When trying to decide how much distortion is enough, I usually do a pinch harmonics test. I do pinch harmonics over and over on the low E string (since it's the thickest gauge and harder to work with), and stop RIGHT at the point where the harmonics begin to sustain. It's worked wonders for me.

Watching with my Squier strat and Fender champion 20

1. Buy a 5150 2. Plug in guitar 3. Play

You're my hero for mentioning that you can't actually get good tone using just your hands and a guitar.

Tons of bass. Tons of treble. Tons of gain. NO. MIDS. (metalzooone, slayeeeeeer)

Answer: Have a good bass guitar crushing tone in the mix

Metalzone is actually really good if you leave everything at noon and only use your amp for eq also don't turn the level or distortion up past noon either and you'll be all set!

Step 1 - scoop mids Step 2 - max gain

I like a nice, tight low end too Trey

Basically, you made a tutorial on how to use a digital FX unit. I can't spin a knob and select 200 different cab/amp combos in the real world. I've got 3 amps. Farty McPracticeface, 80s Chorus Brotato and 70's Dr. Icepick Q Facemelt 130 watt, super clean Tube amp running the Scoliosis Thunderdome 2x12 reflex. There are no control elements other than what they were built with.

Hey Trey. You probably already know this , but if you put a looper block first in the chain you can loop a riff and then scan through all the different cabs or ir’s and change amp eq and everything. Great video!

if you can't distort your guitar with your hands you need to work on your technique, bro

I’m pretty sure that when people say “tone is in the hands”, they mean that what you’re playing matters more than your guitar tone.

Your advice and insight from 7:00-8:09 is spot on! Awesome job Trey

Amazing video bro! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this for us all! Keep doing what you're doing! :)

Thanks for spending so much time on the Cab section! I've seen so many people just blindly use any cab sims and then split hairs in their amp stage only to end up with half-baked tones.

Tremendous vid. I have a Helix LT...this is super helpful.

I can't stop staring at that spot on the guitar

Thank you.. just in time .. i was looking for a video like this .. suddenly .. gear god upload a new video ... lucky me 🤘🏼🤘🏼

Great video! I've been playing for a long time, I have multiple high gain tube heads and a couple of cabinets, plus some digital amp sim stuff. I like to think i'm pretty knowledgeable - I still learned a thing or two here. Thanks!

awesome video!! imo one of the most important things in the master section itself is just the mastervolume ... this can totally transform the sound from tight to saggy muddy and compressed ... just like on a real amp ...

The Mark IV also has the infamous Mesa 5 band eq, Many modelers have a 3 band para-eq. The best way I've found to simulate this are focusing these bands on Mesa's 3 middle sliders: 240, 750, and 2200 Hz. With a GSP1101, I have found that +3, -3 and +3 dB respectively, is the best and most "common" type of setting with this amp model. Something to think about...

this is easily the best tutorial on this subject i've found on youtube. Thank you! :D

Sounds good. I kinda stumbled upon a lot of these tips from experimenting on my own. Good info here.

Great video! The only thing I think would've been nice to say was that the Mark amp's tonestack sits in the signal chain before the distortion happens which makes it more of a tweakable clean boost for the second stage where the signal starts to get distorted. On most other amps the tonestack is the last tone shaping element of the preamp. In the Mark amps it's where the 5-band eq sits. Keep it up, dude! :)

I just want to point out on factor u missed out with the helix Cabs, you can change what microphone the cab is using for its sound which drastically changes the cab tone. Go from a condenser mic to a ribbon mic and change the distances from the cab.

The part about "develop a weak picking hand" happened to me with but with weak vibrato laying too much on the tremolo/floyd, recently start playing with a hipshot bridge equip guitar and realize that.

80% of your tone is in your amp 10% is your pickups 5% is your FX 5% is everything else Trolls will argue. To them, I say try getting a brutal tone from a Fender Princeton. It's not happening. Try getting tiptoe through the tulips clean sounds from a Krankenstein on the Dime channel. Again, it's not happening. Plug a $100 guitar into a $1000 amp. Guaranteed you get a way better sound than you would with a $1000 guitar plugged into a $100 amp. No amount of hands or pedals is going to save that tone.

OMFG Trey. You fooking KILLED my FLUB. Oh thank Bog. I have a Reezafratzitz that I love for high gain into a clean amp (one of the only distortions my 71 Fender Twin will tolerate) and sounds great through my Blackheart Little Giant into a Carvin 412 for bedroom practice. Here's the thing, I just got a Kiesel Vader VM7, and the FLUB got really bad. Now, I have a Voodoo Labs Sparkle Drive, which is a TS9 circuit with an additional clean bypass knob to pass some clean signal through, but I had it set wrong. Had the output low, gain high and tone low. Went low gain, higher on tone, and 75% on the output, rolled off some of the bass on the Reezafratzitz, pushed a little more bass on the amp. whoa! Hyooge. Great thanks. Now I don't want to put down the VM7. This will absolutely do the trick until I scrape the change together for a 6505 MH or Combo.

