. I don't make much coin, but tone comes first, then simplicity, then cost.

I finally bit the bullet and purchased a rig that I was contemplating over for years. An ENGL E570 and an E850/100 poweramp. I managed to get these a few months back, and the Savage now collects dust mostly. I LOVE this combination. The E570 is the thickest, most saturated preamp I have heard, and coupled with the powerhouse that is the ENGL E850/100, my quest for tone had come to an end, with a smile on my dial as big as Luna Park! Add to that the ENGL XXL PRO cab w/V30's and it just doesn't get any better! Or so I thought ................

So 3 days ago, I was dicking around behind the back of the racks, and knocked over the TM pedal off the table, that has been collecting dust for near on a year now! Then .......  Might run the TM through the E850/100, just for shits and giggles.

Plugged her all up, (thinking it would be mediocre again) and ...... well ........ FUCK ME! Yep, FUCK ME! I had to look twice to see if I had it all plugged up right, and it was. From the 1st chug, to the triplets, to the trem picking, I was in love. I couldn't stop playing this combo. After 10 mins, I swapped back to the E570 and it just didn't cut it like the TM does through the E850/100! I was shattered in a way, as the money for an E570 aint cheap, but at 7% of the cost of the E570 here in Australia, the TM (and I hate to admit it), is now part of my rig, and the E570 now just fills a 2 rack space in my setup! Why oh why did I not think of doing this before. Had my other guitarist come around to A/B the pair, and now he is buying a TM and the E850/100. I loved it when his jaw dropped, lol. 

As I said earlier, I don't care for it in front of an amp, or in the FX loop of an amp, but put it before a dedicated poweramp, and this thing tears you a new arsehole! I can not believe the difference that this thing has made to my setup now. Not sure how much the poweramp has to do with it, but I don't really care. As I stand here today, there is nothing better than the TM and the Engl PA! 

Now to get rid of the E570 and the Savage, and get me a Mesa O/S Rectifier cab, a TC Electronic G-Force and Furman power conditioner and I'll be set.

I know the marriage was rocky at the start, but now that she's doing it properly, I'm absolutely BLOWN AWAY! 

Thanks James.


----------



## Ericbrujo (Nov 12, 2012)

slayercannibalsuffohead said:


> Necro bump here ...
> Well, I've had the TM now for over a year. Bought it on impulse after reading the reviews in this thread. Tried it through the front of my 5150/6505+/XXX/ENGL SAVAGE and while it was alright, it still didn't beat the actual amps preamp sections. Then tried it on all the amps FX return .... and same deal, while it's "good" it just wasn't the same as the amps itself. So, it has sat for 11 months doing nothing.
> 
> During this time, my Engl Savage was my go-too amp and am quite pleased that I purchased it. I am such a picky bastard when it comes to tones (death metal), that money or simplicity don't come into it. I don't make much coin, but tone comes first, then simplicity, then cost.
> ...


 
Can you upload a Video or audio ? i would like to hear that combination


----------



## amptweaker (Nov 14, 2012)

slayercannibalsuffohead said:


> Necro bump here ...
> 
> I know the marriage was rocky at the start, but now that she's doing it properly, I'm absolutely BLOWN AWAY!
> 
> Thanks James.



The tone is in there, you just gotta have enough headroom to get it to the speaker.....some preamps can do it, and some effects loops can, but the power amp trick usually works the best.

Glad you figured it out, and You're welcome!
James
amptweaker.com


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## Thrawn (Mar 7, 2013)

Sorry for the necro bump  I didn't want to do an NPD but did want to celebrate the awesomeness of the Tight Metal pedal.

I heard it about it when I investigated Scott Hull's crushing tone after Pig Destroyer's show in Brooklyn last year and I discovered he uses the TM into a Matrix power amp. After some procrastination and general dissatisfaction with the distorted tone from my XT Pro and my Blackstar 5HR I decided to pull the trigger. 

I received the pedal yesterday and it's fantastic! I put it through my Rocktron Velocity 100 into a cheap Kustom wedge that I use for quiet jamming and it sounded pretty damn good. I then tried it direct into Pro Tools 8 with Recabinet IRs and it is a beast! It handles both 7 and 8 strings wonderfully. I can't wait to put it through my 2x12 and crank it!


