ToneCore Uber Metal Review

Uber Metal brings you massive amounts of gain in one tiny, tough package. You can chose from some of the best Line 6 high-gain tones from HD147 and Vetta II including Metal, Pulverize, and Insane. Also included with the Uber Metal is a built-in selectable noise gate, and scoop control for massive tonal contouring.

Ease of Use:	8.6
Sound:	9.2
Reliability:	7.8
Impression:	8.8
Overall rating:	8.6
Users rating:	7.1
Comments:	68

overall: 7.5

Featured review by: Lilldjuret, on april 13, 2007

Price paid: $ 200

Ease of Use: This stompbox is really easy to operate and the controls are really self explanatory. There are Level, Bass, Mid, Scoop, Gain and Treble. No questions. The manual wasn't at all needed. The only thing I used it for was to check exactly how the scoop worked. It also has a nifty noise gate! // 9

Sound: I'm currently using it with an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top / Schecter Omen 7 Extreme and a Behringer Ultrabass BX600. It can be abit noisy, but that is only because of the user setting it up poorly. Usually when you crank the treble, gain and midrange abit too much, but it's nothing you should be doing too often anyway. I can get sp, e great sounds out of this, but only when it comes to modern-ish metal. It's abit difficult to dial in even Black Sabbath or such, as it is a bit lacking in the lower gain. The notes get really cut off half way through and it kills the sustain. It is said to have a Vintage style distortion, but it sounds pretty goofy. Also, it's a bit of a pain to dial in a really crunchy rhythm sound which will sound good. All in all, not the kind of sound I'm after, but it will do the trick. // 7

Reliability & Durability: This thing comes in a full metal casing, which is sturdy and heavy as hell. As if it would help? Nah, two weeks after buying this, I accidently dropped it from 40 cm, and while gently shaking it, you can hear this rattling inside the module. Not good, as it since then has the ability to kill the stompbox, but this can be solved by shaking it abit. // 7

Impression: As I played mainly modern metal when I got this, it was a pretty good match. It is abit lacking soundwise, but I thought it was so great sounding, as I was pretty much of a newb to these things. Now, when my tastes have 'developed', I realise that this pedal only can do one thing. Now, I don't say it should do classic rock, but it should atleast be able to do some Black Sabbath and really crunchy rhythm work. I've been playing for nearly three years, and I had only been playing for 14 months when I got this. If it were stolen or lost, I wouldn't get one of these things again. I'd buy myself a Muff, whithout doubt. Or even better, I'd get a real tube half stack and an OD. My favourite feature is the noise gate, which is very useful, as it get's rid of all of the static, hum and feedback. I compared it to a lot of other products, I just regretting not trying this agains one the Electro-Harmonix distortion pedals. // 7

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: poopsmith666, on december 17, 2007

Price paid: $ 67.15

Purchased from: Songbird Music

Ease of Use: I bought this baby slightly used, and it was definitely a super score. I saved about $120, and it was practically mint! It was just dusty. Anyways, it is nearly impossible to get a bad sound out of the UberMetal. I love it utterly. It didn't come with a manual, but if your IQ is larger than your shoe size, you can figure it out in about 2 minutes. // 9

Sound: I am currently using it with my ESP/LTD EC-1000 guitar, with EMG 81/60 into my Vox AD50VT. The guitar is super sweet, and the EMG 81 really makes it sing. And with the EMG 60 for my cleans with the super awesome cleans in the Vox, I am set. The UberMetal has a kickass noise gate, which, when set to 2 (there is off, 1 and 2) is absolutely silent as the grave. Not a peep unless I want to unleash the chaos. It really isn't even that noisy without the gate on, but I like it on. The UberMetal always sounds good, unless you turn the Scoop to full and turn the Mids to 0. Then it sounds like it's coming through an AM radio station with bad reception. I can totally get the sound of really any artist that uses distortion that I want by adjusting the EQ settings, the Model Settings (Metal, Pulverize and Insane), and by fiddling with the Drive knob. I mostly play metal: Death, Black, Heavy, Core, any subgenre really. I can get the sound of Job for a Cowboy perfectly, along with Bullet for My valentine, As Blood Runs Black, Metallica, Behemoth, Carcass, Necrophagist and Opeth. I have never been able to get the sounds of Nile down though. Tricky bastards. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This thing must weigh like, 10 pounds, even though it is comparatively diminutive. Built like a brick, I swear I couldn't break it if I tried. The knobs are nice, they have a good little bit of resistance to them, and the place where you step on it has a fantastic, super sturdy rubber cover with the embossed Line6 logo on it. The only thing, really, that I can say about it that I don't like is the fact that it eats through batteries faster than MC Hammer ate through his money. Like, a Brand New battery died after 2 hours. Maybe mine is defective in that respect, and that’s the reason someone returned it, but I just went out and bought an adapter, and I can play with it forever no problem, obviously. With the adapter, of course I would gig it with no backup. It's a f--king tank, with a badass metal construction and all that jazz. // 8

