Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

[Alexi7]

Im in the market for a preamp, a local shop has a second hand jmp 1 which costs just under what i can get a new chameleon for, which one would you guys recommend? Fundamentally, my style of music is powermetal mixed in with black metal. Therefore im not looking for a super saturated hi gain sound, but something that's ballsy enough, cause i play in standard tuning. (I dont want to tune lower just to get a heavy sound basically) [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Cheers

[Alexi7]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

...ohh just a bit more info...The preamp will be going thru an Engl 930/60 poweramp...The ideal sound is basically Dissection's sound on Storm of the Light's bane- retrubution, but with less fuzz...Someone on this forum has clips of a modded Jcm 800 (starts off with 'yeah'..into distortion), its the best distortion sound i've ever heard ever, i laugh if that was done in E tuning, i'd give my left ball for that sound.
Cheers


Alen

[horns666]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

Alexi7 I have the JMP-1 since '95 . I run it with a 9200 Monoboc loaded with 5881s ...I also use the JFX-1 processor...for just a smidge of delay.. I enhance the low end a little with a BBE 422 sonic maximizer...which works pretty well with this set up.

The lead tone and feel is my favorite ...very later Criss Oliva like...which who I thought had one of the best lead tones ever....I can't sell this thing ...it's consistanst and never really bummed me out since I had it.

It definitely has that genuine Marshall tone ...that all other preamps just don't have that I heard of ..

The voodoo valve kinda gives their version of a marshall sound...which isn't a bad thing ...it has more a bit gain and a thicker low end....it's also quieter ..

For Black Metal ...I seem to stay pretty content with the JMP-1 ...even over my Uber for certain things ...such as Black Metal riffs ....very articulate for speed picking ...without a hint of flub...which is important to me.

But the JMP-1 is pretty cool but it's tones to be showing it's age in comparison to tones like the modern stuff like that downtuned very obese mucho gain amps..like rectos and whatnot.

My Uber sounds awesome for that 5150 on steroids swedish death metal / thrash tone ...nails arch enemy and then some.

Owning the JMP-1 and still content and playing with John's Voodoovalve for awhile ...I can say I like both preamps.

The voodoo is crunchier/thicker....The JMP-1 has less gain but it lively and more defined....just like a good Marshall.

I think If you heard mine with the band ...I think you'll be sold ...

Get whatever is cheaper and if you have the means ..try them both out...you'll know then.

There is tons of those preamps coming around and you should be able get into one pretty damn cheap..

Happy shoppin'

Of course you could spend a ton a money and buy a set up like John's ...but you'll probably have to sell one of your kidneys on Ebay.. [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[ October 22, 2003, 03:13 AM: Message edited by: horns666 ]

[Alexi7]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

whoa, thanks alot for the help bill. Yeah, im definitely not looking for a flabby sound, and like you said with the speed picking articulation thing, i agree completely...The voodu valve is almost 1000USD here in australia so i wont really bother with that, plus i think it might be too bassy for my liking (My poweramp has a bass boost button)...Have you got any soundclips of your jmp in action? I think neddi used one for the clips on his site, but i think all were solos, no rhythm work, which is kinda what i'd like to hear.
thanks again [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

P.S, funny how the reviews of the jmp on harmony central, go from positive extremes to negative extremes [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[ October 22, 2003, 03:58 AM: Message edited by: Alexi7 ]

[horns666]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

No dude no sound clips ...but I'll be recordind this winter ..I don't know exactly what I'm going to want to use in the studio..whatever sounds best at the time I suppose..

Voodoos are going for a thousand ..where you're at ..WTF???!!! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

How much are the Marshalls..??

Check Ebay ..you should be able to score either of those pretty reasonably..

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

I'd say Bill comparisions on the JMP-1 -vs- Voodu are pretty much right on.

