No. 1202005·alternative-metal·3 blocks

B.Y.O.B.

The anthemic, soaring chorus of System of a Down's 2005 Grammy-winning single — a wide-open major-key hook that erupts out of the song's breakneck verse. Daron Malakian drove it with a custom Ibanez Iceman through a cranked 100-watt Marshall, all the gain coming from the amp. The track sits a half step above the band's usual Drop C, in Drop C# (C#-G#-C#-F#-A#-D#). Rick Rubin produced.

Mezmerize coverMezmerize
Settings for
Signal path · input → output · 7 blocksLive values · Line 6 Helix
Guitar
Ibanez Iceman (custom IC series)
Pickups
HH
Tuning
bridge
Strings
drop_c_sharp
Noise Gate
Deluxe Comp
Brit 2203
4x12 Greenback 25
Room
Simple Delay
Noise Gate
← Tight rhythm playing (FRFR essential)
Cab
Threshold
-54dB
Decay
0.2s
Level
0
Deluxe Comp
← Tracking compression
Dynamics
Threshold
-30dB
Ratio
3:1
Knee
6dB
Attack
22ms
Release
180ms
Mix
40
Level
0dB
Brit 2203
← Marshall JMP-100 (100W head)
Amp
Drive
7
Bass
6
Mid
7
Treble
7
Presence
7
ChVol
5.5
Master
7.5
Bias
5
BiasX
5
Sag
5
Hum
5
Ripple
5
4x12 Greenback 25
← Marshall 4x12 (Celestion-loaded)
Cab
LowCut95Hz
HighCut9500Hz
Resonance
0.5
Level
0dB
Pan
0.5
Delay
0
Room
← Studio room ambience
Reverb
LowCut220Hz
HighCut6500Hz
Mix
14
Decay
1.3s
Predelay
15ms
Level
0
Simple Delay
← Subtle ambience
Delay
LowCut220Hz
HighCut5500Hz
Time
360ms
Feedback
8
Mix
6
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: Noise Gate, Studio Comp, 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: Delay. 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, Noise Gate, Reverb, Delay. 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
58.6% 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.

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