MBritt & Top Jimi

  • About 6 days into the KPA and I'm really staring to understand most of the features (performances, rig manager,morphing,locking etc.) I wanted to ask opinions on something I'm sure has been covered, but I want to check my own perception against others. Live, I don't make music for me, I make it to entertain people so my opinion is second when it comes to sound.


    I Have some TJ profiles I paid for Brown sound & Jackson/Gilbert Marshall that when you hear them on Utube they sound great. They sound great in person too. Then if I switch back to say a MB Marshall or Friedman it's like a blanket is over the speakers. After my ears get used to it a bit and I add a little top end it's great again and the tones are juicy & killer. Then if I switch back to VH1 or Jackson Marshall it seems like the bottom is gone and much clearer and brighter tighter and singing upper mids. To remedy this it seems like I have to add bottom to TJ profiles and add top to MB Marshall/Friedman variants to get them to where it doesn't totally make you cock your head while your ears get acclimated. This is what's bad about choices for me, I'm sure going between the two sound types live would be a mistake as it would confuse ears so I feel I need to pick either or. I'm just guessing one type would be better through a loud P.A with HF horns and full range speakers. I love them both once you're on them for a while and both have great qualities but switching between them is such a huge difference , one's not "better" than the other, just very different too different IMO. I'm wanting to start building some live performances have recorded both a lot, and just can't make up my mind what to use as a base platform that won't confuse ears.

  • Use both and settle to the same cabinet for both, the cab section has all the mic and recording properties that have an effect on the main EQ differences you are hearing. Try both sets and try to find a cabinet between them that works great for both, EQing will be more consistent, and the nuances of the amps will be respected. That is what I would do.

    The answer is 42

  • Thanks. Do you do that by locking the cab module? In 6 days I have learned a ton of neat things to do but haven't swapped cabs yet. I'm guessing locking the cab would be the answer to this.

  • I'm guessing locking the cab would be the answer to this.

    That's definitely one possible way. Yes.


    Personally I do not mix profiles from different commercial profilers too much in my live setup as they all have indeed different sonic vibe behind it (as you well described it above). For the sake of consistency for the sound guys I typically use only a reduced set of profiles from MBritt live. Keeps it easy and the sounds are way good enough for live use. Different thing in the studio work where I'm happy to use different sources but in the post processing it is way easier to align them. Just my 2 cents, probably totally different with others who use bigger amount of profiles live as well 8)

  • I think I will find out that I agree with you and one or the other will become wasted money live use wise. Not that much though, both TJ packs I bought were less than a meal for 2 or a few beers so just trying them out and having fun with them is well worth that. I play a huge variety and now the hard part is deciding what Mbritt pack to buy. From the free pack I love the four holers and Freidman and don't know if I would be happy with the seemingly versatile 69 pack (samples sounded great), 2020 pack or other. I was exited getting the Jackson/Gilbert amp for less than a tank of gas in a peanut car. I knew of that amp and would have paid you $100.00 to get to jam on it and now I own it!

  • Thanks. Do you do that by locking the cab module? In 6 days I have learned a ton of neat things to do but haven't swapped cabs yet. I'm guessing locking the cab would be the answer to this.

    Locking the cab will work, so when you change the profiles you will be able to scroll with the same recording characteristics.


    If you decide to do a performace, record each performance slot with the same cab, and tweak to make them sound properly together. As a side note, always eq on full band volume, so you distinguish the real impact of the adjustments. I do mix different author profiles a lot when recording, but for the sake of keeping the same characteristics, I change the amp and tweak effects, but keep the cab, that makes me work less when applying EQ, and finally I sound more consistent, even if I go from fender cleans to dumble drives to marshall high gain.

    The answer is 42

  • Locking the cab will work, so when you change the profiles you will be able to scroll with the same recording characteristics.


    If you decide to do a performace, record each performance slot with the same cab, and tweak to make them sound properly together. As a side note, always eq on full band volume, so you distinguish the real impact of the adjustments. I do mix different author profiles a lot when recording, but for the sake of keeping the same characteristics, I change the amp and tweak effects, but keep the cab, that makes me work less when applying EQ, and finally I sound more consistent, even if I go from fender cleans to dumble drives to marshall high gain.

    Absolutely. I have been playing live for nearly 5 decades (not with presets tho) and the one thing I know for sure is the presets you do in your studio and think are the perfect level & EQ will be no where close to where they will need to be with a drummer bass player,keyboardist and singer with them live on stage. You will always want to mix clean levels higher than they should be . Ask an experienced soundman used to mixing 4 bands a night, and he will tell you most "kids" will have their clean sounds way to high and when they switch to overdrive it sounds wimpy. I have vast experience with this and know clean sounds compress differently and cut through more so they need to be where you think they are too low to be perfect live. When setting up clean/dirty I know to set the clean to where you go "it's too low" at home to plug in and have the soundman go "your clean dirty levels are great." Thank you for that cab suggestion I wouldn't have thought of that but makes a lot of sense.

