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markbass little mark 2

T

tieffrequenz

Nov 28, 2007
7
0
South Germany
www.myspace.com
#1
Does anybody uses the little mark 2 with a different preamp?

I tried it with the swr marcus miller preamp, straight into the effect return, wow, it makes such a big difference, rounder, more open and better low end tone.
After this experience I have to look for a preamp.
I love the amp for it`s weight, size and power, but the preamp is not that good.

Thanx for any feedack.:help:
 
#2
Anytime you pile a preamp on top of another preamp (which I think is what happens when using the effects return on the MB heads) the tone will change quite a bit. If you want to keep it small and light, and still have the ability to add some additional fatness, look into getting either an onboard preamp or a nice quality stomp box pre like the Sadowsky, FBass, Aguilar Tone Hammer... whatever. Much easier, much smaller IMO.

I too like a more 'active' signal going into my amp heads (including the LMII), and really like the tone of the Sadowsky preamp for fattening/warming up the signal a bit.

I find the preamp on the LMII beautiful, and it is one of the few preamps on an integrated bass amp head that actually tests relatively 'flat' when the knobs are at noon and the filters are off. If you are looking for a lot of color (like the SWR stuff), I can see where the more neutral voicing of the MB preamps would not be to your taste.

IMO!
 
#3
I own a SA450 which is a more feature packed (and bigger alas) version the LMII.

I have both an AMPEG SVP Pro tube pre and a Tech21 Bass VT which I have plugged into the effects return with good results.
however, theres a pre-post switch on the back of the SA450 which controls whether the effects loop goes through the eq section of the preamp or not which yields different results.
if you want to bypass the voicing of the LMII's preamp you'll need to open the amp and switch a jumper which does what the pre/post switch does on my amp. keep in mind this voids your warranty so do your own math before jumping in the water.
 
#5
dannybuoy said:
I thought the jumper was just for the DI output?
Click to expand...

There are two internal settings, neither of which do what the previous poster thinks they do. One is for pre/post DI (and performs the same function as the switch on all newer MB heads, along with the larger box models like that posters SA450). Then, there is a serial/parallel effects loop jumper (actually a couple need to be changed). However, this does not impact WHERE the effects return sits in the signal chain... I think it is always post EQ (I don't use it, but I think I remember guys saying that... so you can't totally bypass the LMII preamp and use the unit as a pure power amp... I think!).
 
#8
Thanks you all for the quick answers,

ok folks, let me say it with other words, the little mark II has good preamp but it fits not my taste, sounds better? Great!
The guy in the bass store told me the return goes straight into the poweramp and he had the same opinion about the sound, more open tone.
But anyway, it is a matter of taste, isn`t it? It depends also which music you play.
I don`t know if I go with the SWR MM, but the tube is a must have for me.
Haven`t tried? Give it a shot and let`s talk later.
Maybe there is something smaller out there with similar results, I will check it out.
Haven`t tried the pre in front, I`ll give it a try.

Cheers!
 
#9
KJung said:
There are two internal settings, neither of which do what the previous poster thinks they do. One is for pre/post DI (and performs the same function as the switch on all newer MB heads, along with the larger box models like that posters SA450). Then, there is a serial/parallel effects loop jumper (actually a couple need to be changed). However, this does not impact WHERE the effects return sits in the signal chain... I think it is always post EQ (I don't use it, but I think I remember guys saying that... so you can't totally bypass the LMII preamp and use the unit as a pure power amp... I think!).
Click to expand...

By what I can make out looking at the circuit diagram in the LMII manual, fx loop sits BEFORE the eq section but after the gain stage (in series or parallel as stated).

Therefore feeding an external pre-amp will always go through the LMII preamp, but without being coloured from the LMII gain.

The only way to avoid this is to output from the LMII's DI set to pre, which defeats the object entirely! :)
 
#10
The SWR Marcus Miller Preamp is an amazing piece of gear and well built too. It does not color the sound at all unless you want it to. I would bet good money it will scope out flatter than a LMII/LMIII.
 
#11
ga_edwards said:
By what I can make out looking at the circuit diagram in the LMII manual, fx loop sits BEFORE the eq section but after the gain stage (in series or parallel as stated).

