I'm not a fan of solid state bass amps. I use them, but only as concessions to aging. And none of my solid state amps have ever been totally tubeless because I find most totally solid state amps to be lifeless and dull sounding. That's over now! My new Markbass Mini CMD112P combo amp is the best amp I have ever used in my life, bar none.
For those of you who want the short version of this review, Markbass has found my sound. For those who want the long version, here 'tis...
It's a 1-12" combo with a piezo tweeter, and it puts out 300w as it sits at 8 ohms. With an 8 ohm extension cab, it puts out 500w. The head is the same as the Little Mark II. It's got a 1/4" and an XLR input, and they say you can plug in a mic and sing with your bass playing without degrading either signal, though I haven't tried. Knobs are gain, low, low mid, high mid, treble, VLE (a variable treble cut knob for you old schoolers,) VPF (a variable mid-scooping knob for you clanky sounding slappers), and master. On the back it has an effects loop, a tuner out, an XLR DI line out with ground lift, and a speakon jack for the extension cab. Nothing fancy but has everything your average bassist needs. It's about a 14" cube that weighs 29 lbs. and the head itself weighs 6.5 lbs. Cost was $850.
Bought it Friday evening while testing out combo amps at GC. Played 2 notes and fell in love with it. But I had no idea the degree to which I'd fall in love with it. The more I played it, the more I realized that this is the sound I have been looking for all my career. I cranked it as loud as I could stand and got no rattles of any kind, except from the walls. I plugged the head into my Tube Works 4x10" and my sound was there, only it was massive. All night last night, I had it on a volume quiet enough not to wake my neighbors at the apartments, and my sound was still there. Every bass I have came to life through it. Active, passive, Beatle bass, 8-string, didn't matter.
I took it to my gig Saturday. I ran my SX P copy and my Upton Hawkes upright with Clef Revolution Solo II pickup into an EBS Microbass II and into the amp. It was in a medium sized hotel ballroom, and we had no instruments in the PA. The way I usually set up my rig, the upright side of the Microbass is set with just a tiny little bass rolloff and a tiny treble bump to get a little more slap. The P side of it has a slight mid boost at 750hz so I can hear it over the band. The amp was set flat with the gain up halfway. The first two sets I only played the upright for some standards. By the end of the 3rd song, I set the Microbass flat. It didn't need one bit of EQ. Every note popped out of it like never before, and whereas some solid state amps feel ultra-compressed, this amp felt like it was totally responsive to my every dynamic yet never let me get overbearing.
The last set we turned it up considerably and played a mix of 50's rock and doo wop, 60's pop and 70's funk and disco. I figured I'd try setting the Microbass flat for the P, too. Turns out it didn't need that mid boost, either. Again, it was amazing! I put out enough volume to get over a very loud drummer and had enough clarity to where I could hear every single note clear as a bell, but plenty of low end kick on it so it didn't sound the least bit out of place for Motown songs. And the master volume never got past 2!
I have played a lot of different amps because I live near Bass Central, and I've had a chance to sample all the major brands on gigs, as well as a couple lesser known fancy-pants boutique amps on rare occasion. I have never heard an amp sound this good on everything I throw at it. I got tons of compliments from the other guys in the band, and a guy who plays bass in the audience was flabbergasted when he saw how little it was vs. how much it filled the room.
I've experimented a lot with placement for this combo. I tried it on the floor, on top of my rack, on top of my 4x10", and tilted back slightly, and it sounds great no matter how high you raise it, but it really sounds best if you just leave it on the floor. Don't worry, you'll hear it. Takes a little bit of getting used to if you're used to having speakers at ear level, and if you like to have your tone bright and in your face it's not the best place for it, but if you're listening to it from the audience, it sounds better on the floor, as do all bass cabs.
Knobwise, I think it sounds best set flat for solidbodies. With my Beatle bass, I had to cut a little bass response to give it some definition, but that was it. The VLE knob is good if you're into reggae and dub, but I like my old school tone with some definition. And I have no use for the VPF knob scooping all my mids out. Leave it flat and it's fine.
The only other combos I've ever heard that sound better than the Mini CMD112P are the other Markbass combos with more than one speaker. The 2x10" combo is to die for! And I must admit that I prefer the complexity of tone and the air movement that only comes from having more than one speaker. I bought the 1-12" combo because it's 15 lbs. less than the 2-10" combo, but if I didn't have to pay back the money I charged for it, I would have bought them both. The Mini sounds better than anything else I've ever used. The 2-10" sounds noticeably better. So I'll be heading down to Guitar Center today to snag their 12" extension cab. And then I'll have the mini-Markbass 500w rig of doom that will work for any gig I'll ever play anywhere. And if that's still not enough air movement, I can use the Tube Works 4x10" instead, and that WILL be enough air movement. I could do arenas in a metal band with this combo and a 4x10".
I'm ready to sell off every other amp I own except this one. I'm even thinking of selling the 1966 Ampeg B-15N I said I would be buried with. For sure, every other amp but the B-15 is going because I really don't need another amp. And I'm either going to take the amp out of this combo occasionally or buy a separate Little Mark II if I can't, stick it in my suitcase, and take it with me on fly dates. I have never played an amp that made me not want to play my B-15N anymore, but this one does. And it's only a 29 lb. combo amp! Simply put, Markbass amps are pants-****tingly great!
