Double Bass Some love for the Markbass Micromark 801?

[robert_stuart]

I didn't originally buy this for double bass; it was strictly going to be for bedroom bass guitar practice.

But it turned out to be excellent for reinforcing the double bass sound. And after schlepping the bass itself to a venue, it's nice to only have this little piece. I'm not playing jazz recitals or rock concerts with this; more like wine and cheese events with one or two other musicians. Coupled with the fishman preamp, the Micromark can get me just about any tone I tend to use, from more jazz / "acoustic" to take-a-back-seat-and-provide-deep-bass kind of modern sound.

Markbass Micromark 801 doublebass rig

• robert_stuart
• Apr 12, 2017
• markbass micromark 801

 

[1bassplayinfool]

What kind of mic/pickup system are you running?

 

[robert_stuart]

What kind of mic/pickup system are you running?

A K&K in this bass I'm renting and considering buying. I usually play a Fishman Full Circle, though. The Full Circle definitely benefitted from the Fishman preamp. I could hear the "impedance mismatch" problem when going directly into the bass amp. I haven't tested all the ins and outs with the K&K yet.

 

[1bassplayinfool]

I had the K&K Golden Trinity set up with the mic years ago.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I have a student who has a micro mark 801 and I remember being very impressed with it when she played it on a concert, then again when I picked it up afterwards. It's a neat little box that sounds really good for DB. It's priced a bit high at around $500, but I could see really enjoying carrying the thing to small gigs.

 

[madbanjoman]

I run a fishman platinum pro into my markbass 801 as well. You can run it off an external battery from chargetech, the portable power outlet

Amazon.com: ChargeTech - Portable AC Outlet Battery Pack 27000mAh up to 85W / 110V (TSA Approved for Airline Travel) - External Power Bank Charger for MacBooks, Laptops, Cameras, Camping, CPAP Machines [BLACK]: Cell Phones & Accessories

I was able to get mine for $99 at Christmas time. This setup has become my main gigging outfit. I use it for both DB and EUB.

 

[basss]

I was able to compare the 801 to my Phil Jones Double Four at a drummerless gig in a noisy bar. Both needed to be turned up high to get the volume I needed there. The 801 might have had a bit more oomph but the D4 was a bit clearer. I didn't really care for the tone shaping on the 801. With the single knob it was usually either too twangy or too woofy. To be fair the D4 needs a preamp in front of it to sound it's best but I didn't get to try that with the 801. Overall I liked the sound of the D4 better but I'd like to try the 801 with my fishman pre in front of it.

 

[kerrycares]

I had one liked it , too much money for the volume/value!

 

[vin*tone]

Good amp placement goes a long way with these. I had one once pointed back at a window and it reflected the sound back amazingly. Small cafe gig but people thought I was going through the PA.

 

[victornicholls]

I tried mine out with a 40-piece wind band last night. It held up well, volume set at 1100. Impressed. And incredibly portable.

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

I had one and returned it. I like Markbass gear, but I felt I needed more tone-shaping options than the single VPF filter.

- Steve

 

[HateyMcAmp]

I’ve always been curious about this thing. The lack of tone shaping always scared me away, but on the other hand I tend to enjoy the markbass set more or less flat for DB. When I was shopping I ended up going with the Phil Jones Bass Cub, which is still only 11 pounds but has two fully eq-able channels, plus some extra wattage.

 

[vin*tone]

I had one and returned it. I like Markbass gear, but I felt I needed more tone-shaping options than the single VPF filter.

- Steve

To be fair there are only about 3 amps on the entire market where I would go in without a preamp.

 

[krfoss]

I have the 2x6 version of this little guy and its fantastic (for my needs). I use it as a practice amp and take it to some church gigs for rehearsal or a monitor as needed. Sounds pretty decent, even if running directly in, but I run it through a bassbone OD for some basic EQ fixing.

 

[ArteK]

I bought one maybe five years ago thinking it would be for very small coffeehouse gigs, and maybe just as a practice amp. However, I've found I do about half my gigs with it now. Just enough punch to make an upright heard, and I can run the piezo directly into the input jack (no preamp). I don't seem to have trouble with the impedance. Definitely the best sounding 12-pound amp I've ever played through. And it sounds killer on both upright and electric bass. No good with a drummer, but it's great for acoustic stuff. It wasn't cheap, but it's been one of the most used purchases I've ever made.

 

[bassadvisor]

If you allow me to revive the thread, I've uploaded a review of the amp. I'm loving it, it is as usable as I hoped to be.

 

[Ric Vice]

I guess I'm just different, but I need a full set of EQ to get the sound I'm looking for out of my bass. That's why
I went with a powered cabinet setup, so I can use a decent preamp on varying sizes of cabinets. Granted, It's
way more expensive that the Mini Mark, which sounded nice when I played it in a GC several years ago.

 

[Kickdrum]

I am a huge fan of this little combo amp. I have two setups that sound amazing to me.

1) Upton Brescian Hybrid - DPA 4099b - Grace Felix - Micromark 801

and

2) Squire VM Jazz Bass - Aguilar compressor pedal - Micromark 801

The first setup just sounds flawless and I am able to get more than enough volume before feedback for any and all playing situations I find myself in with my upright. With the Felix parametric mid EQ set properly, I can get quite loud with just the mic (I don’t have a pickup on my bass).

The second setup is a more mobile setup than my main electric bass rig which I take to smaller stuff like acoustic jams and just practice at home. I love how such a small speaker can fill a room while not sounding like everything is coming from a small box on the ground.

I love this combo amp, especially the sound, volume, and punch I am able to get with my upright.

 

[Kickdrum]

Okay, so I know this is the double bass side, but I just tried something new tonight finally with the Micro Mark 801. My regular EB rig is an Aguilar Tonehammer 500 going into an Aguilar DB115. Well this evening, just for fun, I ran a speaker cable from the 801 to the DB115 as an extension cabinet and turned off the 801 speaker output...holy crap. It sounded incredible and the lone filter knob actually sounded amazing all the way up. This little combo is awesome in a whole new way.

 

[BobDeRosa]

I just bought one used last Thursday and I believe it's going to change my playing life. I love the simplicity of two knobs and no EQ to mess with. At home I plugged in a Fishman preamp, which definitely smooths out the sound, but with a little tinkering, you can make the 801 sound just fine without. Used it for two gigs on upright over the weekend and my bandmates and I were blown away by both sound quality and volume coming from this little thing. And for old guys like me, lightness rules, and this amp is a joy to carry around.

And just as side note -- one of my bandmates wondered if the 801 would fit on a windowsill at one of the gigs. It didn't, and fell about a foot, crashing on the floor. No problem, though -- this thing is built! Worked like a champ that night and has shown no evidence of residual damage. But even if any delayed damage pops up, I'll definitely buy another one, and if I can't find a used one, I'll buy new. That's how much I like it.