Impression: I mainly play metal, as aforementioned, and it is 100% the best and only match. I have been playing for about 3 1/2 years and I also own an ElectroHarmonix Big Muff Pi, and it sounds fecal compared to the UberMetal. I don't wish I had asked anything before buying it, because there is nothing about it that I don't love. If some unlucky bastard stole it, I would find HIM, steal $200 off HIM to buy another, and then disembowel HIM, feeding HIM the rope of his own intestines, until they went down his esophagus, through his stomach, and back to where his intestines were originally, and repeat the process, creating a never ending cycle of eating his own intestines. Also, somehow, he wouldn't die for the entire ordeal. Actually, forget the stealing $200 business; I would gladly pay with my own money to get another one. I compared the UberMetal with the DigiTech Death Metal, and it sounded so utterly inferior to the UberMetal. And besides, the sheer amount of feedback from the Death Metal was enough to turn me off of it. I wish it had nothing else, because if it did, it might detract from the super sweet distortion, or maybe be more complicated, and I am a slave to simplicity. // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: Super Cracker, on july 12, 2008

Price paid: $ 80

Purchased from: Musicians Friend

Ease of Use: This pedal is extremely easy to use, it's pretty much set up as a regular pedal with the bass, mid, treble, volume, gain, and scoop knobs. They're pretty much all self explanatory, but the scoop knob is pure genius, you can use it to cut out your mids, or if you choose, you can even boost them depending on which way you turn the knob. However, you will want the power supply with this pedal, I have heard that it can eat through batteries very fast, so I took the safe route and bought the power supply straight away. // 10

Sound: I run this pedal with an Ibanez RG2EX1 and a Marshall MG15DFX amp. This guitar is not very noisy at all, even with the noise gate set at off. I usually keep it set at 1 and all you need to do is merely put your hands on the strings and it's as if you turned off your amp entirely. The only gripe that I have with the noise gate is that it will cut out my sustain, but for every good thing there is a bad thing along with it, and I can deal with having a low sustain. It has three different types of gain, all of which you can control with the gain knob on the pedal. I use the Pulverize setting mostly for that new Slayer sound, or Metal for the Iron Maiden, old Slayer, and Metallica sound. I can't speak highly enough about the noise gate and the scoop knob, they both are what make this pedal so unique and also extremely versatile. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I feel that I can depend on this pedal very much, it's built like a tank and I would have no worries at all using this pedal for a gig without a back up. // 10

Impression: I play mostly metal and punk and this pedal works perfectly for both. I've been playing for about 2 years and I think I'll be keeping this pedal for many, many years to come. If this pedal was stolen or lost I think I would definitely buy it again, for the price it's an amazing value. I have no regrets buying this pedal, although I do with that you could use the noise gate on the pedal without having the distortion on so that you could use it to quiet other pedals in your line up if you needed to. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on october 17, 2008

Purchased from: Thomann GmbH

Ease of Use: I wouldn't say that this pedal is very too use. You really have to tweak around a bit with the Scoop and Mid Control. But in my opinion this also stands for the versatility of this pedal. It can go from real perfect mid-scooped sound to a rough britisch sound. You also get some decent suggestion for some setups from the manual. // 8

Sound: Currently I use the effect with my Ibanez RG321 (awesome guitar by the way) and a Marshall MG30 DFX (f--king crap amp by the way:-D), but I will upgrade it soon to a Roland Cube 60.
Looking for a Metallica, Iron Maiden etc. Kind of sound look no further. Looking for a Linkin Park, Korn, Silent Civilian or As I Lay Dying tone look no further.

This thing has 3 different kinds of distortion.

First is called "metal": it gives that real classic british heavy metal sound. Known of the early Metallica records (Kill em all, Master of Puppets etc.)

Second one is the "Pulverize": it's the best of the three. It gives more punch and more bottom end. But be carfull! When you crank the mids too much, it gives a too digital sound. But it's so great for playing more modern metal, agressive punk, hard rock and basicly anything with much distortion.

Last one is called the "Insane" Channel: Holy Shit. Even on my little Transistor amp it sounds huge. Artifical harmonics come just perfectly wonderful. Great Sustain! Take down your mids, crank the scoop and you have a perfect scoop sound. Additional, to the others, I would say, that if you put in some effects (delay, chorus etc.) you not only get some great sounds for metal, but a great one that "sings". Perfect for the lead tone of Slash or the Comfortambly Solos from Pink Floyd. But the gain back to 12 o' clock, and you have not a great but a quite decent AC/DC tone.

I choosed the Uber Metal and not the similar Boss pedals, due to the totally brilliant noise gate. So much gain can really produce a lot of hiss and some feedback. Put the gate on 2 and it's perfectly noiseless. I admit that it kills some of the sustain, but it is still very good. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This thing seems to be build for a nuclear war. It it is a full metal construction and is really heavy. You can really depend on it, also in Live situations! But there is one big problem with the ToneCore UberMetal: the battery mode. A 9V battery will only last for 1 or maybe 1 ½ hour of playing. So I suggest you definitly to get an AC Adapter for this. But then you can really use this pedal without a backup, even at a gig. If there would not the problem with the battery, I would give it 10 of 10 points. // 8

Impression: Great Pedal for any sort of metal, whether Heavy, New, Trash or Death Metal. But also for your smooth lead tones and some crunch sounds which are ok. But for last one, there is definitly some better effets, like the Ibanez TubeScreamer, or the Boss BluesDriver on the market. Great noise gate, but really get an AC Adapter, otherwise it will get really expensive. I would definitly buy a new one, if it was stolen or lost. // 9

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: TW909, on january 14, 2009

Purchased from: ???????

