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Mark bass CMD121p any good?


chrisanthony1211
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I like mine a lot. It's better with the matching NY 1 x 12 extension cab for bigger gigs.

Some folk don't like the tweeter which is fixed on the combo but adjustable on the cab. There's a thread on here about it but it's never bothered me.

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Don't be put off by the tweeter - if you don't like it it's easy to disconnect. I'm a complete novice when it comes to these things and was able to follow the instructions in the thread elsewhere. Simple to disconnect and simple to reconnect should you want to in future. That said it might not bother you. I can't comment on gigability as I haven't used mine in anger yet, but it sounded pretty sweet cranked in the shop.

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[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1417544422' post='2621565']
Lozz gigs one in a 9 peice band & from previous posts has said he has no trouble with volume.
If you're not sure, guess what I have for sale.
[/quote]

Yep, admittedly that band had another bassist as well, so I wasn`t doing all the low end, but there was plenty enough volume available, the band was drums, 2 basses, 3 gtrs, & 2 vox. Never had any trouble being heard, and my bass had the job of locking in with the drums an providing a solid foundation for the rest to work on.

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I have the 121P and use it on its own. I played it in Mr Wolf's in Bristol (if you know the venue, smallish it is) with a rock drummer and guitarist (Pinball from here) at decent, but not overly loud rock music volume and I had the input on 3/10 and the output on 3/10 and all you could hear on stage was the bass. It was plenty loud for me.

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I think it's a great little combo but if you're up against loud drummers and guitarists you might struggle unless you're using the DI into the PA as well.

It's a while since I've tried one back to back with a 102P but I think the 102 would be louder.

Adding the NY121 makes a huge difference, one of my favourite small rigs.

Although it's more money, the Alain Caron combo goes a lot louder than the 121P. Discontinued now but some people (including the shop I work at) we heavily discounting the Alain C earlier this year.

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Excellent on its own and will stand up to an unmiked drummer easily. Adding the NY 121 makes it brilliant and portable.

I did disconnect the tweeter immediately. The extension cab has a tweeter too but this can be turned off.

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I think the 102 is a better bet but I don't think you could do a loud gig
with either...depends on loud, of course.
The ext cab is ok as at least you then have the headroom but it gets lost
on a stage wihen things are cooking so it isn't man enough for that.
But then the whole point of these are that they are light enough to be
able to pack another cab.

Having said that... if I was going to run a 2x112 mini rig, this wouldn't be the
way I'd go.

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[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1417533957' post='2621447']
As the title says, anyone got one of these? I had the CMD102 a while back but moved it on and I'm considering this as a good lightweight option, I'm trying one on Friday but that is not like playing with a full band, does this cut it for live performances in pups or halls?
[/quote]

It is VERY good, but it depends what for.

I have used one many times, as stage monitor. It is a great stage monitor (unless you have a very big stage). If you put it on a stand it will not have much "oomph", but couple it to the floor/wall, and it sounds quite good (to me) and it does the job. I bought it as a solution to hear myself on stage when it was not practical or desirable for me to bring a bigger rig and I still wanted to guarantee I would enjoy playing. It's so portable, I can take it anywhere.

It is not very loud, 'though, if you intend to use it as the sole carrier of bass in a room, unless you're accompanying acoustic instruments or something of that kind. The cab is tiny. Look at that cube, it is small, right? Well, half of it is taken by the amp and there's a void in the back... it's a small small cab. Loud for what it is, but I can't think many gigs you could do with just it.

I have used mine with a variety of extension cabs. The smallest one was a Schroeder mini 10R. Together I have played small pub gigs with full band (drums, three guitars and brass). Not earth shattering, but well capable. The MarkBass extension will probably do a similar job and work well in small bars etc.

I have used my CMD121P alone once outdoors. I had a wall behind me, and we were not being very loud. Drummer played a reduced kit and wasn't been loud, brass was unamplified, a small PA carried vocals, and the guitars ran on three small amplifiers. Our "area" was about 15m x 15m (that's where the people would be watching us). We had a good volume for a street performance, the bass could be heard very clearly, but that's not festival volume.

So, it's pretty versatile.

I used it with a Barefaced Compact cab, and that was pretty cool. Enough for a good size pub and being asked to turn down a bit ;) Again, not earth-shattering, but it definitely had oomph.

I like it. It's a good sounding amp, small, light, portable... I've taken it to festivals, I've taken it to radio shows, I've taken it to street performances, pubs and bigger stages at proper music venues... It works. As a stage monitor, it does a great job unless the stage is bigger than the stages most of us play (not sure where you play, 'though). To carry the room, however... it's a small cabinet with a single 12", bear that in mind and don't expect miracles. However, it sounds better and louder than you'd imagine by looking at its diminutive size.

