No. 0701982·metal·4 blocks

Run to the Hills

The galloping anthem of The Number of the Beast. Dave Murray drove his black Stratocaster — loaded with a hot DiMarzio Super Distortion humbucker — into a cranked 50-watt Marshall Super Lead, with an MXR Distortion+ for extra bite. Adrian Smith doubled the harmonized leads, famously on an Ibanez Destroyer. Producer Martin Birch tracked the twin guitars at Battery Studios in early 1982, doubling each part to widen the soundstage. Standard tuning; the gallop is in the picking hand.

The Number of the Beast coverThe Number of the Beast
Settings for
Signal path · input → output · 9 blocksLive values · Line 6 Helix
Guitar
Fender Stratocaster (Dave Murray 'Kossoff' Strat)
Pickups
HSH
Tuning
bridge
Strings
standard
Volume Pedal
Noise Gate
Deluxe Comp
Stupor OD
Brit Plexi Brt
4x12 Greenback 25
Plate
Tilt
Volume Pedal
← Volume pedal
Volume/Pan
Pedal
100%
Noise Gate
← Studio noise gate (FRFR essential)
Cab
Threshold
-54dB
Decay
0.3s
Level
0
Deluxe Comp
← Studio compression
Dynamics
Threshold
-34dB
Ratio
2:1
Knee
6dB
Attack
50ms
Release
300ms
Mix
40
Level
0dB
Stupor OD
← MXR Distortion+
Distortion
Gain
2.5
Tone
5.5
Level
7
Brit Plexi Brt
← Marshall Super Lead 50 (non-master-volume)
Amp
Drive
7
Bass
5
Mid
5.5
Treble
7
Presence
6.2
ChVol
6.5
Master
10
Bias
5
BiasX
5
Sag
5
Hum
5
Ripple
5
4x12 Greenback 25
← Marshall 4x12 (Greenbacks)
Cab
LowCut90Hz
HighCut11000Hz
Level
0dB
Pan
0.5
Delay
0
Plate
← Studio plate (light)
Reverb
LowCut160Hz
HighCut7000Hz
Mix
12
Decay
0.3s
Predelay
20ms
Level
0
Tilt
← Tilt EQ (global brightness)
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 6 blocks replaced with a stand-in model
    Which ones

    Replaced with a stand-in: Noise Gate, Studio Comp, MXR D+, 4x12 Greenback, Plate, Tilt EQ. 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, Noise Gate, Booster, 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
54% of one chip — fits (1 block has no published cost and is counted as zero)
Sources
3 cited, 1 from publications that do original gear reporting
Attribution
Not yet ratedThis 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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