  • Just to go back to your original post, the difference between TJ and MBritt is that the TJ sounds are made to sound like the guitar sound on the records; typically high and low pass filtered to some degree, yet bright. MBritt on the other hand tailors his profiles to work in a live setting at volume, where excessive high end can be really unpleasant. Two different methods for two different scenarios. Like others have written in this thread, I tend not to mix different profile vendors in my live performance Rigs and my preference is also MBritt for live these days.

  • I didn't know that. I've never heard either one of them say or have read on their websites that Mbritt profiles are for live and TJ are for studio. But I agree that could be the case, but I'm pretty new at this and have lots of set up time ahead of me. Last night I was recording with the TJ VH1 profile and I have to say it is as close to perfect as I have seen. I added a tape delay and turned the reverb up and it was THERE! Then I switched to MB 70's Marshall dialed the gain back and it was awesome too for other stuff!Sometimes when I am recording with miced guitars and some bleed, the guitar sounds great going in but I'm disappointment in the playback. With the Kemper, it's the opposite. Sometimes I think the guitar is a bit toppy or gritty or something but mixed with everything on playback it's awesome. Much better this way. It's so simple to get killer sounds on tape it almost feels like cheating. I'm not used to just turning things on and having the recorded sound right there. Lets you make music instead of tearing your hair out placing mics. And to think I was just going to buy some new mics and preamps to record guitars better (although I have some decent stuff now) So glad I didn't. What a waste that would have been. I can see how a Kemper could make someone go on a selling spree!

  • Use both and settle to the same cabinet for both, the cab section has all the mic and recording properties that have an effect on the main EQ differences you are hearing. Try both sets and try to find a cabinet between them that works great for both, EQing will be more consistent, and the nuances of the amps will be respected. That is what I would do.

    I realized last night that the cab had nothing to do with it as I was using merged profiles through a guitar cab. The cabinets are removed in that scenario. The idea behind merged profiles is very smart.

    Most of the issues I was solving with a movement of the EQ stack. Before I bought a Kemper I had read some people thought the EQ section didn't really work like a real amp and were complaining about it but I think it is one of the most powerful amp EQs I have used. The freq always seems to be in a good place and doesn't take extreme moves to produce the results you need. I love my Kemper. When I first got it I played for 14 hours straight. My finger tips haven't hurt like that since I was 17!

  • I realized last night that the cab had nothing to do with it as I was using merged profiles through a guitar cab. The cabinets are removed in that scenario. The idea behind merged profiles is very smart.

    Most of the issues I was solving with a movement of the EQ stack. Before I bought a Kemper I had read some people thought the EQ section didn't really work like a real amp and were complaining about it but I think it is one of the most powerful amp EQs I have used. The freq always seems to be in a good place and doesn't take extreme moves to produce the results you need. I love my Kemper. When I first got it I played for 14 hours straight. My finger tips haven't hurt like that since I was 17!

    Its good to hear, if you are using a real cab, then the best thing you can do is putting a graphic eq on the X slot of the kemper, adjust some mid high frequencies and lock the effect so you even the recording nuances (High end between the Top jimmy and M britt profiles), now try and change the normal EQ (that I do too think is wonderfully implemented) to taste and you should be golden. I like this aproach rather than using the presence in the main eq block, so you hava a more even starting point.


    Enjoy and hopefully some of the concerns are solved.

    The answer is 42

  • Really interesting post...


    I think too much variation is defo counterproductive. You are right about your ears ( and therefore your audience) having to adjust. I think I might be guilty of this...


    BTW I do use TJ profiles live and really like them but its probably more to do with mixing them is less than ideal.


    I haven;t really got into Mbritt profiles ( I know, I've only had the KPA 6 years!) but keep meaning to.

  • I haven;t really got into Mbritt profiles ( I know, I've only had the KPA 6 years!) but keep meaning to.

    I've had mine for 6 DAYS and have tried hundreds! In my newbie opinion, I think his are solid and sound authentic. I think they would be great live as they are not real toppy and that usually works well with massive full range systems with powerful horns and a soundperson that's not going to spend a ton of time EQ ing you on the board.

  • I've had mine for 6 DAYS and have tried hundreds! In my newbie opinion, I think his are solid and sound authentic. I think they would be great live as they are not real toppy and that usually works well with massive full range systems with powerful horns and a soundperson that's not going to spend a ton of time EQ ing you on the board.

    Yeah I've tried hundreds over the years which included MBritt but I brushed past them. I don't get eq'ed much so I think my live sound should be ok, but there is always better out there :).

  • My favorites are the MBritt 79 marshall the TJ 1984 & VH1. The Jackson Marshall are similar to Brown pack in a way & actually better through a real cab. Also the Hays 67 champ is great- crank it up just a tad and add spring reverb!

    I pulled up running with the devil backing track and played the VH1 profile on it with the reverb up a bit and my tape delay preset. It was so perfect at times I had to stop to see if the original guitar sound came in! It didn't it was just the profile! It was so exact it felt like someone else was playing it through my body. Weird almost..But awesome. I have few wants now. I finally played through Eddies rig and know what it would be like to have that sound at my fingertips!