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MarkBass Little Mark Tube 800

#121
Well, I just sent in for the lmk800 tube. I'll give it a shot and see what happens.
I use a aguilar 412 most of the time so Im hoping that the 800 will get me a bit more headroom and volume over the lmkII. Also, when I use the lkmII with this cab the tone is low end heavy, I hoping the 800 will tighten it up a bit.
 
#123
KJung said:
I think these issues are pretty trivial (like the goofy design of the power amp limiting indicator light on the Genz head, etc.). Small things that could be revised and improved (IMO), but having little to do with the primary performance of the amps (tone, reliability, volume).
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I do not get it what is goofy about it?

How about the limitter light on the MarkBass stuff, you know the one they do not have. Just dont look at it. :p:D
 
#125
KJung said:
That horse is beat to death:smug:
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frogbones.gif
 
#127
Hi Guys! I'm new here but I might be able to help some fence sitters in deciding what way to go in re which model" I had tried most models in various shops but no outlets had MB 800 tube for me to try so I too was confused as to what would sound best for me.I didn't want to commit til I tried the tube--I'm glad I waited!!.I just travelled 4,500 ks from Byron to Perth to visit my daughter and made the mistake of visiting a music shop.On sale was a MB 800 tube and I tried it,loved it and bought it.I agree with some that the tube isn't that much difference from the solid state pre amp.But in every other way it delivers the goods and more.I have an Abm Ashdown (750watts) head on 4x10+1x15 ashdownn cabs and it pulls a big warm sound but MB is a lot sweeter.Similar to my old GK800rb in as much you don't spend half the gig trying to pull the sound you had last week.Its quick simple and easy.
I'm now using the mb on a ev 15"tl cab (old school) and an ev 2x10" on top and honestly believe it's the best,fattest warm sound I've ever had with the ability to get snappy tops and definition too! when I sell some of my other cabs I certainly will be tempted to go for the lightwight MB cabs.
before deciding which model give the tube a crack! There is a huge range of models (I think too many with too little difference) to choose from.I could gush on but we all like something different so try them all.
 
#128
Hi Guys! I'm new here but I might be able to help some fence sitters in deciding what way to go in re which model" I had tried most models in various shops but no outlets had MB 800 tube for me to try so I too was confused as to what would sound best for me.I didn't want to commit til I tried the tube--I'm glad I waited!!.I just travelled 4,500 ks from Byron to Perth to visit my daughter and made the mistake of visiting a music shop.On sale was a MB 800 tube and I tried it,loved it and bought it.I agree with some that the tube isn't that much difference from the solid state pre amp.But in every other way it delivers the goods and more.I have an Abm Ashdown (750watts) head on 4x10+1x15 ashdownn cabs and it pulls a big warm sound but MB is a lot sweeter.Similar to my old GK800rb in as much you don't spend half the gig trying to pull the sound you had last week.Its quick simple and easy.
I'm now using the mb on a ev 15"tl cab (old school) and an ev 2x10" on top and honestly believe it's the best,fattest warm sound I've ever had with the ability to get snappy tops and definition too! when I sell some of my other cabs I certainly will be tempted to go for the lightwight MB cabs.
before deciding which model give the tube a crack! There is a huge range of models (I think too many with too little difference) to choose from.I could gush on but we all like something different so try them all.
 
#129
Dr Funk said:
So my LMT800 honeymoon is over. It just couldn't get me where I needed to go tone wise on the gig. Plenty of power but thin on top in comparison to the LMT I had first. That one was killer tone but not enough power I'm kind of stuck in the middle with MB.
Honestly, I'm thinking 9.0 right now. :eyebrow:
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+1 Not a good match with the Epi cabs, and WAY too much upper mid response for me personally.

I'm not a fan of the Genz stuff with the Epi cabs either. I don't dig the front end on the original Shuttle series of amps much. The Max heads sound great though, especially with the FET channel to my ear.

I'm having GREAT luck with my 410UL(4ohm) and the F500 at the moment. That lower mid semi-parametric (dialed down to around 200hz), and the general tighter voicing of the F500 is just about perfect with that cab, and it has more punch and perceived volume than the LMII... although not massive... maybe 10%.

Edit: You should also check out the TC RH450. I have not had the chance to try it with my 410UL, but with the Berg AE410, it is a HAMMER! Amazing features, a fat, punchy, warm tone, and its 450 watt rating sounds more like 600. Amazing head for those that want a small head (it's about the size of the LMII) with a lot of meat and punch. I totally dig it!
 
