Song Rig

Ragnarok

Misha Mansoor · Periphery · 2010

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

The debut album opener — Misha's first major released recording of the tone he had been developing online for years before Periphery signed to a label. The debut album tone is slightly rawer than the Periphery II recordings, with less refined Axe-Fx dialing but the same fundamental djent approach.

Signal Chain

1Ibanez 7-string (DiMarzio Ionizer or similar)
2Fractal Audio Axe-Fx Ultra (first generation)
3Cab IR simulation

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume9

Bass5

Mid4

Treble7

Presence9

Similar to Scarlet but slightly less refined — the debut album Axe-Fx presets were the first generation of Misha's tone development and have marginally less low-end tightness than the refined Periphery II tones.

Technique

How to Play It

Polyrhythmic riffing over syncopated odd-time — Ragnarok uses riffs where the 7-string's lowest string chugs in a pattern that doesn't align with the drum's time signature, creating the polyrhythmic tension central to progressive metal.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

7-string guitar → Fractal Axe-Fx or high-gain plugin → the polyrhythm requires understanding how your riff pattern aligns (or doesn't align) with the underlying pulse. Practice counting the riff against a metronome in standard 4/4 before applying it over unusual drum patterns.

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