Be careful when you get these. It doesnt work with every amp. I just had a Boss HM-2 for about two days before I returned it bc I couldnt get a chainsaw sound out of it. Thats with SD Nazgul -> Gibson Explorer -> TS9 -> Boss HM-2 -> NS-2 -> orange thunderverb -> mesa 4x12. Direct in the effects loop or in front of the amp, it just wouldnt really work with me. It sounded fine, but it didnt sound like the HM-2 we know and love. It just sounded like a distortion pedal, unfortunately.
@@josefpdx Didn't know what you were doing. Dont take that as criticism, thats the reason the HM2 died. Very powerful and versatile pedal, but very tricky. The maxed out dials is a meme, it doesn't really work that way, unless you have a specific signal chain. I always used it in the front of a solid state gain channel, with the gain at around 1 and the pedal gain around 7. The EQ balance between the amp and pedal is critical. In short, there is no formula, it takes a *lot* of experimentation to get an authentic 'chainsaw'. I ended up with 2 of them in the late 80s, because a friend of mine bought one and then gave it to me, because it was useless. Then, I got kicked out of my own band, for chainsawing them... in a rock cover band 🤷
Since first watching this video and your other one about stacking an HM-2 with an Overdrive / Tube Screamer, I have tried some of these set-ups on a Marshall Valvestate combo amp I recently added to my gear collection, here is what I tried and the results: I) Guitar > HM-2 (as a boost with distortion set to zero) > amp's overdrive channel. Result: BIG sound, very full, thick, super heavy tone with a ton of low end. Bigger and more bass heavy sounding than option II, but not as dark, and would not cut through a mix as well. Note, I also tried this set-up with a TS5 Tube Screamer into the HM-2, but on this amp the Tube Screamer cut too much lows. II) Guitar > TS5 Tube Screamer > HM-2 (high distortion setting) > amp's clean channel. Result: Dark, violent, very heavy crunching tone. Not as bass heavy as option I, but sharper and with more atmosphere. It would cut through a mix much better. I hope that is an interesting read and of help. \m/
I've made an interesting setup recently, reminds of dismember massive killing capacity: that's guitar>tuner>(ds1>marshall valvestate vs 100 2nd channel eq fully dimed)>hm2 max everything>amp return That means hm-2 works in parallel with ds-1 just with one amp, signal doubles from the tuner. Also usable with mt-2 after the hm-2, gives at the gates like tone
1) clean, 2) crunch, 3) distortion, 4) effects Loop. You might have done something like this already as part of another installment, but I would be interested to see how the hm-2 would sound into the clean channel while also being boosted in some way (maybe with the hm-2 at lower distortion settings). I would be interested to see if you could reach a compromise between the clean and dirty channel sounds using this technique. To my ears the clean channel sounds is a little more open and three-dimensional (which I like), but it lacks some of the agression, and interesting harmonics and textures of the other dirty configurations. Great content!
Cheers from Perú I use the Behringer Hm300 conected in the return chanel in the back of the amp, but also y uses a 7 band EQ the mid frecuences with less level than higg and low, you must try that sound
i like to run it in the overdriven channel with the distortion of the pedal turned down completly , maybe some 15 or 30 band graphic eq to shape it . sounds really broken that way , almost like the resurrection through carnage guitar sound . the second way i use it is inspired by you , i rund the hm-2 all to full into a mixing board , and parallel to it i run an mt-2 (or another distortion pedal i have laying around) in the second channel of the mixing board , i use the hm-2 for the gnarlieness and the distortion pedal for the "polishing" and the mids
Haha, I have that same T-shirt! Rotten Sound rules! I used to use method 2, but with the gain maxed anyway ... that mayhem when you stop playing is so fun After seeing some other of your vids I switched to using it the way you do, it's not so much a drive but a very angry EQ pedal, much more usable with other pedals as well!
For the HM2 - In front on clean is definitely the best. In front with crunch or distortion from the amp makes it muddy and hissy. In the FX loop it is plastic and weak sounding. If the pedal was built to be a pre-amp then it would sound better in the FX Loop. (some vh140c clone pedals are made this way).
