Markbass disappointment..............ok, but not great.

[JTUK]

My point being that despite all, markbass is decent quality

[Telebass]

[quote name='EmmettC' timestamp='1340960318' post='1711967']
Funnily the guitarist in the band, and the sound engineer both really liked it, I guess it's a personal taste thing too, but perhaps they heard something I didn't........damn those 10 foot leads
[/quote]
Now,[i] there's[/i] a reason to get a radio rig.

[bigbottomend]

Personally i believe that markbass are the worst sounding amps that i've ever used. "uncoloured" WTF then why has my bass sounded similar through other makes of amp until i plug it into one of those stryper amps. 20 years of playing a Precision through so many different amps that i can care to remember and many have varied in tone, but not to that low mid honk extent that a markbass makes.

Amp discussions are always going to be down to personal taste but i'd take most other amps on the market befored id ever buy a markbass.

[zero9]

It's all about personal preference. My ears are different to someone else's.

I tend to set everything 'flat' on the amp and then listen to what it sounds like. If (IMO) the resulting sound is crap, I won't bother with that particular set-up, as no amount of 'tweaking' will make it sound much better.

[Wolverinebass]

I thought Markbass amps were somewhat souless. Just my thought on it. As for the cabs. Hmmm. I wanted something small and light as I'm only 5foot9 and about 9 stone. This I feel is "how they get you." I should have followed my instincts and got some new Trace Elliot cabs instead which although heavier, would have been cheaper. I'm still in two minds as to whether to flog them.

My reasons are simple. I've wrestled for months with trying to find a setting that would allow those damn piezo tweeters not to tear my face off at high volumes. If some of you think that they're harsh with a 4 string, try playing it with a 12 or an 8. In the end, I've turned them off. Even with them off the insane amount of attack noise you get from the speakers is quite remarkable and I think possibly an acquired taste. At low volumes they sound much more "buttery" which depending on your viewpoint is a good or a bad thing. However, the voicing of them is a problem. I feel that there is a distinct 200Hz wodge there which I don't like as I feel that this portion of sound is just "flab." Also seemingly everything between 300 and 800Hz seems somewhat muffled. I've tried this with different basses/amps and settings. I can get rid of it, but I'd rather have the sound out of my cab being a bit closer to what goes in.

Anyone who says that the MB cabs produce a "DI like" sound is deluded. It doesn't sound anything like it. At more than £550 a pop for even the cheapest cabs I think they're not worth it.

[Musicman20]

[quote name='zero9' timestamp='1341235067' post='1715468']
It's all about personal preference. My ears are different to someone else's.

I tend to set everything 'flat' on the amp and then listen to what it sounds like. If (IMO) the resulting sound is crap, I won't bother with that particular set-up, as no amount of 'tweaking' will make it sound much better.
[/quote]

This whole modern requirement of a flat EQ to sound great is crazy. You might well be missing out on a fantastic amp which needs a small tweak. Also, not all amps at their 'flat' setting are actually flat.

Don't get me wrong, it's easy when it's good at 12 o'clock, but the EQ is there for a reason.

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1341259932' post='1716084']
This whole modern requirement of a flat EQ to sound great is crazy. You might well be missing out on a fantastic amp which needs a small tweak. Also, not all amps at their 'flat' setting are actually flat.

Don't get me wrong, it's easy when it's good at 12 o'clock, but the EQ is there for a reason.
[/quote]

True - when at home I play with it mostly flat, bass cut though to stop the house rumbling haha, at a gig or rehearsals I EQ the crap out of the head so I can hear myself with out being ridiculously loud, but it depends on the gig.

I like the way me and the bass sound through a DI so and for me MArkbass heads at least give me that sound out front through the speakers and through the onboard DI.

I never used to fancy the cabs but since I've got two 2x10's andstacked vertically it's a gigging monster.

I keep wanting to upsize the head tot he TA501 which has a more comprehensive EQ and will allow better cut of the boom in almost every room I am in with this setup.

[chrismuzz]

I keep the EQ more or less flat on mine, and use the VLE/VPF filters to shape the sound. Before i had outboard effects and stuff I used to turn the VPF up past halfway to scoop out a lot of the sometimes unpleasant honky mids, and then turn the VLE up to about 9 o clock so that the attack and high end arent overly aggressive.

[peteb]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1341259932' post='1716084']
This whole modern requirement of a flat EQ to sound great is crazy. You might well be missing out on a fantastic amp which needs a small tweak. Also, not all amps at their 'flat' setting are actually flat.

