Zoom TM-01 Tri Metal

3-band eq, mid cut frecuency, gain & volume. Not a big deal

I would give it a 10 just because the amount of gain, great sound and very low noise. This is kind of tricky because i used it through clean channel of a Marshall avt150x (& Gibson Tobbaco Classic 2004), it sounds good by it self but not perfect, to unleash the beast, I put a turbo tube screamer after the trimetal and before the avt, DAMN!!!! I heard a distortion like never before!!!!! high gain and low noise combined with the valve envelope, incredible...
After that, I used trimetal alone with my JCM2000 (crunchy channel) and also was Great!!! conclusion: honestly, if you are just about to buy one, consider something else to blow up this beast

On stage, I use other pedals (RAT2, MT2, or Krank Distortus Maximus etc) only because versatility, I don't want to carry extra pedals, I like small pedalboards.
On studio, very simple, I don't record anything without my TRIMETAL

No idea.

I play all kind of music, I use trimetal obviously for metal, maybe it can be use to play oldies (Led zeppelin) with a very low gain.
eleven years playing guitar and i'll never get tired of it

Easy. Takes little experimenting since there's really one sound in this.

I bought this pedal after owning the great Power Drive and the also good Hyper Lead and after reading very good reviews about the Tri-Metal. But I was a bit disappointed with it.

The Tri-Metal is definitely a step ahead from the Boss Metal Zone and the Digitech Metal Master, in the sense that you will achieve the same amount of crazy gain, but without the halfway-to-a-preamp tone overshaping both of those put out. The semi-parametric EQ is pretty awesome, but don't let it fool you into thinking this can be versatile; it's metal all day and all night. There is a LOT of gain in this.

This can sound very ballsy if you already have an amp with a good character. It's fairly good through my Crate tube amp. But it will sound like **** through cleaner amps, a bit like the Hyper Lead, but worse, since the signal is a little less compressed. It's a much raw-er signal than most extreme dirt pedals, so it needs something to round out the tone. This is why it sounds better through quality amps than comparable products. It won't do that magic tone-shaping the Metal Zone does on 20-watt amps.

Although I love the shape of the sound this puts out, the bottom line is that the gain itself is fairly ordinary and the input response is like any other solid-state metal pedal. It doesn't chunk like a great tube distortion and it relies on overdone bass to achieve power. It can be a little muddy if you have dark pickups, though nowhere near as muddy as, say, Behringer distortion.

Not to mention, there are problems with the low-end response in this unit. The wrong guitar into the wrong amp will produce severe farting. It's very unpredictable.

The Hyper Lead does a better job at what it tries to do overall. This pedal is a step in the right direction for metal pedals, that is, when it comes to the shape of the sound it outputs. But it won't necessarily do justice to your guitar, and it won't cut through a heavy mix like the Hyper Lead can.

Acceptable.

This pedal is good, but not great. There are better distortions out there, even in solid-state devices. The Sansamps, for example, produce much more convincing and usable metal distortions in their preamp emulations, even if they are plagued by ****** cab sims. The Hyper Lead is also a better pedal overall (can you tell I like it better?).

I would buy this over a Metal Zone, a Metal Master, a Grunge, or a Fabtone any day (I own them all). But I don't think I'd buy neither those nor the Tri-Metal again (even if it wasn't discontinued).

Gain, Level and 3-band EQ with semiparametric mids. Bit more difficult to get used to for beginners who've never seen a parametric EQ before (which apparently applies to a few of the reviewers here, too).

If you know how to use the EQ properly, this pedal is incredibly easy to tweak to your requirements. Feels like active EQ, with relatively little interaction between the Treble and Bass knobs - very nice. The ranges on the knobs are also huge.

So, a bit harder to control than a DS-1 if you're a beginner, but for experienced users it's just so much more versatile than distortion pedals that only have a tone knob or just hi/low EQ knobs.

Gets a 10 here because there is no simpler way to put this much versatility into an EQ.

Running either a Yamaha Pacifica 812v with Shadow pickups (great budget tip, by the way... the SH681 I've got in the bridge now blows the Duncan JB it replaced right out of the water, and for about half the price) into a Danelectro Honeytone 1.5W battery amp (running with a power supply on 12V into a Harley Benton G112 cab right now). This is my home practice setup, and it sounds incredibly good (considerin I spent about 100 Euros on it, and I'm getting 500 Euro amp sounds... :)). Sounds a little like my Randall RG100SC actually (which is no surprise - I can pretty much replace my Randall's OD2 channel with this pedal if I just run it up front on the clean channel of said Randall).

Also sounds great on my Laney VH100R's clean channel, and cuts through the mix beautifully - anyone having trouble cutting through is probably just too lazy to learn how to use the EQ properly (or is simply using sounds that simply aren't usable in a band situation). I'll be using it in this setup for the heavier songs, along with a MIDI-controllable True Bypass Looper.

All in all, a very versatile pedal with more than enough gain (though not as over-the-top as other reviews have stated, IMO), and VERY flexible EQ. Imitating sounds isn't really my thing, but the first thing I thought when I turned it on was METALLICA!!! A few more hi-mids and voila - awesome metal sound.

As for noise - definitely less than most other distortion pedals - the modelled stomps in my GT-8 are also a lot noisier. You could almost use this thing without a noise gate at rehearsal volume, but adding an NS2 oder the GT-8's built in noise gate at a (very) low threshold results in perfect "fire and forget" noise control - no unwanted feedback, no buzzing or crackling, just perfect.

And last but not least, a special mention to palm muting, because a few reviewers mentioned that this pedal doesn't chug enough when you're muting. And to them I say - learn to palm mute! This thing absolutely rips when it comes to fast chugging or palm muted single note riffs - incredibly saturated, but still perfectly clear and without the mushy low end of the MT-2... Unlike the aforementioned Metal Zone, this thing actually throws your mistakes back at you instead of hiding them in an unrecognizable haze of noise.

As they say: **** in, **** out.

