Best DI Marshally Profiles for use with a real cab LOUD?

  • Hello friends, although I've found tons of great profiles for studio use, or use with a real cab at home - appartment volumes, I struggle to find any great marshally (you know any Marshall, Friedman, Metropoulos etc) medium/moderate/hi gain DI profiles to use with a real actual cab in high rehearsal/gig volumes. I'm after the Doug Aldrich / Steve Stevens /Phil X kind of tone.


    I tested many commercial studio/merged/di profiles that sounded great at home, but at high volumes they were really bad!


    Any suggestions of such profiles? Free or commercial I don't care, but I'd like to get feedback from fellows that have tested the profiles in high volumes with real cabs.


    Thank you!

  • I've been using SuckerFreeGear's direct 1977 Marshall JMP 100 watt Mark Cameron Aldrich Mod Kemper Profile for quite a while for my main live rig. Kemper / Camplifier / Marshall 1960A cab. Expensive by comparison to some other profile venders, but still a hell of a lot cheaper than the actual amp! Dig it, well worth it to me!

  • My favorites in this case are the merged ones from Bert Meulendijks "F-man" Pack. There are some highly usable profiles included.

    Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't like his studio profiles (I ve tried the free ones only), they are too "generic" to my taste, "mix ready" but with lack of character and punch I think. Maybe I'm missing something good though, because I see that many folks suggest them.


    For anyone who cares, yesterday at the rehearsal I checked a few direct amp profiles at high volumes with a real cab. I play with a strat with a JB on the bridge, and the Kemper goes through the return of a randall head (solid state) through a randall 4x12 cab with gt75s.


    The best profiles were Suckerfreegears Cameron Aldrich (indeed it is a great DI profile), and Game of Tones' Friedman Butterslax DI profile. Those two were really punchy, with deep and tight low end and clarity.


    Next to these was a free Aldrich di profile from eleveneleven studios, not as good as the first two (a little more muddy and loose) but nice one and free. At low volumes it sounds identical to suckerfreegear's profile, but when loud it's quite different.


    A nice one also was mfolet's free Steve Stevens friedman profile, good and tight but a bit muddy.


    Also tried Mattfig's friedman BE, did't like it very much, more "loose" bass and not so aggresive.


    The worst ones were Top Jimi's Friedman BE and Brown sound merged profiles. Although the respective studio profiles are great and probably my favorites for this marshall / friedman tight gainy aggresiveness, the merged ones were a dissapointment at high volumes.


    Next Tuesday I'll try some more and come with updates if anyone is intrested to the topic. It's easy to find great studio profiles, but for us who prefer real cabs and moving air behind us its a bit more difficult.

  • Thanks for the suggestions! Although after two years of experience I have made the conclusion that kemper isn't good with real cabs in high volumes if you don't use a tube power amp. The lack of power in the notes is always there, and in gig volumes a real tube amp is always better than Kemper with the built-in power amp or other solid state solutions. For recording things are different of course.

  • Little necrobump : I do agree tube amps sound more warm and less digital but I play in a metal band where the other guitarist has a Mesa 2:90 and Engl E530 vs my Kemper KPA over an Engl v30 4x12 and my sound is just as good, tight, warm and even more clear sounding then his setup.

  • Little necrobump : I do agree tube amps sound more warm and less digital but I play in a metal band where the other guitarist has a Mesa 2:90 and Engl E530 vs my Kemper KPA over an Engl v30 4x12 and my sound is just as good, tight, warm and even more clear sounding then his setup.

    Agreed, but Engl E530 isn't a great preamp. The difference will be massive compared to a tube head or a great preamp like E570 combined with the 2:90. It's not about warmth or digital, it's the harmonics and the fatness of the tubes that can't be replaced. I remember that my leads after the 12th fret wouldn't cut for no reason. Always sounded thin and nobody could hear the notes, no matter how loud I was. On the other hand, with the Engl570 and the 2:90 I was playing much quieter and I was being heard. I guess it's just physics.

  • Agreed, but Engl E530 isn't a great preamp...

    That's just your opinion. I think it is a really great and versatile preamp. Especially after changing the tubes to a set from TAD the E530 rocks.


    O.k. for (vintage) clean I prefer my Rocktron ValveSonic Black Plate. But the E530 is a nice sounding tool for sure. My opinion.

  • That's just your opinion. I think it is a really great and versatile preamp. Especially after changing the tubes to a set from TAD the E530 rocks.


    O.k. for (vintage) clean I prefer my Rocktron ValveSonic Black Plate. But the E530 is a nice sounding tool for sure. My opinion.

    Of course it's my opinion. But I've had both the 570 and the 530, and 570 just blows it away. 530 was only good for high gain, nothing else.