- Apr 3, 2003
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- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
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The time has come! Markbass MegaThread!
- Thread starter SundanceChile
- Start date
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vision
It's all about the groove!
- Feb 25, 2005
- 3,988
- 618
- 47
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: MTD Basses, La Bella Strings, and 64 Audio IEMs
no real contest for me , the SD800 won hands down ...
i lovin' it so far ...
Congrads on the SD800.. i love mine too.. also did u notice the mid EQs are flipped?
Meagre but huge sound, just add another traveller 15 and uve got a 500watt mini rig you can carry in two hands.
Ok, so we can probably throw out the old vs new LMII theory, but I'm starting to wonder about the "some defective" theory. The way the problem is described as I'm reading here, I just have to believe I would've gotten nasty comments from the board or I woulda' noticed it myself a while back when I hooked it into my Stewart as a "preamp out" attempt.
I'm gonna' do my little test tonight and see...
I'm gonna' do my little test tonight and see...
Vic, the more I think of it, the more I become pretty sure this a technical issue, do some "vice" in the crafting. This happens with _any_ brand (my brand New Mercedes C Class Estate let me down after only driving 2,600 km (approx. 1,700 Miles). Fortunately I had top service right behind my front door, then full repair at the garage (with free loan of another Mercedes during the repair time), and finally, a few weeks later, my wife received a Chanel handkercheif for troubles caused !). Cost me nothing (the customer service is toll free), and got the bestestestest service I could imagine. And yes, that's was a reputable brand : Mercedes.
I also remember I read someone with a brand new MTD, whose only one pickup was wired to the preamp.
I don't expect any handkerchief (I dont' ware these, Marco & Peter, but I may endose
). I don't ask any driver come to my home for the exchange of respective MBLMII heads. But I'm sure the new one shall be tested and resteted before the dealer tells me "come and make the swap".
There's another swap pending these days, but it belongs to basses (check thread soon popping out).
I also remember I read someone with a brand new MTD, whose only one pickup was wired to the preamp.
I don't expect any handkerchief (I dont' ware these, Marco & Peter, but I may endose
). I don't ask any driver come to my home for the exchange of respective MBLMII heads. But I'm sure the new one shall be tested and resteted before the dealer tells me "come and make the swap".There's another swap pending these days, but it belongs to basses (check thread soon popping out).
I couldn't stand it, so I just did a quick/sleazy test...
I have a female XLR to 1/4" cable I use for this and that, so I plugged the 1/4" end into the power amp input of my Thunderfunk 550B (nice quick and very good sounding power amp). I then swapped the XLR end back and forth between my Eden 405 and the LMII with my Skjold Pro Deluxe 5 plugged into each one, all eq/enhance and whatnot "off" on both the 405/LMII "preamps" and the bass preamp.
The Eden definitely sounded better to my ears, but I LOVE that head for recording/preamp operation. That Eden goldenear stuff is really my thing, and I love the way it records.
HOWEVER, the DI on the LMII was FAR from "thin" sounding. It didn't have quite the depth of the Eden, but it sounded perfectly fine, and had good low end... EASILY "PA-worthy"... NO doubt. It'd record ok, as well. Maybe not the best out there, but it's certainly not unusable by any stretch. The Eden did have more gain, which I also expected, but again, VERY usable.
After this little test, I'm starting to really like the "some may be defective" theory.
I have a female XLR to 1/4" cable I use for this and that, so I plugged the 1/4" end into the power amp input of my Thunderfunk 550B (nice quick and very good sounding power amp). I then swapped the XLR end back and forth between my Eden 405 and the LMII with my Skjold Pro Deluxe 5 plugged into each one, all eq/enhance and whatnot "off" on both the 405/LMII "preamps" and the bass preamp.
The Eden definitely sounded better to my ears, but I LOVE that head for recording/preamp operation. That Eden goldenear stuff is really my thing, and I love the way it records.
HOWEVER, the DI on the LMII was FAR from "thin" sounding. It didn't have quite the depth of the Eden, but it sounded perfectly fine, and had good low end... EASILY "PA-worthy"... NO doubt. It'd record ok, as well. Maybe not the best out there, but it's certainly not unusable by any stretch. The Eden did have more gain, which I also expected, but again, VERY usable.
After this little test, I'm starting to really like the "some may be defective" theory.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
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- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I've been keeping quiet here since I haven't been gigging recently, but I've been using my LMII in rehearsals and recording it through the DI, and haven't noticed any problems on any of the practice reference recordings.
One of my uses is for a reggae gig, and while I boost the low and low-mid to about one o'clock on the amp, to my ears the recorded DI signal sounds full range and not overly bright. To me it sounds like a very reasonable representation of what my rig sounds like.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,952
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
Vic, that little experiment is basically in line with what I heard as the difference between the DI from the Eden Nemesis NA-650 and the LMII I used at our last gig. If anything, though, my tone to the board was almost too full with the NA-650 (I usually run without the bass in the PA - or barely in - so it was tweaked for adding some more fullness and depth to the guitars, vocals, and drums), so the LMII worked equally as well. Slightly less gain, and slightly less lows, but very detailed and very usable, IMHO.
Tom.
Ditto here as well... forgot to mention that specifically. There was very good high end, but definitely not overly accentuated or emphasized at all (also noting tho I didn't slightly boost it like you did, either).
Also, to Tom's point, IMHO, the LMII's slightly more "natural" sounding output probably would do particularly well for a live/PA board feed.
Again tho, definitely nothing missing.
vision
It's all about the groove!
- Feb 25, 2005
- 3,988
- 618
- 47
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: MTD Basses, La Bella Strings, and 64 Audio IEMs
Somebody mentioned that the DI might be a line level rather than mic level. Line level and Mic level would have two entirely different impedances associated with them, and would require a board that can handle that kind of signal coming through the mic line.
I would think that some of your lesser quality boards might sound thin and "unusable" due to the loading of the board, that is **IF** the LMII DI is a different impedance.
I've seen it before, low impedance will accentuate the lows. High impedance will accentuate the highs and restrict the lows to a degree, more so with electronics than pickups or a passive instrument. Modern electronics need to see a proper load to work effectively.
Just some food to chew on.
Does anybody have a way to measure the DI out scientifically to prove theories on the design of the LMII DI?
I would think that some of your lesser quality boards might sound thin and "unusable" due to the loading of the board, that is **IF** the LMII DI is a different impedance.
I've seen it before, low impedance will accentuate the lows. High impedance will accentuate the highs and restrict the lows to a degree, more so with electronics than pickups or a passive instrument. Modern electronics need to see a proper load to work effectively.
Just some food to chew on.
Does anybody have a way to measure the DI out scientifically to prove theories on the design of the LMII DI?
UPDATE : Had my dealer on the phone yesterday evening, he has tested the DI of the LMII he has in the shop. Sounds perfect for him. I go see him on next Wednesday with the one he sold me, and we are going to compare, but from what he told me, most obviously mine has an issue with the DI. And if so, he'll give me the good one in replacement of mine. As usual, I'll keep you updated.
Cheers
Jay
Cheers
Jay
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