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## Wookieslayer (Mar 8, 2013)

Nice! did you try it through the FX loop of the Blackstar HT5, how does it sound? \m/


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## Thrawn (Mar 11, 2013)

Not yet but I'm looking forward to doing so! Last week's work schedule was a bit full on and my yoga teacher teacher housemate had a few evening clients. High gain chugging is not the best soundtrack to meditation  

I did put it through the clean channel of a Vox practice amp yesterday at my drummer's place. I'm not sure what model but it's a 30W solid state 1x12 combo. I was able to give it some volume and it sounded awesome! That was with my 8 string in Drop Eb too 

I'll hopefully be able to test it out through a bigger rig soon when we finally book ourselves into an hourly rehearsal spot. In the meantime I'll be going a bit more direct recording to get some scratch demos down for my drummer to learn. Depending how those come out I'll throw up a tone sample for you to check out.


----------



## Wookieslayer (Mar 12, 2013)

Awesome. The pedal really shines through the right loud amp, and depending on the amp, sometimes better through the FX loop return rather than the front.


----------



## Thrawn (Mar 22, 2013)

I finally put the Tight Metal through my HT5 via both the effects loop and the front. Oh my word! It is definitely better going through the effects loop of that particular amp as the pedals' controls sculpt the tone far more effectively than putting it through the clean channel. The tone out of this thing is just crushing! I didn't get to really crank it but I loved it nonetheless.

I don't like the Tight control on full so want to add an NS pedal to cut a bit of excess noise. I tried putting my MXR Smart Gate into the pedal's effects loop but it sucks the tone quite significantly. I tried it in both pre and post positions and neither worked cleanly. I know the pedal works as I usually place it after Bad Monkey before going into my XT Pro. Any recommendations?


----------



## sylcfh (Mar 22, 2013)

Anyone have a TightMetal - AMT Legend comparison available?


----------



## KodyXXVII (Nov 7, 2013)

slayercannibalsuffohead said:


> Necro bump here ...
> Well, I've had the TM now for over a year. Bought it on impulse after reading the reviews in this thread. Tried it through the front of my 5150/6505+/XXX/ENGL SAVAGE and while it was alright, it still didn't beat the actual amps preamp sections. Then tried it on all the amps FX return .... and same deal, while it's "good" it just wasn't the same as the amps itself. So, it has sat for 11 months doing nothing.
> 
> During this time, my Engl Savage was my go-too amp and am quite pleased that I purchased it. I am such a picky bastard when it comes to tones (death metal), that money or simplicity don't come into it. I don't make much coin, but tone comes first, then simplicity, then cost.
> ...


 I'm sorry but I'm a little confused. What do you mean by running the TightMetal into a poweramp instead of running it in front of the amp? What is the difference between a poweramp and an amp?

I have a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 tube amp, with a series effects loop. That means the signal goes through the preamps, then completely re-routes through the effects send and return, then into the poweramp tubes. When I run my Bogner Uberschall pedal in front of the amp, it sounds miraculous. When I put it in the effects loop, it sounds like there is nothing even going on except a slight volume boost. It blows my mind how all the gain could just disappear just by putting the Uberschall pedal in the effects loop. It makes no sense to me, so when I hear people talking about putting the TightMetal in their effects loop, all I think about is how terrible my Uberschall pedal sounds like this. Is there something I'm doing wrong? I am really interested in getting a TightMetal Pro soon and I don't know if it will work well in my Marshall's effects loop. Thanks


----------



## KodyXXVII (Nov 7, 2013)

amptweaker said:


> The tone is in there, you just gotta have enough headroom to get it to the speaker.....some preamps can do it, and some effects loops can, but the power amp trick usually works the best.
> 
> Glad you figured it out, and You're welcome!
> James
> amptweaker.com



I'm sorry but I'm a little confused. What do you mean by running the TightMetal into a poweramp instead of running it in front of the amp? What is the difference between a poweramp and an amp?