My HL-01 Hyper Lead lasted for ages, and never crapped out on me despite being kicked around the floor at practices and on stage quite a lot back when I didn't have enough effects to warrant a pedalboard. Since this thing has pretty much the same casing in a different color, I'm guessing it'll hold up just fine.

Had a few problems with a Zoom G7.1ut once (one of the little LED-buttons stopped working), but that's a whole different line of products.

Website is ok, manuals available etc.

Personal support is pretty much nonexistent though - sent a few e-mails and never got a reply.

Overall this thing gets my seal of approval - a very solid piece of gear that sounds good and provides long trouble-free service. Perfect for what I need it for (practicing at home, and making my Laney VH100R a bit more brutal for a few songs) - sounds incredibly good.

Having owned an MT2, I can definitely confirm, that this is a far more versatile pedal, with a lot more balls. Not to mention it doesn't have the MT2's annoying permanent nasal mid-honk...

Would definitely buy it again (or even a second one, if I could find one :P)...

Pretty easy to use although the extreme ends of the settings are unusable, so a small amount of tweaking has a big effect. It's certainly not one of those pedals where you can turn everything up and it'll sound great.

Sounds like a very good emulation of James Hetfield's sound. It does this very well but not much else. If you lower the midrange frequency and turn the midrange level up a bit you can get quite close to a Lamb Of God style sound. Its noise level is so low it's almost inaudible at bedroom volumes. Perhaps it has some sort of gate but not one you can hear working. It does tend to make all my guitars sound rather similar but considering the amount of gain and the fact that there isn't a valve in sight this isn't really surprising. Bear in mind it is called Tri METAL and it is just a pedal so for what it is and the price of it, it is really good. I use it with a Roland Spirit 50 tranny amp and it makes the amp sound quite good.

Made of heavy metal, about 2mm thick, I used to jump on it wearing Harley Davidson boots for the chorus of Toxicity by System Of A Down and although the paint is coming off it's only because i've abused it for years. I don't think it will ever die, it's like the guy from the Halloween movies.

You read the last bit? Don't think I'll ever need to contact them.

I don't need this pedal anymore because I have acquired a Diezel Einstein but for anyone with a weak amp this thing is perfect. Also if you have a good valve amp with insufficient gain this pedal will provide all the distortion you need. If it got stolen I'd miss it, I like to plug it in occasionally and might want to use it for more industrial sounds which my Einstein just won't do (because it's fantastic)

This thing is super easy to use and figure out. Throw all the knobs to max and twist the "range" knob for sweepy, grainy, gritty, resonating type fun. The EQ is nice for getting a grip on those unexpected "lean back from the speaker" type moments that happen every now and then. You know... roll off those "ear piercing" hi-end freqs that you get with some gear.

Quiet as mouse. It just sits there in the mix waiting for you to feed it something.

Solid as a rock.

I use it for a noize project in a performance capacity running various sound sources through it. Anything that generates sound is usable. Right now I'm using it exclusively with a Photo*Theremin (via Professor Television circa 2003) but I also use it with a Monotonic Labs Type-U73 synth, a Buddha Machine and a Bleep Labs Thingamagoop and they all get huge and nasty sounding. It can take the most subtle sound and make it crazy. I would definitely get another if this one went missing.

Like it's got all these knobs and you turn them and it sound all crazy dude.

Dudester you just gotta' sound like hammers of the gods when you wail through this thing.

But seriously it has a very tight distortion that doesn't sound overly boxey and just makes your guitar sound huge. I like the wall of sound it creates and the EQ is all kinds of awesome.

Does this thing sound like metal or what...? How the hell would I know? Metal heads are total idiots; they want to take something beautiful and feminine (MUSIC) and make it something masculine because they believe music with melody is for chicks and queers. Playing metal in 2007 is about as relevant as playing barber shop music in 1964. I'm sure you metal heads won't get that since for you music doesn't start untill Black Sabbath (the only true metal band). Doesn't playing metal with a pedal make you a joke to REAL metal players anyway. Think about it...Keep thinking....You know it's true.

This pedal is awesome, just don't use it for "metal" or you will be a sad stale cliche.

Dank pedal.

This unit is perhaps a little bit more complicated than it has to be. Although it does offer a wide range of sounds

Firstly, I am a conservative rater (I cant understand why everyone gives everything a 10?!) but I have had this thing a year now and I think its fair to say that it really is the best metal distortion pedal I have tried.

I play EMGs into a Marshall JCM800 so my sound is already very sharp. I basically use the pedal to boost/augment my amp distortion. This thing is a real beast, you can get super heavy ultra biteing sound (I guess I agree with the mesa reference to some extent) which is so refreshing.

Basically I have tried the MT2, the MD2 (dont bother with this!), the digitech death metal (not bad) and it pisses all over these pedals, especially the otherwise similar MT2 which I reckon is fuzzy and muddy and very over rated.

On the downside the compression is high so it will naturally reduce sustain a little bit and makes for a slight thining of lead sound.
The 2 really important good things are

1. You can use this thing to make your shitty amp sound good on the clean setting (I use this at practice with my little marshalll solid state and it rocks).
2. It is freakishly quiet, no hiss or feedback

solid

dont know

The key thing is that I reckon most people who arent super rich and just want to get a decent metal sound out of their solid state amp should not hesistate in buying this, I think its amazing.

However, if you do own a good valve amp and you like the natural amp distortion, you should probably look more towards overdrive pedals as this thing has a real character of its own and will suck the natural tone away. I do but i still love this pedal, its a keeper
:-)

honestly, i had trouble getting used to having such sensitive controls: barely move a knob and the sound CHANGES BIG-TIME. once you get the hang of that, this pedal's versatility will amaze.

i have owned this pedal for a few years, and still havent exhausted the amount of sounds and tones i can pull form it. If you've tried other metal pedals, you know that there is a certain point where you've tried all ther sound combonations for taht pedal, well this one have HUGE range.

I've beaten the crap out of this thing for years ; dropped it quite a few times, kicked it, lost a knob covering, and this thing is still kickin like i opened it new yesterday.

havent had to call so i dunno

I play a mixed heavy style (think Demon Hunter, mixed with pantera, mixed with Project 86) and the Tri-Metal delivers on every level i have thrown at it. Of course its made for scooping mids, and thick heavy mutings, and all out HEAVY, but still can get old-school mid laced sounds as well. Fantabulous.