Thanks for the video. I wanted to check how the HM-2 sounds "on its own" in the FX Loop, since the MT-2 sounds surprisingly good in it. Well, it clearly sounds like ass.
in the event that you already know this i apologize,but your chainsaw files have inspired me and ice came up with an idea I tried out based on inspiration from this video...pedals I'm using are: 1.BEHRINGER-HM300 2.BEHRINGER-NR300 3.DONNER-DARK MOUSE 4.BBE-SONIC STOMP all running thru my ROCKTRON R50C SOLID STATE AMP.controls set at 4 across the board of amplifier. I take the HM300 and the DONNER DARK MOUSE after it and plug them both THRU THE EFFECTS LOOP OF THE BEHRINGER NR300 pedal itself. NR300 set for mute. threshold at 10 to 11 o'clock decay at 0 HM300 set at maximum carnage across the board. DONNER DARK MOUSE set at: dist-just above 0 to where it engages. filter-about 11 o'clock level-11 o'clock toggleswitch-up(classic) but works for hyper as well. BBE-srt at lol contour-10 to 11 o'clock. process-2 to 3 o'clock. what it produces is a clean kinda/sorta and articulate(way more than normal)note seperation yet super thick highly dirty tone which can be adjusted to taste with the filter/toggleswitch/level of dark mouse. that doesn't squeel or have a bunch of crazy noise when you abruptly stop during a riff for start/stop riffing and you can speed pick riffs and hear each note in said riff decently clean as I've ever heard it within these confines. I may put up a video of it cranked up and roaring.and show th settings of which I'm using. I just discovered this yesterday and have been playing non-stop except for sleep with this setting ever since. hopefully this is a lil something different for you but if you already know then once again I apologize. I'm just excited and jamming my brains out with inspiration. take care and stay safe.
also.flip the toggle to hyper.... and th filter to almost 10 o clock. on th dark mouse. and turn th lo contour halfway up and the process 3/4 of the way up.or a tad more and get a very nice high treble sound.great for the HM300 CLONE. still nothing can beat th original HM-2 .I do love some clones too tho.
I am more into the « Slaughter of soul » and use the hm-2 in the loop with no distorsion. Before that i use a mt-2 with a traditional scouped metal setting and before the mt-2 i use a tubescreamer as a colour boost. It gives me more tighness and a beautiful 4-6 kHz range. Great for 90’s black/death metal.
brtzlfx that is my exact set up. I plug into a transistor amp : a peavey bandit 112. It is not very far from the « Slaugter of soul » set up. They used a supreme 160 and plugged in front of the amp I guess. I Know that you also use a mt-2, so it would be interesting to ear your sound with the two pedals stacked together. I don’t push the level knob very high because I prefer to keep my sound quite « clean ».
Well in fact, I use the OD808 because I find it more transparent than the Maxon OD 9. And if I want to be accurate I use behringer UM300 and HM300 because my Boss pedals are so old,... the first pedals I bought. So I guess we have the same pedals. Everything to play 90’s black death. There is a lot to do with cheap equipment IMO. The guys in Entombed, At the gates and even Dissection were just kids at the time. So their sound is made with cheap gear. No ubershal, no rectifiers. I love to recreate that vibe.
I, uh....i need that shirt you're wearing!!!! Btw, i do #1 (all maxed out)......when i don't, i set the high mid at around 2 o'clock, ( the rest all still maxed out) \m/ \m/ thank you for your video! I also still need that shirt!!!!!
Ich finde auch, dass die zweite Variante am besten klingt. Denke, dass wie du schon sagtest zu viel Gain bei Variante 3 der Grund war, wieso zu wenig Druck da war. Jedoch ist Variante 3 auch mein Favorit. Spiele einen Peavey 6505 und benutze das Pedal als Boost. Ich habe außerdem herausgefunden, dass es je nach verwendetem Cab und/oder Raumakustik das zurückdrehen des High-Potis auf 10/10,5 teilweise Wunder wirken kann! Was füd mich sehr spannend wäre, wäre mal zu sehen wie du einen HM-2 Sound generell in einem Mix noch nachbearbeitest!
