Overview:
The new Amptweaker TightMetal™ distortion pedal takes the TightDrive™ and TightBoost™ overdrive platform to the next level by providing over-the-top metal and hardcore crunch tones with adjustable tightness thanks to the Tight control.
- This issue came up early on when discussing various ideas with Mark Kloeppel, guitarist from the deathgrind band Misery Index
- Like many other metal players, Mark was looking for a particular guitar tone, one with a lot of harmonics but with the ability to stop the notes really fast to work with their music.
- As on the original TightDrive, the Tight control varies the low end from smooth and thick to tight and aggressive so you get the attack that works with your guitar and picking style.
- In the same way high gain tube amps are designed by cascading extra tube stages, the TightMetal was created by adding additional stages in front of a carefully modified TightDrive. The resulting thicker and much heavier distortion is tweaked by a simple built-in output EQ curve, and can further be adjusted by the output Tone control, so it’s easy to get a stack sound even through a small combo amp’s clean channel.
- At January NAMM '11, various metal players made suggestions about adjustments to the gate, and the result was a redesign to include an automatic gate threshold that tracks the gain control......this keeps the Chomp setting appropriately hard, and backs off on that setting as the gain is reduced.
- All other features from the TightDrive remain intact, including the Effects Loop with its Pre/Post switch, the LED illumination of the controls, and the Battery On/Off switch and magnetic battery access door. The effects loop send can be used as a clean guitar send for re-amping in the studio if switched to Pre.
Features:
- True Bypass switch
- Tight Attack Control
- Gain, Tone, & Volume Controls
- Gate switch with Chomp™ setting for quick stops
- Mid switch with Thrash setting
- Effects Loop with Pre/Post switch..tracks On/Off Footswitch
- LED lit knobs when using a power supply
- Battery disconnect switch with red indicator
- Current: 12mA with 9V battery, 28mA with 9V adapter
- Works with 9V-18V supplies–like 'variacing' your amp up and down
- DC Adapter jack, standard 2.1mm X 5.5mm, center ground(-)
- Magnetic Battery access door opens w/o tools
- Handmade in the USA
Front Panel Features:
Rear Panel Features:
Other Tips & Tricks:
- Effects like compressors, treble boosters, octavers overdrives/distortion work best with the Effects Loop set to Pre.
- Effects like delay, reverb, EQ, chorus, vibe/tremolo, and most others tend to sound best with the Loop set to Post.
- Add an overdrive/distortion/boost pedal in the Effects Loop (set to pre) to give this even more distortion.
- Add an overdrive/booster pedal in the effects loop (set to post) to give more output level to this pedal.
- If youʼre having difficulty getting the tone you like, try connecting the output of the TightMetal into your ampʼs effects return or power amp input–bypassing the preamp
- When using extremely high settings on the Tight control, you might need to increase your ampʼs bass control..
- Select Post/Effects Send to send to some other amp AFTER the TightMetal for a big stereo solo tone.
- Select Pre/Effects Send to use it as a switchable ʻcleanʼ send to another effects chain, tuner input or amp.
- The Thrash position of EQ reduces the mids, so for more low-end, switch to Thrash, turn down the Tone, and crank up the Volume–the result will be more low-end.
Specifications:
- Input impedance: 100K Ohm (effect on)
- Output Impedance: 1K Ohm (effect on)
- Current: 12mA with 9V battery, 28mA with 9V adapter, 45mA with 18V adapter(adds knob LEDs)
- Housing: 14 Gauge galvanized steel
- Weight: 2 pounds, Dimensions: 3.75”W X 5”D X 2”H
- Adapter: 9-18VDC adapter w/ 5.5mm X 2.1mm positive barrel center (-)ground