Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
Dual-stage hard-clipping distortion with active 3-band EQ — the sound of nu-metal.
We don't ship reference schematics until they've been hand-authored against authoritative sources (manufacturer service docs, ElectroSmash analyses, GEOFEX writeups) and reviewed in the simulator. Until then, the BOM, signal chain, controls and mod notes below are accurate, and you can still add this pedal to a project — it just won't include a circuit yet.
About
Two cascaded op-amp gain stages with hard diode clipping to ground after each, followed by an active 3-band parametric-style EQ (sweepable mid, fixed-corner bass and treble). The aggressive double-clipping + scooped EQ produces the famously high-gain, mid-scooped distortion that defined Korn, Limp Bizkit, and a generation of teenage bedrooms.
Signal chain preview
7 stagesQuick facts
- Best-selling distortion pedal of all time per Boss's own data.
- Reviled by snobs and adored by metal players; the 'Modded MT-2' (e.g. Keeley Twilight Zone) is a cult favorite.
- The active EQ has +/- ~15 dB of cut/boost per band — massive tone-shaping range.
Controls
- Level
- Low
- Mid Freq
- Mid Level
- High
- Dist
Mod recipes Pro
3 mods- Keeley Twilight Zone
Smoother, more dynamic, less fizzy.
How: Reduce gain stage 1's feedback from 470k to 100k; replace one pair of clipping diodes with LEDs; bypass the second clipping stage with an SPDT switch.
- Bypass clip 2
Lower-gain, more amp-like character.
How: Add a switch that lifts diode pair D3/D4 from the second op-amp stage. Stage 2 then just adds clean gain.
- Charge-pump 18 V
More headroom and dynamics.
How: Add a TC1044S charge pump to supply ±9 V to the op-amps. Verify all electrolytics are ≥25 V.