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Markbass CMD 121p - Can it Handle the Volume?

B

bebop1

May 3, 2006
248
8
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
#1
I purchased the little Markbass 12" combo CMD 121p a couple of weeks ago and have been using it for rehearsals and small gigs. It is an astounding little guy! I have no problem getting giggable clean volume with rich tone. I am amazed by its volume capabilities, but am a little nervous that it can effectively maintain the level long-term. It just seems too small to handle what it seems to handle.

I'm looking for reassurance from other users that the internal 12" is tough enough for the built-in LMII output. Has anyone blown the driver?

I also have a Markbass SA-450 head with a 410 cab that I had been using the past year and loving it. Now I wonder if the little combo is enough for me. My eyes just don't want to believe what my ears seem to be telling me. Any advice or stories? Thanks...
 
#2
Dude, that little speaker screams. I think it could easily take prolonged use at high volumes. Just don't be alarmed when you see its gigantic excursion on low notes. It's really designed that way ;)
 
#4
Yeah, I worry about the big cone excursion but it doesn't seem to flinch even loud. I tend to compress ahead of the amp anyway and that limits the cone movement of course. I think that I will just go ahead and trust that Markbass did it right. I'll keep my bigger rig (Markbass SA-450 head and 410 cab) for a while till I am absolutely confident, but I might be selling those after the summer and simply pick up the Markbass 12" ext. cab for big stages. It may be all amplification I need (apart from my priceless '65 B15N Portaflex fliptop).
 
#5
When I bought that combo I was convinced, absolutely convinced, that it would never handle bigger gigs. Truthfully, I wasn't worried about the amplifier, but I was positive that the cab couldn't handle the power. So I always had another box with me (210 or 212 or 410) at the jobs.

Over Memorial Day weekend my band did a Chili Festival for a large crowd. We set up on a huge porch of an older farmhouse the day before and did a sound check. At the time I only had the 121P with me and figured I'd bring another cab with me for the gig the next day.

That little f'ing combo was thunderous :eek: Of course, the old farmhouse porch acted like a huge resonating chamber, but that tiny combo was screaming loud. In the 8 months that I have owned that thing I have never, ever been disappointed by it.

Since Memorial Day I have sold the 410 and 210, the 212 is just about to go away as well. I'll be picking up a 112 to go with the 121P and, for the types of gigs I do, I'll be good to go .... Great amp, don't let the tiny size fool you .... :cool:
 
#6
Yes, I also have a 2x10 around just in case I need to get up to 500W and more air moving, but so far I have not had a need for it. CMD 121P seems to handle all kinds of cases.

Something I've noticed is the placement of the combo on stage, if you put it close to a wall, the back acts as a nice sustainer so that you avoid booming sounds, rather clear and strong low end. So nowadays when I take my CMD 121P to jams/gigs/practice I place it in a strategic location.
 
#7
Here's my question guys. I'm new to the bass, more or less, and have several bass amps sufficient for my practice needs right now. But I am curious as to whether this little powerhouse would handle amp'ing my Roland Vdrum set.

I am using a roland 175 watt keyboard amp with a 15 right now, but it is really too onerus to get excited about hauling anywhere. I mostly use the vdrums in my home studio, where I also run them through a 1980's 100 watt sony stereo amp hooked up to a PA cabinet with a 15 and two bose roommate unpowered speakers that are mounted on the kit.

The roland amp alone is certainly loud enough for the house, but it lacks volume when I integrate some vdrums with an acoustic set in a performance or rehearsal setting.

This amp setup gives me more than I need at home, in fact, the sony stereo amp is so well suited for this task that it alone is sufficient to amplify the drums at home. But I digress...

Do you think the Markbass could replace my roland? I'm thinking it could, and of course, if need be, I have an extension 15 cab I could use to give it some extra speaker inches.
 
