Markbass Megathread PART 2

[air_leech]

Gary
Thanks a ton Pal... you curbed my gass once again.
I really want another one too, but the SA450 is holding me back. If in fact it sounds identical to the LMII, this will be my next amp for sure because of the extra patching feature and eq mostly. It would be worth the extra bucks and become the main amp. I just wish somebody could a/b them or could get my hands on one to try. Doesn't seem to be any around.

Has anyone out there a/b'd the Mark Bass SA450 and LMII ?

I ran an A/B of the SA450 and the combo head of a CMD151P which is supposed to be identical to the LMII (except it has different front panel graphics and no top cover if you take it out).

I disonnected the combo head's speaker out (the rear panel is identical to the LMII) and tried it with the same cabs as the SA450 (MB's 104HF and 151HR). I used my american std. fender P strung with TIs and after an hour and a half I took the SA450 (the shopowner was very nice and stayed an hour after closing time so I could test every configuration I wanted including the TA501&503).


I ran them flat and to me the SA450 sounded more open and full in the lows. I didn't do any major fiddling with the EQ and filters and mainly ran with all knobs in the center position except for the filters which where set to zero on both amps.
using the semi para eq I was also able to get a sound very similar to my GK's so it sealed the deal for me.

please keep in mind this was my first experience with MB gear and as we know nothing sounds the same in the music store and at home/gig so use my observations with caution and count on your own ears because you may like different things.
also of importance is the fact that the SA450 is about 25% bigger than the LMII so if size is your numero uno reason for being hooked on a MB you may be turned off by the SA's bigger size (however it weighs pretty much the same - a metal box filled with air ).

btw, regarding your question about the digital vs. analog - the SA450 is a solid state analog amp with the only digital thing being the transformer (like all MB amps, it has a digital one thus no bulky heavy torodials used), thats also what SA stand for as in SD being solid state preamp with digital poweramp and TA being a tube preamp with analog poweramp.
for some reason MB markets the SA as being a weaker SD800 while in reality they only share the transformer and the chassis. think of the SA450 as a LMII with semi para eq, DI lineout level, dual speakons and a bigger chassis.

 

[mani]

Just finished my third gig with my SA450 atop my Ampeg 610. I got the SA450 simply because it came up for sale used at the right time. I'd never had the chance to try Markbass gear at all and bought it off a local forum.

This thing is great! I was worried about power but it has heaps of grunt. Feels louder than the one side of a Crown XLS802 (800w) that I run my HBP-1 with. Very clear and defined with flat EQ and a touch of VPF with my mid heavy Warwick. It's a bit honky without the pre shape with this bass, but the SR4 doesn't need anything. Couldn't be much happier, especially leaving the venue at 3am with it slung over my shoulder in a Gig Skinz medium mixer bag. I don't think the Demeter/Crown will stay long. That'll go to fund an all tube something...

Yet to try it properly with my NL-210, but hoping it will be a good light weight option.

 

[51m0n]

I ran an A/B of the SA450 and the combo head of a CMD151P which is supposed to be identical to the LMII (except it has different front panel graphics and no top cover if you take it out).

I disonnected the combo head's speaker out (the rear panel is identical to the LMII) and tried it with the same cabs as the SA450 (MB's 104HF and 151HR). I used my american std. fender P strung with TIs and after an hour and a half I took the SA450 (the shopowner was very nice and stayed an hour after closing time so I could test every configuration I wanted including the TA501&503).

I ran them flat and to me the SA450 sounded more open and full in the lows. I didn't do any major fiddling with the EQ and filters and mainly ran with all knobs in the center position except for the filters which where set to zero on both amps.
using the semi para eq I was also able to get a sound very similar to my GK's so it sealed the deal for me.

please keep in mind this was my first experience with MB gear and as we know nothing sounds the same in the music store and at home/gig so use my observations with caution and count on your own ears because you may like different things.
also of importance is the fact that the SA450 is about 25% bigger than the LMII so if size is your numero uno reason for being hooked on a MB you may be turned off by the SA's bigger size (however it weighs pretty much the same - a metal box filled with air ).

btw, regarding your question about the digital vs. analog - the SA450 is a solid state analog amp with the only digital thing being the transformer (like all MB amps, it has a digital one thus no bulky heavy torodials used), thats also what SA stand for as in SD being solid state preamp with digital poweramp and TA being a tube preamp with analog poweramp.
for some reason MB markets the SA as being a weaker SD800 while in reality they only share the transformer and the chassis. think of the SA450 as a LMII with semi para eq, DI lineout level, dual speakons and a bigger chassis.