Duh, Boss Metalzone.

Dude I was getting so demotivated, I bought this incredible amp and felt like I just could not for the life of me get that crunchy smooth distortion tone and finally this video helped me crack the code thank you so much dude!

Thanks man. This was the best how to get started quick and done video I’ve seen on heavy Helix tones. I often see bashing of the Helix for Metal but I can’t fathom this thing can’t get the tone you’re looking for. It’s all about trying different things. Especially the cabs. I would have liked a cab settings bit though. I don’t mess with mine except the mic type as I have no clue what the others do, much like the power amp settings you mentioned. Thanks again.

Great information!!! Thank that give me more clarity about tone, I have a EVH 100w with a G system and I found that if I use a G system parametric EQ in the loop I can get pretty good tone, but some times I lose mid so I add more in the amp itself. Thanks again.

Great vid. You really explained everything in detail, not just what but why. Awesome. Enough of this will translate to my Line-6 POD xt Live. I'm a big fan of the Greenback 25 cab. You get plenty of that low end wall shaking reverberating sound with muted power chords. For those who don't have equipment, you can pick up a used Line 6 kidney bean for short money. Just make sure you have a humbucker pickup at the bridge for a heavy sound.

Great video, Trey. Though one point I'd contend is the IR is generally NOT simply a capture of the speaker cabinet and speaker, but ALSO the microphone(s) and placement. I'd even argue that mic and mic placement is a good 60%-70% of the sound, and the rest is the cab and respective speakers.

Rosen Digital impulses are superb for mixing all other Line 6 processors besides the helix with. I got a POD X3 live and for its age its sounds pretty close to Helix and the ElevenRack . And it also has midi so, for the price, you cannot beat it.

SG, Marshall style amp, Tube Screamer. Simple and effective. Also, if you're recording music, a great bass tone does WONDERS!! A P Bass, J Bass, Stingray, etc, would do so much in a mix

Thanks for your incredible lesson man.

Could you do a similar video, but how to dial different kinds of amps for metal? Most videos I've seen on how to dial in an amp for metal, they use 5150s or Mesa Boogies. I'd like to see something with Marshalls, Splawns, Friedmans, PRS Archons, etc.

Now one thing I noticed once your friend started switching the amps: different mic types were included in the cabinets. Do you think the sound may be affected by you switching the mic type on the cabinet you select? This is a very informative video! Thanks for putting time into teaching this stuff!

The volume level is back up. Sweet!!!

Thank you very much for making this video man seriously. I've been playing for 20 years and I'm still open for educating myself anything to improve technique, tone, style, etc. I am currently running a Ibanez 100w tone blaster amp head through a 1960A Marshall cab with a digitech jam man, and rp300A. I cant really find a tone that I like, but this will help with the options that I have currently. Good content! Thank you!

My 2 cents. I mix tones like that frequently and they don't sound very good live. And yes, most of them come out of Spyders but occasionally someone will bring in an Axe-FX with some super scooped over saturated tone and it just doesn't work. Maybe its cool in headphones or at home but if you ever want to be heard in a room you need some mids. Some guys come in and their entire sound is this wall of muddy mids and they hit the other extreme. Turn down the gain, balance out the EQ a bit more and try to run through something 'real' - od pedal, analog cab sim, something, especially for live. One of the biggest mistakes I see is way too much low end. You want your sound to be 'crushing' with a full band, not solo, unless you want that just for at home. Getting your 'at home crushing sound' in the context of a live band is the trick. The issue with these digital units is that they are unbelievably finicky, you really have to labor over your sound to get something good. When the tonal options are opened up to nearly infinite, finding the sweet spots becomes much harder. Some of the best sounds I've heard are from Marshall stacks that are barely on (for room noise purposes). I've heard guys run high gain with pedals on Fender Reverb amps that sound better than Axe-FX units. I find the more digital-esque the rig is the more time I have to spend having the guitarist tweak his sound into something usable. Running it through a solid state preamp and into a real speaker would probably help even. That said, if you know the sound you like and are familiar with it, you can get pretty convincing on the new modelers. I've had a lot of guys ditch their tube combos and just run a Joyo American and get the best tone they've had (blues & clean). Using a cab sim from a well known or popular speaker can also help a lot - so many of these give speakers that will just be a waste of time for most. All the tone in the hands comments are hilarious. Between identical rigs and different players, yes, better/worse in that context will be down to the player. Between a $6000 rig and some 10 watt solid state amp, there are simply things you won't be able to do. Sometimes you just need to get the gear you are trying to model. Its one of the hardest lessons I learned because pros and players constantly went on about getting the same tones through digital 'cheats'. If you want metal buy a high gain tube Marshall, Mesa Rectifier type, or 5150 type head and run it through any size cab you want to carry using a well documented and 'industry standard' type speaker like a v30, G12H, greenback, etc. Or get a modeler like this and run it through a preamp into a real cab. Then, once you know what 'real' sounds like and you know what you want, then you could get some digital unit and try to match it. If you want crushing metal tones with real gear to get some ideas check out the cabinet shootout by Spectre Studios here on youtube. Best video I've seen on one of the most overlooked parts of the chain by far.