Ease of Use: The Uber-Metal from Line-6 can be a valuable addition to your current rig. It come equipped with controls for:Level, Bass, Mid, Scoop, Treble and Drive. It also has a switch to change between 3 different Models:Metal, Pulverize and Insane.The second switch chooses the Gate setting(off, 1 and ). Turning any of the knobs creates very noticeable change in tones. It came with a manual in several languages with some suggested settings to get you started. // 9

Sound: I use the Uber-Metal in line through the input on my amp. The built-in Noise Gate allows for complete silence when muting the strings. I have found that it allows you to keep the note sustained with no clipping while canceling out low level hum. The gate responds based on the setting but why take it off of 2?

This pedal is capable of producing tones that work in any genre. I find that the Pulverize setting is the most versatile. The Metal setting is a less gain-y rock sound and the Insane is more for "Death Metal Tremolo picking" kind of playing. Metallica, Slipknot, Sabbath, Priest, Slayer and other bands that play with heavy, crunchy, sucked out tones are easily recreated with the Uber-metal. The Scoop Switch kind of contours the sound and can really create drastic differences in sound with slight turns.

I have a Boss MT-2 Metal Zone that gives the Uber-Metal a run for it's money but it is a high quality product. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This pedal is good for a lot of sounds but not every sound. It can get a little bassy, and the insane amount of gain doesn't always make for good tones. I don't gig but this pedal is built like a tank. It ways like 5lbs and is very. very solid. I doubt it would break if thrown at the wall but I don't plan on testing my theory. Anyways, it definitely is worth giving a try at your local shop and you never know if it will sing to you or not. // 10

Impression: I play mostly metal and this pedal can cover that. I don't know if this is for the blues man or the singer/songwriter but it has the metal sound down pat. Like I said before, I have a Boss MT-2 that is better to my ear but with the built in noise gate on the Uber-Metal it's like two for one. Try cranking the bass for those Death Metal runs or cutting the mids for a more percussive rythmic chunk. This pedal would more than get you started on a collection of quality boxes and the real value is in the sturdy construction. // 9

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: AmnestyPlease, on april 30, 2009

Price paid: $ 100.00

Purchased from: Sam Ash Music Store in Paramus NJ

Ease of Use: I literally got this pedal one week ago, and after playing it, have decided that I've worked with it thoroughly enough to write a review on it. First off, the manual was fairly easy to read and understand. Nothing special, average instruction with illustrations. I found the breakdown of all of the knobs and their operations simle to comprehend yet detailed.

The pedal of course was easy to set up. Pull the pedal up, insert battery, plug it into an amp and your ready to go. Sweet and simple. // 9

Sound: My personal setup is a Peavey Axcelerator Ax with 2 Single Coil Pickups and one Humbucker hooked into a 65-Watt Crate Amp. I use an Ibanez and an AXL cord. Both are 15 feet long.

The sound of the pedal was impressive to say the least. It was surprisingly versatile. I was able to go from a slightly overdriven to an insanely distorted sound. Personally, I was impressed with the Scoop setting and the effect that it had on the sound. It was great for the sound that I was going for. Good for Pantera, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, really anything of that nature. As I said, it was very versatile. When I cranked the Bass setting up, it was spectacular for chugging. Also great for shredding with the high gain. I was thoroughly impressed in this aspect. Interestingly enough, I was also able to get a "spot on" Eddie Van Halen sound going too. Also has a good noise gate which can be adjusted with a Switch. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This is where the ball was dropped. Then kicked. And popped by the neighborhood bully. Although the pedal itself is built like a brick. (I swear it must be bullet-proof) I was severely dissappointed by the extremely short battery life. This may not have been a huge deal if it ran on AA batteries. But unfortunately, it runs on a power cell(one of those square batteries.) which are quite expensive. They cost about $3-$4 for one. I would never play a Live gig if it was for more than an hour, just out of concern of the battery dying on me. Fortunately, there are DC Adapters available and of course that helps. Although if you use a large pedal board, it can be a pain to have extra cords hanging off. I give it a 6 simply for the durability of the pedal itself. The battery life was a major let down. // 6

Impression: Overall, I was impressed with this pedal. What it lacks in reliability, it makes up for in it's solid and adjustable sound. Pesonally, I would prefer the distortion on this pedal to my Zoom G21.u pedal. This pedal would be perfect if it were not for the battery. I give it an 8 out of 10 because of the great sound but terrible reliability. // 8