I have a Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 tube amp, with a series effects loop. That means the signal goes through the preamps, then completely re-routes through the effects send and return, then into the poweramp tubes. When I run my Bogner Uberschall pedal in front of the amp, it sounds miraculous. When I put it in the effects loop, it sounds like there is nothing even going on except a slight volume boost. It blows my mind how all the gain could just disappear just by putting the Uberschall pedal in the effects loop. It makes no sense to me, so when I hear people talking about putting the TightMetal in their effects loop, all I think about is how terrible my Uberschall pedal sounds like this. Is there something I'm doing wrong? I am really interested in getting a TightMetal Pro soon and I don't know if it will work well in my Marshall's effects loop. Thanks


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 7, 2013)

The Tightmetal has a setting that lets you use it as a preamp, so you can run it into the power amp of your Marshall. 

Also, did you miss with the loop level or no? Or did you run it like an effects pedal? If you were to use the Marshall as a power amp, you would run it like this:

Guitar > Pedal > Effect Return. 

The Marshall's preamp wouldn't be in the equation at all.


----------



## Wookieslayer (Nov 7, 2013)

The TightMetal has enough output to act as preamp. Not sure about the Bogner.


----------



## KodyXXVII (Nov 8, 2013)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The Tightmetal has a setting that lets you use it as a preamp, so you can run it into the power amp of your Marshall.
> 
> Also, did you miss with the loop level or no? Or did you run it like an effects pedal? If you were to use the Marshall as a power amp, you would run it like this:
> 
> ...



There is a little button on the back that says "loop level" but regardless of whether it's pressed in or not makes zero difference in volume, tone, or sound in general. I've never understood its purpose or function, if you can't hear the difference why bother making it? I've always kept it pressed in since I'm running like 65+ feet of cable. 

So you're saying it's perfectly safe for my amp to be turned on, yet not have ANYTHING plugged into the amp's input, and only have the return input plugged in? No guitar input or effects send, just the TightMetal directly to the return? That just doesn't sound safe for a tube amp, to have the preamp tubes turned on like that and not get used. I don't know.

How would I use all of the other effects on my pedalboard? Would I simply take out the reverb and delay from the effects loop and simply run them in between the TightMetal and the return? Thanks.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 8, 2013)

KodyXXVII said:


> So you're saying it's perfectly safe for my amp to be turned on, yet not have ANYTHING plugged into the amp's input, and only have the return input plugged in? No guitar input or effects send, just the TightMetal directly to the return? That just doesn't sound safe for a tube amp, to have the preamp tubes turned on like that and not get used. I don't know.



It's safe, otherwise the guys from Iron Maiden wouldn't have been running a very similar setup for over a decade now (Marshall JMP-1 pre > Marshall DSL100's power amp with the amp's preamp bypassed). That's probably why your Bogner pedal wasn't working correctly, because you were feeding the FX Send into it, not the guitar's input. Periphery also did something similar with an Axe FX and a 5150 III. 

Plus, like Wookie said, I'm not even sure if the Bogner pedal can be ran into the FX Return like a preamp. 



> How would I use all of the other effects on my pedalboard? Would I simply take out the reverb and delay from the effects loop and simply run them in between the TightMetal and the return? Thanks.



Yup.


----------



## KodyXXVII (Nov 8, 2013)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It's safe, otherwise the guys from Iron Maiden wouldn't have been running a very similar setup for over a decade now (Marshall JMP-1 pre > Marshall DSL100's power amp with the amp's preamp bypassed). That's probably why your Bogner pedal wasn't working correctly, because you were feeding the FX Send into it, not the guitar's input. Periphery also did something similar with an Axe FX and a 5150 III.
> 
> Plus, like Wookie said, I'm not even sure if the Bogner pedal can be ran into the FX Return like a preamp.
> 
> ...



Thank you...ok so now that leaves me with a slightly more complicated question.....here it goes;

What if I wanted to switch back and forth from using my preamp distortion, to just using the TightMetal Pro directly into the return?

I'm getting the Pro version because it includes 3 different effects loops within the pedal itself! With the option to switch what precedence the pedal takes in what stage of each loop, i.e., making the TightMetal effect first, then whatever's in the loop, or vice versa.