Its very easy to use once you know how the mid and range knob interact with each other. Its one of those discontinued ANALOG line of pedal series by Zoom, I've bought it used in mint condition.. nearly new. WHAT A BARGAIN FOR THIS PRICE!!, the previous dude just bought one coz he thinks it looked cool when it was available.. just for the heck of it.so.. no manual but u can just go get it off at their website. Good manual, some basic example settings and a few extras.

I won't stress on what sound of artists I could get out of because I never tried to sound like anybody BUT with one thing on my mind for a distortion pedal is that its gotta have the heaviest, ballsiest, most brutal possible distortion and its gotta be able to cut thru in a band situation, whether in practice or live. I use a Schecter C-1 Classic with EMGs pickups(81 bridge + 85 neck)and I play thru many solidstate amps. GUITAR>DISTORTION>AMP(clean setting) and nothing else, I don't want any other effects degrading my distortion tone and I will always use the best guitar cables.

With all the knobs set at 12 o'clock, it already got a thick metal tone with loads of gain, just work your way from there.

U'll find that turning the gain and bass over 2-3 o'clock, it becomes useless for the conventional solidstate amps. IT WILL RUMBLE like crazy. Is that a good thing? well i guess its a good thing i think because you could probably rape a 100watt tube amp w/4x12 with it.

The range control knob is excellent, i could get sort of a Peavey 5150 stuff from it, but its true character is dark and boomy.. like that of a Mesa with more definition and very tight sound. The raves about it being a 5150 in box, Mesa in box.. blah blah, TRUE!! this is the sheeeeit.

I play alot of fast complex riffs and do alot of heavy palm muting, the Tri Metal gets that out heavy as hell, its clear and it cuts thru (back down the bass and use more on the mids+treble, mind you)doing really fast tremolo picking too. I don't do much soloing but whenever I need to, i'll just have the range control and mids cocked out and its got a powerful edge and push to it.. DOES NOT SOUND THIN.

Now, for the palm muting issue.. like some of the reviewers have said about not being able to get a good or tight PM from it, I agree and also disagree with this. First I'd like to point out if you use guitars with single coils or low-output humbuckers, u'd just get an average PM sound (but let alone, this will already give u a fairly good one). A fair guitar with hotter passive pickups will get u great metal tones. However, a good guitar with EMGs will sound PHENOMENAL with it, ITS HUGE, very thick.. very tight.. very..

'B R U T A L' HANDS DOWN!!

I'd like to stress about one thing though, THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY WAY THAT A STOCK BOSS MT-2 could get anything near this pedal!! Quite a load of ppl have said that the MT-2 was better, probably these ppl don't know anything or haven't tried the Tri Metal enough or are using crap gear. The Tri Metal is wayyy better, what do u get from it? A noticeable lower noise floor (VERY QUIET INDEED) where as the MT-2 needs a noise suppressor to shutup and its either too weak (just to dial out the gain to get rid of the noise) or gets messed up when u crank it, u should pray for ppl to hear what u are playing thru the MT-2 in a band situation and you must be tonedeaf if you think the MT-2 does a better job in palm muting. Only one way by Keeley modding the MT-2 will probably just get it on the same league.

This thing is a bomb shelter, its got a nice weight to it and it looks great. Thick metal casing, and all the knobs and on/off switch are metal too. I doubt anyone could break it under normal use. The on/off switch is big and its very sturdy, very smooth, no clicks or pops here.. nice one!!. However I would never ever gig without a backup in a chaotic situation where people are jumping on and flyin off the stage during a death metal gig, it already convinced me that I don't need a backup but sure there'll be one of those Boss MT-2 laying around there just in case.

Don't bother, its useless dealing with them about a discontinued product for several years.

I've been playing for almost 8 years now, I'am a metalhead, I play melodic death metal and all the way to brutal death metal, deathgrind, moshpit music.. watever u wanna call it. I don't own alot of gear, coz when I buy a better gear I'll always sell off the old one once in a while. The Tri Metal is truly a keeper, if you don't want to take your amp to gigs.. then this is just the perfect thing. Comparing this to Boss MT-2 is a joke, that thing is so fake and generic.. wfk was that !@$#$^&* riff you played? COMPLETE MUSH!! If I'm ever gonna be without the Tri Metal, the Boss MT-2 will be the last thing I'll have to use (provided that they are 'provided' at metal gigs here). I also had a Line6 Uber Metal before, THIS IS A REALLY GREAT PEDAL, u can get all sorts of metal tones with a fistfull of hi-gain and huge bottom end but its a noticeable 'processed' digital sound at gigging volumes.. so it had to go. I've tried out almost every possible distortion pedal out there.. be it from Boss, Rocktron, Line6, MXR, etc nothing compares to it and it is the next best thing before owning hi-gain tube amps like a Framus Cobra, Engl Powerball, Mesa Rectos, Marshall JCM2000, etc. I'm surely saving up for one of those but till then this is what i've been hoping for in one distortion pedal, its probably the sickest lethal analog distortion a pedal has to offer. Zoom is an A-HOLE of a company that decided to end such a great analog product and went all wizardly digital. Since this pedal is discontinued, I give u my best wishes finding one, GOOD LUCK! :)

Like others have said, put everything to 12 then dial in what you want

I'm not gonna crap on about what i use but this is the BOMB. this is the distortion pedal I hoped for with MT2 but got a lot lot more. Play everything from tool (low gain) to B tuned shredding and everything in between.

