MBritt & Top Jimi

  • Go try the free EVH one....I like it :)


    Interestingly Jake always said he didn't like his sound during that time and I agree it was much thinner than when he played in Badlands ( big Jake fan here BTW).


    Again, no one is knocking the TJ profiles, but this has made me rethink the MBritt ones I have. Things defo change at volume.

    I tried the VH Free one, didn't like it and took it off my toaster. The TJ VH1 is still the best VH1 I have heard yet after trying a few. You need to turn the reverb up and add my tape delay setting (and change the phaser a bit) and when recorded over the guitar-less backing track, you can't tell anythings different except for my playing.

  • If you listen to newer stuff from him like the Crank & Go or the 2020 pack (which I both like very, very much and definitely are the basis for my live setup) you will find more highs/presence in it.

    Sounds like he's doing things more like TJ (more highs and presence)

  • people seem to love treble, presence…

    When I hear people complain about Michael Britt profiles, immediately I suspect that they don’t play live through a nice loud PA because if they did they would find Michaels profiles to be very fitting with the volume up.;)

    When you hear a tone like Jake E lee "rock and roll rebel" or VH "Beautiful girls" they have a lot of crispy top to them. Eric Johnson or Bonamossa tones not so much. I think the Mbritt ones sound great but a bit muffled compared to some TJ ones I have. I'll bet they do sound great through a live P.A with big horns. IMO the biggest difference comes from the cabs. If I play the TJ ones into a regular guitar cab, they are not strident at all and to me sound like a "regular amp" would that I would mic at a show. I can get both in the ballpark of each other with the treble presence knobs although it's easier to "cut" the TJ ones than it is to get some of the Mbritt ones snappy but I am pretty new and haven't tried any of his paid stuff. As I had mentioned before I wish I could just get a few amps rather than a whole pack of things that I won't use.


    Do you have a powered Kemper unit?

  • people seem to love treble, presence…

    When I hear people complain about Michael Britt profiles, immediately I suspect that they don’t play live through a nice loud PA because if they did they would find Michaels profiles to be very fitting with the volume up.;)

    Yes, and am I ever glad I went that way.

  • I'm just wondering why the P.A. system can't reproduce sounds in a mix just like a recording. I mean a recording has bass,drums,keys etc. and so does a live band. I would think if a guitar profile sounded good, it would sound good.

    i “think” there are at least things at play here (although I could be wrong and would appreciate any input from FOH engineers in the group).


    The first is the room acoustics. We tend to listen to recorded music on headphones, HIFi speakers, car stereos etc where the listening environment is relatively controlled. On the other hand live gigs tend to be in much larger rooms/spaces which often have a noticeable reverb all of their own that confuses the sound.


    PA speakers are often designed not to be flat but rather to be loud and to accentuate certain frequencies more than others. PA systems often run at or above threshold of pain particularly for those close to the speakers.


    Recorded music is typically mixed for stereo. Live music almost always sounds better for the majority of the audience in mono. I have been to way too many gigs where FaoH has had guitar panned to one side. In some of those cases I’ve really enjoyed the silent guitarist miming along with the band (at least they might as well have been miming because ai couldn’t hear a note the played all night).

  • Disclaimer: My intention is not to pit profilers against each other. I am just expressing an opinion for the sake of discussion.


    Many people have said they TJ profiles sound "thin compared to MBritt. I have to say, that they are correct but that doesn't necessarily make one better than the other just perhaps for different purposes. IMO, MBritt's sound like they are done with two mics and are real fat and warmer sounding where to me, TJ sound like they are done with a 57 straight up. I think TJ are clearer,sharper more "rock" and to the point and seem like more of the raw element for you to make the way you want where as MBritt seems more packaged ready to go and can be more "violin" if you know what I mean. I think most of the things I have read here by members have been accurate for the most part. I liked the samples and tried the 69 Marhall pack. The sounds there are just what I am looking for.