SO, theoretically, could I make it where when the pedal is disengaged, one of its effects loops engages and runs into the front of the amp, out the send, into the tightmetal return, and out the tightmetal back into the return of the amp....that way I could use both my preamp-poweramp combination without the pedal engaged, and when I engage the pedal, it will only be using the TM Pro as a preamp. Is this right or am I missing something?


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## Wookieslayer (Nov 8, 2013)

I set something up something similar with my friend's Laney VH100R. I set the TightMetal loop to pre so it sends a clean guitar to his input. When the FX loop of the amp is on and the Tightmetal is on he has TightMetal to the amps FX return. When he turns off the loop he's using the amps preamp as his tone. 

Takes tapdancing for effects but I imagine with the Pro it could workout easier... His was the regular TightMetal.


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## KodyXXVII (Nov 8, 2013)

Wookieslayer said:


> I set something up something similar with my friend's Laney VH100R. I set the TightMetal loop to pre so it sends a clean guitar to his input. When the FX loop of the amp is on and the Tightmetal is on he has TightMetal to the amps FX return. When he turns off the loop he's using the amps preamp as his tone.
> 
> Takes tapdancing for effects but I imagine with the Pro it could workout easier... His was the regular TightMetal.


 

Well nevermind, I just plugged up my Bogner Uberschall pedal directly to the return like you said, and boy did it sound like complete shit. Almost as bad, maybe even worse in ways, than when I had the Uberschall just regularly ran in between the effects loop, you know with the preamp and power amp tubes on either side. But directly into the poweramp of my JCM 2000 DSL 100? Sounds like shit, completely lacking in any heaviness or equalization. It's all muddled and lacking in treble, which is weird because my amp has always been too bright. But when I slap the Uberschall pedal back in front of the amps regular input again, she sings beautifully. I guess that pedal wasn't engineered to work similarly to the TightMetal. I have a feeling that I will probably still prefer the TightMetal to go into the front of my amp though, as opposed to directly in the return, since the difference in quality is that drastic between the two methods on my other pedal, I can only imagine the insanity that would ensue if the TMP was in the Uberschall's place. The Uberschall is a good pedal, maybe the best and clearest regular distortion pedal I've ever heard, but it is not "metal" in the truest terms. It's barely scratching the surface of the whole metal genre gain structure, and it's very disappointing if you were expecting to play some Meshuggah or something on the Uber pedal right out of the box. Not gonna happen. And if you turn the gain all the way up with the boost on as well, then it just get's drowned out, it doesn't retain that modern, deep, and chunky clarity that is needed to thaaaallll out some djents.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Nov 8, 2013)

If that's the case, then yeah, the Uber wasn't meant to run into a power amp. 

As we've been saying though, the Tightmetal WAS meant to be ran into the power amp. I believe Wookie did this when he had one.


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## pstar (Nov 9, 2013)

yep run tight metal into effs. loop to by pass the pre of amp. works great, Yes it has the juice to push the power section, it was design that way


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## pstar (Nov 9, 2013)

pm on its way


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## MASS DEFECT (Nov 9, 2013)

The tightmetal kills when plugged in the efx loop! when i set it up that way, i never looked back. definitely has the volume to act as a standalone preamp.


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## Wookieslayer (Nov 9, 2013)

I still have mine and almost always run straight to the FX return. At least if the amp has a good power section and doesn't need much tweaking to sound good.

What power supply does the Bogner use?


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## Sephael (Nov 10, 2013)

No input load on a preamp is perfectly fine even if tube. 

If you want to switch between the preamp and a pedal like the TightMetal ran directly into the poweramp, you can use a pedal like the boss LS2 line selecter. 
Guitar > x > LS2 in > send A > x > preamp > fx send > x > a return . LS2 b send > x > tightmetal > x > LS2 b return > out > x > fx return/ poweramp in. X just being spots you might want to put other pedals in the chain.


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## KodyXXVII (Nov 10, 2013)

Sephael said:


> No input load on a preamp is perfectly fine even if tube.
> 
> If you want to switch between the preamp and a pedal like the TightMetal ran directly into the poweramp, you can use a pedal like the boss LS2 line selecter.
> Guitar > x > LS2 in > send A > x > preamp > fx send > x > a return . LS2 b send > x > tightmetal > x > LS2 b return > out > x > fx return/ poweramp in. X just being spots you might want to put other pedals in the chain.



