Mark Acoustic AC121

Dudie · #1 03-23-2010, 11:27 AM

Is there anyone who tested this model for double bass?

I just ordered one :-)

Norre · #2 03-23-2010, 12:13 PM

Congratulations with your new amp. Let us know how it sounds ;-) It seems to have all the bells and whistles you need

Do you know how the anti-feedback knob works? It seems like it is some kind of HP-filter, or am I wrong?

Jaromir · #3 03-24-2010, 05:56 PM

I tried this combo in a shop twice. First time I tried it with my "small big bass" and I didn't like it, I got better sound with Minimark or with CMD Mini 121P. Second time, with my Czech Ease bass, I liked it better than the other MB amps. Very warm sound.
The antifeedback is more like Notch filter - it targets the specific frequency causing the problem and filters it out.
This combo also has a phase reverse, which is a great antifeedback feature as well.
I'm just little confused with the two inputs and their input impedance (different specs on the main page and in the owners manual).

bassmanrob_ott · #4 03-25-2010, 02:24 PM

I just purchased the AH250 head which is the same as the head in the combo. I only got it last night so I haven't figured it out. The thing gives me feedback though. I'm a kinda upset about that as I specifically purchased it to not have any feedback. I'm hoping I will be able to figure it out. Oh, I've paired it with an Eden D210XLT.

Dudie · #5 04-01-2010, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaromir

I tried this combo in a shop twice. First time I tried it with my "small big bass" and I didn't like it, I got better sound with Minimark or with CMD Mini 121P. Second time, with my Czech Ease bass, I liked it better than the other MB amps. Very warm sound.
The antifeedback is more like Notch filter - it targets the specific frequency causing the problem and filters it out.
This combo also has a phase reverse, which is a great antifeedback feature as well.
I'm just little confused with the two inputs and their input impedance (different specs on the main page and in the owners manual).

What was it you did not like whith the unit?.
I got mine home today and have only tested it in a hurry. Very warm, acoustically sound. Maybe a bit bassy in my room. I also have minimark ll that i pair with a EBS neo 112. I have been really happy with my sound but always felt that it was a bit "overkill" for most of my DB-gigs.
I hope that i will be happy with my new amp

Jaromir · #6 04-01-2010, 03:47 PM

First time with one of my basses I simply had a problem get a good sound and was fighting with feedback. After some work with the phase reverse and antifeedback knob I was able to get usable sound, which I got imediatelly with the other MB amps (Minimark and Mini CMD).
However, as I said before, with the other bass I liked the Mark Acoustic quite a lot, maybe even better than the other amps.
It's really a combination of various factors, as always. In the meantime I got answer from Markbass regarding the input impedance: it's 500Kohm at both inputs - there is a mistake in the owners manual. Quite unusual for acoustic amp. However, I prefer to judge by ears, not by reading technical specification, and my ears tell me the combo sound very nice.

richhansen · #7 04-10-2010, 12:15 PM

I too am interested in this AC121. I have a Markbass CMP102P and love it for electric bass, but it's not quite acoustic enough sounding for my upright. I've been thinking about one of these, or maybe an acoustic image head and EA cabinet. Can anyone compare the Mark AC121 with the AI/EA setups that so many rave about?

Badong · #8 04-25-2010, 09:04 AM

I'm interested in this also.

tito mangialajo · #9 01-22-2011, 04:10 AM

are there new impressions about this combo?
what do you think to mix it together a pick-up ( I have an Underwood) with a mic ( a dpa 4099 or another cheaper)?
and what about to put in a dynamic?

d-sciple · #10 09-21-2011, 09:01 AM

I just bought the markbass ac 121 and usually don't bother posting reviews on stuff, but because of my frustration with finding any review or solid info on the amp, as far as user reviews, before buying it, here it goes. My first impression of the amp was when a friend let me borrow his for a gig so that I could test it out. The gig was a jazz quintet with no drummer, but lots of crowd noise to deal with plus a boomy terrible sounding room which I have played hundreds of times and have never been able to get a decent usable sound. I plugged my bass (an old german bass, full circle pick-up with labella gut red label d&g and thomastik spiro e&a) and immediately had to smile. There it was, my sound it was pretty much set flat. I left the bass eq at 12, boosted the treble a bit, also added a touch of the vpf filter at 9 0clock, gain at about 10 master at 9 and didn't touch it again all night and was amazed the entire gig. At the time I borrowed the amp, I was all ready to purchase an ea doubler with an m-line 12 but after many mixed reviews and no way to test out the amp I thought that for my needs having a 27 lb. combo amp that I have tried and loved and could just plug in and play would fit me nicely, so I ordered it. It has arrived and I have played about 4 gigs now with it and I have been very pleased every time, but I still have not had to play what i would consider a really loud gig with it. In the next month, I should play a room where I might bring another markbass 12 extension cab with me to help out with the volume issue. I'll let you know. In the past for loud gigs I had been taking an markbass sd-800 with a traveler 12 plus a radial acoustic pre-z and could get a usable sound but was never quite happy with it. As for the ac 121, I have tried the the radial pre-z and also with an hpf filter, but I think it sounds better just plugging straight into the channel 2, 1 Mohm input. I have not had to engage the anti-feedback, but generally have not been happy with the sound when using anti-feedback notching filters in the past on my acoustic pre-z. I'm not saying they don't work but you sacrifice a little tone when you engage them because they are actually cutting out certain troublesome frequencies and therefore you are no longer getting a full range response. In very loud situations I have had them work for me. In the past, I have used a polytone with a 15, and swr strawberry blonde with a 10, gk mb with 12, walter woods with bag end 15, m-pulse 360 with bagend 12 or eden 10. All of these amps worked for me but never quite did it for me. The amps were just a necessary evil in a lot of situations so that I could make the bass audible to the band and audience. I still prefer the sound of just me and my bass but that's not the reality I am in most of the time. The majority of the time I am usually playing some noisy club or restaurant, not a concert hall with a quiet attentive audience. I have to add that the walter woods that I owned never worked for me. I tried using it for a solid year because it was supposed to be the holy grail of amps, but could never get it happening. It was and older model from the eighties and I think it was just 100 watts and not one of the high powered ones which would probably have made a lot of difference. My decision to not buy the ea was sort of based on this experience with the walter woods because I think those amps are supposed to be fairly similar. It just didn't agree with my bass, pickup, strings and hands. I also read about the endless tweaking people were doing to get a sound. I'm done with that, I just want to plug in, play and get to the music. The ac 121 seems like the modern day polytone. Hopefully this is helpful!

