Advice for new mini/micro setup

Hey TBers. I'm very new around here and have read several threads on similar topics with people sharing their rigs and debating the merits of this cab over that etc...but not many people seem to mention what style of music they play as a reference point for their opinions.

Here's where I'm at... I have been playing for quite a few years and mainly played at a smallish church of 100 or so in a 4-5 piece, until recently when I've been playing a lot of musicals in various sized theatres. In the musicals I play everything from slap & funk to solid rock to diso to slow ballads, so a versatile sound is a must. My current setup consists of a Warwick 5 string Active Corvette (sometimes using a Boss GT-6B for minor effects in shows), running into a Yorkville XM200 15" combo. While I get a decent tone out of this set up, it's not that great (somewhat sloppy), and more importantly the 57lb weight of the amp is putting some serious strain on my back (lugging it around several times a week for rehearsals and shows).

I had thought that the Markbass 121P (or 121H) might be a good option for me but am concerned that the 1x12" cab might not cut it volume or dynamic range wise. Weight-wise it's a great option at less than 30lbs. I played a Markbass 102P (?, 2 x 10") combo at my local music store yesterday and loved the warm yet punchy and clear sound it produced...but at 40odd lbs it's not a huge reduction in weight from my current rig but a massive $$$ investment that I'm not sure I can justify as an amateur.

The idea of a separate head and cab appeals to me but obviously comes at a premium price point.

The situation is made worse by the fact that I'm based in Perth (Western Australia) and our selection of music stores and boutique brands is very limited. It's a shame that Markbass limit their amps regionally by the voltage transformer that's built in otherwise shipping one from the US would be a very cost effective option. Still shipping a cab might be an option after buying a head here.

So I'm wondering what suggestions / advice you all might have for my situation.

Cheers

 

Yeah, I thought I might have been dreaming that such a beast existed but thought I'd ask for input from the experts.

Casters on my combo is an option I guess.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Thank you so much for your detailed input on this topic. From what I read on the Marbass.it website the 121H is only rated to 45Hz as well, but it does range to 20kHz as opposed to the 18kHz of the 121P. There is a fair bit of extra weight in the 121H but it's still under 40lbs.

No need for trouser flapping, I never play that loud now with what I've got so that shouldn't be a problem. I just need it to provide a good tight but warm all-round sound.

Thanks for the suggestion of looking in the UK too...hadn't thought about that. Would just need to get the plug converted.

I don't think people realise just how much we pay for this sort of equipment here down under. For example, the shop price (before any discount, but less than retail) for a Little Mark II head here in Perth is AUD$1695, which based on today's exchange rate is just under US$1400!!! Considering they are selling second hand on the classifieds here for US$425...you can see what we're dealing with. I could buy two brand new and have them shipped from the US for the price we are expected to pay here!

Well thanks again folks for you input. I was hoping to hear more about the 1x12 range of combos and how people thought they might fit with my playing requirements. So if anyone has experience in this area I would be greatly appreciative.

 

Yeah, I realised after I had posted that and done some more reading on the website that the combo was the difference.

My budget (based on local pricing) will not support a separate head and cab setup in MB equipment. I will need to go with a combo and consider long term potentially adding an extension cab like the 121H to form a mini-rig.

 

At church the current (and the new) combo will be running into the desk and through a reasonable FOH system, so on stage can be used purely for monitoring purposes. Theatre venues are varied. Some offer FOH support and some don't. But here in Perth the amateur venues are generally less than 200 seats and reasonably accoustic. My current 200W 1x15combo has never been used run above 3-3.5/10 in any venue I've played it without FOH support...so I'm hoping that the CMD 121P or H will be able to handle that considering its 300W running just the combo, and is a great improvement in tone, clarity and general punchiness.

I had the chance to play with one in the shop yesterday and was very impressed at the sound it produces from such a small and light setup.

 

Thanks for the input slaerts...i just typed a lengthy response and the stupid thing got nuked when I hit submit.

Hadn't considered the GB heads as I only just started researching this stuff in the last couple of days after straining my back once again. It's hard to know what will and won't cut it when you can only hear it in the store, and because we have so few of the boutique brands in our stores listening to the options suggested on here is not possible. I will however try to look at the Shuttle plus 1x12 option.

Thanks again for your input.

 

Well I just got off the phone from my regular music store and they have spoke to the supplier and been advised the new stock is a least 6 weeks away and the retail price is likely to just from AUD$2395 to AUD$2995 for the CMD121P which is freakin' ridiculous in today's economic climate. What a joke! Looks like this whole project is getting less likely by the minute. Think I might go to Bunnings (Home Depot for the US folk) and buy some casters.

 

Thanks slaerts, I got the first one. Have added you to safe senders list now, so you could try again or just PM me here if that doesn't work. Some very good suggestions that I was actually already looking into since the last posts here.

And Absentia, thanks for pitching in. The weight and size of the 102P was the main thing putting me off that unit. I know it's only ~20kgs but the physical dimensions of the box are pretty big and I'm not sold on the monitor/wedge shape.

It looks at this stage that I'll save up some money and go down the path of a separate head and cab.

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

Okay folks, this subject has come back up for review and I've been doing a lot of reading here on TB and am a little confused....

I've been saving my $$$ and am looking at purchasing a separate head and cab rig that needs to be ultra light for small venue and theatre work. For more details on what it will be used for please read my earlier posts.

I'm pretty much settled on the LMIII head as I love the sound and overall feel I get from this product. I did have a look at the GK micro heads and didn't like it at all, and think I prefer the LMIII over the GB Shuttle 6.0. So the questions I have realted to cabs...

I think that a good quality 112 cab will be sufficient for my needs and will be lighter than a 210 cab in most cases, although I'm not ruling the 210 option out if it can be had for a good price and the right weight. I think the cab will almost certainly need to have NEO speakers. Being based in Perth I do not have access to play any of the cabs that I am interested in unfortunately, so this purchase will be a bit more difficult.

I hear a lot of good things about the Bergantino 112 cabs but don't know much about the difference between the AE models and ER or HT models. The AE's are significantly lighter and the others are really pushing the limits of what I'm willing to carry. The Epifani 112s seem to get good reviews on here, as do the Avatars (which I'm not sure I can get in Australia that easily).

So, I'm all ears on suggestions and what people feel will be the best cab for my purpose.

Thanks,

Chris