The Winnipeg Electrical Co Homework Series Metal is a distortion pedal built on the Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal format. Where the original HM-2 is famous for its grinding, edgy "chainsaw" character, this pedal aims at a more polished version of that sound: Guitar Pedal X's reviewer Stefan Karlsson describes it as delivering "thick, extended-range high gain, but its rounded output is less harsh than the HM-2's twin-peak buzzsaw character"1.
It is a limited batch release. When Karlsson reviewed it in February 2024, around 15 units remained, available to order through the Winnipeg Electrical Co Webstore1.
A refined take on the HM-2 format
The Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal was released in 19882. MusicRadar traces its sound to a combination of clipping stages: "A development of the core idea of the DS-1, the HM-2 goes overboard, with soft clipping diodes, hard-clipping and crosso[ver] distortion" producing what players call the chainsaw sound3. Its two-band Color Mix control gave the ability to boost or cut mids using the H (high) control4, and Boss eventually replaced it with the MT-2 Metal Zone, which offers a similar midrange control4.
The Homework Series Metal takes that format in a smoother direction. Karlsson's finding, with every dial maxed out, was that "you end up with a slightly more rounded output", not the typical overtly grinding and edgy HM-2 sound at maxed settings1. He also notes a degree of guitar volume cleanup, so rolling back your guitar's volume knob can take the edge off further when you need to1. A later Guitar Pedal X roundup echoed the same verdict, calling it "a more polished and refined take on that circuit" with extended range and high gain5.
"This one is extended range and high gain for sure - but it's a more polished and refined take on that circuit!"
The controls
The pedal carries six controls, laid out in the table below5.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Sets the overall output level |
| Dry > Wet Blend | Mixes clean signal with the distorted signal, to soften or accentuate the output |
| Distortion | Sets the amount of gain |
| Low | Bass band of the 3-band EQ |
| Mid | Midrange band of the 3-band EQ |
| High | Treble band of the 3-band EQ |
The Dry > Wet Blend is the control that most separates this pedal from a stock HM-2. Karlsson describes it as a way "to further soften or accentuate the output"1: more dry signal rounds the distortion off, while a wetter mix pushes the full HM-2-style character forward. Combined with the 3-band EQ, it gives you more shaping range than the original's two Color Mix bands14.
Place in the HM-2 capsule collection
The Homework Series Metal is the 13th pedal in what Guitar Pedal X calls the official HM-2 capsule collection, a roster of HM-2-format pedals from various makers1. Its enclosure marks it out from the rest: where the other pedals in the collection are mostly black with an orange accent, this one is the inverse, mostly orange with black accents1.
It sits alongside two other Winnipeg Electrical Co pedals in the Homework Series. The Homework Series Blues is a Blues Driver-style overdrive with Volume, Tone, Gain, Low, Mid and a Voicing / Mode switch selecting Fuzz or Normal6; Karlsson rated it "about as close to the prowess of the Keeley Freak Fuzz Modded BD-2 as you can get", with a little more range and granularity7. The Homework Series Fuzz is a Fuzz Factory 7-style circuit with Volume, Stability (Bias / Starve / 9V), Drive, Gate (Threshold), Tone (LPF), Compression and Body controls8.
| Pedal | Format | Controls | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homework Series Metal | HM-2 | Volume, Dry > Wet Blend, Distortion, Low, Mid, High | $199 CAD / $150 USD5 |
| Homework Series Blues | Blues Driver | Volume, Tone, Gain, Low, Mid, Voicing / Mode | $14579 |
| Homework Series Fuzz | Fuzz Factory 7 style | Volume, Stability, Drive, Gate, Tone, Compression, Body | $14510 |
Videos
Winnipeg Electrical Co.
Questions
What does the Dry > Wet Blend knob do?
It mixes your clean, unprocessed guitar signal with the distorted signal. Blending in more dry signal softens the output, while pushing it toward wet accentuates the distortion. Guitar Pedal X's reviewer describes it as a way to further soften or accentuate the output, which is part of what gives this pedal its more rounded character compared with a stock HM-2.
How many bands does the EQ have?
Three: Low, Mid and High. Alongside Volume, Dry > Wet Blend and Distortion controls, the 3-band EQ gives you separate boost or cut over the bass, midrange and treble regions, in the spirit of the original Boss HM-2's Colour Mix controls.
How much does the Winnipeg Electrical Co Homework Series Metal cost?
It was priced at $199 CAD, which Guitar Pedal X's reviewer worked out to around $150 USD, or about £120, at the time of his February 2024 review. A November 2025 Guitar Pedal X roundup still listed it at $199 CAD / $150 USD.
Is the Homework Series Metal a limited release?
Yes. When Guitar Pedal X reviewed it in February 2024 it was part of a limited batch release, with around 15 units remaining at that time, available to order through the Winnipeg Electrical Co Webstore. Anyone wanting one should expect the batch to sell through rather than remain in continuous production.
Sources (10)
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-02-20
- Guitar FX Layouts: Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal Lite, tagboardeffects.blogspot.com (Guitar FX Layouts), 2014-05-02
- The FX files: Boss DS-1, MusicRadar, 2018-11-16
- TONEHOME, TONEHOME
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2025-11-27
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-01-24
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-01-26
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-04-26
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-16
- Guitar Pedal X, Guitar Pedal X, 2024-12-18