I spent a fair old while in my local swapping between an LMII and an sa450, and went for the sa450 due to the extra eq goodies. The additional size isn't relevant to me since I intend to rack it up in a lightweight GATOR shallow 2U. There was nothing obvious tone-wise to seperate them (thru MB cabs I might add), and the power is identical. I am just tickled pink by my purchase too .

 

[::::BASSIST::::]

Hey Double-Muff...

What are the tonal differences b/n the LMII and that behringer bx4500?

Just curious!

 

[tombowlus]

the shopowner was very nice and stayed an hour after closing time so I could test every configuration I wanted including the TA501&503.

What did you think of the 501 & 503?

 

[DigMe]

LMII - ... If you want to know what an R500 sounds like, dial up the VLE knob on your LMII to 12 o'clock or a little more. Bump the low mids and now you have that chewy tubey tone of the R500.

I haven't played the R500 but I did spend some time doing side x sides of the LMII and the TA501 in Guitar Center. I could not replicate the warmth of the TA501 through the LMII although I could get some real nice, versatile tones with the VLE. The TA501 had tons of beautiful (yet still ballsy) warm tone. I don't know how it compares with the R500 in that regard.

Still though, the LMII is giving me eyes and I'm really considering picking one up. The portability + tone is incredible.

bc

 

[Beskyd]

I haven't played the R500 but I did spend some time doing side x sides of the LMII and the TA501 in Guitar Center. I could not replicate the warmth of the TA501 through the LMII although I could get some real nice, versatile tones with the VLE. The TA501 had tons of beautiful (yet still ballsy) warm tone. I don't know how it compares with the R500 in that regard.

Still though, the LMII is giving me eyes and I'm really considering picking one up. The portability + tone is incredible.

bc

Interesting... So it means that the tube in compressor really provides a lot of warmth? I'm assailed by doubts again

 

[DigMe]

Interesting... So it means that the tube in compressor really provides a lot of warmth? I'm assailed by doubts again

My ears say yes, and also I looked at the TA501 on MB's website afterwards and it says:
"Tone-wise, your sound is warmed up nicely by the tube even when the compressor is off."

bc

 

[double-muff]

Hey Double-Muff...

What are the tonal differences b/n the LMII and that behringer bx4500?

Just curious!

My god what a godsend this amp is to me.
The Behringer was allright for the money (bought it with a cab for about $300 used) but it just did not do my cab and bass justice but i did not have a SINGLE problem with it, gigged it and took it around a bit dropped it down stairsand it was solid.

The LMII is dirty cheap.. maybe too cheap for the quality!
But i am now keeping the Behringer as a doorstop & paperweight.
hope that explains anything.

 

[Brad Maestas]

I was very disappointed when I recently visited the Brooklyn Guitar Center and there wasn't a single Markbass product in the building. I was there to take pictures of my buddy competing in the 2007 "Drum Off" competition. I asked four different salesmen, including a manager, about "Markbass" and they all gave me the same odd look. These putzes had never even heard of Markbass. After searching the chain-wide database they informed me of the current stock in all the other NY metro locations. I think they said there was like one SD800 in stock at the 14th St location or something. After seeing the metro-wide stock, I was even further surprised at the numbers. Either units were flying off the shelves or it was normal for GC to have only one SD800 available out of all the metro locations. Kind of frustrating had I actually wanted to buy one.

Anyway, I am really looking at the Little Mark II and the SD800. I want something that's über-portable and also something that can serve as a backup to my WWU. KJung told me earlier that the SD800 is a great alternative to the power and portability of the WWU. At $1499 it might be a while before I get one. The LMII seems to be a more realistic short-term goal though.

 

[air_leech]

What did you think of the 501 & 503?

both sounded more like the SA450 than the combo head to me (I assume the combo head and the LMII sound completely the same), meaning they had a thicker lower end and nearly no zing when set flat but they had less open sounding his and hi mids in comparison to the SA450 when everything was ran flat.