Hm, ich finde, dass gerade beim Original der Hi-Poti soundentscheidend ist und da schon minimale Abweichungen das Klangbild völlig verändern. Ich verändere dann lieber am Amp was. Deine Videoidee klingt ziemlich spannend, sobald ich mir zutraue, Videos übers Mixen zu drehen wird das definitiv eine Rolle spielen ;)
nice video as usual, but I think something is fucked up during the intro and in the end because only the left speaker have sound coming from the right doesn't have any sound Otherwise, my setup is simple : HM-2 > TS-9 > 5150 with Crunch and Bright nobs on
That's totally on purpose... not... Have to check what's wrong. Thanks for mentioning! Also interesting setup, Tubescreamer behind the HM-2 is another thing I have to test!
Hi mate I have used the Metal Zone MT2 with great success through the effects return. I do not have it act as a loop because I want it to act as the pre-amp. Was thinking it should behave similar to you putting the HM through the effects loop but it sounded rubbish (no offence to you lol) I think the MT2 was clearly designed to go in effects return, not this pedal HM2
I think the same thing. That the MT-2 is for the effects loop and HM isn't. What kind of amp do you use? I'm looking for an amp that will sound good with the MT-2 in the effects loop
Another great video, brtzlfx. Respect from your Scottish followers, as always. Here’s an idea for a video. How about demoing the HM-2 for different genres of music aside from metal? Famously, David Gilmour (and several other distinguished players) used an HM-2 in the mid eighties. I used to play in a pop/rock group and it formed my main chunky drive sound for many years. I even played worship music in various churches using it. (Little did the congregation know I was rocking a death metal monster on my board!) HM -2 all the way! It’s a surprisingly versatile device! Keep up the good work. You deserve a lot of respect for this fabulous channel. 🏴
Thanks again for your kind words :) This idea is already on my list, but thanks nonetheless! It will take time though because I still need to review some nice pedals I have / receive soon ;)
Quick question that I hope somebody can help me with: I'm using a Peavey 6505+ as an amp, and my pedal chain is tuner>HM-2W (everything maxed with distortion on 0)>RAT (same as HM-2)>noise gate>amp. It sounds very crunchy and absolutely brutal, but note definition is not always there. Would running the HM-2 through the FX loop on my amp clean that up a bit? If so, how do I go about setting my pedals up like that? I've ran a very simple pedalboard for years, so this is all new to me 😅
both Rat and HM2 are not known for their note definition, so you always will struggle with this. You could try reducing the tone on the rat to add more high frequencies (the tone works counterintuitive, so maxing out is actually reducing highs). Apart from that, a blend control on the hm2 would work
@@DomeNightbearer Thank you so much for the reply! I've been binging your videos lately and you've been a huge help. I'm new to HM-2 territory, so everything is still a bit over my head, haha. By reducing tone on the RAT, are you referring to the volume or filter, by chance? I have the distortion on the RAT all the way on 0. Any blend controls you might recommend? I sincerely appreciate all the help!
ah... Filter! Howeve4 the rat is tricky, so max'ed out is kot always the best option. I had the on control blend, I think, that did a decent job. However these days I would opt for an HM2 with an internal blend control.
@@DomeNightbearer Ah, I see. I'll have to mess around with the settings some more and see what I can come up with. I'm using the Waza HM-2 reissue, by the way. Would there be any advantage in trying to run it through the FX loop?
well... it would give you a different sound, but I don't think you will like it. I personally MIGHT try the rat in the loop, but be careful with the volume!
Daron Malakian from System Of a Down used a distortion that sounded like a HM-2, since 1995 to 1997, is it possible that he used a HM-2 in that time? That sound kills!!
That's the first time I hear this. Might be, but might also have been a DS-1 or 2, cause they can sound similar. Any recordings where you hear this sound?
From this video I definitely prefer nr. 1. For my taste, nr. 2 and nr. 3 sound way too f---ed up and nr. 4 sounds lifeless and lacks the buzzsaw character. And also with my PRS MT15 it sounds best in the clean channel - and the clean channel of my amp really IS clean, since I swapped some 12AX7 tubes for 12AT7 - to get a really clean clean and a more controlled and usable gain channel.
@@DomeNightbearer Yes, I believe there are a few pre-wired on Reverb.com. Here's a link to one: reverb.com/item/1225492-b-y-o-c-the-swede-pre-built-pedal Great reviews on HM2 clones btw!