This is the holy grail of high gain distortion

Its solid steel, even the knobs are steel, melt it down and sell it to china for a killing, theres that much steel in it it wouldn't break if you ran over it

never dealt with

payed OZ$75 couldnt get a better deal i like METAL and this thing is for METAL. for all you who write i like blues and hard rock and this is too much - get a TUBESCREAMER or RAT. even i have one. THIS IS NOT A BLUES/ROCK/HARD ROCK pedal it is called TRI METAL for a reason. now i no longer need my tubescreamer and rat(used as a boost for clarity on MT2) THIS IS THE SHIZNUT

The Tri Metal is very straight forward. It has 6 knobs on the pedal to help you dial in a sound. Treble, Middle and sweepable mid Range, Bass, Gain and Level. So dialing in a sound is just a matter of adjusting until you find the sound your looking for. The manual suggests you start with all the knobs and 12 o'clock and work from there..

This is where I thought I was going to be blown away.... Ive used a MT-2 for distortion for many years and I was eager to try a new sound. I thought after reading so many good reviews about the Tri Metal that this was the holy grail of pedals. In reality I found the sounds I was able to produce with this pedal to be better than the mt-2 but how much better?

My biggest issues were with the settings on the pedal. If you crank up the bass all the way the signal becomes totally useless. If the pedal sounds like crap when the knobs are maxed out why be able to max them out in the first place? So your thinking well, Im sure theres plenty of bass before it starts to sound like crap which is true but the MT-2 has a deeper wider low end than this pedal easily.

A lot of people are complaining about palm mutes not sounding good enough with this pedal. I think a better way to describe this would be to say the TM-01 sounds fine but the MT-2 sounds better. The palm mutes on the MT-2 are brutal in comparison to this pedal. There is no possible way this pedal can match the MT-2 in that department.

The TM-01 does have advantages over the MT-2 in some areas though. The Tri Metal is really quiet compared to the MT-2 which is one of the things I was looking forward to. This tends to make for a more precise and clear tone. This makes the tm-01 a worthy pedal and I would say slightly better than the mt-2 but you will lose some lowend.

I saw this pedal go for as much as 120 dollars on ebay. ITS NOT WORTH EVEN CLOSE TO THAT MUCH. I paid 59.99 and Im leaning towards selling it on ebay and getting a keely mt-2 mod for my mt-2. This is not a bad pedal. You can get a good sound out of it but you can get the same sorts of sounds out of the mt-2 with less quality. If your looking to loose some noise and some low end but gain some quality and clarity I highly suggest this over the mt-2.

You can drop this off a building and plug it in. Its got a metal case and is very sturdy.

The pedal is discontinued but the manaul is still available from their website. As far as getting it serviced or repaired? Im sure they would laugh in your face since it is discontinued.

Easy. If you've used a Metal Zone before, it's just the same. If not, just tweak with the mids and you'll be rewarded with a versatile pedal. Just be careful with the levels, it has too much of everything: bass (A LOT!!!), highs, gain, etc. Not subtle but tamable.

Whoa!!! It simply ROCKS!!! Lots of gain without noise, lots of definition, a very articulate heavy (I mean HEAVY) distortion, nice for palm muting, speed picking, heavy riffs, and smoking leads. I use it with a variety of guitars, wth EMG, DiMarzios and Duncans and it smokes with each one of them. Through a tube amp's clean channel it's just unbelievable.

I upgraded from a Boss Metal Zone and then from a Digitech Metal Master, and yes it's worth the change. It's a Modern Metal pedal, not a subtle distortion; so judge it for what it is and what it serves for: METAL!!!!

It gets 9, because it's just a pedal (a 5150 in a box if you wish) and not an amp; very impressive though. With an equalizer it just gets better!!

It looks and feels better than a Boss, or even an MXR, so... just imagine that!! The entire pedal is made of metal and weighs a lot.

Don't know, can't answer...

A modern day classic. It will be the Holy Grail of seriously heavy distortions in a stomp pedal format; the TS-808 Tube Screamer of 90's and 2K's Metal if you wish!!

If you see one, grab it without hesitation (they're discontinued)... if you want a serious Metal tone you'll like it, and if you don't, I will gladly receive it as a gift : )

Easy. If you've used a Metal Zone before, it's just the same. If not, just tweak with the mids and you'll be rewarded with a versatile pedal. Just be careful with the levels, it has too much of everything: bass (A LOT!!!), highs, gain, etc. Not subtle but tamable.

Whoa!!! It simply ROCKS!!! Lots of gain without noise, lots of definition, a very articulate heavy (I mean HEAVY) distortion, nice for palm muting, speed picking, heavy riffs, and smoking leads. I use it with a variety of guitars, wth EMG, DiMarzios and Duncans and it smokes with each one of them. Through a tube amp's clean channel it's just unbelievable.

I upgraded from a Boss Metal Zone and then from a Digitech Metal Master, and yes it's worth the change. It's a Modern Metal pedal, not a subtle distortion; so judge it for what it is and what it serves for: METAL!!!!

It gets 9, because it's just a pedal (a 5150 in a box if you wish) and not an amp; very impressive though. With an equalizer it just gets better!!

It looks and feels better than a Boss, or even an MXR, so... just imagine that!! The entire pedal is made of metal and weighs a lot.

Don't know, can't answer...

A modern day classic. It will be the Holy Grail of seriously heavy distortions in a stomp pedal format; the TS-808 Tube Screamer of 90's and 2K's Metal if you wish!!

If you see one, grab it without hesitation (they're discontinued)... if you want a serious Metal tone you'll like it, and if you don't, I will gladly receive it as a gift : )

Facil de entender el manejo.. ni necesitas el manual, Aunque no tenga gran caso... porque el sonido de este padal no es gran cosa.

Lo probe usando una Ibanez RG370DX con pastilla DiMarzio SuperDistorion en puente y una humbucker hecha por mi mismo en el brazo, conectado a un Laney GH50L con cab 2X12 y/o tambien a un Ibanez ToneBlaster 15R... lo probe agregandole un boss compressor y un ecualizador tambien boss... el asunto es ke suena muy parecido a la mierda del MetalZone 2... solo que con un poco de mayor definicion en bajos... suena mejor el OverDrive de mi Ibanez ToneBlaster y el GH50L ni se diga... sin embargo es interesante combinar TriMetal junto con otros pedales de distorsion o con el Gain del Laney o el Ibanez... En general este pedal me desepciona... me gustan las distoriones calidas y un tanto bien definidas.. este pedal no da eso... creo que necesariamente hay que combinarlo con otros pedales de modulacion y ecualizacion y otro distor para obtener algo interesante... asi solo suena a mierda...