Don't get me wrong, it's easy when it's good at 12 o'clock, but the EQ is there for a reason.
[/quote]

Plus 1

FWIW – when I was originally looking for a lightweight amp and first tried out some Mark Bass amps in a shop I was pretty underwhelmed! However, a couple of mates of mine were using MB stuff and I had to admit that they worked well with a band live, so eventually I bought one.

I’ve tried out most of the lightweight amps around and there are not many that I rate, but the LM3 has a certain warmth, plenty of power and it just works live (including at higher volumes) unlike Genz Benz, etc (IMO). It isn’t a simple plug & play amp and you do need to play about with the filters to get the best out of it, but there is a decent sound in there if you persevere! Like most people, I must say that I’m not at all keen on the cabs.

If I had to choose, I would still have to say that I prefer my Boogie mpulse, but these days I find myself taking out the LM3 more often than not!

We used it at my wedding party a few months as the house bass amp with five (rock) bands using it. Everyone who played thru it [b]and[/b] the sound engineer remarked on how good it sounded. I know that one of the guys who played that night is now thinking of getting one….!

Edited July 2, 2012 by peteb

[chrismuzz]

The DI's on them are brilliant. Sound engineers love them!

I must admit, Markbass amps aren't the easiest to dial a good tone in with SOME basses. But they're the easiest to get a nice sound in the mix, and be able to cut through nicely with. If you're not opposed to a bit of twiddling you'll be in love!

[VTypeV4]

I've tried MarkBass stuff a few times, largely just in the shop when I've been having a go of a new bass. Only used it live once. The tmes in the shop were the single channel 2x10 combo and the isolated live event was the dual EQ channel 550w head with two 4x6" cabs.

These are my observations:

Plenty of horsepower
Very powerful VLE and VLF controls for overall 'character' changes
EQ was more for 'tweaks' than big changes

I found them quite useable and it quite easy to get an approximation of my sound but they just seemed to lack 'that certain something'. This might sound a bit odd but the closest thing I could compare my experiences to were with Hartke equipment, again nothing really 'wrong' just not quite me.

I guess I'm still sold on big glass bottles, heavy transformers and all that valve-like goodness. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against these modern high power switch-mode or class D or whatever amplifiers but I just can't to seem to get on with them.

I think it comes back to what we expect from an amp/speaker combination, some (like me) expect the amp to add a little something whilst others do not.

Trial and error goes a long way to finding the ideal setup for the individual irrespective of maker/origin/power/class/topology etc.

To the O/P why not continue to use the EBS head but wth a smaller cab maybe 1x12" or two 1x10" for example?

[VTypeV4]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1341268467' post='1716313']
[i][b]The DI's on them are brilliant. Sound engineers love them![/b][/i]

I must admit, Markbass amps aren't the easiest to dial a good tone in with SOME basses. But they're the easiest to get a nice sound in the mix, and be able to cut through nicely with. If you're not opposed to a bit of twiddling you'll be in love!
[/quote]

Lots of guys come through with MarkBass and the DI out is fine however it's down to the individuals sound. I always find a compressor helps bass fit in the mix irrespective of how 'good' a DI out is..

[HADGE]

[i]i got to say im suprised at the amount of people who dont get on with markbass gear i play in a rock band with guitarist who have more marshall cabs than you can wave a stick at and a drummer who thinks hes building a king sized shed and use a markbass 2x10 combo and myself and all the band love it if we do big gigs i stick my markbass 151hf cab with it and got to say its sounds awsom/ I was using ampeg before my markbass and still love my ampeg gear also i have a peavey combo and a ashdown combo i use a fender presicion a musicman and a warwick and get a great sound with all of them but must agree you have to get use to the markbass keep playing around with the knobs and see how you get use to it.Anyway everyone to there own hope you all get sorted.[/i]

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='VTypeV4' timestamp='1341271329' post='1716345']
Lots of guys come through with MarkBass and the DI out is fine however it's down to the individuals sound. I always find a compressor helps bass fit in the mix irrespective of how 'good' a DI out is..
[/quote]

I always have between one and four types of compression in my signal chain before it even gets to the amp

[discreet]

OK, once more - if you don't know how to use the VLE and VPF filters, then you are wasting your time with a Markbass amp. I thought twice about putting my LM250 up for sale today because of this thread, but I posted it at noon and it is now **SOLD**. What does that tell you? [i]Quality always sells[/i], as they say on [i]Flog It![/i]

Edited July 3, 2012 by discreet

[The Dark Lord]

Another attempt to say that it is us that are at fault, and not the amp? Maybe we're not clever enough to figure out how to use them? These Mark Bass likers must be more intelligent than me.

