Anyone on here use a Markbass EVO1?

[Marc S]

Hi, just thinking about getting one of these heads, and wondering what your thoughts on them are.
Basically, I'm after a head with 2 separately controlled channels. I need one for Bass guitar, and a very different set of EQ settings when switching to upright.

I have a Euphonic Audio Micro amp with just this - but it sounds good with upright (DB or EUB) but even with my Pre-amp / EQ pedal, I'm less happy with my sound on Bass Guitar

Just wondering what bass guitar players think about the amp? I'm sure I can get the EQ I want for upright, using the settings on this amp - as long as I start off with the BG sounds I need
PS. I'm sometimes cramped for space, so want to avoid using too many pedals - hence my attraction to this amp

I've asked a similar question in the Upright players section, and no one on there seems to be using this head. So wondering what Bass Guitar players are out there, who use this head?

Cheers all

Edited September 2, 2019 by Marc S

[la bam]

I had one. Really liked it.

Pretty much any sound you wanted and it was very loud.

You do need to spend lots of time with it though to work out how it works with all those different volumes, gains and outputs.

[Mudpup]

I had one. For a week and then returned it. Sounded great at home with loads of stuff to twiddle with but i used it at a gig at volume and it was just too complicated for me. I couldn't get a core sound from it that i liked quickly even though i thought i had familiarised myself with its operation beforehand.  And i couldn't see the knobs easily on a dark stage which further confused the issue.

[Ba55me15ter]

I have one. Mostly impressed so far, but I haven't gigged it yet. The core tones seem great. I'd have thought it should be perfectly possible to accommodate what you want to do. You can assign any amp model to either channel using the editor and set eq per-channel.  My biggest disappointment with it is the quality of the built-in reverb, but guessing that's not an issue for most.

 

Edited September 6, 2019 by Ba55me15ter

[MoJoKe]

17 hours ago, Mudpup said:

I had one. For a week and then returned it. Sounded great at home with loads of stuff to twiddle with but i used it at a gig at volume and it was just too complicated for me. I couldn't get a core sound from it that i liked quickly even though i thought i had familiarised myself with its operation beforehand.  And i couldn't see the knobs easily on a dark stage which further confused the issue.

Its certainly not an "out of the box, straight onto the stage", head like a Little Mark 3, it is definitely more sophisticated, but not nearly as complicated as a full on conventional modelling pedal/head (Kemper at al), it definitely needs a little time to familiarise at gig volume before use.  It does have "interesting" (the blurb says "authentic" I seem to remember!) gain staging on some of the amp models, which does need getting used to, but it certainly doesn't lack power.  Each channel has its own gain and output level, and there is a master output level.  In addition, if you have the foot switch, you can also engage "boost" then, holy crap, things can get loud! 

5 hours ago, Ba55me15ter said:

My biggest disappointment with it is the quality of the built-in reverb, but guessing that's not an issue for most.

Have you has the chance to fully play with the parameters in the editor?  I've not played much with the reverb, but the other 5 effects are great.

Good to have a Markbass head with a built in compressor (in fact you can put one, foot switchable on/off, with different settings, on each channel)...  In threads where people have previously commented on what they'd most like to see on forthcoming heads, built-in compression is always up there, followed by a mute switch...  The EVO1 has both.

[la bam]

Oh yeh, the compressor I always thought was fantastic. Really balanced the string output with loss in sound or tone.

[Marc S]

Thanks for your thoughts folks  really appreciate you sharing them with me.

i went ahead & ordered one a couple of days back. Guy I know in PMT Cardiff, price matched Andertons.

i had a doubling-up gig on Wednesday. Again I took both heads. The EA is so small, it's great to carry as a spare. I was hoping to get the sound I wanted from DB and BG. Again though, the sound from my P bass was ok.... But not quite what I was after.

So I played upright through my TC head and put my p bass through the house PA, via my MXR preamp, and it sounded ok. But it really hit me that I'd much prefer be more in control of both. Sound guy did a good job - though I had to ask him to tweak the EQ.

Lots of compliments on the sound of the DB, and I have to say, my TC head has been great. I'll be listing it soon though - I'm looking forward to trying out the EVO1 next week. And thanks for warning me that I'll need to spend time with it, getting used to the controls.

These gigs where I'm doubling-up are getting more common-place, and I'm really pleased about that

Cheers all