Es bastante resistente, muy bien construido... no plastico... parece bastante durable...

Quien sabe en donde de servicio Zoom en Mexico... si se descompone o falla algo creo ke te chingas...

He leido que la mayoria le dan muy buena calificacion y no entiendo realmente porque.... Pienso que definitivamente si se quiere una buena distorsion, sobre todo para Metal, no hay como un ampli de bulbos; he probado varios pedales de distorsion y definitivamente ninguno llega a algo bueno del todo... para jugar un rato estan bien, pero despues de un tiempo el sonido "cansa" y llega a ser disgustante... en fin, el TriMetal es para mi una desepcion mas, como dije, muy similar al MetalZone con un poco mas de punch, pero igual, el mismo esteril sonido... mejor ahorren para un buen amplificador de bulbos... caros pero lo valen 100%.

6 knobs.....

Does take some time to get a good sound from it....not a good sign.

The manual is unnecessary

I compared this to my MetalZone, Tubester, Hot Tubes, Boss DS-1, DS-2,HM-2, OS-2, SD-1 and Fender Champion 30's natural overdrive.
Using a Fender American Series Stratocastor with a Dimarzio HM-3 in the bridge position.

Only the MetalZone was a close comparisson. The ZOOM TM-1 is cool. It has a ton of bass and easily put's any amplifier into whacked out bass overload. It is naturally "scooped" and all the mid boosting in the world ain't gonna change that fact.
It definitely has a more modern tone compared to the 80's sounding MetalZone.
The MetalZone has a tighter bass for palm muting E string chunking.
The MetalZone also has a sweeter high end for lead soloing.
The MetalZone has a better middle eq setting....with the ZOOM only terrible things happened when trying to move the mids anywhere from straight up.
At lower volumes both pedals require some help from my Boss CS-3 Compressor/Sustainer to achieve the sustain I like [I must always be close to feeding back to be happy].

So really, to me, the only thing going for the Tri-Metal over the MetalZone is that it doesn't have that 80's mid boost that the MetalZone has. Instead it can be used for all your Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier needs. Limp Biscuit, Slip Knot and all that "New Metal" crap.

The Zoom does have a nice layout however and the big on/off switch works nicely.

I want to see the amplifier that can deal with all the bass the ZOOM has to offer. I can't get past half way up without the speakers going bananas!
The bass is a bit farty [loose, muddy, undefined, etc] by my standards.

I've been playing since 1969 and own several vintage Marshall half stacks.
I play blues, rock, metal, heavy metal and some newer metal stuff...like Creed.

I prefer tones closer to Van Halen III or early Pearl Jam....you know?...alot of sustain but not really a whole lot of gain.

Lately, I've been NAILING the early Van Halen sound using my Stratocastor with the HM-3 in the bridge, a Boss PH-1r Phaser, a Boss CS-3 Compressor/Sustainer with the level on 10 [most important], a Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion with the drive set very low and the knob leaning to the distortion side, a Boss DD-2 Digital Delay and into a Fender Amplifier.

I'm giving the ZOOM a 7 because off it's high price compared to the comparable MetalZone.

quite easy to use, if you know how to operate a eq section with with parametric mids.
this thing's EQ is very powerful, so be genlt and patient.

by the way, the most recent contender in the metal pedal range is the line6 uber metal (...which I'll be making comparisons to regularly, especially since the metal-zone has been properly compared below...). that things has a mid-gain volume labeled "scoop"...and guess what, turning the knob UP (clockwise) decreases (scoops) the mids. what a sad insult to guitar player intelligence; to think that something will be more appealing if it cateres right into some "crank the knobs UP" to make it sound better.

THIS pedal's controls do exactly what they say they do.
the only reason it's tricky to use is because it's so powerful, and easy to get carried away.

first miracle; it's dead quiet
I only hear op-amp noise if I crank the gain past 3:00, and that's only really if the level is set to boost at that gain.
even if this thing had a gate, it's so gentle, effective and unobtuse that it's still just magical.
the uber-metal has two levels of switchable gate, which is very fast and clicky (...meant only for metal).

second miracle; turn the gain knob all the way down, and it cleans up better than any "mean" pedal I've owned (...the toneworks hyper distorion, metal zone, mega distortion, etc....)
as (very well) explained in the review below, the range of sound and response availabel from even the 1st half of the gain knob far outstrips the uber metal. THAT pedal has 3 different selectable modes of gain/clipping, with a gain knob that mostly just adds "more" to any mode.
the Tri-metal allows you to dial in EXACTLY what kind of gain response... granted there's a whole range of clean-to-slight-grind in the first arc-hour of the knob, but it's worth the delicate exploratinon.

third miracle, perfetly balanced 15dB cut/boost on the eqs...
(...well, with all knobs at noon, it's got a slight mid scoop, but still...it's just part of it being so well calibrated...).
the uber-metal is a digital pedal, so it just doesn't have the organic and smooth high end that that the all analog tri-metal has.

fourth miracle; huge bass response. plug a 5 string bass into this thing, and it'll stay with you all the way down. I've sampled drum loops with 808 kicks through this, and they still sounded "chesty"...
it's range far outreaches the uber-metal.

even with it's flexibility, this thing still reigns supreme for huge grinding "jud jud jud" stuff.
this is a VERY mean pedal.
like the reviewer below, I play in a noise metal band, and this thing is lethal.
someone reviewing the zoom Hyper Lead (the milder distorion with the same EQ) declaired they "don't undestand how anyone could need more gain..."
after comparing the two side by side myself (...on guitar, bass, and sampler), the tri-metal (while it doesn't clean up as flexibly as the Hyper Lead) just goes the "extra mile" for totally meaner sounds.

the ONLY pedal I've heard sound more "heavy" than this thing is that rediculous dano black licorice (with it's sub-octave crutch). but that thing is another beast altogether.

as mentioned below, "this is THE sound".

tough metal/aluminum chassis.
friendly accesible battery compartment.
nice big switch. very sexy shape/design.
wonderful metal knobs. so what if they aren't recessed like boss/digitech/ibanez, whatever,...the knobs, while flush with the top, are locked down to the chassis from below and above, with no wiggle or "loose, breakable" feeling to them...and that's even after dropping a snare drum on the knobbed top.

the uber-metal is a heavier petal, with silly little plastic knobs sticking (and wiggling) straigt up. I would not trust anyone, even the wiafish keyboard player, to jump on that thing.

not applicable.
pedal is, sadly, discontinued.

