Riff Tone
The Shadow Man Incident
Dream Theater
Guitarmetal2010s+
Original Gear
GuitarErnie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Majesty 7
AmpMesa/Boogie JP-2C
PickupsDiMarzio Rainmaker (neck) and Dreamcatcher (bridge) humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid5
treble7
reverb1
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
noise_gateUnknown Noise gate (model unknown)
Notes
Studio recording, 2023-2024 era. Gear inferred from Petrucci's known studio setup for 'Parasomnia' album and typical Dream Theater recording practices. No direct source confirms exact gear for this riff, but all available evidence and era-appropriate interviews point to this configuration.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive rhythm attackarticulate note separationmodern progressive metal claritysaturated high-gain crunchfocused midrange punchclear pick attackdynamic riffing with precisioncontrolled feedbackpercussive low-end
Difficulty
The riff section features rapid alternate picking, intricate rhythmic patterns, and requires precise palm muting and synchronization, making it highly challenging for most guitarists.
Sources
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Original Gear
GuitarErnie Ball Music Man John Petrucci Majesty 7
AmpMesa/Boogie JP-2C
PickupsDiMarzio Rainmaker (neck) and Dreamcatcher (bridge) humbuckers
Amp Settings
gain8
bass6
mid5
treble7
reverb1
presence6.5
Effects & Signal Chain
noise_gateUnknown Noise gate (model unknown)
Notes
Studio recording, 2023-2024 era. Gear inferred from Petrucci's known studio setup for 'Parasomnia' album and typical Dream Theater recording practices. No direct source confirms exact gear for this riff, but all available evidence and era-appropriate interviews point to this configuration.
Tone Character(10)
tight and percussiveaggressive rhythm attackarticulate note separationmodern progressive metal claritysaturated high-gain crunchfocused midrange punchclear pick attackdynamic riffing with precisioncontrolled feedbackpercussive low-end
Difficulty
The riff section features rapid alternate picking, intricate rhythmic patterns, and requires precise palm muting and synchronization, making it highly challenging for most guitarists.
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