Mackie SRM450 as a bass amp?!?!??

[MikeBass]

So, I stop by a buddys last night and his band is practicing.
Bass player isn't there yet (and neither is his rig) so they ask me if I wanna jam a bit.
I say sure, but there isn't a bass/amp.
My buddy pulls out his MIM Jazz 5DLX (a nice one at that) and plugs me into one of his Mackie's.

I'm kinda nervous at first, but then way started playing.
Loud.

And it sounded real nice much to my surprise.
I mean, I could easily gig with this kinda nice.
Small to med gigs easily really.

I laid it down like a monitor blowing up to my face and with a little EQ, it was sounding pretty stinkin' nice.

I was plugged thru his Mackie board with a line to the cab.

Sitting "normally" on the floor it had plently of lows to nicely support the B string and had plenty of volume to keep up with a "avarage" volume drummer (insanely good too. Like makes you wanna cry kinda good).
And I could really hear myself better with it at my feet more so than with a normal bass cab blowing past me.

Granted, it didn't get as loud or as beefy as a 410, but I would say that with a nice pre-amp of some sort, it would sound as good as any other "combo" amp out there.

I may have to "buy" one from GC and give it a go as a monitor as I've been looking for a wedge style cab.

Anyone else try this????

[Lync]

Well, it should handle your bass out front so as long as you dig the pre, why not?

Your experience is why I am an avid fan of "kickback-style" cabs/amps/combos. Please yourself first...why shoot your ultimatebassgalaxycrushing power right under you?

[brothernewt]

I did it in a pinch at a gig once too... VT pedal into the Mackie... laid it down wedge style. Not as much deep bass as I'd like to have had, but I could hear myself and it sounded pretty good.

[MikeBass]

Yeah, didn't have that deep bass, but still plenty tight.
Actually standing up it coupled with the floor and had some nice lows.

[jnewmark]

I tried these and the JBL versions many moons ago. They're fine for low volume gigs, but you definitely need PA support so the rest of the band can hear you.

[aprod]

I blew the driver trying to keep up with band volume. We are not that loud. Have a back up amp just in case.

[4Mal]

I've done a few acoustic gig's with one. That was OK. The range for acceptability is pretty broad in that setting. I wouldn't use it as an amp in a band setting with drums, electric guitars, etc ...

[Munjibunga]

In my trio, we use JBL PRX612Ms for our PA. I don't use a stage amp, I go straight to the board with a Radial JDI. It sounds really nice. I could play a small gig with one of the PRXs as an amp, no problem.

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by MikeBass

Anyone else try this????

Yep, it was OK, but the Mackie SRM1530 is a whole lot nicer as a bass rig.

[Munjibunga]

Originally Posted by Passinwind

Yep, it was OK, but the Mackie SRM1530 is a whole lot nicer as a bass rig.

I have a couple of those, too, and when I first got my Avalon U5, I ran it into one of the 1530s, and I thought, "Hmmm ... maybe I don't need any other rigs."

[jnewmark]

" The Three Way of Your Dreams " !

http://www.mackie.com/products/hd1531/

[jnewmark]

Originally Posted by jnewmark

" The Three Way of Your Dreams " !

http://www.mackie.com/products/hd1531/

Wow, just noticed this cab weighs 96 lbs ! That lets me out !

[seamonkey]

Yep - Every bass player owes it to themselves to walk over to the PA/FOH part of the store and try out cabinets there.

The Mackie SRM450 is good, it does have built in loudness compensation that could fool your ears at practice levels. Nothing regular EQ couldn't do.

If I were looking today I'd look at the brand new Peavy impulse 12D
It looks to have lot going for it, and plugable modules for future expansion. Who knows, maybe even MaxxBass

[RMacBass]

I've been looking around for a powered full-range speaker that I can plug my Eleven Rack (amp simulator) into and get convincing reproduction for rock guitar or bass on a loud stage. I just spotted the Mackie HD1221, looks like 1x12" neo and a tweeter. I could bring my little 2-channel mixer, combine a monitor feed with my own signal for the stage.. Seems like a tidy solution.

1200 watt Class-D amp built in, providing
LF 500W RMS / 1000W peak
HF 100W RMS / 200W peak

Has anyone tried one with electric bass or upright? I _really_ like how it can be positioned as a wedge monitor.

Mackie - HD1221

(BTW: What prompted this exploration was the imminent arrival (March 20) of the Eleven Rack Expansion Pack, that has an emulated 70s SVT)

[fokof]

I used a SRM450 as my main bass amp for 6 years.
Perfect for small/medium gigs.
The other nice thing is that everybody and their mother have some , so easy to find another one when things are getting louder.


Then I heard a RCF ...