System of a Down – Toxicity
The music gear and equipment used by the artists, producers, engineers, and more involved in the making of the 2001 album Toxicity.
Music from Toxicity
Artists on Toxicity
Gear Used On Toxicity
Explore the instruments, equipment, software, and production tools used in the making of System of a Down – Toxicity (2001). Click more on each item to see exactly how it was used.
Guitars used by Daron Malakian on Toxicity
Avg price: $2,582.33
In this photo you can see Daron with a Black Gibson Les Paul during the Toxicity recording sessions.
Avg price: $4,486.59
"Along with the 1962 SG, Malakian also used a Jackson Randy Rhoads Flying V retrofitted with humbuckers and two early Eighties Gibson Korina Flying Vs for distorted tones." - Guitar World.
Amplifiers used by Daron Malakian on Toxicity
Avg price: $2,966.00
In this video recorded by Sylvia Massy, the audio engineer for System Of A Down's first album, a Marshall Plexi 1959SLP can be seen behind him. A drawing made by Sylvia also supports that the Plexi was used on the album.
Additionally, this amplifier was used on Toxicity and Steal This Album (the latter being recorded primarily in the same sessions as Toxicity) according to https://www.mixonline.com/recording/system-down-372602 and this image, where it can be seen: https://images.equipboard.com/uploads/source/image/123293/small_daron_malakian_uses_jeckson_rr1t_with_gibson_pickup_in_bridge_position_1_e83a86a059.jpg
Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier 2-Channel 150W Solo Head
Avg price: $3,149.00
In this snippet from a January 2002 issue of Guitar Player, Daron Malakian describes how he uses a Triple Rectifier both in live performances and in the studio sessions for Toxicity (which also produced Steal This Album). Other sources show that it only has the same amount of knobs present on a 2-channel, confirming that it is a Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier 2-Channel 150W Solo Head.
Studio Equipment used by Daron Malakian on Toxicity
Urei Universal Audio 1176LN 'Blackface' Peak Limiter
Avg price: $2,999.00
In this article detailing the production process for Toxicity (and by proxy Steal This Album, as the songs were tracked alongside Toxicity's tracks), Daron's guitar tone was ran through the Urei Universal Audio 1176LN "Blackface" Peak Limiter:
"Recording Malakian’s guitar tracks was relatively straight-ahead, because he doesn’t like to play through effects pedals. His signal went through a combination of Marshall and Mesa Boogie cabinets and heads. 'The Mesa gave us the teeth, and the Marshall gave us the body,' Schiffman explains. 'The two together made a big, full, nice sound.' He put a 57 and an 87 on each cabinet, taking care that they were phased correctly, and then ran them through a pair of black-faced 1176s."
Bass Guitars used by Shavo Odadjian on Toxicity
Avg price: $2,340.83
In a Gibson interview, Shavo says, "When System of a Down were recording our first record, we went out to buy some equipment. I found this non-reverse body ’66 Thunderbird somewhere in Hollywood. I ended up using it on the entire record. It just felt right. Before that I was using a bass from a different company, and they gave me as many basses as I wanted, in any color I could imagine, but I didn’t like any of them as much as that Thunderbird. Those old Gibsons are the Rolexes and Cadillacs of guitars. They’re all about quality. Just holding that bass made me feel different. You have to fight with it a little to make it your own because it has a heavy headstock that dives to the ground if you let go of the neck. But once I mastered that bass I couldn’t go anywhere else."
This is an inaccuracy, however, as he would start using it during the recording of their second album, Toxicity. He also used it for live shows going forward.
Amplifiers used by Shavo Odadjian on Toxicity
Avg price: $2,372.07
On the right side of this photo, the Ampeg SVT-AV can be seen being used by Shavo Odadjian. This photo comes from the studio sessions which resulted in the albums Toxicity and Steal This Album.
He also used the Ampeg SVT-AV live, as seen in the music video for Chop Suey at 1:28: https://youtu.be/CSvFpBOe8eY
Serj Tankian
Roles:
Microphones used by Serj Tankian on Toxicity
Avg price: $399.00
In the video titled "System of a Down - Making of Toxicity - Behind the Scenes - Early Cut," at the 6:44 mark, Serj Tankian is seen using the Shure SM7A microphone during the recording of the "Toxicity" album. This footage was provided by Wayne Smith on YouTube, showcasing behind-the-scenes moments from the Enhanced CD.