Tone library / Periphery / The bad thing

The bad thing amp settings — Neural DSP Nano Cortex

The Periphery guitar tone for “The bad thing”, dialed in for a Neural DSP Nano Cortex with a Fender Player Plus Stratocaster. Studio version, Juggernaut: Omega (2015) - Main heavy rhythm riff

Original rig

Peavey 6505+ / PRS Archon, Horizon Devices Precision Drive / TS boost, PRS Mark Holcomb signature (Seymour Duncan Alpha & Omega pickups)

Ultra-tight, aggressive high-gain modern progressive metal tone with tight low-end and prominent upper-mid bite
Amp settings — Neural DSP Nano Cortex
CHANNELPeavey 5150 / 6505+ Lead Capture (with 4x12 Mesa/V30 IR)BOOSToff
GAIN 6 BASS 5 MID 7 TREBLE 6 PRESENCE 6 REVERB 0 MASTER 7
KnobSetting (0–10)
Gain6
Bass5
Mid7
Treble6
Presence6
Reverb0
Master7
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Guitar
PICKUPbridge TONE10 VOLUME10
Signal chain

01Horizon Precision Drive / TS-Style Stomp (Nano Cortex Pre-FX)

Clean boost mode before the high-gain capture to cut sub-bass and tighten the picking transient

Drive 0 · Tone 7 · Level 9

02Noise Gate (Nano Cortex Pre-FX)

Tight gate to clamp palm-muted chugs and staccato djent rhythms

Threshold 7 · Decay 2
Why these settings

Because single coils naturally have thinner low-end and a brighter top than Mark Holcomb's high-output bridge humbucker, amp gain is set slightly higher at 6, treble is kept moderate at 6, and mids are pushed to 7 to retain body. The pre-FX overdrive runs with zero drive and high level into the high-gain capture to achieve Periphery's signature tight low-end without creating muddy double-gain distortion. Reverb is set to 0 for strict rhythm isolation. Clean interlude: switch to a clean capture block and bypass the OD boost.

PRO TIPUse a thick, rigid pick (1.5mm+) and attack aggressively near the bridge saddles with precise palm muting to achieve that percussive, metallic attack on low tunings.

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These settings are for a Neural DSP Nano Cortex. ToneAdapt matches any song to whatever amp, guitar and pedals you own — first match is free.

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