#130
KJung said:
+1 Not a good match with the Epi cabs, and WAY too much upper mid response for me personally.

I'm not a fan of the Genz stuff with the Epi cabs either. I don't dig the front end on the original Shuttle series of amps much. The Max heads sound great though, especially with the FET channel to my ear.

I'm having GREAT luck with my 410UL(4ohm) and the F500 at the moment. That lower mid semi-parametric (dialed down to around 200hz), and the general tighter voicing of the F500 is just about perfect with that cab, and it has more punch and perceived volume than the LMII... although not massive... maybe 10%.
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I know, I know you've been telling us this about the F500 all along but 500 watts just doesn't make me warm and fuzzy. I didn't care for the 6.0 I had either. I'm about to give up on the whole micro idea after one more try. I mean at 14 lbs. my Epi 902C is no lead sled and it always sounds great and never runs out of power. But beyond the obvious size micros and their proprietary bags make them even more attractive as they are soooo convenient. I am playing a lot of gigs lately, so "get in, get out, no one gets hurt" is the goal. I just won't put my sound second to any other requirement.
 
#132
Dr Funk said:
I know, I know you've been telling us this about the F500 all along but 500 watts just doesn't make me warm and fuzzy. I didn't care for the 6.0 I had either. I'm about to give up on the whole micro idea after one more try. I mean at 14 lbs. my Epi 902C is no lead sled and it always sounds great and never runs out of power. But beyond the obvious size micros and their proprietary bags make them even more attractive as they are soooo convenient. I am playing a lot of gigs lately, so "get in, get out, no one gets hurt" is the goal. I just won't put my sound second to any other requirement.
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I'm not a fan of that super smooth Epi voicing, but agree that there is no micro out there that I've tried that has that sort of low end wump (even compared to the 502, much less the 902). Too much low end without enough control for me, especially with the 410UL. I like a more even tone, with more mid and upper mid response in my sound and a tighter low end... although the Genz Shuttle voicing and the Markbass 800 voicing are too much in that upper mid tonal area for me.

If you need that kind of oomph, you are probably stuck with a 'bigger' head. If you like that 902 voicing, you might consider trying the new EA iAmpPro.... 1200 watts into 4ohms, under 10 pounds, and that HUGE low end like the Epi. Of course, the TecAmp PUma1000 would make you so happy you would not be able to think straight with a 410UL, but you would need an 8ohm model (the Puma1000 bridges its full 1000 watts into 8ohm, is about the same size as the LMII, and has that creamy, smooth, fat, deep tone of the Epi amps, but with MUCH better EQ, and much more control of the mids and punch).

The F500 is literally the best 'sounding' head I've experienced with the 410UL (IMO and IME), but it would in NO way keep up with the low end of the 902. The iAmpPro would, in a smaller, 'almost micro' format.

Even if the Genz 9.0 is voiced a bit fatter, it would again be more 'tight and bright' like the 6.0 (based on early reviews) than your 902. The Genz voicing is in the total opposite direction versus the Epi voicing IMO and IME.
 
#134
Red Planet said:
Have not played one yet but I would think the Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 with 900 watts at 4 ohms and some EQ adjustment would get all the Low End Kawhump one could ever want.
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One would think.
I had my LMT800 on a waterside outdoor gig last night with an Epifani UL610 it is the end of a tone crusade. It produced the sound in my head on stage for everyone to share.
 
#135
Indeed.
I played an outside gig in a courtyard (Atlantic Station)recently using my LMIII and SWR 4 ohm Golight 4x10 and it was like a cannon firing.

I think part of that was we were in this open space surrounded by buildings but not totally enclosed. Nonetheless it was massive. :bassist:
 
#137
0175westwood29 said:
might be looking at getting a lm 800 tube for a svt pro6 back up?

or if i like it enough it would take the place of it all together!

the lm2 i have sounded awesome thru my 610 but was slightly to clean! is the 800 a bit warmer?

andy
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I think in full SS mode it is very warm. It's the tube that dials in the edge. Last night it seemed to be best with the blend set at about 7:00-8:00. BTW I owned an SVT6 as back up to my Eden for a few years but it didn't see much use. I definitely prefer the LMT800 it is a more versatile amp and a whole lot lighter. ;)
 
#138
I A/B the LMT 800 vs LMII. I overall like the Tube 800 better, especially when used with vintage voiced cabs (i.e. the Aggi 112). I tried it with the Markbass 2x10 and It sounded slightly more harsh. not much difference though.

