No. 2271987·power-metal·5 blocks

I'm Alive

The opening track of Keeper Part I and the moment European power metal got its template. A 50-watt Marshall 1987 with a master-volume mod, a Maxon OD808 pushing the front end, and a Boss graphic EQ shaping the signal before either. The riff runs on downpicked precision rather than gain -- this is a modded Plexi, not a high-gain head, and it stays articulate at speed because there is far less distortion here than the tempo leads you to expect.

Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. I coverKeeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. I
Settings for
Signal path · input → output · 9 blocksLive values · Line 6 Helix
Guitar
Rockinger Randy Rhoads-style (red/pink)
Pickups
H
Tuning
bridge
Strings
standard
Noise Gate
Deluxe Comp
10-Band Graphic
Scream 808
Brit Plexi Brt
4x12 Cali V30
Simple Delay
Room
Noise Gate
← Gain-structure housekeeping
Cab
Threshold
-58dB
Decay
30s
Deluxe Comp
← Console compression
Dynamics
Threshold
-26dB
Ratio
2:1
Knee
9dB
Attack
30ms
Release
250ms
Mix
30
Level
0dB
10-Band Graphic
← Boss graphic EQ
EQ
125Hz
-4
250Hz
-3
500Hz
0
1kHz
2
2kHz
3
4kHz
2
Level
3
Scream 808
← Maxon OD808
Distortion
Drive
1.5
Tone
6
Level
8
Brit Plexi Brt
← Marshall 1987 50W (master-volume modded)
Amp
Drive
7
Bass
3
Mid
6
Treble
7
Presence
6
ChVol
5
Master
7
Bias
5.5
BiasX
5
Sag
3.5
Hum
3
Ripple
3
4x12 Cali V30
← Marshall 4x12 with Celestion Vintage 30s
Cab
LowCut110Hz
HighCut6500Hz
Resonance
5
Level
0dB
Pan
0.5
Delay
0
Simple Delay
← Studio slap on the rhythm bed
Delay
LowCut400Hz
HighCut3500Hz
Time
120ms
Feedback
8
Mix
8
Level
0
Room
← Horus Sound Studio room
Reverb
LowCut250Hz
HighCut5500Hz
Mix
12
Decay
0.9s
Predelay
12ms
Level
0

What we checked

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

Preset files — 0 of 3 complete
  • Helix 1 block missing from the file
    Which ones

    Not in the file: 10-Band Graphic. 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.

  • Quad Cortex 4 blocks replaced with a stand-in model
    Which ones

    Replaced with a stand-in: Noise Gate, Studio Compressor, Green 808, 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: Room. 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, Room. 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
65.4% of one chip — fits
Sources
3 cited, 0 from publications that do original gear reporting — every source here is an aggregator, tab site, video, or wiki. Treat the gear list as less settled than usual.
Attribution
DocumentedThe player is named for this specific part in credits or an interview.
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.

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