d-sciple · #11 09-26-2011, 09:20 AM

I used the markbass ac121 again last night at a local jazz club. I was a little concerned that it might not cut it in this room. I've had problems with this room in the past that I sum up to weird acoustics because "usually" the crowd is there to listen and are dead silent and they don't at all contribute to the muddying up my sonic space which happens in most of the other local clubs that I play. The drummer was also a great drummer with a wide dynamic range who can swing hard at a whisper level. So these things also contributed greatly to my having a great night. The group was sextet led by a vocalist/trombonist and music was just hard swinging standards and jazz. I set the amp on the floor of the stage to my right and I plugged into channel 2. The bass was at 12 and treble at 2. We played while sound checking and it seemed a bit muddy so I cut the bass to 11 and treble to 3. Gain master were both at 10 most of the night. I cut the master to 9 during some ballads. The tone was full and really seemed like my acoustic sound but only louder. I was also using fairly new gamut e&a gut strings wrapped in copper and my labella goldentone d&g. These strings mixed with the amp and a full circle are working bigtime for me.

d-sciple · #12 10-03-2011, 12:05 PM

So, just played my first gig in a usually really bad room for me on acoustic bass and the ac 121 came through again. It was with a drummer-less trio so I really didn't have to compete for volume, although the crowd noise is terrible, but my tone was there and I had fun playing the gig. The amp is really working out for me. It's weird, the amp sounds descent at home but I'm not totally knocked out by it in that environment and I almost think "is this thing going to cut on the gig", but then I get it on the gig and just love it. Plug in and Play.

Eric Hochberg · #13 10-03-2011, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-sciple

My decision to not buy the ea was sort of based on this experience with the walter woods because I think those amps are supposed to be fairly similar.

If you're talking about the EA Doubler, I don't find too many similarities with old WW, except that they are both made to amplify instruments. I've owned both and they are night and day in most respects.

robgrow · #14 10-03-2011, 03:32 PM

I completely agree; the EA Doubler and any Walter Woods amp are sonically totally different.

d-sciple · #15 10-03-2011, 08:45 PM

I still hope to try one out. It sounds like the doubler is working out for a lot of people. We all know about the Walter woods stuff which has worked wonders for many a bassist. The low powered model just didn't work for me. I may just pick a doubler up down the road a bit. Is the quest ever really over?

GrowlerBox · #16 10-04-2011, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-sciple

It's weird, the amp sounds descent at home but I'm not totally knocked out by it in that environment and I almost think "is this thing going to cut on the gig", but then I get it on the gig and just love it. Plug in and Play.

This seems to be a fairly common finding with Markbass amps across the board. Many manufacturers' amps are quite the opposite -- sound great in the store or the practice space and then get lost at the gig. I would say my F1 has similar traits. I might look very seriously at their acoustic model when I'm next in the market for a new amp.

d-sciple · #17 10-04-2011, 09:37 AM

Insert point? Can anyone tell me what this is used for on the back of the mark bass ac 121? It's a quarter inch female. The manual does not explain and can't find any info on it. It's on the head only version also.

GrowlerBox · #18 10-06-2011, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-sciple

Insert point? Can anyone tell me what this is used for on the back of the mark bass ac 121? It's a quarter inch female. The manual does not explain and can't find any info on it. It's on the head only version also.

Looks like a preamp bypass (like the return jack of an effects loop). If it's wired like their other heads, it's after the gain but before the EQ section.

d-sciple · #19 10-10-2011, 10:55 AM

Played outside with the amp yesterday and it didn't really cut it. I probably needed an extension cab to spread the sound a little more. It just didn't have the power it does indoors when it's bouncing off the walls and coupling with the stage and stuff. It cut the gig but I was not into the sound.

d-sciple · #20 08-22-2012, 02:51 PM

Well I have been playing with the amp for over a year now and have to say that for 95% of my gigs thing still rocks.
Bass, gut g&d, full circle, straight in to the high impedance channel of the amp treble at 3 o'clock, bass between 12 and 2 depending on the room and I'm usually good to go. It's also interesting I have an ibanez acoustic bass guitar that sounded like %%^& through my markbass sd 800 but sounds great through the markbass.