    I A/B'd the heck out of them both through my Stienberg pre into a class D studio poweramp into Tannoy monitors as well as with powerhead into English and Chinese V30, Lynchback and Old greenbacks. The live (with phone) and studio recordings were some of the best tones that I have ever made. Worked great with any guitar. Now that I have bought a few packs I am understanding some things about getting what you want from a KPA.

    Before I was adamant that the TJ VH1 was the best that I've heard (and you gotta remember I'm a honeymooning noob that has had a KPA for a week) but The MBRitt 69Marshall 50 V3K (Klon) beat it out for VH1 tweeked a bit with the right delay & reverb. Strangely enough that rig also works good for AC/DC stuff! Right now I am trying to build some live performances that can cover the huge range of styles I play. My favorites for rock/blues are The Carr and the /13 profiles that came with the amp and the Hays Champ. ( The Carr amp KILLS with a tele) As well as the Mbritt 69 pack. Once I get a acoustic strumming type profile and a funk disco type sound (pretty easy to get), I'm pretty sure I will have what I need to cover everything with different guitars this way. Morphing, locking and automatic momentary FX switches make this a dream come true. The KPA has made the covid thing a non issue. Even if I could go out and gig, I would rather sit in my studio and play for hours now that I can produce the stellar tones I've always wanted to make but could only get 85% there. I can't wait till I can show off the tones I have live though!

  • yes, every profiler has their own distinctive style and as you said it doesn’t make one better or worse than another- just different.


    as for the acoustic strumming sound, have you tried the acoustic simulator effect yet? That might be just what you need. You should try it withe Stack section turned off and see what you think. General consensus is that it sounds besT with neck single coils or middle position humbuckers. You will find it in the Equaliser effects types.

  • yes, every profiler has their own distinctive style and as you said it doesn’t make one better or worse than another- just different.


    as for the acoustic strumming sound, have you tried the acoustic simulator effect yet? That might be just what you need. You should try it withe Stack section turned off and see what you think. General consensus is that it sounds besT with neck single coils or middle position humbuckers. You will find it in the Equaliser effects types.

    Thank you. Yes I have messed with the simulator a bit. I was watching some MBritt interviews, and he seems like such a likable guy with a great attitude and you can tell a guy that has done a lot of shows by his approach. I saw in one statement where he said he was hypersensitive to thin sounds where as far back as he can remember, he couldn't stand hearing his nice guitar tone sound like mosquitoes in the FOH. And who hasn't been THERE?

    And explains that he's used to three piece (me too) so he needed a fat thick sound. That explains the way the profiles sound because they are NOT "thin" whatsoever, . I'm going to wait to see what it sounds like direct through a big P.A. before I really decide how "thick" I really need. Sometimes thick can =too much bottom end through a P.A. but usually in the Eq-able range.

  • And explains that he's used to three piece (me too) so he needed a fat thick sound.

    I come from the opposite extreme. I’ve played in 8 - 10 piece bands most of my life. The biggest problem for me has always been trying to get a niece sound without taking up too much space which the Hammond and Horns are occupying. However, it is a lot easier to EQ away some excess bottom end or lower mids than it is to put in something that isn’t there in the first place. So I still like the MBritt tones a LOT.

  • I have both a Mission Engineering Gemini 2 cab AND a Victory 2X12 cab loaded with 2 Kemper Kones.


    The Top Jimi Van Halen profiles have always blown me away with how much they sound exactly like Eddie's tone through the Genini 2 (FRFR). Just perfect and definitely not thin.


    But when I play through my Kemper Kones and I have to say MANY profiles sound AMAZING through that, the Top Jimi Van Halens profiles do sound thin and uninspiring. Not the same experience at all.

  • I have both a Mission Engineering Gemini 2 cab AND a Victory 2X12 cab loaded with 2 Kemper Kones.


    The Top Jimi Van Halen profiles have always blown me away with how much they sound exactly like Eddie's tone through the Genini 2 (FRFR). Just perfect and definitely not thin.


    But when I play through my Kemper Kones and I have to say MANY profiles sound AMAZING through that, the Top Jimi Van Halens profiles do sound thin and uninspiring. Not the same experience at all.

