Lower Mids vs Upper Mids? Miracle Man vs Aftermath?

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Hi all. I'm upgrading my pickups in my Les Paul and I'm really confused as to whether I should be looking for a pickup with more Lower Mids, or more Upper Mids. Saying that, I'm guessing my choices are down to the Aftermath & Miracle Man.

I hear the Miracle Man is rich in Lower Mids, and the Aftermath rich in Upper Mids. But tbh, what are the advantages of having more of one over the other?

I play Modern Melodic Metal-Core, similar to such bands as All That Remains, Trivium, Bullet, Killswitch, etc. You prob have an extremely good idea on the sound I'm after if you've heard/like these bands. I also like dabbling in a bit of Djent, but not to the  extremes of bands like Periphery, etc. More like Asking Alexandria & Attack Attack! if you know what I mean? They kinda have that loose Djenty sound, compared to the surgically tight Djent of Periphery.

This leads me to think that the Aftermath may be a bit to dry and tight for what I'm looking for?

I hear the Miracle Man may have that bottom end I like, which apparantly sounds really heavy and thick for them metal-Core style breakdowns. As to the Aftermath which I hear doesn't have that great of one?

Which one would you recommend and why?

Also one thing which has got me worried about the Miracle Man is, most of the clips I find are people playing Zakk Wylde style music, and I really don't like Zakk's tone. I love EMGs (besides to sterileness) but I'm worried the Miracle Man may be to much voiced liek Zakk Wylde rather than a pickup which would be suited for my music.

Cheers :)

[ericsabbath]

aftermath is more in-your-face sounding but the miracle man is punchier and throatier
both will do the job pretty well, but I'd pick the miracle man for that sort of tone
it only sounds like zakk wylde if you and your rig do

[AnnunakiMassacr]

aftermath is more in-your-face sounding but the miracle man is punchier and throatier
both will do the job pretty well, but I'd pick the miracle man for that sort of tone
it only sounds like zakk wylde if you and your rig do

How about with a Peavey XXX/6505 with a TS9? And what do you exactly mean by 'punchier and throatier'? Sorry, but I'm terrible with understanding the pickup sound lingo, haha

[MAJ Meadows SF]

Definitely the Miracle Man. It nails the metlcore sound. You have the perfect amp for it as well, as many of those bands use or have used a XXX or 6505 (or 5150 variation more than likely). I love the MM for the huge metalcore/swedish melodic death metal riffs. Think KsE, ATR, Trivium, In Flames, Scar Symmetry, Mercenary, Insomnium, etc. Big riffs, big leads, and massive breakdowns. Stadium metal. Djent is just a technique, so for that tone bring up the amp mids, use muted 4 note power chords, and choke everything with an ISP Decimator or similar noise gate. Compression and noise gate really help create a metallic "djenty" tone.

Throaty for me refers to lower mids and having a slightly rough edge. Punchier means there is a real "punch" to the sound. The mids in the Aftermath make it stand out more in an "in your face" sound; i.e. ahead of the mix. It has a really aggressive and snarly sound to it, along with surgical tightness. The MM, while not quite as tight but tight non the less, has more of a roar to it; a lower register that is loud and makes a thud (lighterally coming from my amp and cabinet) - but it's not overly bassy and thick which is more the War Pig's range. I don't mean muddy there at all either; the Pigs are incredibly clear.

Go with the MM. "Colossal Metal tones" from the Bare Knuckle description pretty much sums it up. Play with the pickup and bolt height because it makes a difference in various guitars and will help you find the sweet spot.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Thanks for that. I think I have my mind made up then :)

A further question though. How would you say they'd sound with a gain boost switch added?

