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Does Size Matter?

Givati

Givati

Dec 8, 2007
70
22
#1
Hi all, I really need help.
First I'll describe my setup.
GK700rb, SWR Henry 8x8, Lakeland Skyline 55-01. I rarely use the passive setting. I play lots of genres from Gypsy Jazz to funk/blues/rock.
My Problem: I'm tired of lugging this big rig!
I'm lookin at going combo with extension when needed. I'm looking at the MB CMD102p 300@8 - 500@4 I'm sure there are lots of brand options as well and I'm open.
My main question is this. Occasionally I'll play large outdoor shows. Will sumpthin like that combo work as long as I use a extention cab?
 
#2
Givati said:
Hi all, I really need help.
First I'll describe my setup.
GK700rb, SWR Henry 8x8, Lakeland Skyline 55-01. I rarely use the passive setting. I play lots of genres from Gypsy Jazz to funk/blues/rock.
My Problem: I'm tired of lugging this big rig!
I'm lookin at going combo with extension when needed. I'm looking at the MB CMD102p 300@8 - 500@4 I'm sure there are lots of brand options as well and I'm open.
My main question is this. Occasionally I'll play large outdoor shows. Will sumpthin like that combo work as long as I use a extention cab?
Click to expand...
Get a 500 watt 4x10 combo and a 4x10 extension. Or a 500 watt head and two 4x10 cabs.
That should about match what you're doing now.
Don't your big outdoor gigs let you plug into a sound system?
 
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#3
First off, you have a some nice gear there, size and weight not withstanding. If the GK sound is working well for you a GK MB head (500 or 800) with one or two GK Neo 212 cabs might work out well. GK also has combos and powered extension cabs if you wanted to go that route. Obviously there are a lot of other options, but I took my cue from your current amp.
 
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#4
In larger venues and those with systems I do take a direct line out.
The 4x10 is really not much smaller than my 8x8. I'm looking to reduce more than that.
The 2x10 x 2 when needed seems like a better fit.
So, y'all think 500w is enough? And is there a huge difference between a small head/cab vs combo?
 
#6
Al Kraft said:
First off, you have a some nice gear there, size and weight not withstanding. If the GK sound is working well for you a GK MB head (500 or 800) with one or two GK Neo 212 cabs might work out well. GK also has combos and powered extension cabs if you wanted to go that route. Obviously there are a lot of other options, but I took my cue from your current amp.
Click to expand...
Yes! The GK powered cab system might just do the trick.
 
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#7
Any of y'all have anything to say about Markbass? I certainly don't have anything negative to say about GK. Used em for years. Just thinkin if I'm gonna get a different amp now the time to look.
 
#8
Givati said:
In larger venues and those with systems I do take a direct line out.
The 4x10 is really not much smaller than my 8x8. I'm looking to reduce more than that.
The 2x10 x 2 when needed seems like a better fit.
So, y'all think 500w is enough? And is there a huge difference between a small head/cab vs combo?
Click to expand...
My current favorite modular solution set is the Mesa Subway series, a D-800 with a matching 112 and 115 cab. The DI is top drawer and if you need to fill a room on your own or provide solid on-stage monitoring on an outdoor stage those cabs will do the job quite nicely.

For almost all my work a 500 Watt head is more than adequate, but in today's market Watts are relatively cheap and an 800 Watt head gives me lots of headroom. If you have PA/FOH support on the larger gigs, you'll likely be fine with 500 Watts or even less IMO. All that depends on how hard you'll push your cab(s) and how bass heavy you like to EQ your rig.

As for combos vs components I like the component approach. Everything in design involves trade-offs. With individual components the designers get to optimize on a single function and the trade space is more favorable to getting the best performance out of that component. They also allow more mixing and matching and make having a back-up amp easier. Combos are fine for convenience and some are surprisingly good - my Walkabout Scout 112 is great. No right or wrong here, just what you prefer.
 
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#10
Large outdoor shows are one of those situations where even the biggest cabs and a lot of watts sound like little to nothing without sound reinforcement. I honestly think the bigger the venue, the less critical it is to have good amplification. Hell, most big stages, you don't even NEED an amp to have a good sound. If the audience is 30 yards from your cab in an outdoor space, they're not really hearing much cab anymore regardless.

That's why I personally think it's best to think of the biggest bar gig you might play as the kind of situation you should pick your gear toward. The best indoor venues will have enough FOH going on that even the front row will hear a lot of your bass through the FOH speakers and not the cab, but most medium sized bars won't. If it works there, it'll work anywhere.
 
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#12
Givati said:
Any of y'all have anything to say about Markbass? I certainly don't have anything negative to say about GK. Used em for years. Just thinkin if I'm gonna get a different amp now the time to look.
Click to expand...
Markbass never really grabbed me as a gotta have sound, especially for the price point. I found all the Markbass gear I tried and have listened to others playing to be a very solid and full, but a touch sterile or unexciting. A lot of folks love the sound and seem very happy with their rigs, so for me this is an issue of taste and not quality or reliability issues.
 
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#14
Givati said:
In larger venues and those with systems I do take a direct line out.
The 4x10 is really not much smaller than my 8x8. I'm looking to reduce more than that.
The 2x10 x 2 when needed seems like a better fit.
So, y'all think 500w is enough? And is there a huge difference between a small head/cab vs combo?
Click to expand...

Separate head and cab just gives you more options, and if you have a cab at rehearsal hall, easier to rehearse.
 
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#16
You folks are great! I really appreciate the help. Good advice as well on what venue size to consider equipment needs. I, as with most of us, play med. to small rooms with the occasional large. And I am leaning at this point toward individual components.
As far as budget goes I like most can't spend nearly what I'd like. Haha! Probably between $1000-$1500. I'm figuring I'll go used.
 
#17
If you like the GK sound, I don't think you'll like Markbass. I use a GK amp for practice, and for gigs I went from a Mesa M6 and powerhouse cabinets to a MB CMD102P and 151P cabinet to save weight. That was a mistake. For my gigs, the MB stack is loud enough, but I simply don't like the tone or the way it sits in the mix. There's too much thickness that I can't EQ out, and if you don't get your input gain set correctly, input distortion in a digital amp is not a pretty sound. I'm going back to the Mesa M6 and non-neo cabs. Even if the stuff is bulkier and heavier, to me it's worth it for the tone I want.

In your case, I'd keep the GK head and go to two separate cabs that are easier to load in and out for the bigger gigs. My Mesa setup was a 210 powerhouse on top of a 115 powerhouse. I like the GK sound, and I find it much closer to the Mesa sound than the Markbass. It's not necessarily hi-fi, just more presence and clarity.
 
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#18
So that begs the question. Let's take the GK heads. Why would someone use the 700rb over the mb 800 let's say?
Fraction of the weight. Sure fewer bells and whistles I would think as well but why?
 
#19
Givati said:
So that begs the question. Let's take the GK heads. Why would someone use the 700rb over the mb 800 let's say?
Fraction of the weight. Sure fewer bells and whistles I would think as well but why?
Click to expand...
If you have GK cabs and want to use the bi-amp feature in a total GK solution, the RB gives you that option whereas the MB will not - MB's are full range output only. Although I own the MB heads, I'm not sure I would rush out and replace a fully functional 700RB. The two GK Neo 112 II's I own would sound great with the RB head and I would have the full range or bi-amp options.
 
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#20
Givati,
I'd say (assuming you like the sound of the MB CMD102p) that this combo and an extension cab is all you'll need for most gigs. TB common wisdom is to match the cab, in this case, with another 2x10. There is a lot of love on this forum for the CMD102p so I'm surprised none of those owners have chimed in yet.
 
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