CMD 102p here. Love it, never had problems with being loud enough. Set the EQ flat, turn her up and stand back.
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Markbass combos - What's your favorite?
- Thread starter Pedulla-Player
- Start date
I've seen where some people say that the tweeter can 'hiss' on these (even with all of the knobs at zero), and I've read where people say their's are quite. Is your's quite or does it hiss? Thanks.
I've never noticed hiss on my 121p. I turn off the tweeter on my extension cabinet.
Mine’s real “quite”,cuz i disconnected the wire.
Of course, CMD151P (Jeff Berlin) has no tweeter, and I'm okay with that. No shortage of high end zing here. Tweeters are a nice bonus I guess, but there are competing schools of thought as to how popular or necessary they are.
The horn in my Traveller cab is nice when i am not using the VT pedal,but the cheep tweeter in the combo is pretty cheesy,hence the disconnection.
I absolutely love my Combo 102p. It's got great definition and punch, and I've never had volume issues. I recently craved a bit more oomph from it, so I took a gamble and got a 121H cab, which I'd never seen anyone do before. I am stunned at the result. It's still got the tight punchy sound, but also has some serious low end support. It also kicks the amplifier to 4 ohms and 500 watts instead of 300. You can see it stacks perfectly. It may not line up in the back due to the kick-back nature of it, but it does line up with the plastic corners and sit firmly in place. Don't mind the head pulled out. I have a Little Mark Tube I am going to be swapping in when it's finally off backorder.
I was reading the MF reviews on the CMD 102P and the CMD 151P Jeff Berlin model and one of the few negative reviews said that they switched the speakers that they use in the amp from B&C to Yellow Line speakers and that the Yellow Line speakers tend to 'fart out'. Never really heard of either speakers, so I don't know if the guy knew what he was talking about or not.
I mentioned this earlier in the thread and didn't get much feedback on this. Anyone have issues with the newer models 'farting out'? Sometimes people (Trolls) just like bashing things so I never know what to take sriously anymore. I'm just wondering if I should look for a newer model or older model - or if there isn't much difference since I may be pulling the trigger this weekend if all goes well. I am however still undecided on which combo...
Thanks again for all of the input. It kinda sounds like I can't go wrong either way I go.
I mentioned this earlier in the thread and didn't get much feedback on this. Anyone have issues with the newer models 'farting out'? Sometimes people (Trolls) just like bashing things so I never know what to take sriously anymore. I'm just wondering if I should look for a newer model or older model - or if there isn't much difference since I may be pulling the trigger this weekend if all goes well. I am however still undecided on which combo...
Thanks again for all of the input. It kinda sounds like I can't go wrong either way I go.
I remember when I was first disappointed in the bottom end of my 121 h, I looked at the jb 151 specs and was surprised to see that it went to 32hz, which only two other cabinets did: the 108 and the front port 151, which is discontinued. Perhaps around a year later, when finally ready to pull the trigger on my extension cab, I checked the specs again. It was and still is at 40hz. I bet the only place you will find the original numbers is on the original packing
material. They probably caved in to cost savings.
I bought new on my combo at around $1200. Looking at the new models and if I had today's choices, I would have put the extra $200 down for that super combo K1. That looks amazing. With a four string, you could handle any situation in one box.
When I got my 15 home, even though I stacked my 12 on top, it securely rested/locked inside both the front and back rubber corners of the 15. Someone is doing some thinking over there.
I went the opposite way to get the same result. A CMD K1(12" and 5" drivers with a tweeter) and a102p on top. Not a perfect fit but very secure. Very little hiss, huge tone, massive volume (1000 watts with the cab -600watts from just the combo).
I should have done this from the start, but I added a poll. I know there are other MB combos, but I only included the ones I am interested in.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
People say you shouldn't mix driver sizes, but I have seen a few cases on this thread where people have had good results doing that with these combos.
Has anyone tried a Traveler 102P cab with a Mini CMD 121P? The reason that I ask is because I am kind of leaning towards a Mini CMD 121P, but there is a Traveler 102P cab for sale for a reasonable price not too far from me. If that would be a bad mix I may just bite the bullet and go with the CMD 102P to keep matching driver sizes. Who knows - the cab may sell before I can even make the trip this weekend...
Has anyone tried a Traveler 102P cab with a Mini CMD 121P? The reason that I ask is because I am kind of leaning towards a Mini CMD 121P, but there is a Traveler 102P cab for sale for a reasonable price not too far from me. If that would be a bad mix I may just bite the bullet and go with the CMD 102P to keep matching driver sizes. Who knows - the cab may sell before I can even make the trip this weekend...
