Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper
The riff patch and the lead patch on this album are not the same patch, and the difference is where most attempts go wrong. Images and Words was cut on Mesa rack preamps rather than the Mark IIC+ head Petrucci gets credited with, and the lead voice is that rack running its lead mode with the mids pushed back up -- because a scooped rhythm curve that sounds enormous under a palm mute disappears the moment you play single notes in unison with a keyboard.
Images and Words
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 3 blocks replaced with a stand-in model
Which ones
Replaced with a stand-in: Studio Compressor, CA MkIIC+ Lead, 1x12 EVM Thiele. 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 3 blocks replaced with a stand-in model
Which ones
Replaced with a stand-in: Lead, Tube Screamer, Plate. 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.
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.
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