There are only a few threads about this amp here, so I thought I'd chime in on my experience with the Markacoustic AC101 which has become my main rig for upright bass. I enjoy my Markbass CMD 121P combo for electric bass and while this amp works well with the upright, I felt there were options for obtaining a more natural sound. After buying and selling two Acoustic Image combos, I purchased a gently used AC101 from the TB classifieds and and I've used it on several gigs, including outdoor venues and cavernous rooms with less than ideal acoustics.
My upright basses are both equipped with Fishman Full Circle pickups and when running them through channel two of the AC 101, I can get a nice, warm sound that is not too diffused or boomy. This channel's VPF filter is helpful in rounding out the sound and as with my other Markbass combo, I usually set this control between 9 and 12 o' clock. The first channel sounds quite similar, but for upright bass I prefer the feature set on the second which has a 1 MegOhm input impedance. Compared to the CMD 121P, the overall sound from this amp is more "open" and neutral.
As a full-range acoustic amp, it does a great job of amplifying my piezo equipped guitar and ukulele, and a vocal mic plugged into channel two's combo jack sounded good as well. Though it's not designed for electric bass, I find that my Fender Jazz Bass sounds good too and I think this would be an excellent choice for a compact doubling rig. Running a mic and a pickup into separate channels is another option and while I have not tried this, the combo jack, phantom power and phase switch all seem like they would be quite useful in this scenario. The amps other features include a defeatable tweeter, built in digital effects and a notch filter to help suppress feedback.
Overall, I'm very pleased with this amp. It's less expensive than the two-channel Acoustic Image amps and would be a good choice for someone who wants this feature but doesn't care for the down-firing woofer. Markbass recently discontinued the matching extension cab, so I may pick one of these up while they are still available.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
- Steve
My upright basses are both equipped with Fishman Full Circle pickups and when running them through channel two of the AC 101, I can get a nice, warm sound that is not too diffused or boomy. This channel's VPF filter is helpful in rounding out the sound and as with my other Markbass combo, I usually set this control between 9 and 12 o' clock. The first channel sounds quite similar, but for upright bass I prefer the feature set on the second which has a 1 MegOhm input impedance. Compared to the CMD 121P, the overall sound from this amp is more "open" and neutral.
As a full-range acoustic amp, it does a great job of amplifying my piezo equipped guitar and ukulele, and a vocal mic plugged into channel two's combo jack sounded good as well. Though it's not designed for electric bass, I find that my Fender Jazz Bass sounds good too and I think this would be an excellent choice for a compact doubling rig. Running a mic and a pickup into separate channels is another option and while I have not tried this, the combo jack, phantom power and phase switch all seem like they would be quite useful in this scenario. The amps other features include a defeatable tweeter, built in digital effects and a notch filter to help suppress feedback.
Overall, I'm very pleased with this amp. It's less expensive than the two-channel Acoustic Image amps and would be a good choice for someone who wants this feature but doesn't care for the down-firing woofer. Markbass recently discontinued the matching extension cab, so I may pick one of these up while they are still available.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
- Steve
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