[ericsabbath]

you don't need that
let the ts9 do the job
unless you don't use much gain from the amps (which means gain below 2 on a peavey  :lol:) and want more sustain on solos

[AnnunakiMassacr]

you don't need that
let the ts9 do the job
unless you don't use much gain from the amps (which means gain below 2 on a peavey  :lol:) and want more sustain on solos

Yh, I like to use my amps gain. I just really use the TS9 to tighten up the amp tbh. It was just a general wondering as to whether it's worth adding a boost. I guess I should just leave it out and see where that gets me :)

Thanks again for the advice everyone :)

[AnnunakiMassacr]

This is the reply I got from Tim. What are people's views?

"actually the Painkiller has more upper mid pronouncement while the Aftermath has an encompassing broad mid range and the Miracle Man has a thick rich lower mid response(very much like Zakk Wylde - his tone is very low mid heavy).
As a general rule if you want to cut through a thick mix, ie two heavily distorted guitars or guitar/keyboards then low mids are not ideal, you actually need upper mids to be heard. Humbuckers like the Miracle Man excel in single guitar situations but for metal core I think the Aftermath is much more applicable as it has the tight, full bottom end you want as well as mid range push to get through the mix.

Kindest Regards,

Tim"

[ericsabbath]

zakk wylde uses 80's JCM 2203, which are quite bassy in my experience, bassy and not middy speakers, and he cranks his overdrive pedal and amps
a miracle man pickup alone won't make you sound like him, just like the EMG 81 used by him and almost all the bands you mentioned don't :lol:

you have a peavey and ts9, which are very mid heavy, despite of the pickups you use

the aftermath does cut a bit better through the mix, but the miracle man is not far behind in that character, and it's also pretty tight, but with a bigger and heavier low end response
the pinch harmonics also sound bigger and more modern sounding, in my opinion
the aftermath and painkiller also do a great job for trivium and some all that remains, but I'd still pick the miracle man over them

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Well I was actually still very on the edge about the aftermath, even with Tim's recommendations. After researching it, it really does seem too tight and dry for me. I really want a pickup where you can feel the breakdown in the pit of your stomach, rather than have it hit you in the face, if you get what i mean?

[MAJ Meadows SF]

Well I was actually still very on the edge about the aftermath, even with Tim's recommendations. After researching it, it really does seem too tight and dry for me. I really want a pickup where you can feel the breakdown in the pit of your stomach, rather than have it hit you in the face, if you get what i mean?

It's the difference between a gut punch and a broken nose, exactly. Tim is on point, of course, saying if you want to "cut through the mix", and really stand out then the Aftermath is the choice pickup. This would suit the metalcore sound if you are trying to stand out in fron tof all the other instruments. That's not to say the Miracle Man would get lost; it is very clear and articulate, as well as everything else in it's description. It has a much "bigger" sound than the Aftermath and IMAO, perfect for big metal riffs. I prefer the Aftermath for technical death metal such as Psycroptic, Spawn of Possession, Severed Savior, Decrepit Birth, Gorod, etc to name a few.  It's just a matter of taste. You could use either pickup for either type of music and get good results with proper tweaking with pickup, amp, and effects. For example I have a MM in a Schuldiner Stealth. It sounds massive and awesome as all hell perfectly executing Decapitated inspired riffs and Cannibal Corpse covers; hilarious how big that little guitar sounds with the MM. But I find myself playing metalcore and melodic DM on it, instead of tech death, Death inspired music. It's what my ears prefer with that pickup. So, just my two cents, and since what you are aiming for tone wise, I think the MM is the right choice.

[AnnunakiMassacr]

Thanks very much for that. I think that's me made my mind up now :) I'll write up a review once I get it and have a had a good few weeks with it.

[Eyes Wide Shut]

A good way is to mess with your media player EQ. U'll see how Lower Mids/Upper Mids affect your tone then. I actual have my EQ random. I'll try and depict it below. i prefer my Lower Mids on my EQ as to having Upper Mids.

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I have it a sort of Zig Zag effect :) Although I have about 20 on my EQ and it's a lot tighter rather that the big jumps in the example lol