The little amp held its own at a small (50 people) gig, playing with a trombone, theremin, tenor sax, keyboard, accordion and beats/samples. Volume on about 55%. No PA although that would have helped the bottom end (I was using a Whammy for suboctave sounds). But another triumph for this amazing little amp.
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Markbass Micromark 801 Opinions?
- Thread starter junglejem
- Start date
BobDeRosa
Commercial User
- May 16, 2012
- 2,445
- 4,403
- Disclosures
- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
For sleeping kids I'd use headphones with any amp. For the guitarist you should be fine. But if these are your only uses for the amp, you could probably get away with a cheaper alternative, like the Fender Rumble 40, which is also pretty spectacular.
I think that’ll work fine. I used to practice songs (but not scales or repetitive etudes) at night and my wife would fall asleep to that and she liked it. Our visiting grandkids, likewise, liked hearing my practice at bedtime. They all relaxed and went to sleep quickly.
N.B. Naturally, you can expect this to work poorly if slapping or death metal is your gig.
Yeah but honestly the headphone sound is garbage and painfull.
You would do yourself a favor by buying a Two Note Cab M if you want to practice with headphones.
So I posted 5 years ago that I got the 601.
I got some complaints from a neighbourg 2 appartement above when playing at 1AM, so I decided to play with a headset to not be bothered by people I ... bothered, and after using some preamps Ampeg and EBS with headphones, I found the Cab M, and realised cab sim is not just for guitarists, we definitely need cab simulation even on bass, that's way more pleasant with headphones.
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I hope it's cool to post to an old, but relevant, thread.
I've been looking at tons of bass amps, and keep coming back to the 801. Have also considered some Phil Jones stuff, Fender Rumbles, higher watt cubes like Trace Elliot and Ibanez Prometheus, as well as small head and cab combinations like the TC Electronic BAM200 with a 4 ohm cab.
I'm not sure I even need an amp - all my gigs this year have been straight to PA, and the only issue with that has been that sometimes there are no stage monitors, and then it's hard to hear myself on the stage.
So I'm thinking a small rehearsal amp that could also be used as a stage monitor might be pretty useful. The 801's aux in, speaker out, headphones and XLR out connections make it look like a pretty flexible solution.
But I am stuck in a bigger-is-better mindset, and keep thinking maybe I should get at least a 200 or 300 watt amp with a 2x10 or 1x12 configuration in case we have a performance where there's no PA (which hasn't happened yet). But then transportation becomes a major issue (I'm in a big city and use public transportation).
I'm so confused!
I've been looking at tons of bass amps, and keep coming back to the 801. Have also considered some Phil Jones stuff, Fender Rumbles, higher watt cubes like Trace Elliot and Ibanez Prometheus, as well as small head and cab combinations like the TC Electronic BAM200 with a 4 ohm cab.
I'm not sure I even need an amp - all my gigs this year have been straight to PA, and the only issue with that has been that sometimes there are no stage monitors, and then it's hard to hear myself on the stage.
So I'm thinking a small rehearsal amp that could also be used as a stage monitor might be pretty useful. The 801's aux in, speaker out, headphones and XLR out connections make it look like a pretty flexible solution.
But I am stuck in a bigger-is-better mindset, and keep thinking maybe I should get at least a 200 or 300 watt amp with a 2x10 or 1x12 configuration in case we have a performance where there's no PA (which hasn't happened yet). But then transportation becomes a major issue (I'm in a big city and use public transportation).
I'm so confused!
ps: Went to a music store today to look at the 801, and when I said I was interested in stage monitoring and rehearsals, the salesman immediately steered me away from the 801, and recommended the 300 watt Markbass CMD 121p. Sill confused.
How loud is your band? I have used my 801 as my stage monitor but my band was all acoustic so the 801 was more than enough. I really doubt it would work with a drummer, but I never tried it in that context
My Minimark (the original one) worked fine as a stage monitor for many gigs. I'd have it up on a waiter's tray stand or angled up from the floor on a non-inverted milk crate.
I went ahead and ordered the Micro Mark 801. I don't want to waste a lot of time over what is basically a trivial decision. I'm sure it'll be fine for acoustic rehearsals and home use. If it works as a stage monitor, that's a bonus.
Let us know how it goes! I’ve sold all my larger amps/cabs, but kept my Musicians Friend Stupid Deal of the Day
801 just as a home practice amp. I’m not likely going to be playing onstage anytime soon, but I think the 801 would absolutely work as a stage monitor if you can raise it to ear level.
I used it today as a backup, just in case the stage monitors didn't work. But the sound engineer was able to get the bass in the wedges, and as he turned the volume up, the sound of the Minimark gradually disappeared. But I was satisfied, because I could hear myself quite clearly, which was the whole point.
Tomorrow I'll bring the 801 to a rehearsal for the first time. It's very easy to take along in public transportation.
To paraphrase someone we all know and love, "That ROOOBEEE!!!!
Well, we didn't hear back from @BassFiesta, and a local listing is offering a used 801 for 300, so here I am ...
There's one central problem with recommending larger alternatives: Yes of course a larger amp will be better -- and I have a full-size 1x15 MarkBass combo, which works and sounds great. But it doesn't easily fit in the back of my car along with my keyboard amp and other gear. And "along with my keyboard amp" is the key phrase here, because I'm often playing more than one instrument, so small is an important feature for me -- especially in a smaller bass amp to bolster low end for keys (Hammond mainly) when using a CPS Spacestation. There's also small, low-volume jams with friends. Both can be done with the full-size amp, but if a smaller one will do ...
Since I don't have to have it (it would just be nice to have a fuller sound), my criteria is fairly strict: 12" wide max, 10" or smaller speaker, ideally 100w power, and -- why not -- $100-150 used. The actual market appears to be closer to $200, and 40w -- a Fender Rumble; not bad, but also kinda meh. But a 60w Markbass seems possibly worth the extra money ...
I realize this is a BASS forum, so I'll probably just have to try it out myself. If I do, I'll report back.
There's one central problem with recommending larger alternatives: Yes of course a larger amp will be better -- and I have a full-size 1x15 MarkBass combo, which works and sounds great. But it doesn't easily fit in the back of my car along with my keyboard amp and other gear. And "along with my keyboard amp" is the key phrase here, because I'm often playing more than one instrument, so small is an important feature for me -- especially in a smaller bass amp to bolster low end for keys (Hammond mainly) when using a CPS Spacestation. There's also small, low-volume jams with friends. Both can be done with the full-size amp, but if a smaller one will do ...
Since I don't have to have it (it would just be nice to have a fuller sound), my criteria is fairly strict: 12" wide max, 10" or smaller speaker, ideally 100w power, and -- why not -- $100-150 used. The actual market appears to be closer to $200, and 40w -- a Fender Rumble; not bad, but also kinda meh. But a 60w Markbass seems possibly worth the extra money ...
I realize this is a BASS forum, so I'll probably just have to try it out myself. If I do, I'll report back.
Sorry, I'm not a regular on this forum. What was the question?
I'm very happy with the 801 - not only does it sound great at rehearsals, it also works well as as stage monitor for my ampless guitar set up, sounds great as an acoustic guitar amp and sounds good with my Yamaha keyboard. I had no idea it would be so useful when I bought it.
I'm very happy with the 801 - not only does it sound great at rehearsals, it also works well as as stage monitor for my ampless guitar set up, sounds great as an acoustic guitar amp and sounds good with my Yamaha keyboard. I had no idea it would be so useful when I bought it.