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: Ulalume, on july 11, 2008

Price paid: $ 80

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Ease of Use: This is a simple pedal, however that does not make it bad. There is a manual that briefly describes how to use it, and gives a few settings you can input to get certain sounds (I didn't bother with those personally so I can't say much about them). All this pedal really is is a bunch of knobs that you can turn to get the effect you want. You need to mess around with it really. The pedal itself that you push with your feet is kind of cool because it allows you to go from a metal distortion to whatever setting your amp has on (I like to keep a clean setting on the amp and use the distortion in the pedal, it's enjoyable when you want to Switch between them). // 10

Sound: I am using a B\.C\. Rich Avenge SOB guitar with a Crate amp. The pedal sounds awesome. It includes a gate (which you can turn off, or down). There has been no feedback whatsoever (which was very weird concidering before this pedal and even with a Boss-ME 300 I got so much it was annoying. The effects are awesome. You can play almost everything if you adjust accordingly. Let me give an example, when I got home with this pedal and plugged it; in about 10 minutes I was able to learn parts of Slayer - Raining Blood with a sound very similar to Slayer's guitarist. With some adjusting and learning, I was also able to play Coheeds- A Favor House Atlantic very effectively. Also, Death Metal is an ease to play (up the bass more). it's downright amazing. // 10

Reliability & Durability: For the most part I can depend on it. Sadly, when I got home I found out that you need 9-volt batteries (which die fairly quickly) or you can buy some adapter to plug into the wall. Had I been aware of this I would have grabbed the adapter while I was at the guitar center (which, mind you, is about 20 miles away). With price of gas, I think I'll order one via the internet. Would I use it at a gig? I am not sure. I have not gigged. If it sounds the same as it does now, with a Live band that is; I surely would. // 9

Impression: Despite mentioning Coheed And Cambria earlier, I mostly play metal, preferably death or melodic death. It sounds great with alternate picking, tremelo picking, sweep picking, palm muting, tapping (though adjust the trebble if you intend to use the bottom 3-strings for tapping alot). I have been playing about 1.5 years. This pedal and the guitar I use are the first musical things I "own." For the past year I've used my father's Fender Custom Strat (which is good for clean playing, not metal), his Ibanez (not sure what model), which was okay for metal but not the best, and his Boss-ME 300 pedal. In comparison, I like my own stuff more. it's more my style. I get the sound I want. What do I love about this pedal? It's easy to use and I can get great sounds out of it for how simple and small it is. What do I hate? The batteries. Any questions? Leave comments and I will respond (hopefully). // 10

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: disengage12a, on march 25, 2008

Price paid: $ 50

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Ease of Use: This pedal basically does what it says. It can produce some pretty balls to the wall metal. With 6 different knobs and 3 different settings there's a ton of different sounds you can get with this puppy. But sometimes finding the right sound can take a bit but once you get to learn the pedal and what each knob does and adds to your sound it's pretty easy to get a handle of. // 7

Sound: With this I'm mainly using my Bronze edition B.C. Rich Warlock on a DA15 Vox amp. Without the noisegates this things would be a total piece but with it you get no feedback and you don't sacrifice any of the distortion. I tend to play a lot of metal like Slipknot and some Dethklok for just an example and I can totally recreate their sounds with this pedal among others if needed. You can get a sound ranging from slight distortion to screaming Death Metal. At first glance it could seem like it just wails a little too much, thus kind of overshadowing the sound of the notes themselves. Just don't go too crazy with the scoop and you'll be fine. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Totally dependable pedal in a nice and sturdy metal casing. Pretty heavy sucker but I guess that means it's pretty protected. Any gig I ever did I would have this thing with me, No Doubt. It's never failed me once but from what I've heard and read this thing wont last a half hour on a battery so I guess that could be a hassle for some people. // 8

Impression: When I'm playing metal and tuning down my guitar, this thing sounds so great. I've had it for about six months and is now a permanent part of my pedalboard. If this were lost or stolen I'd probably buy another one the same day. I absolutely love the variety of distortion sounds you can get from this thing. Compared to Boss's MT-2 and MD-2 I would have to go with this. The ubermetal can achieve a pretty huge variety of sounds. The sound clips don't do this thing any justice whatsoever. Trust me try it out, hearing is believing. // 9

overall: 9.3

Reviewed by: screamokid, on april 16, 2007

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Ease of Use: The Line 6 ToneCores are just what you can expect from Line 6, absolutely amazing. I have found you can get a tone from '80s metal, hardcore, metalcore, emo, punk, and classic rock, it has great range and best distortion I have personally heard. When I first pulled it out of the box, it was extremely complicated. especially with the whole mid/scoop thing. If you work with the manual and then mess around with it on your own you can get pretty much whatever you want. Since it's a little complicated when you first pull it out of the box, I'm going to give it a 9. But it makes up for it in tone. // 9