@@DomeNightbearer Geargas Store sells them pre-wired. www.geargasstore.com/collections/byoc-assembled-pedals/products/byoc-the-swede-distortion-pedal-assembled There's another DIY HM-2 clone out there by Aion Electronics called the Graviton. That pedal can be bought pre-wired too. reverb.com/item/21960804-aion-electronics-graviton
Clean sounded best to my ears. More musical, the crunch and the distorted amp with the HM2 sounded harsh, not useable and the fx loop sounded lifeless.
on dist channel hm2 make all low end dissapear and on clean - tone is HUUGE my whole room shaking but my ears are bleeding bcs I don't know why hm2 make clean channel sound louder than nuke(my neighbors probably hates me)
Why are ALL controls to 100%? 🤔 Makes no sense. Yes, full "open" let's ALL frequencies through and all that, but... It's equivalent of "I'm going to test this car and it's performance...." Slams the gas the bottom and proceeds to fly off a simple corner. Then states some BS about the cars handling or the stick shift, or some BS... 🫤 And the ""clean"", is not truly clean. It stands past the breakup point, and into "hard crunchy". How is this a "fair" comparison of anything? (Yet you're making greens of this comment...)
It's a comparison of a specific desirable sound that can only be achieved with the controls max'ed. "clean" refers to the amp without the pedal, which is a generic rather bright clean sound but might crunch a bit with hot pickups. To sum it up: I'm not looking for the chain where the pedal sounds best but rather where the pedal AT THIS SPECIFIC SETTING sounds best. I agree I should have made that clearer in the video, so sorry about that! Thanks for your comment 😊
2:15 clean channel
2:31 clean channel + hm2
2:47 crunch sound
3:03 crunch + hm2
3:19 full distorsion sound
3:34 full distorsion + hm2
3:50 fx loop
4:06 fx loop + hm2
in front of the amp on clean was my favorite.
Be careful when you get these. It doesnt work with every amp. I just had a Boss HM-2 for about two days before I returned it bc I couldnt get a chainsaw sound out of it. Thats with SD Nazgul -> Gibson Explorer -> TS9 -> Boss HM-2 -> NS-2 -> orange thunderverb -> mesa 4x12. Direct in the effects loop or in front of the amp, it just wouldnt really work with me. It sounded fine, but it didnt sound like the HM-2 we know and love. It just sounded like a distortion pedal, unfortunately.
@@josefpdx
Didn't know what you were doing. Dont take that as criticism, thats the reason the HM2 died. Very powerful and versatile pedal, but very tricky. The maxed out dials is a meme, it doesn't really work that way, unless you have a specific signal chain. I always used it in the front of a solid state gain channel, with the gain at around 1 and the pedal gain around 7. The EQ balance between the amp and pedal is critical. In short, there is no formula, it takes a *lot* of experimentation to get an authentic 'chainsaw'.
I ended up with 2 of them in the late 80s, because a friend of mine bought one and then gave it to me, because it was useless. Then, I got kicked out of my own band, for chainsawing them... in a rock cover band 🤷
In front (of a 6505+) on a VERY slight crunch for me, using the Behringer HM300 (maxed, of course)
Since first watching this video and your other one about stacking an HM-2 with an Overdrive / Tube Screamer, I have tried some of these set-ups on a Marshall Valvestate combo amp I recently added to my gear collection, here is what I tried and the results:
I) Guitar > HM-2 (as a boost with distortion set to zero) > amp's overdrive channel. Result: BIG sound, very full, thick, super heavy tone with a ton of low end. Bigger and more bass heavy sounding than option II, but not as dark, and would not cut through a mix as well. Note, I also tried this set-up with a TS5 Tube Screamer into the HM-2, but on this amp the Tube Screamer cut too much lows.
II) Guitar > TS5 Tube Screamer > HM-2 (high distortion setting) > amp's clean channel. Result: Dark, violent, very heavy crunching tone. Not as bass heavy as option I, but sharper and with more atmosphere. It would cut through a mix much better.
I hope that is an interesting read and of help. \m/
This is super helpful. I have a valvestate AVT50 and I have held off on getting an HM2 because no one seemed to have this information for me.
I've made an interesting setup recently, reminds of dismember massive killing capacity: that's guitar>tuner>(ds1>marshall valvestate vs 100 2nd channel eq fully dimed)>hm2 max everything>amp return
That means hm-2 works in parallel with ds-1 just with one amp, signal doubles from the tuner. Also usable with mt-2 after the hm-2, gives at the gates like tone
clean,hands down
I love this channel because it's full of understandable, usable data and information.