Edited by mcnach
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[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1417539948' post='2621513']
I'm wondering whether this would would cut it live, bars with a couple of hundred people in? Or whether that would need and extension can, my orange terror combo can gig a pretty big hall at a push, can this?
[/quote]

You'd definitely want an extension cab then.

What kind of band is it?

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Well I tried it in the shop and the bloke let me put it next to my orange terror bass to compare, terror bass was definitely more dirty and full, but the mark bass was very sweet, and volume wise I cranked them both up and again there wasn't much between them, they're similar up to 12 o'clock and then not much extra on either after that, anyway I got the mark bass, I think I will probably get the extension cab at some point in the future, they're not silly money picked up second hand, band camp on Monday for some mark bass funk, let's see how it gets on.

Edited by chrisanthony1211
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[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1417785978' post='2624004']
Well I tried it in the shop and the bloke let me put it next to my orange terror bass to compare, terror bass was definitely more dirty and full, but the mark bass was very sweet, and volume wise I cranked them both up and again there wasn't much between them, they're similar up to 12 o'clock and then much extra on either after that, anyway I got the mark bass, I think I will probably get the extension cab at some point in the future, they're not silly money picked up second hand, band camp on Monday for some mark bass funk, let's see how it gets on.
[/quote]


The MarkBass doesn't really get much louder (if at all) with the volume past 1 o'clock or so, by the way.

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[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1417788310' post='2624037']
The MarkBass doesn't really get much louder (if at all) with the volume past 1 o'clock or so, by the way.
[/quote]

Woah, eardrum alert! I never had mine on more than 10 0`clock - with gain set to just clip on the very loudest notes.

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[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1417789298' post='2624051']


Woah, eardrum alert! I never had mine on more than 10 0`clock - with gain set to just clip on the very loudest notes.
[/quote]

I've owned a whole load of amps in my time, and I can't think of any that do, I think it's something to do with the fact that the louder you get, the more watts you need to increase the volume, and any increase is less noticeable anyway!

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[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1417789298' post='2624051']
Woah, eardrum alert! I never had mine on more than 10 0`clock - with gain set to just clip on the very loudest notes.
[/quote]

I guess my band is louder than yours naa naa naa naa naaah :lol: :P

It won't sound THAT loud 10-20 metres away. That little amp is great, but is not a wizard that can bend the laws of physics ;)

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[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1417785978' post='2624004']
Well I tried it in the shop and the bloke let me put it next to my orange terror bass to compare, terror bass was definitely more dirty and full, but the mark bass was very sweet, and volume wise I cranked them both up and again there wasn't much between them, they're similar up to 12 o'clock and then not much extra on either after that, anyway I got the mark bass, I think I will probably get the extension cab at some point in the future, they're not silly money picked up second hand, band camp on Monday for some mark bass funk, let's see how it gets on.
[/quote]

A very good choice for portability and it's very capable for gigs in small pubs. I had one for a few years and loved it. I still regret selling but at the time I owned a LMII and a barefaced midget so i thought I was covering the same ground twice. The Midget was louder and fuller than the CMD121P.

I know you like AER and my AER amp two is way louder, deeper and clearer than the Markbass combo, it fact, it's superior in every way - except weight and size. :mellow:

Frank.

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[quote name='machinehead' timestamp='1417793604' post='2624104']


A very good choice for portability and it's very capable for gigs in small pubs. I had one for a few years and loved it. I still regret selling but at the time I owned a LMII and a barefaced midget so i thought I was covering the same ground twice. The Midget was louder and fuller than the CMD121P.

I know you like AER and my AER amp two is way louder, deeper and clearer than the Markbass combo, it fact, it's superior in every way - except weight and size. :mellow:

Frank.
[/quote]

It's weight and size that did it for me, I don't like unnecessary power and size, I'm hoping that This will do the job for practise and venues with a PA, and will get the extension cabinet for those occasions where no pa and its too leage for the Markbass to carry the low end by its self, I love AER, and two would be beaut if it was 20lb lighter! I think I'm actually just addicted to buying new gear!

Edited by chrisanthony1211
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[quote name='chrisanthony1211' timestamp='1417815910' post='2624364']
I love AER, and two would be beaut if it was 20lb lighter! I think I'm actually just addicted to buying new gear!
[/quote]

I know how you feel. I'm lusting after an AER amp three now. :D

Actually, a Markbass CMD121P and NY extension cab makes perfect sense to me. The best of all worlds for the weekend warrior bassist. (Like me)

Frank.

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