The short answer would be, if the drivers have to be all the same, then why do they mix the drivers in their products? I always say I am not a sound engineer, but my brain likes cleanly reproduced music as far as the frequencies and quality reproduction. I started with Markbass because they claimed to reproduce the sound of the instrument at a price I could afford. I don't like to start out with an amp that is an inherent effect. I like to add the effect when I choose to.
Since I don't have the time to test all combinations at GC, nor the reputation to have vendors pander to me, I have to look at the numbers. The first thing for me is: Can the equipment reproduce the frequencies of your instrument?
If you will only play a 4 string, most of the combos will get you to 40hz. The lower-end 12" combos get you 45hz. Even most of the 12" cabs stay at 45, one goes to 43. The high end is no problem. The problem is when you add the B string, your instrument can produce 31Hz. There are only two cabs that get you close to that frequency response: the standard 104HF, and the Marcus Miller 104 Cab at 35hz. So this is where the science comes in. Even the 108s only get you 40, so the front port is important on the 104HF, and who knows what magic is happening with the MM 104 cab.
I purchased my NY 151 because I wanted the frequency response I was lacking. I looked it up just now, and even the NY 151 goes only to 40hz. I thought mine went to 35, but as mentioned previously, they have been changing the numbers. Mine was used, and I thought I saw 35 when I purchased it, but I could be wrong.
So, in the end, I will leave the rest of the science of the difference between 1(+) 15s and a flock of 10s to someone else if they care to respond. I mainly went into this tangent because no one was talking about what type of bass they had for the discussion.
Last example: 4 string and a cheaper 12" combo - loss of 5 Hz range. Same combo with a 5-6 string: loss of 14 Hz range. What is the difference? I don't know, you can't hear it cause you lost it.
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That combo can handle eight strings in its sleep. Some think there's an issue with the way the EQ is set up and suggest an EQ pedal to compensate - my ears are happy the way it is. And I'm not alone. Check all the bass vids on Face book. Find a player who can let rip and there'll be yellow in the background almost every time.
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correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not sure you really need to go that low frequency speaking.
Ears do not perceive different frequencies in a uniform manner. In fact, there is a peak of sensibility in the range of human voices. This means that to perceive a super low frequency at the same volume of a 2k one we need way more energy.
Furthermore, when you ear a certain frequency you perceive the subsequent harmonics too. I guess that for super low frequency our ear is actually hearing the first harmonic (I.e. 2 times the freq.)
take a look here for more info:
Equal-loudness contour - Wikipedia
Agreed the the graph is slightly misleading in that it doesn't specify frequencies we "hear" but it is interesting to note the overlap(within hearing range) with other instruments. A lot of players like VERY clear mids and tops but I don't understand why! Those frequencies are occupied by the guitar and kit in (generally) much louder volumes.
I seriously think they design all of their cabinets to work well together. People have been stacking 2 x 10s on a single 15 for as long as I've been playing, and I think Markbass foresaw this. The cabinets sit nicely together, and the speakers seem to be properly balanced as far as sensitivity goes. I've always been impressed with Markbass. And I, for one, like yellow.
This is interesting because the first post I did on TB was frequency and do the lower hz matter. It was my pre-cabinet question. No one chimed in. Perhaps a better term, now that I am able to discuss/think about it, would be "experience" it. The lower you go, the less you hear and the more you feel it, if it has the energy behind it.
I attended a SXSW concert where Jim James played. Due to general admission, I got there early with my son and we were 10 people back. We were early enough to hear his/their sound check. Someone hit the lowest key on their bass synth. I happened to be looking down at the ground at the time and saw a 1+ foot wave of dirt, wood chips and trash come from the ground and towards me. I was pushed back a bit when it hit and I watched it go past me. The musician did it twice. He was probably in the 10hz range and we felt that, but heard the rumble of the harmonics.
Not that we would ever go there, and he hit that note only twice in their set, but the lower you go, the more you can give some assemblance of that type of experience. This is all theory to me cause I don't have the real need, but I try to get the best I can on my budget.
One last interesting note is that the QSC 1k watt 18 inch powered subwofer stops at 37hz.
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That's EXACTLY why I love Markbass so much. Regardless of where it's built the K1's cab design is awesome and every note is felt as much as heard against a wall or free standing.