I used an Eyemaster and a horizon devices OD pedal with for the EQ and noise gate and it was some extremely tight yet with a bit of dirt as well!
I jumped onto the ol' interwebs to look into this exact topic. Once again Dome to the rescue! Thanks man, another great video!
Starting with a clean sound seems like the way to go
1) clean, 2) crunch, 3) distortion, 4) effects Loop. You might have done something like this already as part of another installment, but I would be interested to see how the hm-2 would sound into the clean channel while also being boosted in some way (maybe with the hm-2 at lower distortion settings). I would be interested to see if you could reach a compromise between the clean and dirty channel sounds using this technique. To my ears the clean channel sounds is a little more open and three-dimensional (which I like), but it lacks some of the agression, and interesting harmonics and textures of the other dirty configurations. Great content!
Cheers from Perú I use the Behringer Hm300 conected in the return chanel in the back of the amp, but also y uses a 7 band EQ the mid frecuences with less level than higg and low, you must try that sound
i like to run it in the overdriven channel with the distortion of the pedal turned down completly , maybe some 15 or 30 band graphic eq to shape it . sounds really broken that way , almost like the resurrection through carnage guitar sound . the second way i use it is inspired by you , i rund the hm-2 all to full into a mixing board , and parallel to it i run an mt-2 (or another distortion pedal i have laying around) in the second channel of the mixing board , i use the hm-2 for the gnarlieness and the distortion pedal for the "polishing" and the mids
Haha, I have that same T-shirt! Rotten Sound rules!
I used to use method 2, but with the gain maxed anyway ... that mayhem when you stop playing is so fun
After seeing some other of your vids I switched to using it the way you do, it's not so much a drive but a very angry EQ pedal, much more usable with other pedals as well!
I loved the second method....great vid....greetings from Scotland!
For the HM2 - In front on clean is definitely the best. In front with crunch or distortion from the amp makes it muddy and hissy. In the FX loop it is plastic and weak sounding. If the pedal was built to be a pre-amp then it would sound better in the FX Loop. (some vh140c clone pedals are made this way).
Straight into the FX sounds like Totalt Jävla Mörker. Very dry with little sustain, but I like it.
Thanks for the video. I wanted to check how the HM-2 sounds "on its own" in the FX Loop, since the MT-2 sounds surprisingly good in it. Well, it clearly sounds like ass.
in the event that you already know this i apologize,but your chainsaw files have inspired me and ice came up with an idea I tried out based on inspiration from this video...pedals I'm using are:
1.BEHRINGER-HM300
2.BEHRINGER-NR300
3.DONNER-DARK MOUSE
4.BBE-SONIC STOMP
all running thru my
ROCKTRON R50C SOLID STATE AMP.controls set at 4 across the board of amplifier.
I take the HM300 and the DONNER DARK MOUSE after it and plug them both THRU THE EFFECTS LOOP OF THE BEHRINGER NR300 pedal itself.
NR300 set for mute.
threshold at 10 to 11 o'clock
decay at 0
HM300 set at maximum carnage across the board.
DONNER DARK MOUSE set at:
dist-just above 0 to where it engages.
filter-about 11 o'clock
level-11 o'clock
toggleswitch-up(classic)
but works for hyper as well.
BBE-srt at lol contour-10 to 11 o'clock.
process-2 to 3 o'clock.
what it produces is a clean kinda/sorta and articulate(way more than normal)note seperation yet super thick highly dirty tone which can be adjusted to taste with the filter/toggleswitch/level of dark mouse.
that doesn't squeel or have a bunch of crazy noise when you abruptly stop during a riff for start/stop riffing and you can speed pick riffs and hear each note in said riff decently clean as I've ever heard it within these confines.
I may put up a video of it cranked up and roaring.and show th settings of which I'm using.
I just discovered this yesterday and have been playing non-stop except for sleep with this setting ever since.
hopefully this is a lil something different for you but if you already know then once again I apologize.
I'm just excited and jamming my brains out with inspiration.
take care and stay safe.
