mattthebass Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I'm in need of some advice. I'm looking for a new amp set up at the moment. I've been playing with an EBS TD650 and two Neo-line EBS Cabs, but I've just come off a big tour and I realised that it's just so unnecessary for me to have a big rig like that on big tours, as the amp is only really there for my on stage monitoring! I'm feeding my sound to the front of house straight from a SansAmp BDDI before it even gets to my amp. So basically I'm gonna downsize my rig for something nice, small and portable. I'm considering looking at some of the EBS Neo-Combo's, probably the 1x15 as it will be the lightest, but can anyone make me any other suggestions/recommendations? I'm not a massive fan of the mark bass stuff if I am honest....I know they make nice small and light gear, but I just don't dig it that much. Your thoughts here please!.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 If you're going lightweight then I wouldn't get a combo. They are a heavier lift than the equivalent separates. Also how are you going to do a gig that doesn't have FOH support if you downsize too far? I don’t get to use FOH as often these days, so I use a 500 watt amp and one cab for very small gigs and 2 cabs for all other gigs. If you've just come off a tour you must be rich! In the last 20 years I’ve used Ampeg, Mesa Boogie, Aguilar, Epifani and the best of the lot Bergantino. The Bergs aren't cheap but they easily cover all situations and give me a great sound at all volume levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 [quote name='mattthebass' post='1107112' date='Jan 29 2011, 12:14 PM']I've just come off a big tour and I realised that it's just so unnecessary for me to have a big rig like that on big tours, as the amp is only really there for my on stage monitoring! I'm feeding my sound to the front of house straight from a SansAmp BDDI before it even gets to my amp.[/quote] I dont think many people get this Mart, Im totally in your mindset here. [b]We cant here your amp at the back of the nec![/b] Maybe a bit of colouring as said in the thread about DI from bass or amp. Obviously Im going to suggest Genz and many Ray users seem to favour them too so well worth trying. Genz 6 or 9 with a 1x12 or 1x15 plus a selection of other bigger cabs will cover everything as far as I can see. I wish I had ditched the heavy ones ages ago but like you Im not a massive mark bass fan. BassDirect visit required Mart and +1 for the bergatino cabs here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I`ve had two lightweight amp heads - an Orange Terror, and my current amp, a TC Electronics Classic 450. The Terror was great for all out, old school ballsy rock sounds, but to get a sound through it that I wanted, I had to go through my Sansamp BDDI. The Terror also seems to lack finesse, but to be honest, I don`t think finesse was what Orange had in mind when they thought of it. So I`ve swapped my Terror for the TC, and this little amp can do what then Terror could do, and what the Terror/Sansamp could do, but it does it on its own, no Sansamp needed, plus it can do a whole lot more. It has a great compressor on it, tuner out, tube-tone control, bass, treble, high and low mid eq. Weighs about 4 kg, not much bigger than a telephone directory. Unfortunately, I`ve not gone lightweight with speakers, so can`t offer any advice re these, however at some point, from reading up on here, Barefaced Cabs seem to get very good reviews, so worth checking them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 If it's just a monitor to hear yourself on stage then I think any reasonably powered tiltback combo would suit you or even just a powered PA wedge monitor. Is it only you who needs to hear it or the full band? The MB 2x10 combo I have would suit your needs there, but there's many other makes that do similar designs (such as GK). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichValentine Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Mesa Walkabout Scout... used to have one and loved it. Lightweight and sounds damn good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 The beauty of a separate class D head though is the fact it can do everything a combo can when coupled to a good small cab when used for practice at home or a small venue, just take the head to rehearsal rooms and use the cabs provided (perfect for city hopping public transport types) then with a 4x10 or whatever big cabs you like it will happily do a big venue and in the OP's situation where his rig was just a monitor at venues any bigger it could even be used all the way up to Knebworth if it's all being run back through the monitors! You can't do all that once you lump for a combo, The Genz 1x12 and 1x15 cabs even have the bracket to hold the shuttle heads turning it into a combo if that's it main configuration, whip the 2 pegs out you have a 600w head in your hand, Brilliant! Also the versatility of the separate head means you can use your own gear all the time even at home which makes you more aware of how your stuff works which is very useful, How many people have a big amp/combo they can't use in their house because of upsetting the neighbours then when they get to the gig if the amps not been used for bit struggle to find the setting they like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Hey Matt, how's the tours going - quite a cool set of gigs last year! As for keeping it small, have you tried using a small power amp off the back off your sans amp - like a swr amplite? Or if you are digging the EBS sound, get a microbass2 into an amplite. Keep one of your cabs (they are 4 ohm so you can get the full whack out of the swr), job done. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I do appologise [u]Matt[/u] I was on my ipod before and read your name as martthebass hence my Stingray reference although sooner or later he will be releived of his 30th anni Ray I came to the Jason Mraz gig with Russ a while ago in Birmingham it was a great gig and an unexpected free night out, Thanks! Dont listen to Russ anyway what does he know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 [quote name='RichValentine' post='1107886' date='Jan 30 2011, 09:46 AM']Mesa Walkabout Scout... used to have one and loved it. Lightweight and sounds damn good.[/quote] A fellow BC'r is selling one , checkout the ad . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Tom Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Hi, I've just been doing the same thing with downsizing, although I can't say I've just come off a big tour..... I tried the Markbass stuff, and as you said whilst its a great small setup it just didn't do it for me. I loved the vintage tone knob, but set flat I didn't like the sound whatsoever and didnt want to rely on always having that knob on full. Anyway I tried the TC Electronic stuff and absolutely loved it and have just purchased a RH450 head and a RS210 cab, it is phenomenal. Its stupidly small but it packs so much, and has such a huge range of sounds. I've just replaced a Warwick Xtreme 5.1 500W head, Ashdown 210 and Warwick 115 cabs, with this stuff and I would never go back. Just the 210 has deafening volume and tone, and unlike the Markbass stuff I think its sounds great just set flat, plus you get all the nice things like the built in tuner, tube emulator, amazing spectrum compressor e.t.c. I definitely think you should see if you can have a play with some of the stuff. Anyway thats just my opinion, good look finding that perfect stuff that works for you! