Is there a really accurate Mesa Mark 1 profile available?

  • Hey Clown... Rent a Mesa I mean ...

    No way. You mean, I can't rent Carlos???


    ...it seemed so plausible. ; (

    Disclaimer: When I post demo clips for profiles, there will be some minimal post-processing, unless stated otherwise. I normally double-track hard L/R, and add to the main buss a small amount of EQ and a limiter/comp set pretty light as well. Sometimes I get test profiles in advance of release, though 90% of my clips will be from packs I have purchased.

  • There are definitely Mark 1profiles out there as well as Mark 1 mode profiles from other amps like the Triaxis and Mark V. These are available both as free versions on Rig Exchange and from various commercial profilers. Nobody can tell you if there wre any good ones though.


    The problem is that tone is so subjective and one person’s idea of a great tone is another’s idea of hell. I recently did a comparison of 10 different ways to record the same Mesa Mark V:25 tone (real amp, kemper studio, kemper direct +IR, mesa cabclone etc). Although they were all the same reamped take of the same basic sound, each one sounded slightly different but nobody could agree on which one they liked or didn’t like. At the extremes some people thought the mesa cab clone sounded best whereas I thought it was like sticking needles in your ears :)


    Also Carlos’ sound has changed over the years so mainy profiles could be a good Santana tone. On top of that his sound in a mix will be totally different to his sound soloed so when auditioning profiles sometimes something that sounds too bright or thin on its own can be perfect in a mix. There was another post recently where @djemass posted a clip doing a Toto cover. The playing was great and the tone was killer. I went to rig exchange and auditioned his profile. If I hadn’t alrady known how good it sounded in a mix I am sure I would have passed straight over it as way too bright for my taste. However, knowing how goodit sounded in a mix I played with it for a little while. Other than reducing the delay mix a bit I didn’t tweak anything and it is now saved as one of my favourites:-)


    Also, Carlos early stuff wasn’t a Boogie anyway. And much of his later stuff is really a Dumble (or combination of Mark 1and Dumble). Even Carlos doesn’t know what he used or when he started using the Mark 1. There’s a great artice in Vintage Guitar where he says he started using Boogies in 1974. Then a few paragraphs later he says he’s been using the the Boogie that Randy made for him is 1972. Then he says Abraxis was Two Fender Twins which is how he recorded albums back then. Then he says he records really loud using a Mark 1 combined with two Dumbles (an ODS and SSS) mixed together.


    I would look for some great profiles that speak to you without worrying which amp they are.

  • As has been mentioned before, Top Jimi has MkI profiles, but IMHO they don't really provide any super authentic Santana tones, but it's been awhile since I played them and might should revisit them. However Top Jimi has several profile packs that emulate famous recording tones of the past (a Van Halen pack and Boston pack for example), and these are excellent. Maybe he has a Santana pack in the works, or could be encouraged to create one?


    IMHO Top Jimi's more recent profile packs are much better than his earlier ones, especially with the Direct and Merged profiles.


    EDIT: I just checked, and Top Jimi no longer offers the Mk1 profiles (the ones I bought were purchased back in 2015). The Top Jimi item number for the profiles was 70SMESAMKI.

    Edited once, last by MKB ().

  • The particular 'amp' sound is one thing, and a great starting point, 'but' your playing style has (IMHO) a lot to do with achieving the correct sound, regardless of whose sound you are trying to replicate.

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    Hello friends, I'm looking for the sound of Santana or rather, the projection of the amplifier Messa Boggie Mark 1 ...
    I have barely bought the kemper and I have that curiosity ..
    if anyone has it, I can buy it ..
    but it seems that there is nowhere
  • 2 year old thread? meh..

    I have also been on a very long hunt for some solid mk1 profiles. Not a Santana fan. I am looking for the sound that God created, which you can hear on Weezer's blue album. It is not on any other their other 20-ish garbage records. But let's not speak of those.


    The top Jimi profiles are ok. I used one of my big muffs to give the signal a slight boost, and it sort of does the trick for me. But not quite. Gold Lion Studios has some amazing profiles. Seriously, buy the all profiles bundle. You will not regret it. No mk though. There's a mk3 and mk5, and they get me pretty close!


    I have nothing else for you though.


    Please, does anyone know of any others?

  • JinxDefusing Any luck since this post finding a Blue album profile? I've been on the same (relatively unsuccessful) hunt as you. The right Mk1 profile for us just doesn't seem to exist, but I recently picked up a Les Paul Jr with P90s, so I'm feeling motivated to try and nail that tone again.