I forgot...I'm also using a JOYO ZGP POWER NOISE BLOCKER on the daisychain in between the plug and the chain to the effects pedals...thank you.
also.flip the toggle to hyper....
and th filter to almost 10 o clock.
on th dark mouse.
and turn th lo contour halfway up
and the process 3/4 of the way up.or a tad more and get a very nice high treble sound.great for the HM300 CLONE.
still nothing can beat th original HM-2 .I do love some clones too tho.
Man, you should definitely make a video with those settings!
#1, any day of the week.
With clean and distorted amp sounds killer
I love the pedal on the crunch sound
Interesting how in the Fx loop it loses its chainsaw grit but still has a nice tone of its own.
I agree! I quite liked it though, very doomy and evil sounding.
I am more into the « Slaughter of soul » and use the hm-2 in the loop with no distorsion. Before that i use a mt-2 with a traditional scouped metal setting and before the mt-2 i use a tubescreamer as a colour boost. It gives me more tighness and a beautiful 4-6 kHz range. Great for 90’s black/death metal.
so it's guitar > Tubescreamer > MT2 > HM2 > FX Loop for you?
That's kinda interesting! Have to try it.
brtzlfx that is my exact set up. I plug into a transistor amp : a peavey bandit 112. It is not very far from the « Slaugter of soul » set up. They used a supreme 160 and plugged in front of the amp I guess. I Know that you also use a mt-2, so it would be interesting to ear your sound with the two pedals stacked together. I don’t push the level knob very high because I prefer to keep my sound quite « clean ».
screams like part 2 of "where to put your hm2" :D
I also have a Maxon od808 and an Airis TS clone, so I can almost exactly copy your rig!
Well in fact, I use the OD808 because I find it more transparent than the Maxon OD 9. And if I want to be accurate I use behringer UM300 and HM300 because my Boss pedals are so old,... the first pedals I bought. So I guess we have the same pedals. Everything to play 90’s black death. There is a lot to do with cheap equipment IMO. The guys in Entombed, At the gates and even Dissection were just kids at the time. So their sound is made with cheap gear. No ubershal, no rectifiers. I love to recreate that vibe.
Damn this should sound killer! Do a demo on that setup!
Full distortion + HM-2 sound killer !!!
I like it in front of the amp
Clean for sure
I like my HM-2 clone on a clean amp, with some eq-tweaking before the actual pedal
I’m digging crunch
FX Loop is the only correct way.
Number 1 for me.
I don't know maybe my ears don't work but l like #4. It just seemed to make the pedal sound better.
I would use 2. It's the perfect combination of nasty chainsaw sounds and a tamed low end that let's it sit a bit better in the mix.
great video man, thanks to you i could get a good face to face comparison between the hm2 and the eyemaster, the eye is coming in 4 days :p
Haha, yeah, the eyemaster is a very good cheap option! I'm glad that I could help you!
Definitely clean.
I, uh....i need that shirt you're wearing!!!! Btw, i do #1 (all maxed out)......when i don't, i set the high mid at around 2 o'clock, ( the rest all still maxed out) \m/ \m/ thank you for your video! I also still need that shirt!!!!!
Ich finde auch, dass die zweite Variante am besten klingt. Denke, dass wie du schon sagtest zu viel Gain bei Variante 3 der Grund war, wieso zu wenig Druck da war. Jedoch ist Variante 3 auch mein Favorit. Spiele einen Peavey 6505 und benutze das Pedal als Boost. Ich habe außerdem herausgefunden, dass es je nach verwendetem Cab und/oder Raumakustik das zurückdrehen des High-Potis auf 10/10,5 teilweise Wunder wirken kann!
Was füd mich sehr spannend wäre, wäre mal zu sehen wie du einen HM-2 Sound generell in einem Mix noch nachbearbeitest!
Hm, ich finde, dass gerade beim Original der Hi-Poti soundentscheidend ist und da schon minimale Abweichungen das Klangbild völlig verändern. Ich verändere dann lieber am Amp was.
Deine Videoidee klingt ziemlich spannend, sobald ich mir zutraue, Videos übers Mixen zu drehen wird das definitiv eine Rolle spielen ;)
nice video as usual, but I think something is fucked up during the intro and in the end because only the left speaker have sound coming from the right doesn't have any sound
Otherwise, my setup is simple : HM-2 > TS-9 > 5150 with Crunch and Bright nobs on
That's totally on purpose... not... Have to check what's wrong. Thanks for mentioning!
