No. 2021983·heavy-metal·4 blocks

Don't Talk to Strangers

The most dynamic track on Holy Diver, and Campbell plays it on exactly the same one-guitar-one-Marshall rig as the rest of the record. A JCM800 2203 is a single-channel amp -- there is no clean channel to switch to -- so the whispered arpeggios that open the song are a cranked Marshall with the Les Paul's volume rolled back to around 3. That is why they still have grain and bloom instead of sounding sterile, and why the explosion into the heavy section needs nothing but the volume knob.

Holy Diver coverHoly Diver
Settings for
Signal path · input → output · 8 blocksLive values · Line 6 Helix
Guitar
Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (1977, refinished matte black)
Pickups
HH
Tuning
neck
Strings
standard
Deluxe Comp
Scream 808
Brit 2204
4x12 Greenback 25
Simple Delay
Room
Tilt
Deluxe Comp
← Studio compression on the clean intro
Dynamics
Threshold
-28dB
Ratio
3:1
Knee
5dB
Attack
20ms
Release
220ms
Mix
55
Level
1dB
Scream 808
← Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive (level boost)
Distortion
Gain
1.5
Tone
5
Level
8
Brit 2204
← Marshall JCM800 2203 (stock)
Amp
Drive
7
Bass
4
Mid
6
Treble
7
Presence
6
ChVol
6
Master
10
Bias
5
BiasX
5
Sag
4.5
Hum
4
Ripple
4
4x12 Greenback 25
← Marshall 4x12 (Celestion-loaded)
Cab
LowCut90Hz
HighCut5200Hz
Resonance
5
Level
0dB
Pan
0.5
Delay
0
Simple Delay
← Studio delay on the intro
Delay
LowCut220Hz
HighCut4500Hz
Time
300ms
Feedback
15
Mix
14
Level
0
Room
← Sound City tracking-room ambience
Reverb
LowCut170Hz
HighCut6800Hz
Mix
15
Decay
1.1s
Predelay
22ms
Level
0
Tilt
← Global tilt EQ
EQ
Tilt
0.5
CenterFreq
1000Hz
Level
0

What we checked

Computed by a program, on this recipe, every time this page is built. How this works

Preset files — 1 of 3 complete
  • Helix builds complete — every block in the recipe is in the file
  • Quad Cortex 5 blocks replaced with a stand-in model
    Which ones

    Replaced with a stand-in: Studio Comp, Yellow Drive, Brit 2203, 4x12 Greenback, Room Reverb. These load cleanly but are not the model named above — the file will sound wrong here until we map them. Set these blocks by hand.

  • Katana 1 block missing from the file; 4 blocks replaced with a stand-in model
    Which ones

    Not in the file: Reverb. The recipe calls for this block, but we have no verified model ID for it on this platform, so the preset is written without it. Add it by hand using the settings above.

    Replaced with a stand-in: Crunch, Booster, Delay, Reverb. These load cleanly but are not the model named above — the file will sound wrong here until we map them. Set these blocks by hand.

Helix DSP
62.9% of one chip — fits
Sources
3 cited, 2 from publications that do original gear reporting
Attribution
Not yet rated — This recipe predates the attribution-confidence field and hasn't been reviewed for it.
What we didn't check
  • Nobody played this through a real amp. There is no human listening test behind any number on this page.
  • The settings are reasoned from the sources below, not measured off the record.
  • No audio has been rendered for this recipe yet, so you cannot hear it before you load it.
  • 3 platforms on this page (TONEX, Kemper, Fractal) get a model pointer, not a preset file — nothing was built or checked for them.
The mic in this chain

Shure SM57

Still made, still the studio default. The cheapest part of this chain to get right.

Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. The mic is listed because the chain uses it, not because anyone paid for the placement.

Rate This Tone

...

(0 ratings)

Sign in to rate this recipe.

Comments

Sign in to leave a comment.