Sound: I use an Epiphone G-400 special with a Line 6 Spider II. I also have the FBV4 foot Switch. If you know anything about the Spider II it's that it has great built in effects. On my amp, I now have 3 effects instead of distortion, so now I feel like I have a whole bunch of different petals! The built in noise gate gets all the feed back and crap I don't want out of it it's amazing. It was very interesting to compare the Spider II distortion to the petal. The petal was so much crisper and warmer. The only thing I don't like is that the pedal has a lot of Treble. It can get annoying. But when playing When Darkness Falls by Killswitch Engage I freak out with I hit that pinch harmonic it's the coolest sound ever. Great sound. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This thing weighs a ton, I'm not worried about it breaking. If I need back up, I have my amp still and that distortion is ok. And if I didn't have my handy dandy game boy adapter (oh yeah), I would probably need something else because it kills batteries in about 15 minutes (no joke) // 8

Impression: I play whatever has a good guitar part, and so far it works well with everything that I play. It goes well with my other equipment. Once you get the idea, it's an extremely good petal. I love the noise gate, but hated learning to use it. I highly recommend this pedal. Get an adapter. Or an old game boy adapter, those work well for it. // 10

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: black-sabbath, on march 24, 2008

Purchased from: Long & McQuade

Ease of Use: Really easy pedal to use. it's got 6 knobs: level (volume), scoop, drive, bass, medium and treble. it's also got a 3-way gate selector to get rid of all humming and a Switch for differents sounds: metal, insane and pulverize. It ranges from brighter tones to "warmer", full tones. The level knob just changes the volume. If you put it on full, you sometimes get feedback/unwanted distortion. The scoop is really cool. It changes the tone by a lot and the sounds are awesome. The drive is the level of distortion, from barely any to wicked heavy distortion. Great for any sort of metal. The bass, medium and treble knobs just adjust the different notes' volume. I found out that if you play a chord and hold it, and turn the knobs, you get a really awesome Wah-Wah sound! You really don't need the manual at all for this. Nothing needs explaining. The only thing in the manual of use is the suggestions for different tones for the eras of metal. All in all, really easy pedal to use. // 10

Sound: I am currently playing an Epiphone G-400 through a Traynor 25 watt Bass Mate. It sounds great played through this and a hell of a lot louder. Only bad thing is that if I put the amp volume to around 7, it starts to sound like s***. Other than that, there's no extra noise thanks to the gate Switch. Put it on 2 and it's perfectly noiseless. There aren't any tones on this baby that I don't use frequently. I'm always messing around with it trying to get one I really like and I can't, I just like them all. Great pedal for any sort of metal or hard rock. Turn the scoop off and it's more of a rock sound and turn it on, perfect metal. I play Led Zeppelin, Ozzy, Sabbath, GN'R and AC/DC and I can get great tones for it all. I've used a few distortion pedals from Boss, the overdrive/distortion 2 and the DS-1 or whatever and the UberMetal is so much better. Absolutely kills the Boss distortions. It's louder and way more distortion and tone variety. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This pedal kind of sucks if you're using a 9-volt battery. It only lasts around 2-3 hours and that gets really expensive. I used to use about a battery a day. So after about 3 weeks, getting an AC adapter to plug it into the wall pays for itself. I would only use this at a gig with an AC adapter cause I'd be too scared that the battery would die. // 7

Impression: Freaking love it. It's great for any sort of rock or metal. Another thing about it is that you can take out the distortion's computery stuff and buy other Line 6 "brains" and use them with the same pedal. I haven't tried this yet but it sounds pretty cool and it saves a lot of money. I've been playing now for 2 years and really wish I had gotten this more than 4 months ago. It makes everything sound better. This is a really great pedal for $100, especially compared to some of Boss's $80-$135 ones. I'd buy this again if it disappeared as soon as I could. My favourite part of this pedal is the scoop. It adds the greatest tone variety and sounds really cool. This is my favourite distortion pedal I've ever used. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on may 22, 2008

Price paid: $ 100

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Ease of Use: It is pretty easy to understand what every knob does. The six knob set and the ability to Switch between different distortion types gives it a lot of diversity. The only problem is that you have to play with the knobs, mixing and matching for a while until you can get a nice distortion sound. // 7

Sound: This pedal is touchy, but it definitely gets the job done. I use it with a Dean Razorback guitar, Boss chorus pedal, and a Boss EQ pedal all running through a Crate XT120R. At first I did not like the sounds I got out of it, if it is not set right the distortion can sound very digital. If you really play with the knobs and test your distortion until it hits the spot, then you can really get a nice sound. After playing with it for a while I was able to mimic everything from progressive metal tones, to thrash, to Death Metal tones. The noise gate is also a definite plus. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The pedal is No Doubt a brick. It weighs the better part of 2 pounds and has a full metal casing. I've had mine for about 2 years now and it hasn't had any problems. I have done some small gigs with it, and for the most part everything went well. The biggest problem is setting up the distortion. If you preset it before the gig than you need to be careful with it in hopes not to change the settings. IF you don't preset it and don't write down precise directions to get your sound than you are going to have one hell of a sound check. // 8