The JMP-1 is considerably more alive sounding with harmonics etc. And the Voodu is more dead sounding more controllable and less harmonics. I suffer the dead and like the Voodu more as the BIG trouble with the JMP-1 is there is a strange solid state hish in the distortion that drives me nuts. I don't truly know how Bill can stand it personally as the JMP is really annoying to me in the high gain modes. But, there are worse things I spose. The Voodu actually has it too if you listen closely. It's these DSP sonic artifacts that are imposed on the sound. I go nuts hearing that noise, and you can't EQ it out either.

You might look at an Engle all tube preamp and slam the front end with an overdrive pedal or EMG PA-2 onboard preamp. That is quite a serious sound. Lots to be said about a real tube signal path in a high quality piece. Low quality tube preamps usually sound like ass though. Pay to play etc...

If you really want one, although the Voodu's list for $800 US retail/new, you should be able to get one easily for $300 ebay.

Check out the Engles. They aren't as brutal off the shelf, but with the right pickups and a little front end boost (PA-2 or Boss Overdrive), they are very serious. They respond more like a true tube amp would to input overdrive.

[pro-fusion]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

I love my Rocktron Chameleon--but then, I like a very heavily driven-but-precise sound, and the Cham is perfect for that. Probably a lot more gain than you would be using.

My setup is kind of strange, though. I run one channel of the Chameleon into my ADA Ampulator power amp/speaker simulator, and from there into my mixing board. The other Chameleon output usually goes to an outboard tuner. The Ampulator adds a lot of low end and 'character' to the sound, but I have to think a Chameleon through a decent tube power amp and a good cabinet would be awesome. Hint--if you are going to go for a Chameleon, you should probably consider getting a used original generation ("blackface") Cham, which has a second EQ section that is apparently really useful in shaping the sound. Mine is a more recent Chameleon 2000 that does not have this feature, but still sounds good. However, I shape a lot of the overall EQ in my setup using the Ampulator's large number of sound-shaping controls.

As for the JMP-1, I haven't tried it, so I can't compare.

But definitely troll for a Chameleon or Voodu Valve on eBay if you want to go Rocktron. You'll save a lot of money that way.

[Lev]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

I really like my Chameleon.. very heavy tone and the built in Hush is amazing, you chug and it instantly cuts off without degrading your sound at all.. the effects are also nice to have, nice delay and chorus for clean sounds or leads.. the EQ's come in handy, its extremely tweakable.. the preset tones aren't too good though, but once you start getting the hand of tweaking, you can get amazing tones out of it. The first 25 presets on mine are my personal presets, and those are the only ones that I use, but they all sound killer [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Dreamland_Rebel]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

with the JMP-1 is there is a strange solid state hish in the distortion that drives me nuts. I don't truly know how Bill can stand it personally as the JMP is really annoying to me in the high gain modes.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">i think the problem there are those 75 watt cabs. they always have that white noise that annoys me.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

Hmm, it keeps coming back to these speakers...

Recto V30 cab... Must have...

[Alexi7]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

thanks alot guys...I've put a deposit down on the Jmp 1, if i end up not liking it in the end ill re-sell it.
Bill im in Australia so rocktron stuff costs a ****load, everything costs a ****load compared to what you guys can get em for.
Cheers [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[horns666]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

Good luck bro ...I'll give you my JMP-1 settings when ya get it ...to get you in the ball park ...very simple to use..

I like white noise and hish ...pretty soon I'll have whoosh with my G major !!!!

I'll have a white whoosing hissing tone ....awesome!!!! [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[raymo]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

Yep the JMP 1 one has got to be the easiest preamp to adjust. Hope you like it when you get it. I had one for about a year or more myself.

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

[img]graemlins/puke.gif[/img] JMP-1

Hehe... Sorry I'm not a fan at all.. Don't they have Engle there cheap? They are at least a real tube preamp... The JMP isn't, the tube does little for the sound, it's mostly diode distortion.

[horns666]

Re: Marshall Jmp-1 or Rocktron Chameleon?

so