I'm getting a berg NV610 next week I will try out both heads with and report out on....
 
#139
KJung said:
That is TBer Vic's recommendation.

And yes, since I like the MB stuff so much, I've kind of forced myself to go to school on the names, and have played quite a few of the executions (I've owned the SD800 and SA450... again, like you, looking for that elusive 'LMII but just a bit more' magic).

The best way to think about it IMO is to lump the MB amps into 4 groups (ignoring the big tube head).

The 'LMII' sounding group: LMII, LM250, LMK, SA450, LMIII, LMTube. These are the class A/B power amp models (there are other ones with special features like tube compressors, etc., but I put them in a separate bucket) that have IMO that warm, organic but even and full tone that many LMII owners rave about. Power ranges from 250 to 500 watts RMS into 4ohms.

The 'SD800' sounding group..... SD800, LM800, LMTube800, SD1200. These are the higher powered class D amps, and have that more wide low end and more aggressive upper mid response to my ear... a 'less warm' tone IMO. The '800' name models are 750 watts into 4ohms. The 1200 is not surprisingly more powerful (haven't played that one, not sure when it will hit the US. I ASSUME it will be a more powerful but similar sounding SD800, but who knows).

The F1/F500.... my favorites... yet another, different class D power amp, and the tone is closer to the LMII than the SD800. Quicker and tighter than the LMII, and a bit more aggressive in the upper mids and treble, but much punchier and 'warmer' than the 'SD800 class' amps. The F500 is just the F1 with more features... identical tone. These are both 500 watts into 4ohms, but again seem to have a touch more 'ooomph' than the class A/B LMII class of amps.

All others.... This is my lazy way of lumping all the other executions that have stuff I'm not interested in... tube compressors/pre's (501/503.. which do have the nice LMII type class A/B power amp, but are more expensive with the tube type features), multiple distortion channels (Studio Pre 500), special hybrid designs meant to more closely mimic tube amps (R500).

What gets confusing is that the four new 'LM' heads are grouped together (IMO) based on footprint, not tone.

Whew.... a little compulsive on my part, but that's the way I keep all of these in some sort of 'tonal order'.

Edit: I wonder what the 600 watt Momark power module sounds like. If it's a more powerful F1 type tone.... whoa nelly!
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I did a search & found this post and didn't want to start a new thread (for whatever reasons).
I haven't really followed the Markbass thing in a while.
Anyway, I'll ask my question here.
Has Markbass come out with a more powerful amp yet that has the tone of the F1/F500?

An F500 that has 500W at 8ohm and 900W at 4ohm would give me wet dreams.


And, if not, what amp would come the closest to that tone and give you 400+ solid watts into an 8ohm load (& of course, more into 4ohm)?

Maybe the EA iAmp-Pro or would that sound a lot wider?
Maybe a Mesa M9 with some EQ adjustments?

[I apologize for the thread sidetrack.] :hmm:
 
#140
Last night I compared the LM800 tube, Mark II, and SD 800, using a Mesa 2 12 cab, 8ohms. The LM800 tube had a nice sound, but the tube blend with ss was more of a mid hiss then a tube growl. Good power but did not seem to have 200 more watts then the Mark II, maybe 75. The Mark II sounded more like my old 800rb, good, but with unnecessary unfocused low mid cloud. After some dial movement the Mark II sounded good also, but when pushed the unfocused frequency cloud returned only slightly lower pitched. I missed the tube sound even though the LM800 tube had a poor tube sound. Then tried the SD 800, the low end was more present along with the mid highs. After using the addition mid controls, the power of the SD had a cleaner high quality sound, but it was dry and could never tame the low end and high mid sizzle. Added an Art tube pre-amp and the amp instantly sounded great. The SD 800 additional mid controls helped fine and tuned the growl of the tube pre (much better tube sound than the LMTube 800) It may have been a combination the SD800's constant lows, while adding the mid growl. The persistent lows and highs actually complimented the tube pre or the other way, The lows and highs were constant while the mids of tube pre where polished by the low mid and high mid controls, but either way this was the best (amp) combination.
 

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