Impression: I play lots of metal, mostly melodic death and thrash, and some classical and jazz. The pedal performs top notch for nearly all types of metal. I own a Boss metalzone too, however I do prefer the the Uber Metal pedal. The pedal goes great with my Boss EQ, It gives it a bit more sustain and easier harmonics. If it were stolen I would very likely buy a new one because of the diverse sounds that it offers. This pedal gets very good crunch with my razorback and can be a very heavy pedal. Also, if tuned right, you can get that classic hair band distortion style. The only thing really holding it back is how fine tuned it has to be to sound correctly. The one thing the pedal needs the most is a system of saving preferred distortion settings. For now though I still use my pen and paper // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on february 05, 2008

Purchased from: www.Samedaymusic.com

Ease of Use: It is pretty hard to get a good sound out of. Yet, that could be because you really can’t get one. The distortion is decent, but there is a lot of feedback, and way too much fuzz for pretty much any style of music. The manual isn’t needed, it's self explanatory. // 6

Sound: I play a Greg Bennett Concord, through a Peavey Bandit 112, and the petal sounds the same through any other set up you use. It is extremely noisy when you have the gain on any level, it is the most annoying buzz you will ever get from a petal. Though the distortion is nice on the metal setting, the insane setting is completely useless. I can match the sounds of Elysia, Parkway Drive, and Evergreen Terrace, but like I said, the fuzz makes it extremely annoying. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I feel pretty scared whenever I use this petal. It weighs about 2 pounds, so it would not be able to take a fall, and when you step on it, it feels like you are going to break the foot Switch right off. Although I have used it for 3 shows, I would definitely recommend something more durable. // 5

Impression: I play hardcore/deathmetal/progressive and it is a decent match, but I would definitely recommend something with less fuzz. I have been playing for 4 years, and I also own an Epiphone LesPaul, a Fender acoustic, and an Epiphone Explorer Bass. I really wish I would of tried out this petal before I bought it, I really am dissatisfied with it, and wish I bought something else. If it was lost or stolen, I would buy a different petal, I would probably go with a DigiTech or a Boss instead. // 6

Comments

[jeowy]

that sounds like a great pedal, but from the sound samples it sounds WAAAAAY digitised. but that could be the amp, right?

[Chiefwiddler]

Why is it that in EVERY review, people have to write "..if it were lost or stolen, I would...blah blah"???? Is it law??

[Chiefwiddler]

...and if the sound bites are anything to go by, the pedal is absolute toilet!

[sumatrasavage]

Can't believe someone produces a thing that sounds as crappy as the soundexamples !

[curlykid666]

I was going to buy one of these but i went for the boss mt-2, a much better choice and i've been playnig for quite a while now so i know what i'm on about.

[FLESH_INTO_GEAR]

Chiefwiddler wrote:

Why is it that in EVERY review, people have to write "..if it were lost or stolen, I would...blah blah"???? Is it law??

it's suggested by UG as something to write when you're writing a review

[proguitarist11]

the fact that it's called 'uber metal' automatically made me dislike this thing. the sound samples sound like ass and idk if line 6 is capable of making anything worth my while.

[lancelot121]

why does no-one ever write which currency?

[Baronobeefdip]

I'm not gonna say anything about the sound clips, but this is a kickass pedal.

[Nocomment]

why does no-one ever write which currency?

Because it automatically converts to U.S. Dollars. I wrote an amp review and wrote 770 cad and it ended up saying 603 or something.

[DannyDanny]

I bought this pedal at the beginning of this year and for now its been doing it's job, lotsa gain and "metal" sounds but when you dial in a high gain tone theres lotsa high end noise and white noise so its kinda crap for recording.

If anyone does buy this pedal make sure you have an eq pedal as well, helps clean up some of the white noise issues and etc.

also the noise gate on the pedal is pretty good at first if its the first noise gate you've ever gotten but it sometimes cuts out good pinch harmonics and cuts off the sounds a bit. Better off to use a noise gate pedal as well =]

[glowskulls]

jesus.

line 6 were such retards for putting those clips up.
you can get it to sound wayyyy better than that.

[Kid Fisto]

ok, my crappy little amp's distortion sounds better than the sound bites...

[NatDeroxL7]

if you want high gain go buy a high gain amp. pedals are never going to replace the real sound of a top quality high gain amp.

[Lilldjuret]

And they will surely never replace the sound of a real full tube distortion.

[Co&Ca182]

i have this, i have this!...it's amazing...A METALHEAD MUST BUY!

[Insane Esp]

Dude i have this pedal its amazing u can get any type of gain and overdrive sound possible. ITs very versatile, except the dumbass who posted this is retarded. I got mine for 100 bucks and thats all it costs. Definate buy. ITs nice for shaping ur sound.

[Insane Esp]

Oh yeah it also has 2 noise gates for whoever posted this.

[Lilldjuret]

Yeah, really versatile.... You can dial in everything from thrash to death metal. A big yay from the audience. And the noise gate really helps, yeah. A saw an above poster who said it was noisy, but did he try the noise gate?
This pedal isn't amazing at all. It is just your avarage overpriced mediocre distortion pedal in an expensive casing.

[Chiefwiddler]

Save up and buy a Boss GT-8. You only need to hear the pre-amp once, and you will bin effects forever.

[Violent-D13]

The soundbytes don't do it justice. I own it and i love the thing. I can easily match tones from Hatbreed, Static-X, and Mudvayne. The only thing i would consider replacing it with, is the Spider III Amp's insane distortion mode.

