Found my sound

[bassbiscuits]

I’ve finally found my perfect bass sound over this weekend’s gigs. (There is a caveat here - I’m not in the position to own/transport anything like an Ampeg SVT, so while I adore their sound and character they aren’t a practical consideration for me.)

 

Having recently swapped back to La Bella flats on my 1970 P bass and my 2013 Mustang bass, I also experimented this weekend with two old Markbass Standard 2x10 cabs stacked (the front ported ones). Running thru a Cali76 compact bass compressor into an old Little Mark 2 head. 
 

The result felt like someone was punching me in the back all evening onstage. Lots of thump, smoothness and power. I’ll probably change my mind again in due course, but for this moment in time, I have found my bass nirvana. 

 

 

[Rayman]

NICE setup

[Lozz196]

Congrats, Fender & Markbass are a very good pairing imo

[BassAdder60]

1 hour ago, bassbiscuits said:

I’ve finally found my perfect bass sound over this weekend’s gigs. (There is a caveat here - I’m not in the position to own/transport anything like an Ampeg SVT, so while I adore their sound and character they aren’t a practical consideration for me.)

 

Having recently swapped back to La Bella flats on my 1970 P bass and my 2013 Mustang bass, I also experimented this weekend with two old Markbass Standard 2x10 cabs stacked (the front ported ones). Running thru a Cali76 compact bass compressor into an old Little Mark 2 head. 
 

The result felt like someone was punching me in the back all evening onstage. Lots of thump, smoothness and power. I’ll probably change my mind again in due course, but for this moment in time, I have found my bass nirvana. 

 

 

Looks good too 👍

[bassbiscuits]

12 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Congrats, Fender & Markbass are a very good pairing imo

I reckon so. Though I also used an oldish (I assume) Ashdown Evo 300w head in a rehearsal room this week and it was seriously good too! Opposite end of the scale tonally to Markbass I suppose, with the valve drive and the warm organic sound but equally lovely. 

Edited May 21, 2023 by bassbiscuits

[Reggaebass]

Nice setup ☝️, I used markbass amps and cabs for years and loved it, I also found Ashdown heads work well with MB cabs , my last markbass amp just stopped working so I switched to Ampeg ,and now use 

71 precision 

Ampeg V4-B

Big baby ll 

[bassbiscuits]

29 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Nice setup ☝️, I used markbass amps and cabs for years and loved it, I also found Ashdown heads work well with MB cabs , my last markbass amp just stopped working so I switched to Ampeg ,and now use 

71 precision 

Ampeg V4-B

Big baby ll 

Bet that sounds ace. I’ve been listing after a V4-B but worried it’s not going to be loud enough. 

[Reggaebass]

5 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said:

I’ve been listing after a V4-B but worried it’s not going to be loud enough. 

Possibly, I’d say it’s loud enough for pubs and reasonable sized halls but probably not for larger outdoor stages, I’ve never had mine fully up, really nice sound though, I’ve recently bought a PF50t and it has nothing on the V4 

[MrDaveTheBass]

That looks like The Donkey! Has to be one of my favourite venues to play. Always a great sound in there, and usually an enthusiastic audience of music lovers, rather than the largely disinterested hoardes you usually find down Ye Olde Dog and Duck.

 

Nice rig BTW. I'm still tempted to buy another 2 x 10 and stack them vertically like yours to make a skinny, portable 'Fridge' without the backache.

[Downunderwonder]

Congratulations. Now don't stand in front of it so the venue gets your sound.

 

I was doing a gig with a pickup sax player. I notice my sound has gone to hell in a handbasket. I turn around and sax boy is standing 3ft in front of my rig not dissimilar to yours.

[nilorius]

Great, that it happened for You ! I have found it for 99%, just need to check it. Perfect sound is different for everybody here and afternoon! Hope that everybody will find that goal sooner or later.

Edited May 28, 2023 by nilorius

[diskwave]

Be it for me to rain on ur parade but what really matters is, if ur unsupported (with a sound dude its a whole different potato), its what it sounds like towards the back end of the room. I tend to find lean mean thin and shitty on stage thickens up a treat at the bar.

[Dan Dare]

I hope to find my sound one day. I just have to remember where I left it. It's great getting old.

[KingPrawn]

Quality mate. That Cali76 compressor is another level. The best on the market IMO

[lonestar]

I have the LM2 head in my combo and feel pretty much the same. Are they better than the newer class D ones?  I’ve had this setup for quite a long time and often toy with the idea of changing, eg V4B or Handbox valves intrigue me, then I gig this rig and think yep that’ll do. I like what I’ve read and seen about the Cali compressor too.