#9
bebop1 said:
Thanks for the advice. I should just trust my ears and not my eyes (and lighten up and trust Markbass engineering). The psychological thing of not having a decent sized rig behind me will be my next hurdle to overcome.
Click to expand...

Yes, and sometimes the other band or jam members will be skeptical when they first see the amp, but they will change their minds when they hear the output.
 
#10
Hey Texas - I use the 121p for my keys and EWI and it works perfectly. I used the Roland KC-350 (the smaller version of your Roland) and sold it to buy the Markbass. The Markbass is much better than the Roland (and I liked the Roland a lot). I tested it out by playing some CDs through it. It is beautifully flat and hifi if you turn off the VLE and VPF filters. It's hard to believe that it could sound better than the Roland 350 or 550, but it does. Louder and better. And it's 1/3 of the weight of the 550. The only thing you lose is mixing capabilities, but I use an external mixer for my keys/EWI anyway. You certainly won't need the 15" extension speaker for keys, but the extra cone surface and 500watt output will do great for your VDrums and for bass when you're doing an outdoor stage.
 
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#12
ksandvik said:
Yes, and sometimes the other band or jam members will be skeptical when they first see the amp, but they will change their minds when they hear the output.
Click to expand...

Yup, they all chuckled when they first saw it. The sax player was in an out-right panic when he realized that I was actually going to only use the 121P the first gig I brought it to .... until they all heard it :bassist:

I'm 6'5" tall, I weigh 270 pounds and I play ERB's nearly exclusively, so if I can get over looking a lttle stupid with this mini-sized amp behind me, anyone can .... :cool:
 
#13
pointbass said:
Yup, they all chuckled when they first saw it. The sax player was in an out-right panic when he realized that I was actually going to only use the 121P the first gig I brought it to .... until they all heard it :bassist:

I'm 6'5" tall, I weigh 270 pounds and I play ERB's nearly exclusively, so if I can get over looking a lttle stupid with this mini-sized amp behind me, anyone can .... :cool:
Click to expand...

ROTFL - yeah, I should do a check on my "compensation" neurosis.
 
#15
JimmyM said:
My compensation neurosis isn't nearly as bad as my hating-to-move-equipment neurosis.
Click to expand...


10-4 on that! I pretty much don't want to lift or move anything more than 30 lbs anymore.

As an aside, I am a drummer primarily, and bought a "bop sized" drum kit a few years ago for gigging. 18" bass drum, two toms, snare, 2 or 3 cymbals. If I play a larger venue or outdoors, I mike the bass. Hauling a bop kit around is alot easier than one just a bit larger. I have larger kits, and love them and use them as well, but the past few years not only have I found that less is more, it is easier to load in and out less than more.

So the markbass 12 combo is a very attractive package to this late forties musician.

QUESTION: Do you folks who are gigging with the 12 combo place it on the floor, on top of something, or do you use an amp stand on stage? I read the post about getting more ummph when the bass is near the wall, so that is why I ask.

Thanks for the opinion BEBOP1! After playing several combos at GC's in austin, just based on what I was able to hear with the bass cranked, I figured it has a pretty awesome spectrum. The roland is ok, but it doesn't have much power for it's weight, at least as far as edrums go.
 
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#16
I put my 12 combo on the floor when it's by itself, but I tilt it back with a 2x2. Thought about an amp stand, but I use a B-15N on a lot of gigs as well, and I don't think there's an amp stand that doesn't cost $75 that can hold it, so I'll just keep using the stick. Bill Fitzmaurice turned me onto the idea of tilting it back so I can hear it like the audience hears it and I don't blow people out with too much treble and upper mid.
 
#17
Once I got the 121p, I sold 3 other combo amps, 1 head, and 2 cabinets. Then I bought a MB 121 traveler cab to have on hand if necessary.. it's almost as light weight as the combo.. my life/back/ears are satisfied...nice and full

but that 121p can hold its own against some decent volume...

I use a gig bag, so for electric gigs I can bring my whole rig in with one trip.
 

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