Digitech Metal Master

[subversion]

Digitech Metal Master
List: $229

Digitech’s Metal Master joins its Death Metal sibling in providing users a stand alone source of intense distortion. Unlike the latter, the Metal Master was not conceived to belch out a biting distortion per se.

If you are new to the Digitech selection of effects stomp boxes, this one features an obligatory 4-knob control layout in a black (purportedly the preferred hue for all things metal) housing. Another typical Digitech feature here is the footswitch/ battery access cover, removable only by pressing the shaft hinges which necessitates the use of a pointed article- distressing to say the least.

In use
The Metal Master is singular in its distortion level; there isn’t any knob to enable the user to trim the amount of distortion on board. If you wish to emulate a blues crunch, this pedal has very little to offer, unless you back off your guitar’s volume knob. The absence of a midrange parametric control means that the Metal Master is only adept at a scooped EQ setting- not quite. Thanks to the ‘Morph’ knob which isn’t too different from the ‘Contour’ knob in a practice grade Marshall amplifier. This effectively sways the midrange to either enhance the bass or treble levels but never to voice its own.

Effectively, this pedal works well with riffsters who wish for an enhanced bottom end, conversely, it does well as a solo agent. If you wish for a more robust midrange offering, be sure to check out the Death Metal counterpart. The Metal Master’s overall voicing remains clear at higher level settings, certainly the plus point of this pedal.

Likes:
• Clarity at higher level settings
• Easy to use
• Not battery draining

Dislikes:
• Cumbersome battery access
• Lacks distortion control

Worthy competitors:
• Line6 Uber Metal
• Marshall Jackhammer
• BOSS Metal Zone

 

[unholyernest]

digi's metal master

just to share what i feel about this pedal. i bought it from swee lee at 172.10..haha..when GST haven't increase to 7..

umm..i tested 4 distortion pedals when i was there: digi's metal master, death metal, distortion factory and boss's metal zone.

only the metal master manage to satisfy my needs..haha..it has the wet sound that i like..

i'm using the vox AD50VT-212 which has build-in pre-amp and effects. but the distortion preamp wasn't not enough for me.. i like sounds like metallica..stratovarius..so on..those that plays lot of palm muting on the lower strings..master of puppets would be the best example...

distortion factory was too dry rather...pretty let down..and the pedal has 7 knots! so many..haha..at first i thought it was cool..but after u plug in..u will change your thinking man..haha..cuz if u dun like your current sound..u wanna pump up or drop something..u have no idea what knots to turn! haha..

death metal distortion would be even worse..too dry..not my type..but if u wanna play those lead solos with really killer sounds..i mean those that can "pierce" through band and noise.. this is the one for u.

as for metal zone..haha..the basic heavy distortion for all sorts of sound..regardless dry or wet..i dun think i need to say much about this one.

so if u are looking for wet sound with lots of palm muting and heavy tone..i believe this is the one u looking for.

 

[subversion]

the DF-7 has a Metal Master module in there which, ironically, i like better. reason being: the midrange control availability...

 

[unholyernest]

yup..u are rite..distortion factory has metal master as one of the 7 module..think should be a total of 7 haha..

anyway..the "metal" sound from distortion factory and metal master itself sounds totally different loh! again..its the wetness of the tone..

maybe i aren't that pro yet..but i dun really play with the high and middle..mostly just pump up the bass..then the rest just anyhow put lah!..put until i happy loh..

and also..price is quite a bit of problem.. the distortion factory would cost much much much more than the metal master..metal master allows player to get the sound of "death metal" distortion pedal..dunno what "feedback control" thingy and "metal zone" pedal..u can choose to morph in between these pedals which u can obtain your own unique distortion..but distortion factory u can't do the morph thing..its A means A..B means B kinda thing..haha..

price of distortion factory can get u a zoom multi effector already! i seriously dun think a single effect distortion pedal can worth so much lah..

the only cool thing that i see in distortion factory is the 7 knots..3 double and 1 single to control the 7 types of module..

but again..u get what u paid for..so maybe the distortion factory does have expensive module inside that i didn't find out about it just yet.

 

[RockerJ_77]

Heard some sound clips of this pedal at guitar-center.com and e sound is kinda awesome...

 

[subversion]

the Metal Master is indeed one of the better intense distortion pedals out there

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

I've tried the Metal Master and I kinda find the lack of distortion control and mid/scoop control quite restrictive especially in a band context. Playing it alone at home on the amp was fine though..