Marshall JMD:1 series launched at NAMM 2010
By Rob Sandall
| Posted in Music Technology
The Marshall JMD:1 series represents something of a landmark – after all, it’s always significant Marshall deems it to be the right time to release a brand new range. It doesn’t happen often and there is, more often than not, a very good reason for it.
Not since the MG range has the company made a concerted effort to add digital effects to their amplifiers, but the JMD:1 series is a different beast altogether. Combining a digital preamp – modelling technology developed in conjunction with technological wizards SOFTUBE – a classic EL34 power stage and numerous effects, users can expect the best of both vintage and modern worlds. The range comprises the JMD100 (100W head with four EL34 valves), the JMD102 (100W combo, 2×12″ speaker, four valves), the JMD50 (50W head, two valves) and the JMD501 (50W combo, 1×12″ speaker, two valves).
A choice of 16 different preamp variants form your core sound, and then it’s up to you to ‘salt to taste’ with onboard modulation, noise gate, delay and reverb sections. You can store these to one of 28 user presets – the musician in multiple bands can have every one of their setups dialled up within seconds.
As well as connections for your headphones and MP3 players, there’s also an emulated output for recording purposes, and an included six-way footswitch allows you to call up your oft-used tones quickly. As a further move toward modern appointments, Marshall have also blessed the JMD:1 with MIDI switching, allowing remote control and up to 128 extra stored configurations.
Notably, there’s no hint of a digital screen across the breadth of the control panel. Any previous Marshall user will be very much at home here, selecting the preamp first from a wide range of familiar tones – think Plexi, JVM, JCM 800, 50/50 and so on – and working along the row of equally familiar knobs, EQing and adding effects as desired. Even the line out comes equipped with various cab simulations, making even the pickiest sonic architect content.
We suspect that even the most sceptical tone purist may well change their mind when offered so many glorious tones within the confines of a single amplifier. It brings Marshall to a new market, too – the ‘very good reason’ that we mentioned before – and although this will pit them against various modelling veterans, it’s already clear that the JMD:1 series will hold its own.
Tags: Marshall Amplification, Marshall JMD:1, NAMM 2010