I didnt try them for as long as the SA and combo but I noticed they seem to have a bit more presence than the SA and the combo.

the compressor in the 501 made it sound tighter than the SA450 but not much more than the 503. I dont like single knob compressors, you can't really know what is the ratio and you have no control over it.

again, this is me 4 months later so take everything with a grain of salt.

 

[Peter Murray]

Ken
The website is confusing to me. The specs are of course different as they demonstrate different numbers due to the eq etc. Much of this is meaningless to me as I don't know the technical applications and how it equates to the difference in the amps. At the bottom it is noted that the SA450 is a digital power section. I believe we discussed this before, but I can't find the post or pm.. my bad.

from the website.
All models are equipped with Markbass-designed digital power supply circuitry.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Just to clarify, there's a difference between a "power supply" and a "power amp" or, as you put it, "power section".

The power supply takes the power from your wall socket and converts it to useable power for the amp. It is NOT the power amp. The power amp in the SA450 (and most of our amps) is ANALOG.
The only amps we manufacture with digital power amps are the SD800 and the F1.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Peter Murray]

I haven't played the R500 but I did spend some time doing side x sides of the LMII and the TA501 in Guitar Center. I could not replicate the warmth of the TA501 through the LMII although I could get some real nice, versatile tones with the VLE. The TA501 had tons of beautiful (yet still ballsy) warm tone. I don't know how it compares with the R500 in that regard.

Still though, the LMII is giving me eyes and I'm really considering picking one up. The portability + tone is incredible.

bc

May I show you all the tube section of the Markbass menu?

The TA501 technically has a solid state preamp, but the signal is always passing through the compressor tube, whether the compressor is engaged or not. This does give you some tube character/warmth to your sound at all times.

The TA503 has a tube preamp, so it has even more tube character than the TA501.

The R500 is designed for the tube to overdrive nicely when you crank the gain--in that regard it's more of a tube amp made with rock music in mind. If you play in a rock band and want access to some tube grit, this might be what you want.

The Classic 300 is all-tube: tube preamp and tube power amp. For tube lovers, it's the most tubey of Markbass amps!

 

[Big String]

Just to clarify, there's a difference between a "power supply" and a "power amp" or, as you put it, "power section".

The power supply takes the power from your wall socket and converts it to useable power for the amp. It is NOT the power amp. The power amp in the SA450 (and most of our amps) is ANALOG.
The only amps we manufacture with digital power amps are the SD800 and the F1.

Cheers,
Peter

Thanks Pete
And everyone else that commented on this before.
Sorry I got confused again about this... I'm saving this info this time around.....

 

[dominic54321]

Ok, after reading countless threads on the LMII, I just had to stop over to the local Guitar Center yesterday. All I have to say is WOW!!! This amp is everything it's hyped up to be. It was SOooooooo difficult NOT to pull out the credit card and take one home. I only had a few minutes, so picked up the first bass I had seen, I played it thru a Markbass 115 with a Schecter stiletto elite neck thru 5 string, I was very impressed! It's definately next on my "got to have" list!

 

[Tony G]

Ok, after reading countless threads on the LMII, I just had to stop over to the local Guitar Center yesterday. All I have to say is WOW!!! This amp is everything it's hyped up to be. It was SOooooooo difficult NOT to pull out the credit card and take one home. I only had a few minutes, so picked up the first bass I had seen, I played it thru a Markbass 115 with a Schecter stiletto elite neck thru 5 string, I was very impressed! It's definately next on my "got to have" list!

Now you see why I decided to let go of my UL502....

 

[dominic54321]

Well, I still love my ul502/ul410 setup, but now I'm going to have to do a little A/bing myself. The ul502 is one of the ONLY "lightweight" amps that I've found that can deliver the punchy loud notes and low end that is "almost" lead sled quality, at extremely HIGH volumes. If the LMII can also deliver, I may also become a convert!

 

[neptoon]

i've got to give that LMII another shot...i tried it through a couple of ampeg cabs a couple of markbass cabs and a couple of GK cabs...didn't really like what i heard...when i pick up my mtd in the next couple of weeks, i'm going to see how it works through a few eden or bag end cabs...maybe the cabs i was listening to it through just didn't give it any justice...we'll see

 

[Vic]

Now you see why I decided to let go of my UL502....

I am SO tempted to say I told you so, but... nah...

 

[Tony G]

I am SO tempted to say I told you so, but... nah...

lol...