[mi2tom]

This is the best distortion ever!!!

[kramer4metal]

this pedal is good, very2 good... it would be better if we put in return..the sound is soooo much better.. i do this trick, and its work.

[IntheGarage]

This pedal is good at slipknot, slayer, sepuultura death metal type stuff. If you want classic distortion sounds look elsewhere. I bought it because i got a good deal on it and my amp kills at classic metal sounds but cant really get the super heavy distortion that i can get from this.

[Lilldjuret]

Hah.. Durability? Nope.. Mine just died, without any reason whatsoever. These pedals are pure crap. I'm glad it stopped working. Now I have a reason to get a Metal Muff instead.

[a dying entity]

WOW THOSE SOUND CLIPS SUCK!!! they dialed in wayyy too much scoop!! this pedal is wayy better than ANY boss distortion pedal!!! but u have to try it out for yourself and ignore these crappy sound clips!!

[VeNdEttOs]

This is a really good pedal and it's very versatile it's sounds perfect!
I personaly have my own settings on it and sounds perfect if you want you can e-mail me to tell u 5 stars!

[vteckid]

This really is a great pedal. Those stupid soud clips are turning a lot of people away. All I have to say is go to the guitar store and try one out, you will leave with one .

[GitterMan]

Dont listen to the sound clips. I dont know why they even posted them. To the first reviewer the pedal said ubermetal did you think you were going to get blues tones out of it? The pedal kicks ass for its intended purpose, and that is to rip your face off. Durability wise I had trouble with my echoplex (which is of the tone core line of pedals) I called them and I had a brand new one in a week. If you dont use the line 6 adapter your pedal could fail. So dont try some radio shack all in one. This pedal does deliver I guess it might depend on the amp you are running it through, and why run it through a line 6 you already have 16 to 32 distortions including the insane. Try running through a single channel tube amp. By the way the metal muff makes much more noise (though I do love it)get the top boost if you go with the muff and be prepared to add a noise suppressor, gate.

[suli559]

people listen!! the sound examples here SUCK BIG TIMEEE!!! theyr nothing compared to the real thing, this pedal is the best thing iv ever owned and i recommend it for all you metal heads out there!!

[rotor9494]

how does the uber metal handle with solos

[I,Voyager]

Rotor: when I play it through my EMG 85 neck pup I get a real smooth high gain sound. It sounds dope and the notes dont loose any of their clarity (as long as the drive isn't maxed out and it's EQd decently)

[deadnihils]

I`m not a biased guy, a good product is a good product. but line 6 still hasn`t made anything that`s worthwhile.

[The Red Menace]

Got mine on it's way.

I know a guy who has one and his sounds awesome live.

[LastAuramancer]

I Used to have one of these things and it sounds terrible, I played it through at least ten different amps, both solid state and tube, it sounds just like the danelectro metal pedal, which is less than $20

[The_Man_IV]

waste of money IMO
The sound is good But when u want a little bit more kick it gets to noisy
And the sound its like "mushed" up sounds muddy

[MESAexplorer]

Sounds wayyyy too fizzly. You're better off with a DS1 if your strapped on cash. If not, go for some sort of tube driven distortion pedal or just save up for a better armp.

[bucketbots]

my mt 2 is far better

[poopsmith666]

Yeah, the sound samples sound like a dying goat. Trust me in that it sounds waay better than that in RL.

[gibsonlp322]

this pedal has great sound on youtube

[TheDisturbed78]

MESAexplorer wrote:

Sounds wayyyy too fizzly. You're better off with a DS1 if your strapped on cash. If not, go for some sort of tube driven distortion pedal or just save up for a better armp.

DS 1 sounds terible, this sounds way better

[DOMR28]

The sound is amazing when run through my GE-7 EQ. but durable, it is not. You cannot run this thing on a daisy chain, you cannot leave it plugged in for long periods of time, I did both of the above and fried this piece of shit overnight, but my Boss pedals continue to work, huh. In 13 years I have never fried a pedal, and now this thing comes along. I managed to record half a song and now I have to start over. Check the forums on line6.com, 90% of them are to bitch about this very issue. Their techs are morons and support is sad. No Line 6 tonecore, anymore, ever!!!

[Bletic]

anything ive heard from line 6 always sounded reallllly digital, can anyone tell me if this is the same?

[Kemo1131]

Great pedal try this setting. Level-12, Scoop-3, Drive-3, Bass-2, Mid-1, Treble-1 switched to (Insane) Noisegate-2

[/unsigned09]

Try THIS Setting: Level-12, Scoop-12, Drive-5, Bass-5, Mid-11, Treble-5 switched to (pulverize) Noisegate-2

bucketbots wrote:

my mt 2 is far better

I own an MT-2 and i like the ubermetal better actually

[bazman13]

i can get a decent metal tone out my tiny marshal ms4 amp. its only like 2 watts of amp and this pedal still screams through it. this thing does metal and metal only tho, from 80s thrash to everything coming out today. and be carefull on what kind of adapter you use with it, make sure its a regulated 9 volt, with atleast 70mA or it will die

[MrDunn]

I personally love this baby, I admit it sounds a little shitty at first, but if you play around with the settings a bit and put it though an equalizer pedal, you can get some epic sounds out of it. It's sturdy and reliable as hell, I've dropped it, spilled beer on it and generally kicked it about, and nothing's broken, apart from my foot...