I've most recently been playing metal and noise.
this thing is a dirty secret weapon to me now. a perfect match.
love the sound, hate the fact that I waited so long to buy it.
favorite feature is the gain knob.
sounds great in feedback loops of my homemade feedback router (...like the eye-of-god / TSA that all the experimentalists are clamouring about these days).

...as for the "does it help me make music" question;
as a litmus test for any distortion I bring home, sometimes I dial up an out of tune talk-radio station scramble from my clock-radio, and run that through chorus, then distortion. The tri-metal si the first pedal to provide impressive results in a LONG timee (...since my blue box).

This is a follow-up to an earler review

Since reviewing this thingy a couple of years ago, I have a few more things to say about it. First of all, my earlier zeal for this product has only been strengthened. I'm pissed zoom discontinued their analog pedals. I have done a lot of recording with this thing, in three different bands. I'd like to comment on this unit's hidden flexibility since many below are calling it a one-trick-pony.

First off, I have used the TM to record 2 cds with a heavy rock band, kind of a cross between the Melvins and scratch acid with a bit of death metal thrown in. In this context, i almost never dial the gain more than 25% and can still get that chugga-chugga thing going really nicely. I play through a 1983 rivera-designed 60 watt fender concert all-tube chassis mounted in a legend transtube 112 cab with a celestion g65 speaker. My guitars are a 1972 yamaha sg85 (basically a LP special) with stock pups (quite hot) and a weird charvette purchased in japan which i've modded with a fury 50's rocker pup in the bridge as well as graphite bridge saddles. I use both of these guitars in all bands, but the charvette is definitley more suited to metal. The tm really kicks in the gain and interacts well with the concert's tube power. I find this pedal well-defined at lower gain settings. Pick attack actually means something if you don't crank the gain.

i also play in a "fuck band" which is basically noise rock/hardcore/death music. Not very pleasant. We have recorded 4- er- cds in the last year, and i've used the tm exclusively. However, i decided to experiment both with gain levels and amps, and have run this thing through a vintage jcm800 100 w head with a nice carvin 412 cab. At high gain (50-75%), this is an un-fucking-believable combination. As aggro as you could want. Marshall "clean" leaves a lot to be desired so i wouldn't recommend this combination unless all you play is death, but holy shit does it fucking smoke.

i'm also in a more melodic (but heavy) rawk band, and rarely nudge the distortion past 15% or so in this context, with the eq basically flat. On the concert with a 412 ext cab, this is the shit. the other guitarist plays into the aforementioned marshall using a boss blues driver with the gain cranked and the sounds actually complement each other well. at low gain, or even zero gain, this pedal can make an amp really come to life with some nice "classic rock" style distortion. Obviously it shouldn't be bought solely for that purpose, but it's not as one-dimensional a pedal as some have said it is.

the best "metal" pedal i have yet heard that costs under $500. If you can't afford a boogie pedal and want a more ballsy alternative to the metal zone, pick this up. it will turn your tube amp into a hight gain daeth machine. and that's what it's all about, eh?

Easy to use, however, the range took a little getting used to. Once you get the parametric-like use of this it is very powerful.

This is it. This is the sound. Unless you can afford a Mesa Rectifier, this is the pedal. I have a Mesa and this does a great job of emulating it. In fact, if you are looking for the scooped-mid super high gain sound, this pedal does it even better than my Rectifier. Yes, it is that good. It is very quiet for a high-gain pedal, heck for any pedal.

Built like a brick. Very heavy metal case. Unless you go at it with a hammer, you should be fine for years.

N/A

I have tried everything to get THAT sound that is in my head. I am never satisfied with the gain of so-called high-gain pedals. They are never enough. Modeling comes close, but I always want more tone shaping and more gain. If you are looking for the high-gain scooped sound, find one of these pedals. Pay whatever you have to. I have spent hundreds trying to get this sound. This is it.

This pedal is real easy to use. It may take some time to dial in your sound, though, because the gains get so high, it's psychotic.

I use USA Jacksons with EMG 81's in the bridge and 60's in the neck.. Currently I am running as such:

Guitar-->Boss Tuner Pedal-->Morley Bad Horsie Wah-->Zoom TriMetal-->Marshall JCM900 High Gain Dual Reverb stack. In the effects loop, I run a Boss DD-5 Delay and a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus, which is seldom on.

I really like the articulation and "tightness" feel of power chords and palm muting thru this. The Marshall's distortion has much more headroom (it's tube), but it's too loose and not gainy enough for me. The only thing I dislike is the solid state vibe I get with this pedal (obviously). Fast leads get "squashed" and don't sound as natural or cut through as much as with the amp's tube distortion. As such, you really have to work those fingers on the fretboard when soloing. So, there is a trade-off, I guess. But it's the old tube vs. solid state thing again and I see advantages for both.

Great for those fast, tight metal riffs which I could never get without the solid state / this zoom pedal stuff. Sounds super in the lower register "grind."

Good.

Never dealt with zoom. With this pedal, you shouldn't even have to read the manual, which is something most musicians can't do anyways (myself included). We just want to wail!

I think my best bet so far is using this thing for my tight , heavy distortions. For leads, I have been experimenting with the Marshall distortion on at the same time as the Zoom pedal; the tube distortion seems to add to the places where the zoom would be too squashed to.

Like others stated, easy to fiddle with. Just dial in for your taste.

