Electro-Harmonix HELL MELTER vs. Boss HM-2

[@miska.1912]

I wasn’t impressed by EHX’s advertisements I’ve seen on Instagram, especially when they described it as having a chainsaw tone, yet none of the demos they did sounded as it should. You and Ola Englund got me sold on this pedal. Lol I like the TC Electronics Eyemaster on steroids part. The Eyemaster is one of my favourite, affordable, HM-2 clones.

[@andrews6505]

solid demo, hell melter adds a lot of color to play with.

[@vestridreaming]

Thanks for the awesome video! I was waiting to see what it could sound like besides the EHX demo video.

[@queenpurple8433]

I love this pedal, works much better for me than the HM2

[@DetroitFettyghost]

I like it. Thanx fir putting effort into this video you did a good job

[@jaycarlisle862]

I bought and tried them both side by side through my Schecter E-1, and PRS MT15, and EVH 2x12 with the celestions. My opinion after playing back and forth for an hour is that the HM2 wazacraft, had better heavier tones with better saturation. The Hell Melter sounded great but a little thin compared to the Boss HM2 waza. Im returning the Hell Melter and keeping the classic! Also the noise gate can cut off individual notes quicker than you want sometimes😊

[@joshs.5384]

This isn't relevant to this specific video, I absolutely love your channel. I love how non-judgmental you are. A lot of people become snobby when they become experts in a niche interest. It would be easy for you to be a "purist," and shit on any attempts at tweaking the classic HM-2 formula. But you're totally unbiased with all these new models, even when they're a big name company like EHX. You also don't fall into the any of the shitty sensationalist "KZbin Gear Reviewer" clichés. Simple, open-minded reviews + technical explanations and experiments + exhaustive A/B tests = one of the best KZbin channels. Based on your reviews, I picked up a Behringer Hm300 to try the sound. I loved it, and now I'm picking up a KMA Wurm, a Sawzall PCB, and a Stockholm PCB.

[@HM2CULT]

Thank you for that! HM300 is a great choice, as is the Wurm, and the Sawzall.

[@markedwards1033]

Great video! I want one but I'll probably just get a cheap gate to match my budget rig. The EQ range of the hell melter is insane!

[@mikerauter1859]

Excellent comprehensive demo Terry, all up I think this a good sounding chainsaw with a cool design

[@BrunoGomes666]

Great review. One thing I just noticed with my Hell Melter is that it has considerably more volume than the HM-2. If you put that level around 3 oclock things get less muddy. When you were comparing the two pedals and they were sounding quite similar, the Hell Melter was sounding more muddy. This is why. Chrees! 🤘

[@IronSwan-ll5ju]

after many listens my first gateway drug into the cult is the hell melter cause it came in used local and I get 10% off there, so; sometimes 15-20%. Listening the hell melter sounds like a muff clipping out without the burn on and I love muffs so that’s a cool plus. Burn mode kinda activates the chainsaw sound circuit immediately for my ears. The way I look at it it’s a variation on a theme like the great Om song and classical mindset in theory. Same song, different dance and that’s the beauty of all these clones. They’re needed and important because someone somewhere liked the sound; twisting the knife within the same hog. They’re available for reasons and important to any collection of a specific circuit. It’s all sounds man, sounds and circles.

[@XChristianNoirX]

Works for me. I just got mine but haven't had time to even plug it in yet. I found the gate pretty useful on the most recent Metal Muff mini though.. Much better than on the GOTW... So I expect it to be decent.

[@grendelhvs]

EH chainsaw? Ok I'm listening.

[@zengroove16]

Where the HM2 loses is it has no gate. I use the Hell Melter on Bass so... no gate is a deal breaker and shows the HM2 is old. Modern Distortion pedals or any pedal that causes hiss or hum or static should have a gate. #EHX makes some of the best gates in the industry. Boss skips or overlooks this feature and that's where the HM2 loses. The Burn feature on the Melter is top shelf on Bass, when mixed with the gate, gives me excellent Distortion. The HM2 Sounds great on guitar but not so much on Bass where the Melter Sounds excellent on both imo. You have more controls and ability to shape the eq curve with the Melter as well. It's no competition unless u have a Boss or TC bias. EHX is 🔥🌞

[@needsLITHIUM]

The "Eyemaster on Steroids" sounds about right, as someone who owns an Eyemaster. I can get similar sounds by boosting the Eyemaster with a Precision Drive clone (I own one from Demon FX, as well as the Joyo Argos Drive) and turning the gain down on the Eyemaster, and then using the Precision Drive like a "dirty boost" (turning the gain up between 9 oclock and noon while the other knobs are set as if it's a TS9 or SD-1 being used to boost the amp, then use the attack knob to taste) I get some FILTHY sounds out of marshall voiced amps.

[@bangsart13]

🔥🔥🔥

[@unsoundcircuitry]

Hell Melter seems to be kind of its own thing. On most settings I'd prefer HM-2 but there are certainly some good tones in there behind that big control set. Like other people have mentioned, EHX's own demos did not really pull me in initially.

[@garrettboomerbender]

It's okay. I think I'd rather buy a waza craft over this if I'm being honest.

[@BrunoGomes666]

I have both and they're different. The HM-2w is softer. The Eyemaster is much more agressive and the Hell Melter is somewhere between the two. The ideal pedal depends on the amp you're using it on. On my ENGL Fireball 25, the Eyemaster rips balls. Killer sound. The HM-2w is too soft to the point of not quite getting to chainsaw. But if you have a solid state amp or a very modern tight sounding amp, the HM-2w might be a good choice. As for me, as I was looking for a little more versatility, the Hell Melter is the best IMO. Using that blend and shifting the mid Q a little does wonders. You still get to chainsaw but it's much more clear and defined.

[@normanvename4404]

Better than I thought. I kind of want to try the Northern Mauler, even though I'm not crazy about Revv pedals.

[@HM2CULT]

Yeah, that one seems awkward to me.

[@MrJesusCrisp]

I tried the Nothern Mauler recently and was sort of underwhelmed. The Revv side is sort of cool, but the "chainsaw" side is pretty weak.

[@barrenchainsawgrind5155]

Great video as always T! Somehow the ehx, to my ears, has this digital fase flavor which I dont like.

[@orenom6704]

Just buy the waza craft.. Ehx always miss when its not a big muff reissue. Don't know what they do wrong but they dont get it right..

[@goatman3057]

It’s cool, but it’s a fuzz bender knock of and I think the Keeley Fuzz Bender is way better, I bought one after hearing the tones Gran Hechicero was getting with his, freaking mind blowing

[@AcidRainPedalworks]

Sounds FVLSE

[@HM2CULT]

I heard the running name for a while was the "NJ tvrnpike."