Thank you for that, and I did consider the Boss LS2 (because even Adam Jones uses one, my favorite modern guitarist) however upon discovering that the new Tightmetal Pro has 3 separate effects loops within the pedal itself, I was really wanting to know if it was possible to just use the loops on the TMP itself to trick the signal into using the preamp or not. 

It gets confusing because each loop on the TMP can have its own specific sequence switched around internally. Say if you wanted to activate an effects loop in the pedal when you stepped on the boost button, so it would boost and inject whatever effect you have in that loop simultaneously. But if you wanted to change the sequence of the loop to where the effect in the loop was applied first, then the Tightmetal applied its own distortion, you could do that with a flip of an internal switch. Or you could have the loop sequenced to apply the TMP's distortion first and then inject the effect. Do you see what I'm saying about controlling the sequence of the pedals distortion within each loop itself? And since I don't know how each loop is activated separately on the TMP, I'm not sure exactly how I would set it up to activate my natural preamp tone, then switch to just the TMP into the effects return (power amp).


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## Sephael (Nov 10, 2013)

Yeah a TM Pro can be used that way. Switching is simple, when the pedal is off it uses the Sidetrak loop and apparently the universal loop, bypassing the main part of the pedal (distortion and EQ) completely. When you turn the pedal on it routes through the distortion and the universal loop. Additionally you can click in the boost, while the pedal is on this engages the extra pre and post gain volume adjustments and the boost loop. Main thing you can't do is run some pedals for only the TM chain before the distortion and addition pedals after. 

LS2 has a bit more flexibility, you can actually set it to run both signal paths at once and blend in a clean tone for a bit more clarity behind your distortion. In a pinch you can even run the sends directly back to the returns, set different levels for each and use it as an ad hok boost.


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## SchecheadIbby (Nov 10, 2013)

Well Sephael pretty much answered your question I guess but yeah
The answer to your question is;
Yes, you can!
The Tight Metal Pro has a side track loop (while the pedal is on the sidetrack is off, and while the pedal is off the sidetrack is on), universal loop (always on), and boost loop (switchable loop that works in conjunction with a boost function that is on the pedal).

To be able to switch between the tight metal's distortion and your amps preamp is to run it like this
Guitar>tmp (input)>tmp (output)>fx return (amp)
as stated earlier with the switch set for use as a preamp

While the sidetrack loop of the pedal is set up like
Fx Send (sidetrack)> input (amp)> fx send (amp)>fx return (sidetrack)

And that should have it so that you can switch between and only use the pedal and the pre amp of the amp at separate times


And hey, you may want to check the tone king's video for the tight metal pro.
He really tried to go into the many details of the pedal.


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## Thrawn (Nov 11, 2013)

I've recently been using my TM for recording bass. Has anyone else tried this?

I go out of the TM's mixer output directly into my interface and then tweak the EQ in the box. I cut a lot of the high-end distortion from it and it sounds quite fat. I need to get my bass set up properly as the intonation is way out of whack but as soon as I do I will post a clip.


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## Sephael (Nov 12, 2013)

I love the sound of a bass through the TM, it gives it some nice girth.


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## enuenu (Feb 3, 2015)

More necro action. I have a JMP2203 MkIi MV. No FX loop. Would the TM Pro work with this amp? Maybe I could get an FX loop added to the JMP so I could bypass its preamp. It seems that when placed out front the satisfaction levels with this pedal drop.

That's confusing me. Is this pedal actually designed to be used out front at all?

I also have a Mesa DR that I don't use a lot as I found it a bit sloppy and ill defined for my needs. Would the TM Pro work better with the parallel loop on the DR. Prefer to use the JMP though.

My other contenders are the Bogner Red and Uberschall.

EDIT - doubled up my posts here, apologies. James answered my questions here
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/4276165-post18.html


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## SilentCartographer (Feb 3, 2015)

wow, may have to try this OD


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## p4vl (Feb 3, 2015)

SilentCartographer said:


> wow, may have to try this OD



The Tight Metal isn't an OD, it's a Distortion pedal. Amptweaker does make an OD (TightDrive?) pedal for boosting.