Thanks to THIS site I've reviewed all opinions and had to give it a shot. The only thing that concerned me was a statement of "if you have a solid state amp save your money and buy a good tube amp". Well, I have a Roland Blues Cube 60W Solid State amp with Roland's tube emulation circuitry and was hesitant about buying the TM-01. I found one laying around at a music shop and I tried it out - I love it! I know it sounds alittle strange using a Blues Cube amp with this pedal but I like classic rock just as much as blues. I've owned several distortion pedals with several amps and this one is awesome. Another reviewer made some statement of idiots spending $125 for pedal need not submit an opinion (or something to that extent), well I'm one of those idiots and I don't regret purchasing it - I love it. I'm not really into MegaDeth or Metallica, but I do like classic rock like VanHalen, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, etc. and most recently NickelBack. The dropped D tuning sounds awesome with this pedal. I never realized how muddy and tinny these other pedals sounded until I played the TM-01. And lastly, to the reviewer not being able to crank up the amp because of this pedal? I've never enjoyed my amp more than now and I keep cranking it louder and louder because it doesn't break up and just rocks the more I crank it up!

Like others have stated - rock and metal use (obviously, this is called Tri-Metal for a reason). I've been playing off an on for about 18 years for my own enjoyment and jam with some friends every once and awhile. I currently have (2) Ibanez RG320 guitars, Morley Bad Horsie Wah, Boss Blues Driver, Boss DS1, Boss ME6, MXR Phase90, blah,blah,blah. Like others have stated - high gain distortion, very very quiet/noiseless bypass, Oh and I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned the switch itself, but it is very smooth to switch on and no popping. I'd replace it if stolen or lost. Check one out! I give it a 9 only because of the price.

With the knobs it's easy to find a good tone. The instruction manual helps you finding the tone you're searching. The knobs are very sensitive so you have to try a lot of combinations to find THE SOUND you need.
But it's a pedal, does anything is more easy to use? Let your ears do the job...

My two setups are:
>GODIN ST Artisan signature Custom Shop, with 3 Seymour-Duncan Little 59', Dunlop Cry-baby, Boss expression pedal, Zoom Tri-Metal, Marshall Valvestate 8280 with chorus (2x40W, 2x12''hp)
>Lespaul standard Epiphone, with the same ...

First, the Tri metal is THE METAL DISTORTION PEDAL ! If you want to play blues, or something else, don't buy it.
This was born for play Metal (Megadeath, Metallica, Iron Maiden...). The sound is very very good. Nothing in common with the BOss Metal-zone. The sounding is not Thinny, no buzzing, so quiet.
If you can't buy a 100W all tube, you can get this pedal without any doubt, she have the power, the definition, the versatility that turn a basic into Hell Metal Master !

I would use it on a gig without a backup. the pedal is made with metal not cheap plastic parts. A heavy one.

I don't know, I don't use any customer support.

Basicly, I play Metal Covers, from Iron Maiden to Megadeath, So I need a lot of gain and definition. I have found that in the Tri Metal. All you need is this pedal, and a bit of reverb...
the Tri-metal is designed for heavy rock, she is reliable, simple QUIET (without any noise gate inside!), and produce a distortion with a lot of gain!!
She's much better than the Metal-Zone, but she is so Rare:you can have a lot of problems to found one.
I'am still thinking this pedal is not ZOOM. Zoom have so poor distortion effects on their Multi-effets that I could not believe that one was made by those men who use to produce cheappy bullshits.
Whatever, If you found a Tri-Metal, buy it! THIS NAME IS NOT AN USURPATED ONE!!

Very easy...drive, treble, bass, nice parametric eq for the mids, and output. Simple.

Wow. This thing really gets the most out of a 7-string. Here's the guitars I've tried this with:

Schecter Omen-7 with a Duncan JB-7 in the bridge, standard tuning. Sounds GREAT!!!
el-cheapo double neck w/7-string neck tuned down to A (KORN tuning)- Sounds unbelievable!!!
Homemade 6-string tuned down to Drop-C (SOAD tuning)w/DiMarzio Megadrive in bridge. Again, sounds sick on the lower stuff!!!
Homemade 6-string w/Bill Lawrence XL-500 in bridge (the real Lawrence, not the Stew-Mac)- Sounds WAY too harsh, no matter how I tweaked the knobs.

This thing is a BEAST for lower register metal rhythm work. It does better than anything I've tried (including a 100W Marshall head & an amp modeler) at handling the 7-strings. It is not, however, a lead pedal...too harsh in the upper register, imo, though others may feel differently. Very quiet except at the most extreme drive and output (which there is no need for; at 12-o'clock the gain is PLENTY!!! This thing was obviously meant for nu-metallers (which I am not, though I play some of the stuff), and not for shredders. It gets a 10 for metal rhythm, and a 6 for lead tone. Since it's meant for the former, I give it a 9 overall. Very nice pedal.

Just got it, but it seems VERY solid. Nice metal case, knobs, and true bypass switch...at least it CLAIMS to be true bypass; I haven't taken it apart to have a look at the switch & the wiring.

Beats me.

I play all kindsa stuff (currently working on a funk/metal project). Like I said above, when you need massive distortion and power out of 7-strings or detuned guitars, this thing rips. my other gear: Digitech Xp-100 whammy-wah, vox wah, Voodoo Lab Proctavia, original Soviet big-muff, original Boss OD-1, Boss Blues Driver, V-Amp 2, Fender ultra-chorus amp (just sold my Marshall).

This unit has been discontinued, and I would not be surpised if this thing becomes collectable in a few years. There's really nothing else that does the job this thing does. It was VERY expensive new (list was something like $170), and a quick search of the internet only found a few for about $100. I would certainly try to get another if mine was ripped off or broken; I think it's destined to be a sought-after piece of equipment. Nice job, Zoom...

