Need info on MI Tube Zone or other High Gain Pedals

[gitpicker]

I am in the market for a high gain pedal and was impressed with the clips on the MI Audio website. I would appreciate any comments from current or former Tube Zone owners, as well as suggestions for other OD/Dist pedals that will get me in the general area of current metal/hard rock tones (think Slipknot, Godsmack, Disturbed, etc)

My RAT gets me in the general area, but it seems a little to civilized...

 

[ASATClassic]

The Tube Zone is a fantastic OD/Dist pedal. Probably the best I've ever heard. But I would not choose it for "Nu Metal" type stuff. It could maybe fake it for a song or two, but if that's where you "live", look elsewhere.

 

[carltonh]

I just got my MI Audio Tube Zone pedal today. I don't know about "Nu-metal" cause I don't listen to that, but it can do Dream Theater style Prog Metal great. It really preserves the guitar tone as much as any pedal or amp could possibly do at such high gain levels. A guitar resonates differently at different frequencies, and with this pedal... you can still tell despite the gain.

It sounds much better through a great amp (Pritchard in my case) than the sound samples which were only through a JC120.

A Zinky True Grit was getting me 90% to Prog Metal, but it didn't have as tight a bass response, slightly not enough gain, and not capable of being scooped as the Tube Zone can. The Tube Zone also has more compression like a high gain Mesa sound.

I haven't yet experimented with the internal trimmers or with light or moderate gain settings, but at the mid hump setting of the switch, it can get Tubescreamer-ish

 

[carltonh]

Any opinions on the usefullness and settings for the internal trimmers from other Tube Zone users? So far I've only experimented with the external 3 knobs. That was confusing and I was disappointed by the gain level until I noticed it was volume knob on the left I was twiddling and the gain was on the right!

I can't even play guitar now days without my 2 year old pulling on my legs and my 1 yr. old picking up the pedals with the pretty LEDs... and baby #4 is due in 34 days. Sometimes it is hard enough to play at all, and too hard to open up a pedal for internal trimmers... should I mention I have several pedals I have had for years but have never opened up, even to change a battery? I wouldn't play pedals if it weren't for my 1 Spot adapter.

 

[ASATClassic]

The internal trimmers are VERY useful to tuning this pedal to your amp and ears. In fact, those trimmers are half the magic of the pedal. Crack that thing open and start dialing!

 

[58lespaulman]

I hear ya about the baby, my one year old just loves the pedals. He thinks there all his, and loves the LED's. I'll play a few notes, then pick him up and move him, and he'll craw right back and start grabbing the pedals again. My baby loves the guitar also, hopfully one day he'll be a guitar prodigy.


Shane Pasqualla
WET ANIMAL
http://www.wetanimal

 

[carltonh]

Well, unfortunately, my Tube Zone survived less than 24 hours of ownership. The little 3-position switch to change the midrange broke and was pushed into the pedal. I let my 14 month old daughter hold it for a minute or two. She didn't throw it or drop it, and so I have no idea how she broke it, she was holding it while sitting and watching a video, and certainly didn't apply excessive or unreasonable force.

Well now I'm disappointed because, at very best, I ship it off from USA to Austrailia, it gets repaired for free or small charge, (I bought it used off this page) and I pay to have it shipped both ways equal to going half way around the world twice. But then, will ithat switch be any more sturdy than it was the first time? Will it last more than a second 24 hours?

I really did like (need?) the usefulness of the switch, and I opened up the pedal, and there's no way I can fix it, or even see exactly how it worked, though I think I'm stuck with it effectively being in the middle position while it is broken.

I do want to be clear though, every other part of the pedal seems to be of the highest quality and very durable, and the rest of it still works, and it is still the best high gain pedal I've ever heard for Prog Metal and such tones.

So I guess I just need to email MI Audio and see what might be done.

 

[58lespaulman]

I would send it back, he will replace the switch. Maybe you can ask him to use a shorter more sturdy switch. My 1 year old threw a couple of my Boss pedals and they are strong, luckly nothing happend. Gotta love those baby's.


Shane Pasqualla
WET ANIMAL
http://www.wetanimal.net

 

[rhys]

i'll open up my TZ when i get home and take a look to be sure, but the switch is probably just an ordinary 2pdt switch. you should be able to buy one and get a repair person to fix it for cheap without sending it across the pond.

 

[michael_ibrahim]

Hi Carl,

If you feel confident with a soldering iron, or know someone who is, I suggest picking up a SPDT (on-off-on) switch, and replacing it locally. Just make sure that you solder the wires back where they went on the original switch (which is blue, yellow black, going from left to right).

If you want to try something bigger, you might need to drill out that hole a little bit.

Email me if you need more help.

Regards