Edited May 29, 2023 by lonestar

[TimR]

@lonestar

@MrDaveTheBass

 

Always stack 2x10"s vertically. Makes a hell of a difference to your sound. Regardless of make. I've been doing this for at least 10 years now.

 

Stops combing effects and dead spots as you walk from side to side, and because the top 10" is next to your ears you can hear it properly. 

 

Plus the addition of the cab and coupling effects means the volume increases out of proportion to what the calculated power drop of the amp, due to increased impedance, implies.

 

I bought some rubber feet from B&Q and put them on the side of my cabs. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by TimR

[lonestar]

1 hour ago, TimR said:

@lonestar

@MrDaveTheBass

 

Always stack 2x10"s vertically. Makes a hell of a difference to your sound. Regardless of make. I've been doing this for at least 10 years now.

 

Stops combing effects and dead spots as you walk from side to side, and because the top 10" is next to your ears you can hear it properly. 

 

Plus the addition of the cab and coupling effects means the volume increases out of proportion to what the calculated power drop of the amp, due to increased impedance, implies.

 

I bought some rubber feet from B&Q and put them on the side of my cabs. 

I would if I had two 2x10s but I don't want to stack the combo on it's end

[TimR]

I don't see that would be an issue for any reason other than trying to read knobs sideways. 😆

[Downunderwonder]

16 hours ago, lonestar said:

I would if I had two 2x10s but I don't want to stack the combo on it's end

Try it. I bet you wind up with a slightly lower output knob position.

 

More clarity with less volume is a very good thing.

[lonestar]

46 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

Try it. I bet you wind up with a slightly lower output knob position.

 

More clarity with less volume is a very good thing.

I’ll give it go at the next rehearsal

[bassbiscuits]

On 26/05/2023 at 22:40, MrDaveTheBass said:

That looks like The Donkey! Has to be one of my favourite venues to play. Always a great sound in there, and usually an enthusiastic audience of music lovers, rather than the largely disinterested hoardes you usually find down Ye Olde Dog and Duck.

 

It is indeed the Donkey! It was a wedding gig but we are down there again on June 18 for a regular gig. You’re right - combination of decent soundman, good PA and a receptive audience goes a long way to making a great gig. 

[TimR]

2 hours ago, lonestar said:

I’ll give it go at the next rehearsal

 

At rehearsals I only need one 2x10" on end. Two 2x10" is far too loud. Even at gigs I don't often need to be louder than 4 on my 500w amp to keep up with a very loud drummer. 

 

So it reduces the amount of gear taken to rehearsals. 

[bassbiscuits]

On 29/05/2023 at 20:30, lonestar said:

I have the LM2 head in my combo and feel pretty much the same. Are they better than the newer class D ones?  I’ve had this setup for quite a long time and often toy with the idea of changing, eg V4B or Handbox valves intrigue me, then I gig this rig and think yep that’ll do. I like what I’ve read and seen about the Cali compressor too.

Honest answer? Haven’t got a a clue.

 

I’ve got a LM2 from 2006 and a LM3 from 2011. I don’t know if that makes them Class A, B, D or something else (not even clear what that even means) but they sound identical to me. 

 

Yes the Cali76 is great. Subtle but definitely better than not using it, and it really evens things out in a very tasteful sort of way. 
 

[lownote]

With you all the way.  Over the years I've had Trace Elliott, Barefaced, TC, Peavey, Ashdown...  Then last summer I bought into a Markbass LM3 head and 410 STD cab. Great balanced bass sound for me, surprisingly portable, no issues indoors or out.  It just - WORKS.  My definition of professional. 

FTR, on the sound front  for me EQ at 12 o'clock settings on the LM3 is fine in band context, but not when practising or on my own, when settings of 12, 11, 10, 9 and with the filters at 8 and 10 are perfect. 

Edited May 31, 2023 by lownote

[bassbiscuits]

36 minutes ago, lownote said:

With you all the way.  Over the years I've had Trace Elliott, Barefaced, TC, Peavey, Ashdown...  Then last summer I bought into a Markbass LM3 head and 410 STD cab. Great balanced bass sound for me, surprisingly portable, no issues indoors or out.  It just - WORKS.  My definition of professional. 

FTR, on the sound front  for me EQ at 12 o'clock settings on the LM3 is fine in band context, but not when practising or on my own, when settings of 12, 11, 10, 9 and with the filters at 8 and 10 are perfect. 

Prior to this I ran the Little Mark head into an Aguilar GS410 and/or a Schroeder 1210. Both were great.

 

The Aguilar in particular was a better sounding cab than the MB ones I think. But the size and weight of it did my head in and I got fed up of hurting myself trying to move it around.

 

So this is a much better fit for me at the moment.