    Right now I feel my Kemper sounds best through my Lynchback cab (super close to a vintage greenback) over my V30 cab. I bought a Kemper knowing it excels direct but to me it sounds better through a cab and I am timid about attempting the direct route as I feel I wouldn't be able to monitor what goes out front. Right now I feel safest just micing the cab as I know what's happening there and it sounds fantastic. I know and realize the benefits of going direct (and that is my intention) but sometimes I feel like I don't want to mess with it and just want to stick a mic in front of an amp that sounds great old school. done because in the studio I get mixed results with the same profiles because the cab factor comes in to play. I know people are going to tell me to pick a cab and lock it on all profiles (and that would take some time to figure out) but I know once I get there I'm on easy street!

  • Dynochrome if you are worried about the cab section when going direct and are concerned that finding the right cab portion to lock might be too time consuming I have a couple of ideas.


    First, gave you use IR in the past when recording? If so do you have a go to IR already? If so import that into Rig Manager then us it in your Kemper rigs.


    If you don’t have a favourite IR already create your own IR or Kemper cabinet. That way you would literally just be sticking a mic in front of the cabinet as if you were doing it at a gig, setting up a sound you like and capturing it for future use. You would get your sound but with total consistency and ease of set up at gigs.


    there are two ways to do this. One is make a proper IR using a good quality poweramp and IR maker software. the other option which would give fairly similar results but only requires the Kemper is to make a merged profile yourself. The actual amp you use shouldn’t be that important as you are only after the speaker cabinet part of the profile anyway. Set up an amp and cab and mic it to your liking. Now make a Studio profile (its dead easy and only take a couple of minutes). Next insert a DI box between the amp and speaker and make a profile of the DI signal. Finally perform the merge command which will subtract the amp from the studio portion By comparing the Direct and Studio profiles. This will leave you with a Kemper Cabinet preset of your own speaker cabinet and mic preferences. The whole thing will guarantee you get the sound you want (and would have achieved at a gig) and should take far less time than diving into the rabbit hole of searching for the perfect cabinet or IR.

  • Dynochrome if you are worried about the cab section when going direct and are concerned that finding the right cab portion to lock might be too time consuming I have a couple of ideas.


    First, gave you use IR in the past when recording? If so do you have a go to IR already? If so import that into Rig Manager then us it in your Kemper rigs.


    If you don’t have a favourite IR already create your own IR or Kemper cabinet. That way you would literally just be sticking a mic in front of the cabinet as if you were doing it at a gig, setting up a sound you like and capturing it for future use. You would get your sound but with total consistency and ease of set up at gigs.


    there are two ways to do this. One is make a proper IR using a good quality poweramp and IR maker software. the other option which would give fairly similar results but only requires the Kemper is to make a merged profile yourself. The actual amp you use shouldn’t be that important as you are only after the speaker cabinet part of the profile anyway. Set up an amp and cab and mic it to your liking. Now make a Studio profile (its dead easy and only take a couple of minutes). Next insert a DI box between the amp and speaker and make a profile of the DI signal. Finally perform the merge command which will subtract the amp from the studio portion By comparing the Direct and Studio profiles. This will leave you with a Kemper Cabinet preset of your own speaker cabinet and mic preferences. The whole thing will guarantee you get the sound you want (and would have achieved at a gig) and should take far less time than diving into the rabbit hole of searching for the perfect cabinet or IR.

    Thanks. For me I think I'd be better off finding one I liked. I think a way to make me happy would be to copy a favorite rig in several instances with different cabs, listening out front then choosing one. I like the Idea of locking things. For now I have been putting the FX on just ONE rig in one performance and making that the model. Then locking the modules that are common that I like (Reverb, phaser etc.) so it works for all slots. If I change one , they all change and I don't have to go and edit reverb level in 20 rigs. For "special" FX like a harmonizer,or tremolo that is song specific, I leave that module unlocked so when that slot is pulled up whatever is in the different unlocked module will be there. Very cool and makes for quick "global" editing. Right now I am having such a great time just using a live cab, I don't feel like messing with it, I can't stop playing it! (But I will get there!) I figured I would have to start messing with cabs sooner or later as most see a real benefit going direct. I just wonder how many Kemper users mic a cab and go that way as a personal preference.