Great advice, trey! Thanks!

Good video, sometimes though this all comes down to ear of the beholder. It also depends on what kind of sound you are trying to get. Are you just experimenting with the settings? Or is there a certain sound you hear in your head that you are trying to bring to life? I personally use a processor, and I usually tweak all the way through all the settings for as many times as it takes to get it right for me. Also, sometimes you really don't know for sure how your guitar really sounds until it's in a mix with other instruments.

The best video of all times dude!!!! Great great one 💪😉

I've owned the helix since its birth & I gotta say this video has explained amp settings better than any other I've seen (& I've seen afew 🤣) Good job 🤘

Great video

dude that's (nearly, not close ) mettalica tone, so sick!

First, I'll spend a good bit of money getting myself the quintessential Metal amplifier, it's possibly a Peavey 6505 or a Mesa Boogie Dual. I've heard on all the online forums that this is about as Metal as you can get. Clean channel Cheap drive pedal ALL THE GAIN! ALL THE GAIN! METAL ZONE! NO MIDS! MORE GAIN! SLAYER! ALL THE GAIN!!!!!!!!!!

Super helpful... thanks dooder

Great point about mids in a live setting. I saw suffocation a while back and it was just bass and drums lol

I like a little bit of reverb, barely noticeable but it has a nice effect on the whole sound

I'm use digitech rp 500 + return fx loop on my amp . Enough for me to achieve various metal sounds. 💪

Chuck Norris could distort it with his hands...

Really cool video, 100% agreed. I have 2 amps and a torpedo live and with different IRs I can make 100s of very different sounds!

Great explanation. Thanks!

4:59 Im currently learning the song Impulsively responsible and I've been searching for the tone and It right there mannnnnn

With cabs having a profound influence in tone, would be a good idea to decide on which cabs are best before investing the time in shaping the eq?

ALL THE GAIN , NO MIDS ,SLAYURRRRR

Thanks bud I've been trying to get a crushing tone yet I've been wrestling with clarity

Awesome thanks Gear God’s

The IR you're using is everything here. Trick is picking one that is present and has enough high end but not fizzy.

Amazing tutorial. Love that you used a base effects processor which most would have

tube amp (with proper cab)...crunch channel...Bass 6, Mids 8, Treble 5, dry crunched tone (like Malcom Young) pushed with a Tubescreamer (Level high, Gain low, Tone just above 12 o clock)...everybody should know that by now...

I have a distortion pedal that has a “Bloodbath” mode. Nothing can touch it. It has a “”Tighten” knob and a “Tone Shaper” knob as well as a “Mids Kill” switch. Built in 12 band EQ and built in dual core noise gate that is adjustable. Metal AF 🤘🏻

You made a good point about not cranking the treble, BUT, the EQ section on a Mark IV is quite different than let's say a Rectifier. Cranking the treble and turning down the bass on a Mark IV actually eliminates your need for an overdrive.

I have an actual amp and cab so I can't go back and forth. I guess I'm just stuck with my EVH 5150 iii 50 Watt, EVH 5150 4x12, and Orange 2x12. Hopefully I can find a usable tone somewhere in there. 👍🤘

I like you! You are clever and real teachers material. Thanks for a great vid!

Just subscribed after watching this it was very helpful I have Line 6 Spider V, I know I’m probably gonna get laughed at for it, but I’ve been using the app for the amp and this has helped me a bunch thanks trey. Cheers from New Mexico.

Great ideas.... thanks

what can I do if I don't hear any difference in the tone when you crank or lower the lows,mids, and highs. I have no Idea what sounds good or what sounds bad. Help pls :( thank you :D

Really helpful

Hey look, it’s the same modeler I use! Trey, if you can, you gotta update the Helix firmware, cause the latest amp they put on is the Friedman BE-100 and it just kills every other metal amp in the box!