Also interesting setup, Tubescreamer behind the HM-2 is another thing I have to test!
Clean was honestly my favorite. It was so punchy imo
Great video, bro
Hi mate I have used the Metal Zone MT2 with great success through the effects return. I do not have it act as a loop because I want it to act as the pre-amp. Was thinking it should behave similar to you putting the HM through the effects loop but it sounded rubbish (no offence to you lol) I think the MT2 was clearly designed to go in effects return, not this pedal HM2
I think the same thing. That the MT-2 is for the effects loop and HM isn't. What kind of amp do you use? I'm looking for an amp that will sound good with the MT-2 in the effects loop
Clean =)
The HM-2 can act on fxloop as a EQ? Maybe?
Nice channel.
Thanks! Yeah, it can, but the gain stage it has makes it quite difficult to handle
@@DomeNightbearer Yeah, I imagined. Really nice scientifc metal channel.
I got mine in the front of the crunch channel of an evh5150iii. Super evil.
For me best sound hm2 on full in the clean channel
Another great video, brtzlfx. Respect from your Scottish followers, as always.
Here’s an idea for a video. How about demoing the HM-2 for different genres of music aside from metal?
Famously, David Gilmour (and several other distinguished players) used an HM-2 in the mid eighties. I used to play in a pop/rock group and it formed my main chunky drive sound for many years. I even played worship music in various churches using it. (Little did the congregation know I was rocking a death metal monster on my board!) HM -2 all the way! It’s a surprisingly versatile device!
Keep up the good work. You deserve a lot of respect for this fabulous channel. 🏴
Thanks again for your kind words :) This idea is already on my list, but thanks nonetheless! It will take time though because I still need to review some nice pedals I have / receive soon ;)
Quick question that I hope somebody can help me with: I'm using a Peavey 6505+ as an amp, and my pedal chain is tuner>HM-2W (everything maxed with distortion on 0)>RAT (same as HM-2)>noise gate>amp. It sounds very crunchy and absolutely brutal, but note definition is not always there. Would running the HM-2 through the FX loop on my amp clean that up a bit? If so, how do I go about setting my pedals up like that? I've ran a very simple pedalboard for years, so this is all new to me 😅
both Rat and HM2 are not known for their note definition, so you always will struggle with this.
You could try reducing the tone on the rat to add more high frequencies (the tone works counterintuitive, so maxing out is actually reducing highs). Apart from that, a blend control on the hm2 would work
@@DomeNightbearer Thank you so much for the reply! I've been binging your videos lately and you've been a huge help. I'm new to HM-2 territory, so everything is still a bit over my head, haha. By reducing tone on the RAT, are you referring to the volume or filter, by chance? I have the distortion on the RAT all the way on 0. Any blend controls you might recommend? I sincerely appreciate all the help!
ah... Filter! Howeve4 the rat is tricky, so max'ed out is kot always the best option.
I had the on control blend, I think, that did a decent job. However these days I would opt for an HM2 with an internal blend control.
@@DomeNightbearer Ah, I see. I'll have to mess around with the settings some more and see what I can come up with. I'm using the Waza HM-2 reissue, by the way. Would there be any advantage in trying to run it through the FX loop?
well... it would give you a different sound, but I don't think you will like it.
I personally MIGHT try the rat in the loop, but be careful with the volume!
Daron Malakian from System Of a Down used a distortion that sounded like a HM-2, since 1995 to 1997, is it possible that he used a HM-2 in that time? That sound kills!!
That's the first time I hear this. Might be, but might also have been a DS-1 or 2, cause they can sound similar.
Any recordings where you hear this sound?
@@DomeNightbearer Yep, from the demo tape 1 to the demo tape 4
Demo tape 1: ua-cam.com/video/HbLyxx69KXY/v-deo.html /
Demo tape 2: ua-cam.com/video/XQWSrEpubKA/v-deo.html /
Demo tape 3: ua-cam.com/video/oMfffH_X-_Q/v-deo.html /
Demo tape 4: ua-cam.com/video/zvzEKnKmyBE1/v-deo.htmlu
@@DomeNightbearer Seems like he used the pedal with low gain and Treble - Bass boost from the Carvin X100-B that he used
@@DomeNightbearer Or here, at the start, when he was turning up the volume of the amp: ua-cam.com/video/QvFQqhpltPg/v-deo.html
Holy colossal piles of Satan shit the fx-loop version sounded full and meaty.