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## amptweaker (Feb 5, 2015)

SchecheadIbby said:


> Well Sephael pretty much answered your question I guess but yeah
> The answer to your question is;
> Yes, you can!
> The Tight Metal Pro has a side track loop (while the pedal is on the sidetrack is off, and while the pedal is off the sidetrack is on), universal loop (always on), and boost loop (switchable loop that works in conjunction with a boost function that is on the pedal).
> ...



All-SchecheadIbby described the method that many guys use to do the TMP straight into the power amp, and when it's off you get your amp's normal preamp. It's like the preamp of your amp is just a pedal that you patch into the SideTrak loop.....so it's heard only if the TMP is OFF.

You do have to make sure you don't have cables running everywhere, or you could pick up some hum, but other than that I've heard from a bunch of guys who do this and love it.

The other alternative is to use some kind of cleaner pedal in that SideTrak Loop and just have that for your clean tone. Our TightFuzz and BluesFuzz do a particularly nice job of doing cool clean tones.

James B
amptweaker.com


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## Normage Inc. (Feb 16, 2018)

sylcfh said:


> Anyone have a TightMetal - AMT Legend comparison available?


I have both the amt p1 and amptweaker tight metal Jr.. My setup is a 95 jackson dinky Rev with a jb trembucker in the bridge and jazz neck.. Amp is a peavey ultra 120 teal stripe through a crate bv412 with v30 16ohm celestions.. I anxiously awaited the amt p1 from Siberia Russia for about a month.. After watching countless reviews and forums.. Came with rave reviews.. Came up short and thin at loud volume.. Even with 9 volt adapter.. Or battery.. Tried it in the front of the amp and fx loop with the front of the amp being the better sounding of the two at loud volume.. While it might sound good at bedroom levels or studio.. Just fell short especially on the low end.. When really cranked it even worked as a good radio signal.. Broadcasting an R&B station.. Needless to say it was a let down for me.. An eq or boost may have helped out the thin sound but I was expecting to get the same dynamics an actual 5150 head has.. I mean pushing it through a 120 watt tube Amp should have given this thing some balls right? Very thin, shrill or sandy was my outcome.. I did alot of searching for other aggressive distortion pedals.. Even tried the MXR full bore metal.. And that was so shrill.. Hard to get the highs off the sound.. No matter what I did for that pedal just couldn't get that fizz to go away.. Through the preamp it sounded better but it just didn't have a good quality sound at loud volume.. At least for me.. Looked at Empress.. And the price tag.. Wampler triple wreck.. Etc.. And stumbled across amptweaker tight metal.. Which was being discussed in the same breath as other potential candidates for killer distortion preamp pedals.. I settled on the tight metal jr.. Seemed to incorporate alot of the sounds that the pro version had.. Fat and tight switches.. Thrash and smooth tone but really liked that it had the adjustable noise gate without having to access the gain switches internally on the pro model.. First impression for me was anything but fizzy or shrill.. Tried it with an old peavey supreme 160 solid state and found it sounded best through the front of the amp.. When I ran it through the ultra 120 tube.. Sounded excellent through the fx return and had more than enough volume and low end to make me grin.. It was anything but tinny and thin sounding like the amt p1 and as far as distortion..the amptweaker tight metal Jr leaves it in the dust.. The tm jr had great low end punch.. adjustable mids and highs.. To really cut through at any volume.. But like I said before.. The amt was a light weight at loud volume and with the tm Jr.. It was very dynamic and lacked nothing even when my 120 watt tube was cranked balls to the wall.. I run the amptweaker with the 18 volt power supply and it sounds killer for all my metal needs.. If you're looking for a brutal tone and feel your amp is just not getting you there no matter what you throw in your pedal chain.. Or if your eyeing up more expensive amps to get that tone.. I personally would try the amptweaker tight metal.. Why spend upwards of thousands of dollars for a new head.. When you can have the tones of ampeg vh140c slash 5150/6505 in a little box.. Shoot.. The noise gate even works so good you can leave your expensive noise suppressor at home..cheers to James Brown for a great quality product.. King of tone..


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