Good vid on EQ'ing a bit to get more of what you want, but of course, if you have a cab, you will ultimately be limited in what you can get. The Helix, load boxes, IR's and such have all come into their own for one reason. Noise. I'm old school, still take days to mic cabs, A/B heads, pedals, etc....to record. But most people dont have that option, AND CANT even if they have the stuff. Noise. You can dial in a decent tone, and cab, with your headphones on. Cant do that with a vintage amp and cabs. They need to push to get to that sweet spot. That means freakin loud. ( Ever heard a Hiwatt through a Marshall 4 x 12 cab??? It'll make you dizzy, deaf, and your neighbors will hate you..) Take into account as well, noisy room, noise from mics and cables and power supplies, all taken out by the use of software. Its not a bad thing, just different. With the stuff available these days, it can be done through headphones. Makes it more accessible to many, ( if you can justify over a $1000 minimum for a good processor like the Helix, $1500'ish, Black Widow, $2000, Axe Effects III, $3500, The OX loadbox, $1300...etc ) and makes it quicker by far for many. There are cheaper ways, Bias Amp, Bias Amp FX, software like that. But you need the pro versions to use IR's.

How would you recommend shaping your tone in a live situation with a band?

Aside from your hands, it is also the pick you're using, the strings and gear you're using. Have to tweak those sounds around to achieve your sound.

The eq on the Mark series work before the gain stages, so you're affecting the tone of your pickups (screamer 808 here) before they're distorted and not the tone of the amp. Go to page 3 of the model and you should have the controls for the graphic eq Mark amps have and adjust the amp's tone there. Great informations nevertheless!

Thank you for the informative video! Any chance for a video on how to make a smooth/violin-like lead tone?

Orange 0r 15, Wampler Ratsbane and a tumnus gives me a crushing tone.

Cool video, but i find it weird to refine your tone for 13 minutes and THEN ONLY check out impulse responses, which affect the tone A LOT. I would start with a decent base tone (in like 2 minutes : EQ at noon, right gain amount, tube screamer or not), and then check out impulse responses, and then only tweak the tone further when the right IR is found.

Do you have an Axe fx AX 8? I'd love to see this demo'd :) Love you vids man \m/

good little points I did not know....

Need to set high cut at least on the cab block. It's a must!

What’s the eq section of the mk IV? Also do you use the input pad on or off on the helix?

Do you have a boost on that guitar? Because even if I let my input signals clip in Helix native (which you shouldn't do) I still don't get a distorted sound out of the tubescreamer, just a bit tighter one with 0 gain....

Damn man.. that’s how it’s done!

What would you set for a Peavey 6505? It has weird settings for preamp and post gain for both rhythm and lead channels. Not sure what works best.

Actually, the best tutorial out there

Hey Trey, I’m new to understanding how to get the sounds I want. I don’t really have much gear other than the guitar, amp and like a loop pedal lol. My amp only has treble and bass knobs, no mid. How much will that effect the tone of my guitar if I don’t have mid?? Thanks!!

Is it even possible to get a good tone out of a smaller combo amp, I’m a beginner (been playing a little more the a year) and I don’t have the money or space for a big head and cabinet amplifier. Right now I have a VOX VT40x 1x10 modeling combo amp. I’m wondering if It’s possible to get any good sound out of it. All suggestions are welcome.

I struggle with getting good distortion. I have a MIM Strat. My opinion my Technique is fine but I use a shitty Fender Mustang amp. I've purchased a few pedals but just can not get good crisp distortion with sustain. My question is, Would installing better pick ups help? Also do you have an opinion for a decent amp that won't break the bank? I only play at home. I'm not in a band. .Thank You

I have a Ibanez using bridge humbucker and a fender mustang, I got crunch with tone 0 on my guitar and everything 10 on the amp in green 2000s metal preset

Wait... I bought a Helix LT from Reverb back in May, and it has the same preset name and settings as this video... Did I unknowingly buy yours?

So if Im not getting this tone does that mean my amp isnt good enough? Im running a tube screamer into a cheaper blackstar amp and it only has gain, volume, and EQ. No bass, mid, or treble. It doesnt sound bad at all but it doesnt sound as tight and articulate as the tube screamer demos Im finding on youtube like this one. It's a bit more muddy. Anything I can do to correct this or do I just need a better amp?

Every time i start playing Electric Guitar my amp sounded really good but when started to strum my electric guitar strings one of my guitar strings sounded way off than other strings that sounded really good the brand of guitar i have is called Jackson Warrior so my question is how can i get 1 guitar string to sound the same note as the other strings

Hi mate, im using a Helix HX Stomp, how does one get that Carvin Legacy IR, its sounds huge, Cheers 🙂

yeah I can't buy one of those. any way to get a crunchier slayer tone with pedals? I have a good distortion pedal, sounds great, bit it's missing that extra deep crunch no matter how much I crank the gain or fiddle with the EQ & guitar nobs.

I tried a boost pedal on my Peavey 6505 but decided the dry amp with no effects and high gain channel works better.

Watching with my homemade franken jazz strat and a smol lany amp