hey
One cannot say clean and actually mean distorted can they?
For clean tones, the secret is a compressor. Clean tones, when left unchecked can cause your power amp to clip and saturate leading to noise and crap. The natural 'dynamic range' is too much to handle. Compressors are used to fix these problems. Distorted tones are by their very definition, compressed, and exhibit a reduction in dynamic range.
If you actually ment 'clean' as in clear distortion that's in-your-face , then the secret is simply to turn up your midrange and turn down your gain. Then choose a heavy pick. That's all man. Scoff if you want, some people seem to not beleive, but i really don't give a shit, and I SHIT YOU NOT. You want killer distortion, killer tone? Turn down your gain!
Noise (hiss) is a by-product of metal. (I'm a prog - metal guitarist, so we're in the same boat .. well sort of.) A good hush unit from rocktron will help.
As for 'parametric' eq, some fx units such as the T.C. electronics G-Major / G-Force series include a parametric EQ in the unit as well as a bunch of effects, as well as a noise gate. Not bad reverb, good delay, so-so noise gate, excellent midi implementation, good detune effect.
Question is: Do you want an EQ, 'before' the signal hits your amp, or do you want the eq in your effects loop. Requiring an EQ 'before' your amp, typically may mean that a) you're emulating various guitarists tone with the same guitar, or b) you're guitar needs different pickups, or c) you know what you're doing.
Lotta guys just put a Boss graphic eq pedal before the signal hits the amp to alter the pickup tone and pick which frequencies get distorted the most.
Hope that helps!
Tristan