  • Thank you guys for this thread! I'm a Kemper player for a few years and still strugglin. Like TS I hear a lot of really great sounding sounds comming out of a Kemper in the TJ of MBritt demo's etc. Also in the more gainy stages pretty open, transparent, difinition. Downloaded a few of them (free packs and some paid packs like the (non purple) Plexi from TJ. When I hear them... mwa... not as great as de demo's. De sound in duff, mashed up, lack of difinition and it's like, I don't know, indirect or something? It sounds from far away. TS discribed is as a blanket over the speaker and that is what I'm hearing. Playing through my bands PA I always thnink, okay, at least this is better as I expected based on my home experience.


    Offcourse I understand volume means a lot in how one does experience sound. But those demo's I listen on the same volume, through the same studio monitors. And in case of TJ profiles I often see a Suhr HSS strat which I have almost the same. So why does this sound so diffrent...?

    I bought a audio interface after 20 years of playing, just to record my Kemper and listen back. Then it sounds better, but still not as good as the demo's.


    I have always been a plug and play guitar player; guitar through a wah pedal into a tube amp, add a delay/reverb and thats it. When I bought the Kemper I was hoping to have some more options with presets of delay's, some chorus effects, different amp models for cleans/crunch/lead sounds and less hassle with pedals, cables, fx loops and stuff like that.

    I recently started a new side project with a rockband and looking for that straight to the bone rocksound that's kicking you in the balls. Did not find it yet...


    For couchsurfing I bought a Boss Waza Air. That Plexi leadsound is killer! Smooth, definition, right amount of gain... It's juist what I'm looking for. Try to find that in my Kemper ever since. De TJ Plexi seems to offer it in demo's, but not in my kemper :(

    EBMM Luke Black Sparkle | EBMM Luke Luke Blue | Gibson Les Paul Standard 2008 | Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster

  • This was my experience as well till I discovered the JP2C by Choptones. Killer tones and the range is quite good.

  • IMO Kemper is not a "plug and play" amp. There is some setting up to get it the way you want as you have obviously seen for yourself. That being said having set up many different rack units Kemper is not hard to do but has so much control you have to know what you are doing with it just like anything else. It's not like soft serve that offers chocolate and vanilla or swirl more like 1,000 flavors you can choose from. For me getting the right profiles and cabs is the key. Right now I am playing through a live cab and working on getting it sounding killer (which it does) so worse case senario I could just mic it and go like I always do live with an amp. My sound is full and rich through a cab-sounds like studio guitar. Speaker choice is important too. My V30 cab that I preferred with my ENGL is not the greatest compared to my Lynchback (basically a greenback voiced) speaker. Once I get that default set, I will begin finding cabs that make it sound out front the way my ears hear my cab. If I can't I still have the mic route. But so far getting great direct sounds are not a problem but I want to get them consistent with the sound I am getting through my cab. I have had some profiles that sounded great through my cab then direct were way different because of the cab that was with them that got "removed" by cab driver in my cabinet. Now I am understanding the importance of cab choice when going direct.It's almost more important than the amp or EQ to maintain consistency. The way I am doing this will get me there I'm sure. I bought 4 packs and sampled lots of "free" stuff before I found a handful of amps that blew me away. I have had MESAS, ENGSL, SPLAWNS, 5150s 70's 80's 90's 2000's marshals (just to name a few) and I realize I am still honeymooning but I believe my KPA is the most toneful, finger sensitive,controllable,harmonically balanced, dynamic amp I have ever played. I haven't logged hours like I do now with this since I don't know when. I just can't stop playing it!!

    I LOVE ENGL amps but you could offer any one in the lineup for a trade for my KPA and I wouldn't do it if I had to use it and not just to sell it.