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BIG BANG!!

#3
SJan3 said:
None of my MarkBass buddies has a
BIG BANG?
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Besides the sale price, what made you go for this as I see you have played through MB LMII, LMIII, and I think it the Little Marcus as well? I ask since I have a LMII with (2) MB 102 Travelers. I tried the Little Marcus but decided that the MB Compressore solved my problems getting the highs above the very loud drummer so I kept the LM II.
 
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#4
m-j said:
Besides the sale price, what made you go for this as I see you have played through MB LMII, LMIII, and I think it the Little Marcus as well? I ask since I have a LMII with (2) MB 102 Travelers. I tried the Little Marcus but decided that the MB Compressore solved my problems getting the highs above the very loud drummer so I kept the LM II.
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Well, I needed another amp as my LM3 gave up the ghost. Yes, had a Little Marcus 800 but had a hard time simulating LM3 tones.
Nice amp, but not for me.
The BIG BANG has the same preamp and power amp as the LM3 plus a few extra features and and an even smaller footprint than the LM series. I was fully prepared to get another LM3 but when I saw the Sale price on the BB, I saw it as a tremendous value while providing my sonic desires.
I should have it on Tuesday..
 
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#5
Don't have one but I have the Bass Gear mag that reviews it so I read up on it. Based on what they said, it sounds like a head I would like. Supposed to be quicker and punchier than the LM's.
 
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#8
SJan3 said:
Well, I needed another amp as my LM3 gave up the ghost. Yes, had a Little Marcus 800 but had a hard time simulating LM3 tones.
Nice amp, but not for me.
The BIG BANG has the same preamp and power amp as the LM3 plus a few extra features and and an even smaller footprint than the LM series. I was fully prepared to get another LM3 but when I saw the Sale price on the BB, I saw it as a tremendous value while providing my sonic desires.
I should have it on Tuesday..
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Great - looking forward to your report on how it sounds. Do you play in a band? Would like to hear your impressions with it solo (of course any bass amp sounds awesome when you are the only one playing in your house alone) compared to full band.
 
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#10
$499 is a great price for a Big Bang. I've always thought of the BB as being a class D LM3 without all of the wasted space inside and a couple of extra features. If you don't use the LM3 XLR input then it's the perfect replacement.
I think the comment about quickness etc was comparing it with the older class AB LM3 that was still just about in production when the BB was launched.
(Markbass marketing used to describe quickness as the main difference in sound between its class D and class AB heads until all theirs became class D).
 
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#11
Slight topic derail coming; I've written about how I discovered Markbass had changed the LM3 from class AB to D without any announcements before. Basically, my CMD121P combo 2 head started to intermittently have no output, so I removed it from the combo to see if I could spot an obvious fault. And there it was, this tiny power amp assembly with a single smaller heatsink. I was used to seeing the cram packed class AB internals of my LM3.
From the performance of the combo I'd never suspected anything different; it still had the characteristic punchy Markbass delivery that drew me to the brand in the first place.
 
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#12
Sparky Mark said:
Slight topic derail coming; I've written about how I discovered Markbass had changed the LM3 from class AB to D without any announcements before. Basically, my CMD121P combo 2 head started to intermittently have no output, so I removed it from the combo to see if I could spot an obvious fault. And there it was, this tiny power amp assembly with a single smaller heatsink. I was used to seeing the cram packed class AB internals of my LM3.
From the performance of the combo I'd never suspected anything different; it still had the characteristic punchy Markbass delivery that drew me to the brand in the first place.
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As some who know better have said, the power amp has little to nothing to do with the amps performance. It's all about the preamp. My LM3 was class A/B. My NANO is class D and it sounds great! Not even sure I need the BB at this point, BUT I WANT IT!!
 
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#13
SJan3 said:
As some who know better have said, the power amp has little to nothing to do with the amps performance. It's all about the preamp. My LM3 was class A/B. My NANO is class D and it sounds great! Not even sure I need the BB at this point, BUT I WANT IT!!
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Nothing wrong with wanting something. I've bought many things before that I had no use for, but damnit "I WANTED IT". :bassist:
 
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#14
SJan3 said:
As some who know better have said, the power amp has little to nothing to do with the amps performance. It's all about the preamp. My LM3 was class A/B. My NANO is class D and it sounds great! Not even sure I need the BB at this point, BUT I WANT IT!!
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I'll never need another Markbass head but if a TA501, TSA500 or Studio Pre 500 appears somewhere I will be tempted. Whilst I agree that the power amp topology is less influential to the tone of an amp than the preamp, there is definitely a subtle difference between the class D and AB Markbass heads. Comparing the two side by side with identical cabs it can be heard but in isolation either sound perfectly good; I just have to add a little more low EQ to the D version.
I'm not sure any solid state amp can sound exactly like a full tube one. My cheapo Bugera SVT clone really is the best sounding amp that I own and I attribute that to the six 6550B tube power amp.
 
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#15
Sparky Mark said:
I'll never need another Markbass head but if a TA501, TSA500 or Studio Pre 500 appears somewhere I will be tempted. Whilst I agree that the power amp topology is less influential to the tone of an amp than the preamp, there is definitely a subtle difference between the class D and AB Markbass heads. Comparing the two side by side with identical cabs it can be heard but in isolation either sound perfectly good; I just have to add a little more low EQ to the D version.
I'm not sure any solid state amp can sound exactly like a full tube one. My cheapo Bugera SVT clone really is the best sounding amp that I own and I attribute that to the six 6550B tube power amp.
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Agree on a subtle difference but wonder if it will ever be heard in the mix.
 
#16
SJan3 said:
Agree on a subtle difference but wonder if it will ever be heard in the mix.
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I doubt it very much. So much more important on any gig are the multiple other variables including the venue/stage construction/soft furnishings/crowd size etc, etc. The real issue has been the amount of time I had available during the UK covid lockdown to waste doing A to B comparisons of my amp collection.
 
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#18
arbiterusa said:
Hybrid won't sound like a tube amp. Now, since I personally am not a fan of tube bass amps, I prefer hybrids. But since you are a fan of tube amps, as quite a few people here are, you really should go all tube to get that sound. The power section matters a lot more than the preamp.
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Interesting that this TBer (in another thread) has the opposite opinion regarding the importance of power amp to the tone of an amp. I guess in certain circumstances both pre and power amp sections can significantly affect tone.
 
#19
Sparky Mark said:
I doubt it very much. So much more important on any gig are the multiple other variables including the venue/stage construction/soft furnishings/crowd size etc, etc. The real issue has been the amount of time I had available during the UK covid lockdown to waste doing A to B comparisons of my amp collection.
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That must have been fun! Any discoveries?
 
#20
I never cared for any of the MB heads except the F1, which later became the F500. Ever try that one ? If I remember right, the Big Bang replaced the F500.
 

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