For those of you who want the short version of this review, Markbass has found my sound. For those who want the long version, here 'tis...
It's a 1-12" combo with a piezo tweeter, and it puts out 300w as it sits at 8 ohms. With an 8 ohm extension cab, it puts out 500w. The head is the same as the Little Mark II. It's got a 1/4" and an XLR input, and they say you can plug in a mic and sing with your bass playing without degrading either signal, though I haven't tried. Knobs are gain, low, low mid, high mid, treble, VLE (a variable treble cut knob for you old schoolers,) VPF (a variable mid-scooping knob for you clanky sounding slappers), and master. On the back it has an effects loop, a tuner out, an XLR DI line out with ground lift, and a speakon jack for the extension cab. Nothing fancy but has everything your average bassist needs. It's about a 14" cube that weighs 29 lbs. and the head itself weighs 6.5 lbs. Cost was $850.
Bought it Friday evening while testing out combo amps at GC. Played 2 notes and fell in love with it. But I had no idea the degree to which I'd fall in love with it. The more I played it, the more I realized that this is the sound I have been looking for all my career. I cranked it as loud as I could stand and got no rattles of any kind, except from the walls. I plugged the head into my Tube Works 4x10" and my sound was there, only it was massive. All night last night, I had it on a volume quiet enough not to wake my neighbors at the apartments, and my sound was still there. Every bass I have came to life through it. Active, passive, Beatle bass, 8-string, didn't matter.
I took it to my gig Saturday. I ran my SX P copy and my Upton Hawkes upright with Clef Revolution Solo II pickup into an EBS Microbass II and into the amp. It was in a medium sized hotel ballroom, and we had no instruments in the PA. The way I usually set up my rig, the upright side of the Microbass is set with just a tiny little bass rolloff and a tiny treble bump to get a little more slap. The P side of it has a slight mid boost at 750hz so I can hear it over the band. The amp was set flat with the gain up halfway. The first two sets I only played the upright for some standards. By the end of the 3rd song, I set the Microbass flat. It didn't need one bit of EQ. Every note popped out of it like never before, and whereas some solid state amps feel ultra-compressed, this amp felt like it was totally responsive to my every dynamic yet never let me get overbearing.
The last set we turned it up considerably and played a mix of 50's rock and doo wop, 60's pop and 70's funk and disco. I figured I'd try setting the Microbass flat for the P, too. Turns out it didn't need that mid boost, either. Again, it was amazing! I put out enough volume to get over a very loud drummer and had enough clarity to where I could hear every single note clear as a bell, but plenty of low end kick on it so it didn't sound the least bit out of place for Motown songs. And the master volume never got past 2!
I have played a lot of different amps because I live near Bass Central, and I've had a chance to sample all the major brands on gigs, as well as a couple lesser known fancy-pants boutique amps on rare occasion. I have never heard an amp sound this good on everything I throw at it. I got tons of compliments from the other guys in the band, and a guy who plays bass in the audience was flabbergasted when he saw how little it was vs. how much it filled the room.
I've experimented a lot with placement for this combo. I tried it on the floor, on top of my rack, on top of my 4x10", and tilted back slightly, and it sounds great no matter how high you raise it, but it really sounds best if you just leave it on the floor. Don't worry, you'll hear it. Takes a little bit of getting used to if you're used to having speakers at ear level, and if you like to have your tone bright and in your face it's not the best place for it, but if you're listening to it from the audience, it sounds better on the floor, as do all bass cabs.
Knobwise, I think it sounds best set flat for solidbodies. With my Beatle bass, I had to cut a little bass response to give it some definition, but that was it. The VLE knob is good if you're into reggae and dub, but I like my old school tone with some definition. And I have no use for the VPF knob scooping all my mids out. Leave it flat and it's fine.
The only other combos I've ever heard that sound better than the Mini CMD112P are the other Markbass combos with more than one speaker. The 2x10" combo is to die for! And I must admit that I prefer the complexity of tone and the air movement that only comes from having more than one speaker. I bought the 1-12" combo because it's 15 lbs. less than the 2-10" combo, but if I didn't have to pay back the money I charged for it, I would have bought them both. The Mini sounds better than anything else I've ever used. The 2-10" sounds noticeably better. So I'll be heading down to Guitar Center today to snag their 12" extension cab. And then I'll have the mini-Markbass 500w rig of doom that will work for any gig I'll ever play anywhere. And if that's still not enough air movement, I can use the Tube Works 4x10" instead, and that WILL be enough air movement. I could do arenas in a metal band with this combo and a 4x10".
I'm ready to sell off every other amp I own except this one. I'm even thinking of selling the 1966 Ampeg B-15N I said I would be buried with. For sure, every other amp but the B-15 is going because I really don't need another amp. And I'm either going to take the amp out of this combo occasionally or buy a separate Little Mark II if I can't, stick it in my suitcase, and take it with me on fly dates. I have never played an amp that made me not want to play my B-15N anymore, but this one does. And it's only a 29 lb. combo amp! Simply put, Markbass amps are pants-****tingly great!
