Dream the Dead Amp Settings
Dream the Dead opens Caligula's Horse's In Contact with a dynamic showcase of Sam Vallen's progressive metal guitar tone. Built around an Ernie Ball Music Man JP7 through a Fractal Axe-FX, the tone shifts fluidly between shimmering modulated cleans and thick, articulate high-gain progressive metal.
What Makes This Tone Iconic
Vallen's tone stands out in progressive metal for its harmonic sophistication. His jazz-influenced chord voicings — mu chords, minor 9ths, slash chords learned from studying Steely Dan — demand a tone with exceptional note definition. The DiMarzio Crunch Lab delivers tight, articulate distortion that preserves complex harmony, while the Axe-FX provides seamless transitions between clean and heavy textures.
Key Tone Elements
- Ernie Ball Music Man JP7 (7-string) with DiMarzio Crunch Lab bridge pickup
- Fractal Axe-FX Ultra handling all amp modeling, effects, and cab simulation
- B standard tuning for extended 7-string range
- Internal Axe-FX modulation, delay, and reverb — no external pedals
- Jazz-influenced chord voicings requiring exceptional note clarity
Original Recording Settings
Original Gear
- Guitar
- Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci JP7 (7-string)
- Pickups
- DiMarzio Crunch Lab (bridge) / DiMarzio LiquiFire (neck). Three-way switch with coil tap in middle position. (bridge (heavy sections), neck/coil-tap (clean/melodic passages))
- Amplifier
- Fractal Axe-FX Ultra (digital modeler)
- Channel
- Not documented — specific amp model/patch not published
- Tuning
- B standard (B-E-A-D-G-B-E, standard 7-string)
- Pickup Selector
- bridge (heavy), neck/middle (clean)
- Strings
- Not documented
Primary processing platform since ~2010. Live: Axe-FX → Mesa Boogie Simul-Class 2:90 power amp → Mesa cabinet. Studio: 'gets more creative with different gear' (Australian Musician 2015). Known amp models emulated: ENGL Powerball, Cornford. No Kemper association — Fractal Axe-FX only.
Amp Settings
Effects Chain
Playing Technique
Jazz-influenced extended chord voicings — mu chords, minor 9ths, slash chords — heavily influenced by Steely Dan. Mix of alternate picking and legato technique inspired by Allan Holdsworth and Greg Howe. Prioritizes phrasing over raw technique. Extensive use of 7th string for extended range.
Sources+
- Mixdown Magazine (2015): JP7, Axe-FX, Mesa 2:90, DiMarzio pickups confirmed.
- Australian Musician Magazine (2015): studio vs live gear distinction.
- MusicRadar (2017): '10 Questions for Sam Vallen' — technique, gear, In Contact context.
- Guitar World (2024): 'Sam Vallen: bringing Steely Dan to prog-metal' — JP7 since 2014, gear evolution.
- Fractal Audio Forum (Dec 2010): Sam Vallen patch sharing (first album Cornford/ENGL patches).
- Equipboard: Sam Vallen community page.
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