Marshall JMP 2203

The JMP 2203 was created out of demand for an amp with a master volume, which made it possible to get a distorted sound without the ear-splitting sound pressure levels this caused with a non-master volume amp like the Marshall Plexi. This change expanded the sonic options a lot.

By keeping the preamp gain down and getting most of the distortion from the power amp, you get more of a 1960s Marshall sound. By turning the master volume down and the preamp volume up, you get an edgier and more present distortion. All of this has been modeled with the highest precision in the plug-in.

Producer and engineer Tony Platt, who recorded some of the best Marshall tones ever committed to tape on some of the most rocking albums of all time – AC/DC’s Highway to Hell and Back in Black – masterfully captured the sound of a Marshall 1960B cabinet equipped with Celestion G12-75 speakers to pair with the JMP 2203 amp plug-in.

Platt recorded the cabinet with 5 microphones (2 dynamic, 3 condenser) with the ability to blend 2 together, carefully selected to give a wide variety of tones and positioned to sound fantastic when used in combination with each other. Nothing comes close to the mix-ready magic of these sounds. We built a world-class engineer right into the plug-in.

Open the channel strip to the right of the amplifier head by clicking the aluminum side with the white Channel Strip sticker, and a panel appears with options to help you blend and tweak your sounds until they’re mix-ready.

Use Mic Select to choose microphones for each of the two channels. Four of the microphones were placed close to the 1960B cabinet with G12-75 speakers, and one was used as a room mic. Use Pan to select the channel’s position in the stereo panorama. Activate or deactivate a channel with In. Use Volume fader to set the volume level of the channel.

The Input Gate shuts off the sound when guitar isn’t playing. Lower settings let through more low-level sounds, while higher settings make the gate more discriminating. Mid, High and Low Gain set the boost or cut values of each of the three EQ bands. Mid Freq sets the operating frequency of the Mid band. The Clip Indicator lights up when the output is too loud, and the Master Out turns the overall output level up of down. With all of these options, you can mix your ideal sound right there in the plug-in.

Marshall JMP 2203 comes with modules that are fully integrated into the Amp Room ecosystem and sound exactly the same as the native version of the plug-in. If you already own Amp Room, you definitely need this amp.

Amp Room is the pro audio guitar and bass platform, designed with sound quality as top priority. It’s just like having a real amplifier with a miked up speaker cabinet in a high-end studio – with the added convenience of more options to patch in any kind of studio tool you need anywhere in the chain.

Softube & Marshall: A partnership based on quality sound

Our first-ever prototype was a hardware DSP box running a Marshall amp model and a loudspeaker model. That got the attention of Marshall Amplification and led to a successful long-term partnership. Marshall Cabinet Collection comes with the only software amps and cabs officially licensed and endorsed by Marshall.

Learn more about our partnership with Marshall.