I'd like to know what it sounds like in the fx loop the regular way. The hm2 between the preamp and poweramp
I don't think it's a good idea to put a gain pedal in the fx-loop... however... maybe I do some experimenting 😅
Pedal in front. Distortion at 0, low know halfway, high knob cranked. Level in the middle. Amp on dirty channel with lots of gain to taste.
Clean is best for me
Can you try putting the hm2 in the fx loop then stack it up with a rat or a tubescreamer?
I'm planning to do a "subscriber wishes" vid and will try!
Already did something similar on the chainsaw files with a Revv G3. Where to put pt 2 - before or after the preamp
From this video I definitely prefer nr. 1. For my taste, nr. 2 and nr. 3 sound way too f---ed up and nr. 4 sounds lifeless and lacks the buzzsaw character. And also with my PRS MT15 it sounds best in the clean channel - and the clean channel of my amp really IS clean, since I swapped some 12AX7 tubes for 12AT7 - to get a really clean clean and a more controlled and usable gain channel.
Have you tried "The Swede" by BYOC?
Not yet, can you buy it pre-wired? I'm not into this DIY-thingy ;)
@@DomeNightbearer Yes, I believe there are a few pre-wired on Reverb.com. Here's a link to one: reverb.com/item/1225492-b-y-o-c-the-swede-pre-built-pedal Great reviews on HM2 clones btw!
@@DomeNightbearer Geargas Store sells them pre-wired.
www.geargasstore.com/collections/byoc-assembled-pedals/products/byoc-the-swede-distortion-pedal-assembled
There's another DIY HM-2 clone out there by Aion Electronics called the Graviton. That pedal can be bought pre-wired too.
reverb.com/item/21960804-aion-electronics-graviton
you shouldn't have let the clean channel distort to get the real swedeath sound
Clean sounded best to my ears. More musical, the crunch and the distorted amp with the HM2 sounded harsh, not useable and the fx loop sounded lifeless.
Number 5 would be right into the FX return, without any loop
that's actually Number 4 😅
@@DomeNightbearer , ok, I got it. You're not using in in the loop, you're using it in the return. It's different things.
yes, I should have been more clear about it
@@DomeNightbearer , thank you for answering!
You have the Korean one, no?
two taiwanese and one japanese to je precise ;) in my vids I only use the japanese one though
I like 1 and 2, not sure which I like better. 3 sucks. 4 is, ehhhh, okay.
my hm2 sounds best on clean channel but on it it's extreme loud
on dist channel hm2 make all low end dissapear and on clean - tone is HUUGE my whole room shaking but my ears are bleeding bcs I don't know why hm2 make clean channel sound louder than nuke(my neighbors probably hates me)
1 dislike, holy shit that's a record
Make it 2.
Clean channel's the best: fullest, powerful and "clean". Dirty channels sounded thinner and overcompressed. FX loop is too weak
1 is the best, 2 and 3 sound atrocious...
It's supposed to sound atrocious.
It just sounds disgusting in any way you set it up, which is precisely the purpose of it anyway
Why are ALL controls to 100%? 🤔
Makes no sense. Yes, full "open" let's ALL frequencies through and all that, but...
It's equivalent of "I'm going to test this car and it's performance...." Slams the gas the bottom and proceeds to fly off a simple corner. Then states some BS about the cars handling or the stick shift, or some BS... 🫤
And the ""clean"", is not truly clean. It stands past the breakup point, and into "hard crunchy".
How is this a "fair" comparison of anything?
(Yet you're making greens of this comment...)
It's a comparison of a specific desirable sound that can only be achieved with the controls max'ed. "clean" refers to the amp without the pedal, which is a generic rather bright clean sound but might crunch a bit with hot pickups.
To sum it up: I'm not looking for the chain where the pedal sounds best but rather where the pedal AT THIS SPECIFIC SETTING sounds best.
I agree I should have made that clearer in the video, so sorry about that! Thanks for your comment 😊