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I have a Markbass LM II and find that there is really no Markbass sound- just sounds like my bass with no colouration UNLESS you use the two filters ( I use the EQ Flat ). I find that if using a Sansamp or Bass Pod etc all I need is a power amp so no EQ and straight into the cab. If stage monitors are provided I could do without an amp/ Cab. I also have a Little Giant 1000 which powers two Schroeder cabs for big gigs or I`ll use the Mark Bass with one cab for other gigs- overall a really loud rig just with the one cab- with two its really overkill. The LG 1000 is cheaply made- has a weak pre amp section- but set up properly ( used just for power ) does the job- and it was £249 new!! The Schroeders are pretty unbelievable really- I think Schroeder had some quality issues but I have had no problems- I can carry both cabs into a gig - one in each hand with my bass/ gig bag over my shoulder- so one trip mostly. Gone are the days when -at the end of a gig- I `d be dreading carrying my valve head and 4 X 12 back to the van. With modern modelling technology you simply do not need an SVT with an 8 X 10!! Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 +1 to Bob's comments above, especially about Schroeders, though I use an RH450 now, rather than the Sansamp/LMIII combination I used previously, but that's more about my particular sound requirements and me obsessing even more about minimal kit. The MB head (and I had MB cabs before, too) was excellent, and as Bob says, you just don't need to lug around an SVT/810 anymore (had those, too). You'll note I used the word 'need', rather than 'want' there... In the rehearsal studio the other week, just for fun, we tried turning up the wick on the RH450 with my 1515L (earplugs in, natch), and even though I'm in a rock band with a loud drummer, before I'd got too far round the dial, all you could hear from the drums was the cymbals. I am now forbidden from doing that again on pain of, well, pain. God alone knows how loud your 1212 + 1515 rig'd go, Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Lots of options really. Cabswise one of the cabs from these Barefaced, Schroeder or Bergantino will almost certainly hit the tone thats in your head, or surpass it even. I also think Markbass amps tend to amplify your bass rather than colour it. Largely anyway, certainly not far off a flat eq. The LMII SA450 do have a really nice very subtle warmth, whilst the F1 F500 class D amps are incredibly clean and clear. Anyone preferring the sound of a Markbass amp with the VLE all the way up would do well to buy some flatwound strings and a cab with no tweeter I would think. Not a criticism at all, just that the VLE is a very peculiar tone control, its a fixed dB cut filter, when you turn the knob up you are lowering the start frequency of the filter, at its highest it gives something like -9dB to everything above 200Hz IIRC). The TC head is a superb bit of work too, might be a bit of a space shuttle to you (million and one flashing lights and too much functionality in a tiny box) or you may love having all that processing power. Then there are the Shuttles which are another set of timbres again. The new Mesa gear sounds amazing too. You are really going to have to get yourself off to a place with all this stuff to try for an afternoon. Its all great gear (and thats a tiny subset of what is actually available) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 [quote name='Muzz' post='1111997' date='Feb 2 2011, 08:34 AM']+1 to Bob's comments above, especially about Schroeders, though I use an RH450 now, rather than the Sansamp/LMIII combination I used previously, but that's more about my particular sound requirements and me obsessing even more about minimal kit. The MB head (and I had MB cabs before, too) was excellent, and as Bob says, you just don't need to lug around an SVT/810 anymore (had those, too). You'll note I used the word 'need', rather than 'want' there... In the rehearsal studio the other week, just for fun, we tried turning up the wick on the RH450 with my 1515L (earplugs in, natch), and even though I'm in a rock band with a loud drummer, before I'd got too far round the dial, all you could hear from the drums was the cymbals. I am now forbidden from doing that again on pain of, well, pain. God alone knows how loud your 1212 + 1515 rig'd go, Bob. [/quote] Very Very loud- I like headroom!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benh Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 A big +1 for Barefaced cabs - I run my Compact with a Genz Benz Shuttle 6 and it's the loudest rig I've ever had that retains it's clarity at high volumes. Good range of sounds from the GB too - anything from crisp and clear to warm and a bit fuzzy although if major fuzz is your bag then you'd need a pedal, contrary to what a lot of people say I've never been able to get a massively overdriven sound out of the Genz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan670844 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 [quote name='mattthebass' post='1107112' date='Jan 29 2011, 12:14 PM']I'm in need of some advice. I'm looking for a new amp set up at the moment. I've been playing with an EBS TD650 and two Neo-line EBS Cabs, but I've just come off a big tour and I realised that it's just so unnecessary for me to have a big rig like that on big tours, as the amp is only really there for my on stage monitoring! I'm feeding my sound to the front of house straight from a SansAmp BDDI before it even gets to my amp. So basically I'm gonna downsize my rig for something nice, small and portable. I'm considering looking at some of the EBS Neo-Combo's, probably the 1x15 as it will be the lightest, but can anyone make me any other suggestions/recommendations? I'm not a massive fan of the mark bass stuff if I am honest....I know they make nice small and light gear, but I just don't dig it that much. Your thoughts here please!..............[/quote] Have a look at Eden, their cabs are great for monitoring, one or even two 210 xst's would do the job. They also did a front end monitoring wedge but I am not sure if they still do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noisyjon Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Another big up for Barefaced from me. I run 2 Compacts with a Markbass SA450. It's a very light stack and can really crank it out if need be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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