[BOSS MT-2] Complete Guide to Using This Pedal!

Are you ready to crank up that distortion!?

“YEEEAAAHHH!”

Starting with a call and response that every guitarist out there can relate to! My name is S, and I’m a high school guitarist.

If you play electric guitar, chances are you’ve heard of the Metal Zone pedal. With over a million units sold globally, it’s one of BOSS’s best-sellers, second only to the DS-1 among their compact pedals, making it a true masterpiece.

BOSS / MT-2 Metal Zone Distortion

This high-gain distortion pedal has been a favorite among guitarists for over 30 years since its debut in 1991.

But despite its raw and intense reputation, the controls on this pedal allow for an impressively delicate level of tonal adjustment.

What I really want to say here is simple:

“The Metal Zone is the multi-effects pedal of the distortion world.”

Today, I’ll break down everything you need to know about this legendary pedal. Whether you’re thinking about buying it or already have one and are unsure how to use it, this guide is for you!

01 Impressive Range! Understanding the Metal Zone’s EQ

The Metal Zone has four EQ controls: HIGH, LOW, MIDDLE, and MID FREQ, each responsible for adjusting the high, low, and mid frequencies, plus the specific mid-range frequency.

The MID FREQ knob might be a bit unfamiliar, right? MID FREQ, short for ‘MIDDLE FREQUENCY’, lets you select which mid-range frequency to emphasize or de-emphasize.

This pedal’s EQ sensitivity is remarkably powerful, meaning even small adjustments have a significant impact on your tone.

This allows you to create sounds that fit a variety of genres. True to its name, it excels at metal but can also work well for rock, pop, and beyond.

Feeling the urge to try it out yet?

02 The Multi-Effect in the Distortion World: The MT-2

With its wide-ranging EQ, I think of the Metal Zone as the multi-effects unit in the distortion world.

While it’s famous for delivering a jagged, aggressive sound, lowering the gain can yield modern distortion tones, or even a crisp, crunchy sound ideal for palm muting.

Here are a few example settings to help you find the right tone:

Recording Setup:

Guitar: Gibson Les Paul Special
Amp: JCM 800 modeling amp simulator

A. Classic Metal Sound

As its name suggests, the Metal Zone pedal truly shines in creating a killer metal sound. By dialing in a scooped EQ with thundering lows and aggressive highs, it brings out that bold, defined tone. Adjust the gain around the 12 o’clock position to your preference.

This is where the Metal Zone truly shows its potential!

It feels like the Metal Zone is saying, “Isn’t this the sound you wanted?”—a perfect, on-point tone. It’s just too cool, right?

B. Versatile Distortion Sound

The gain knob on this pedal is said to hit the max gain of a typical distortion pedal even at the 12 o’clock position. So, by setting the gain around 9 o’clock and adjusting the EQ just right, you can achieve a distortion sound that fits perfectly in today’s rock scene.

This pedal is truly a classic—don’t underestimate it.

Strumming power chords feels incredibly satisfying.

Placing a transparent overdrive pedal after this one can add a refreshing touch to the sound. This gives it an even more modern feel, so if you have one, definitely give it a try!

C. Surprisingly Usable Crunch

When you think of crunch, it’s often associated with overdrive, but you can create an arpeggio-friendly crunch sound with this pedal too. By significantly lowering the gain, you can achieve a warm crunch sound even with a distortion pedal.

It’s that kind of “Can it really make this sound?” moment—believe me, I was surprised too.

The sound retains clarity even when playing chords, making it perfect for arpeggios with sus or add9 chords, and it pairs beautifully with reverb. It has a delicate strength to it, a unique character that only this pedal can bring out.

D. A Hidden Trick! Feedback Sound Generator

Finally, here’s a clever trick for using the Metal Zone. In shoegaze circles, some players step on the Metal Zone just to create feedback. Place another distortion pedal before it, set the Metal Zone gain to max, and then switch it on only when you want that intense feedback effect.

After that, add modulation, reverb, pitch shifters, and let your creativity go wild by turning them all on...

Personally, I love using it this way!

There’s something thrilling about pushing the electric guitar’s unique sounds to the limit and creating a world of sound that’s all your own. It somehow turns out awesome, no matter how experimental you get.

It’s the kind of sound you’d want for a dramatic live intro or a striking sound effect.

03 The Savior of Distortion: Metal Zone

As you can see, there are countless ways to use the Metal Zone. With the ability to work across genres from pop to metal, it truly earns the title of multi-effects for distortion.

I hope this guide helps those of you thinking about buying it or struggling to find the right sound.

Here’s to an awesome guitar life!

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