[lespaul#1]

MESAexplorer wrote:

Sounds wayyyy too fizzly. You're better off with a DS1 if your strapped on cash. If not, go for some sort of tube driven distortion pedal or just save up for a better armp.

I have the DS-1 it's good, but I cannot get a metal setting on it, it goes to hard rock and that's it, but it sounds good and is a very versatile pedal.

[MetalMoses x]

Its a great pedal, I think the reason the sound samples suck are because the clips sound like the pedal was connected directly to a computer without first running through EQ. The pedal sounds a lot better when being effected by the low, medium, and highs you get from an amp or any other EQ you may use.

[olij92]

Chiefwiddler wrote:

Why is it that in EVERY review, people have to write "..if it were lost or stolen, I would...blah blah"???? Is it law??

Because when you create a review it has guidelines that help they help you think of what to say

[JD Blue Venom]

ive played with mine live this week sounded ****ing awsome, solo sounds are intense i freestyled with the toher guitarist and it blew his marshall crunch away
it can be fuzzy at times but what do u want a perfect distortion? maybe the next model will sound better but for now uber metal does the trick for me
it only sucks if u dont have it through an amp if u do have it through an amp then yay
and i dropped it behind a piano in the studio (long story) and the knob settings didnt even move lol so its reliable for sure

[3dd_bggst_fan]

i love anything from line 6. i play a line 6 amp and its sweet. i havent played this pedal yet but it has alot to live up to

Checked.

[MonsterOfRock]

My friend annoys the crap outta me with this thing. Its just a big mush of thin distortion... im sure it can do better than that if u tweak it right. And that was my 2 cents.

[The JesterHead]

Actually, the only thing worse than the clips themselves are the "example" distortions given in the manual that comes with the pedal... Now those are some crappy examples, I've tried them all and those are the worst examples of something I've ever seen... You can do wonders with this pedal no matter what anyone says, just experiment with it and get an awesome tone... It also depends much on the amp you use it with, ans it doesn't always work that well in certain combos, but my Randall seems to take care of it nicely ^_^

[the metal99]

try to make this short and sweet. uploaded sound files can be distorted from their true sound depending on how it was recorded and transfered among other things. don't be quick to listen to people that tell you not to buy something because they say they're smarter than someone else. the best way to find out if you like something is to TEST IT YOURSELF and make your own decision. have fun kiddos.
p.s. - just read JesterHead's (intelligent) post, seems we're on the same page.
--don't be dumb.

[Heat-13]

Sorry... just have to say it. What a stupid name...

[psss]

line 6's insane settings just promote bad tones. nothing worse then no mids in a tone, theres just no clarity.

[TheeMoppyCopter]

i dont actually have this stompbox, but i do have a line 6 spider III amp and with a little tweaking on the insane setting... nothing short of epic

[happy strummer]

i got one from a neighbor for christmas (hes a drummer lol... he didnt really know what to buy for a guitarist) and i hated it at first, but now its just amazing after some playing around with. i play through an old Ibanez TB100 half stack and a Line 6 FloorPOD and the POD adds the little extra bass and clarity needed to make this a killer pedal. i havent listened to the sound examples but i say its a great pedal.

[liarsynic]

NatDeroxL7 wrote:

if you want high gain go buy a high gain amp. pedals are never going to replace the real sound of a top quality high gain amp.

Oh my god did someone here just have an epiphany? Wow are you a dumb ass? god your retarded. You should write a book. How To State The Obvious For Retards

[SOADriff]

all i know is that that is the best name for a pedal ever!

UB3R METAL!

[Sonic Blast]

is the noisegate on it very good?

[Virtuoosi]

liarsynic wrote:

NatDeroxL7 wrote:

if you want high gain go buy a high gain amp. pedals are never going to replace the real sound of a top quality high gain amp.

Oh my god did someone here just have an epiphany? Wow are you a dumb ass? god your retarded. You should write a book. How To State The Obvious For Retards

very creative man. unfortunately the insult "retard" went a little out of style when it became used by every damn 6 year old alive.

[J.J.G.]

well i have to say that this is another line6 product that sounds way to digital...

[raezor]

Lilldjuret got ripped off on price paid haha

[yarzo]

Yes, save up and buy a real amp for metal. This pedal is mediocre at best. Sounds very digital. If you absolutely need a pedal for your metal tones look elsewhere (i.e damage control, metal mayhem etc.)

[Flariduh]

Violent-D13 wrote:

The soundbytes don't do it justice. I own it and i love the thing. I can easily match tones from Hatbreed, Static-X, and Mudvayne. The only thing i would consider replacing it with, is the Spider III Amp's insane distortion mode.

I lol'd many times at this :haha