Therefore feeding an external pre-amp will always go through the LMII preamp, but without being coloured from the LMII gain.

The only way to avoid this is to output from the LMII's DI set to pre, which defeats the object entirely! :)
Click to expand...

+1 on the loop being before the EQ, which is active when using the effects return (hence my 'one preamp feeding into another).

However, setting the DI to pre will only impact what comes out of the DI, not what comes out of the speaker, and that's what he's talking about.
 
#12
Red Planet said:
The SWR Marcus Miller Preamp is an amazing piece of gear and well built too. It does not color the sound at all unless you want it to. I would bet good money it will scope out flatter than a LMII/LMIII.
Click to expand...

I doubt this. Assuming the frequency response curves published in Bass Gear Magazine and the LMII manual, the LMII has a completely flat response in the audio range. Hard to get flatter than that. :)
 
#13
KJung said:
+1 on the loop being before the EQ, which is active when using the effects return (hence my 'one preamp feeding into another).

However, setting the DI to pre will only impact what comes out of the DI, not what comes out of the speaker, and that's what he's talking about.
Click to expand...

That's what I meant. Only the DI to pre will not be coloured by EQ. The power amp and speaker always will. Hence why using using the DI from the LMII defeats the object, might as well take it from the SWR pre!
 
#14
ga_edwards said:
That's what I meant. Only the DI to pre will not be coloured by EQ. The power amp and speaker always will. Hence why using using the DI from the LMII defeats the object, might as well take it from the SWR pre!
Click to expand...

I'm totally missing your point. When did we start talking about DI feeds:confused:

However, it is rare that you would want a post EQ DI in a live situation, since the EQ you would use with your cabinet to make that work on stage would most likely work against the voicing that a sound professional would need at the board going through a big stack of PA speakers. In the studio, that's a bit of a different story, of course.
 
#15
I am thinking about doing the same thing, use sansamp BDDI output for the FX return, I guess whether you consider the LMII preamp good or not, it is not as versatile as the sansamp BDDI. I agree with the statement that it's not a good idea to run through both preamp.

comments?
 
#16
If one were to do this with a Preamp that has an XLR out like say the SWRM2 Pream (it has two) I would just run an XLR balanced cable into the XLR input on the LMII (this will be padded a 10 db less than the 1/4" input), set the LMII EQ flat and let it roll.
 
#18
Red Planet said:
If one were to do this with a Preamp that has an XLR out like say the SWRM2 Pream (it has two) I would just run an XLR balanced cable into the XLR input on the LMII (this will be padded a 10 db less than the 1/4" input), set the LMII EQ flat and let it roll.
Click to expand...

That's not a bad idea though if you use your preamp for tone shaping. You could use one for sculpting your tone, then the (quite transparent) eq in the LMII to tweak for the room. That way you can be pretty sure of always getting 'your' sound from the pre-amp, whether through your amp, someone else's amp or DI.

Hmmm.... now you've got me thinking....

I've recently stripped my rig right down to bass, amp and compressor. About the only thing I miss is a bit of dirt and occasional distortion. I've been thinking about a 2 channel job that can do mild drive and full on dirt, but now, that Programmable BDDI is looking quite promising (just wish it had mid control!).
 
#19
Ok, you are right, I have looked into the manual, the return is "not" going straight into the power amp, maybe not perfect, but the sound improvement was still there.
I have a gig tonight and I will try the MM preamp into the XLR Input.
I will also give a shot too, to the "sansamp Acoustic Di", the tone hammer and maybe the "art pro channel"(half the prize of the MM -pre with Comp and tube EQ and it`s usable also for my acoustic guitar).

Thanks for all the responses!
 
#20
Handyman said:
I doubt this. Assuming the frequency response curves published in Bass Gear Magazine and the LMII manual, the LMII has a completely flat response in the audio range. Hard to get flatter than that. :)
Click to expand...

First off we have not seen any test DATA on the M2, second there is something going on with that predisposed bump in the low end with the LMII/LMIII and it's definitely not flat, and third I would want to see some more testing done by other folks before I believed any claims.

I do have a friend with a scope and a tone generator and I have an LMIII so I suppose I could stop by there at some point and see for myself.

Also there is more than one way to look at the signal and proclaim it is flat. YMMV
 

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