[dave_bass5]

There have been many, many posts (mainly on TB) over the years where people haven't figured out the two filters are off when turned all the way to the left. They sit down in the shop, put everything at 12 o'clock thinking that flat and wonder why it sounds strange.

[chrismuzz]

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1341304044' post='1716500']
Another attempt to say that it is us that are at fault, and not the amp? Maybe we're not clever enough to figure out how to use them? These Mark Bass likers must be more intelligent than me.
[/quote]

Not at all, it's definitely been easier for me to get a tone I liked much easier with a lot of cheaper amps that I've tried. Where Markbass stuff really shines is at gigging volumes, in a band mix though!

...If you know how to use it

(Not taking the piss, honest! But the following is something that so so many players have not realised at first.. Including myself!)


[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1341304720' post='1716518']
There have been many, many posts (mainly on TB) over the years where people haven't figured out the two filters are off when turned all the way to the left. They sit down in the shop, put everything at 12 o'clock thinking that flat and wonder why it sounds strange.
[/quote]

I'm very surprised to hear you didn't get a tone you liked with your awesome USA Fenders! If you already used the filters correctly then Markbass amps really must not be your thing!

[chris_b]

I got a great sound out of my LM2 with the filters turned off, everything else at 12 o'clock and the bass and low mid boosted at about 1 o'clock.

[discreet]

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1341304044' post='1716500']
Another attempt to say that it is us that are at fault, and not the amp?[/quote]

Yes. Yes, it is. Seriously though, you could have asked, 'If you're such a Markbass liker, why have you sold your amp?' ...To which the answer is, 'because the filters are all I'm interested in - that's where [i]my[/i] "Markbass" sound comes from.' So I'm buying one of these:

Edited July 20, 2012 by discreet

[dave_bass5]

Reading a lot of MB owner posts i get the impression that a majority of us really only need the filters. Ive always run my heads flat and tweaked the filters to suit.

As someone said earlier, the EQ is there more to tidy things up rather than to drastically change the tone.

I do sort of find the MB tone a bit bland, lacking a bit of life, but its garbage in, garbage out IMO. Having tried to get way from MB last year i found that MB gave a truer impression of how my basses sound when DI'd in to my PC at home. Im not sure thats the best test but it did show that the heads aren't really adding much to the basic tone.

[fluffo]

I have been through every mark cab around from the fist 6 x10 that was brilliant the newyork stuff don't work in a band suituation as well as the 15's and 2 x 10's.
Now all I use is the traveler a 2 x 10 and the F1 head that is the only mark rig that takes care of business for me.
They take a lot of gettoing to know ie with VPF and the VLE functions and you often have to really tweak depending on the venue.
I used it in a rehersal room last week it sounded bad then I tried the next room along and it was excellent.
If you want plug in and go hifi sound the only option is EBS hd350 with a ebs cab.
It's themark cabs that can play tricks rather than the heads.

[The Dark Lord]

[quote name='fluffo' timestamp='1341308655' post='1716608']

If you want plug in and go hifi sound the [u][color=#ff0000]only [/color][/u]option is EBS hd350 with a ebs cab.

[/quote]

Bluff. As soon as you plug into an [b]AER Amp One[/b], you'll wonder why you've been plugging into anything else all these years.

[Opticaleye]

[quote name='The Dark Lord' timestamp='1341310917' post='1716647']
Bluff. As soon as you plug into an [b]AER Amp One[/b], you'll wonder why you've been plugging into anything else all these years.
[/quote]

Tried one of those - bought a Markbass Minimark instead. Bass Guitar Magazine did a head to head as I recall as well. The Minimark came out well if I remember correctly.

Having said that I prefer the minimark with my DHA VT1 tube pedal before it to lessen the hi-fi ness

[zero9]

[quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1341259932' post='1716084']
This whole modern requirement of a flat EQ to sound great is crazy. You might well be missing out on a fantastic amp which needs a small tweak. Also, not all amps at their 'flat' setting are actually flat.

Don't get me wrong, it's easy when it's good at 12 o'clock, but the EQ is there for a reason.
[/quote]

Fair point. What I was getting at that if the 'basic' sound isn't right (to muddy, middy, bright, boomy or whatever), then there is something fundamentally wrong (or not right to the listener's ear either due to amp characteristics / speaker response / room ambience or a combination of the three). The EQ shouldn't be there for problem solving (unless perhaps your 'cutting' to stop boominess), but rather to enhance / emphasise the sound. If you're having to 'EQ the crap out of it' then this is something outside 'normal' operating parameters or you're trying to play 'Moondance'