As with all ZOOMs, they are easy to get a good sound from, hard to get a great sound from. It is a rather basic distortion: gain, level, treble, bass, semi-parametric mid (can change the range). Just start with everything half way (12 o'clock) and tweek for a good hour or so :P Mine didnt' come with a manual, but I bought it second hand off a friend

My main guitar is a customised ESP F-200, and my backup guitar is a customised Aria MAC-50Q. I use a Peavy Bandit 112 (80watt combo/amp head) and a Marhsall MG120 (cheap and merry guitar cabinet). I also use a variety of other amp setups at gigs and whatnot when I cant transport my own stuff. My fx board is rather big. It goes
Jim Dunlop Crybaby -> Boss NS-2 Noise Surpressor -> (in NS-2 effects loop) Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer -> (not in NS-2 fx loop anymore) Boss LS-2 Line Selector (two switchable fx loops) -> (fx loop A) Zoom GFX-707II -> (fx loop B) Zoom TM-01 (trimetal) -> (still fx loop B) Zoom GFX707 -> (back to LS-2) guitar amp. Its much simpler when ya actually see it, its hard to describe in plain text.

The TM-01 is very strong sounding, it is fabulous. When you dont play, its COMPLETELY silent. BUT, it does NOT have a built in noise gate like everyone seems to think, its just plain old fashioned fantastic build quality using the best parts. My only quibble with it is that its hard to get a good low-gain sound outta it, and the high gain sounds are way over the top. It may be a "metal" distortion, but with a bit of smart EQing, it can do a very wide variety of sounds.

Just to stress, I use fx wisely, not like rediculous amounts of badly set modules on everything.

I would most definitly depend on it, I have for at least 30 gigs in the past year, as well as 6 hours of band practises a week for the past 2 years. I would never gig without a backup, I always have a fall back plan incase something happens. As of yet, never needed the fall back though *touch wood*

I've never had any problems with any of my ZOOM pedals, but I have asked the company about other products and little technical questions. All responses were quick, friendly, and very useful. The ZOOM website also has manuals for all of their products for those people (like me) who didnt get one or (like the person I bought it from) lost it.

I play in a disco porno-funk emo grindcore death metal blues ska jazz band (we have a wide variety of styles in our set lists), and it works for all of those styles (except blues and jazz, which I use the GFX-707II drive modules for) I have been playing for 3 years (yeah, I only a new kid, but I know my stuff and I pretty much live in my local music shop and I try everything they have)

All of my other gear is listed above (its not exactly fantastic top of the line gear, but it gets the job done and for the price i paid for it I cant complain) If it was lost or stolen, I would definitly hunt down another.

I love its sound and the footswitch, it is the most durable footswitch I have ever found, and it switches completely silently. I also love the fact it is COMPLETELY ANALOGUE, none of that digital distortion mince (I can tell a digital distortion a mile away, no matter how good it is). I dont like the crazy rubber thing on the bottom (stops it running away at a gig when you stamp on it), it fell off mine. Nothing a bit of super glue cant fix though :)

I compared it to the all famous Boss Metal Zone. The Metal Zone sounds very thin, twangy, undistinctive, cheap and digital. Even with an EQ pedal (which does vasty improve the Metal Zone), it was pretty feeble. Also tried a couple of Digitech X-series distortion things (cant remember which ones), they were ok, but still a bit naff. The Tri Metal is very powerful, very versitile (if ya know what your doing) and very nice looking :) Also, it was #20, cant go wrong for #20 can ya?

I wish the knobs were a bit less sensitive though, a very very small turn and your sound is completely different (which does make it so versitile, so I guess I shouldnt complain)

On a side note, just because something is plastic (such as.... ooo..... say a ZOOM GFX-707) it doesn't mean it will break easily. The GFX707 is very strong, mine have been through hell and are in perfect working order. Anyway, enough of my rant.

Pretty easy to use. The only knob people won't be familiar with is the range knob. This puts more emphasis on the bass side of the mids or the treble side, depending on which way its turned. The eqs are really sensitive so you can get TONS of different sounds out of it

I use a les paul into tri-metal into a Marshall Valvestate. The distortion is infinatley better than the Marshalls distortion. Its a real METAL sound. People often say blah blah is a great distortion pedal but they mean to play stuff like Jimi Hendrix, Smashing Pumpkins, Bon Jovi etc. This is a real distortion pedal for Metallica, Disturbed etc.. HEAVY AS HELL and really quiet and clear at the same time. Wish it was just a touch clearer though. Guess i,m just tough to please.

And what is all this about people saying you can't palm mute on this thing?? What a load of .... They must only have the pedal a day and haven't figured out how to use it yet. Thats what the range knob is for. If its turned below half the muting can be a little weak. Turn it even the slightest bit over half way and holy sh*t. Heavy and tight as hell.

I have been playing for almost 10 years and am not easily impressed but this is a cool pedal. Still want a Dual Recto or Powerball though

They say if there way a nuclear war the cockroaches would ne the only things to survive. I'd add the tri-metal to that list. Solid metal everywhere

Never used it

I play METAL from Metallica to Alice in Chains to Disturbed Papa Roach etc.. If you can't afford a 100 watt all tube amp or you want to soup up your existing one, get this pedal.(if you can still find one) Its as simple as that.

It's a freakin' analog pedal. Like, with knobs that rotate. How hard is that?

Note though that it has a very wide tonal range, so getting *your* sound from it may take a while. Remember to start experimenting with all the knobs in the center position, not off (esp. the level knob, tee-hee :)

The manual... it lists some presets that are okay and yadas a bit about how to use the thing.. as if you wouldn't know.

I'm using it alongside a Morley wah pedal and plug it into either a Vox or a Behringer amp. My axe is an EXP V-350, by the way.

The unit is total hush when on bypass (it does have a mechanical bypass system) and when not hitting strings, which is *awesome*.

You'd be nuts to turn the gain to maximum, it simply soars with it. Just your most beloved rythm guitar for metal players. This is *not* a blues pedal.

Solid-as-a-tank metal casing, metal knobs, seems like the bugs will rule the after-nuclear-war world (and play with it :) before it breaks. I'd sureley gig without a backup for it.

Never dealt with them.

I play rock, blues, and *metal*. It certainly is a perfect match for the last one :)

If it were stolen... I'd cry a bit and wish they didn't discontinue it.

Just get your hands on one of them before they go vintage.