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MarkBass CMD 121p speakon issue

roccobladr

roccobladr

Aug 17, 2009
328
449
SE Pennsylvania
#1
I finally added a New York 121 cabinet to my MarkBass CMD 121p combo during the MF sale. I’m having issues with connecting the cabinet to the combo via speakon cable.

I’ve tried 2 different speakon cables and they both don’t seem to connect correctly to the back of the combo. I guess it could be due to using cheaper cables, but neither of them were able to click in correctly on the combo side. No issues on the cabinet side.

I tried using a 1/4” cable to connect and that seems to work fine.

This is my first time using a cabinet set up and speakon cables, so perhaps I am doing something wrong, but could this be an issue on my amp? If so, is it ok to use a 1/4” cable?
 
#2
roccobladr said:
I finally added a New York 121 cabinet to my MarkBass CMD 121p combo during the MF sale. I’m having issues with connecting the cabinet to the combo via speakon cable.

I’ve tried 2 different speakon cables and they both don’t seem to connect correctly to the back of the combo. I guess it could be due to using cheaper cables, but neither of them were able to click in correctly on the combo side. No issues on the cabinet side.

I tried using a 1/4” cable to connect and that seems to work fine.

This is my first time using a cabinet set up and speakon cables, so perhaps I am doing something wrong, but could this be an issue on my amp? If so, is it ok to use a 1/4” cable?
Click to expand...
It is ok to use a 1/4" cable but a genuine Speakon cable will work unless, in the unlikely chance, there's something wrong with the receptacle on the back of your amp but I'd try a better quality Speakon cable 1st.
 
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#4
I agree with the advice to be sure that the connectors on the speaker cable are genuine Neutrik. Whatever you do, don't force it if it doesn't want to turn into place -- a counterfeit connector can get jammed in there and it could require 'surgery' to extract it.

And I'm not sure if this is true of the combination connectors, but with regular Speakons, you can't plug an NL4 cable into an NL2 jack; it's keyed differently by design. It's possible that if your amp has an NL2 Combo connector and your speaker cable is a regular NL4, which is the most common, that it might not be able to be inserted correctly. Again, I'm not sure if that distinction exists in the combination connectors.
 
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#6
Redbrangus said:
I agree with the advice to be sure that the connectors on the speaker cable are genuine Neutrik. Whatever you do, don't force it if it doesn't want to turn into place -- a counterfeit connector can get jammed in there and it could require 'surgery' to extract it.

And I'm not sure if this is true of the combination connectors, but with regular Speakons, you can't plug an NL4 cable into an NL2 jack; it's keyed differently by design. It's possible that if your amp has an NL2 Combo connector and your speaker cable is a regular NL4, which is the most common, that it might not be able to be inserted correctly. Again, I'm not sure if that distinction exists in the combination connectors.
Click to expand...

Do you happen to know which type of connector is on the MarkBass CMD 121p combo II?
 
#7
roccobladr said:
Do you happen to know which type of connector is on the MarkBass CMD 121p combo II?
Click to expand...
No, I don't. I tried to look at the manual online and was reminded of just how poor the documentation is on Markbass products. :thumbsup: Nowhere in their multi-device manual do they refer to the output connector as anything other than a generic "Speakon". If you look closely, there might be a part designation molded around the rim of the round part of the connector, but I'm not sure that it would be there. What definitely should be there though, is the Neutrik name, also molded in. The cable end-connectors should also say Neutrik plainly on them.
 
#8
roccobladr said:
Do you happen to know which type of connector is on the MarkBass CMD 121p combo II?
Click to expand...
This works for all of my Markbass heads and cabs.
20220324_144738.jpg
 
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#9
Great pic, but it doesn't indicate which connector is on the output of the amp. You can plug an NL2 cable into an NL4 jack, but you can't plug an NL4 cable into an NL2 jack. And again, I'm not absolutely certain that this distinction is the case on the combination Speakon jacks; Neutrik's own literature says they accept both. I tend to agree with @agedhorse, who has expressed the opinion that the combination Speakons shouldn't have ever been introduced into the market. :D
 
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#10
Redbrangus said:
Great pic, but it doesn't indicate which connector is on the output of the amp. You can plug an NL2 cable into an NL4 jack, but you can't plug an NL4 cable into an NL2 jack. And again, I'm not absolutely certain that this distinction is the case on the combination Speakon jacks; Neutrik's own literature says they accept both. I tend to agree with @agedhorse, who has expressed the opinion that the combination Speakons shouldn't have ever been introduced into the market. :D
Click to expand...
Does this help?
20220324_150431.jpg
 
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#12
Sparky Mark said:
The combo internal speaker is connected via a 1/4" jack so for simplicity just use 1/4" jack to jack for the extension cab too.
For me personally the combo jack has got me out of trouble a couple of times when I've stupidly forgotten my speakon cables.
Click to expand...
I had no idea connecting a cab could be so complicated! Is there any drawback using a 1/4” cable in terms of power being supplied?

I understand there could be safety hazards and the speakon is locking which is great, but for now it’s just going to be used mainly at practice in a basement.
 
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#13
Sparky Mark said:
Does this help?
View attachment 4633220
Click to expand...
Another good pic. Unfortunately, I can't tell 'cause I don't know off-hand, and I don't have any connectors to look at where I currently am. I'm finding in multiple places on Neutrik's site that the combo connectors accept both NL2s and NL4s, so I'm thinking this is all a bit of a red herring anyway. Sorry 'bout that. Let's go back to the bogus cable-end connector theory for now. :)

I'd try to resolve the Speakon issue my own self, but there's no real reason not to use the quarter-phone.
 
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#14
roccobladr said:
I had no idea connecting a cab could be so complicated! Is there any drawback using a 1/4” cable in terms of power being supplied?

I understand there could be safety hazards and the speakon is locking which is great, but for now it’s just going to be used mainly at practice in a basement.
Click to expand...
As long as you are using proper speaker cable (i.e., not a screened instrument lead) then you shouldn't have a problem. Like I said, the internal speaker is already connected with a jack connector.
 
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#16
roccobladr said:
I’ve tried 2 different speakon cables and they both don’t seem to connect correctly to the back of the combo. I guess it could be due to using cheaper cables, but neither of them were able to click in correctly on the combo side. No issues on the cabinet side.

I tried using a 1/4” cable to connect and that seems to work fine.
Click to expand...
ALWAYS use genuine Neutrik speakON brand connectors. The knockoffs have caused a lot of problems, some of them costly.
 
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