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Markbass slapping failure!!


barneyg42
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[quote name='barneyg42' timestamp='1465131594' post='3065482']
Hmm, a bit worrying as I'm almost about to pull the trigger on a lightweight 4ohm one cab solution, more health based so running two 8ohms is not really an option I want. I'll have a good look at setting up the pre gain properly, even though I was hammering the E and low B when I checked it last night to ensure the clip light was out I'll maybe knock it back a tad more. I'm thinking maybe the current cab (acme low B ) which has been played about with might be problem, possibly the ohmage is a bit out? The speaker I'm thinking of getting is a non molested straight out of the factory (albeit secondhand) jobby!!
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I've been running an MB Big Bang @ 4 Ohms for a few years now (MB cabs and Barefaced for the last year). Driven quite hard including outdoors with no FoH backup, rock though, very little slappage! Not had any issues at all unlike the predecessor Ampeg head.

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[quote name='luckydog' timestamp='1465250108' post='3066585']
Or the speaker might interact with the amp in a way causes it to take protective action to avoid damage !

LD
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Except we've sold hundreds of this particular cab, many of them are used with Markbass heads and we've never heard of another head shutting down ever, let alone being damaged. And it happened regardless of volume level. And all our cabs have been carefully measured and tested to ensure they represent not only safe loads but actually quite easy loads for their rated impedance.

I haven't heard of it happening with a current Markbass head but I've read of other earlier Markbass heads shutting down in similar ways. Considering the huge number of heads Markbass have sold (when they did a limited edition run of one they made 500 of them so there must be tens of thousands of Markbass amps out there), this is a very rare fault (but very difficult to pin down too!)

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OK, but there might be a 3rd element involved: the source. Stimulus, ie what is played, at what level, and what the instrument is capable of in terms of content.

Whatever, by accounts it does only seem to show up in combinations of amp-speaker-content ? I think I could get why, maybe.

Otherwise, for sure there will be occasional genuine faults that properly cause shutdowns, presumably that's what the protection is for.

LD

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I used to have a Markbass CMD102P. I must say, I don't play slap bass that much
But I do now & again. Mainly when jamming, and the odd couple of notes or riffs when gigging
I was always pleased with the amp. Never ever cut out though....
So I know it's a different amp - but just thought I'd add my own experiences
Also, I tended to use a mixture of active and passive basses too.....

I mention that last point, as In once played a gig as part of a support band
We used the headline bands' backline, and the bass head clipped a heck of a lot, if I had the output of my active Ibanez set quite high
To combat this, I had to turn the volume down on my bass, and up on the amp
It surprises me to hear that Markbass gear would have this sort of issue

A mate had an older version of the 102 combo, and I know that tends to clip when he plays an active bass through it
Maybe get your amp checked out? Let us know how you get on, and best of luck with your issue

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I have a couple of gigs this weekend and I'll give it a good sound check slapping!! Hopefully I'll have a new (second hand) quality unmolested speaker by then, if not I'll default to my TC 2x10 I've in storage. If it happens with either of those I'll get the head checked, it's new and only done about 4 gigs.

I don't do much slapping stuff in the set, the odd pop here and there and one two bar intro which hasn't thrown up a problem.

Edited by barneyg42
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The other issue could be that the Precision Devices woofers have lower inductance than the original ones, so their impedance won't rise as much at midrange frequencies. The original crossover will be designed to present a suitable load in the 800-5000Hz region when the midrange driver and woofers are all operating in parallel and lower inductance woofers could drop the cab's total impedance too low.

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[quote name='alexclaber' timestamp='1465295209' post='3066806']
The other issue could be that the Precision Devices woofers have lower inductance than the original ones, so their impedance won't rise as much at midrange frequencies. The original crossover will be designed to present a suitable load in the 800-5000Hz region when the midrange driver and woofers are all operating in parallel and lower inductance woofers could drop the cab's total impedance too low.
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I'm hoping this is the case, I'm not keen on the cab anyway and don't really want the hassle returning the amp. Cab is a stopgap really until I've sold other gear to finance another lightweight! (Which with the PD speakers that cab definitely isn't)!!

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I had this issue once with my Markbass F500. I was playing in a loudish rock band driving bergantino ht112er and EX112ER cabs. When I dug in it tripped out. Never had the same problem with my Bergantino AE112s, perhaps the HT stack being less efficient pushed the amp too far?

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Undoubtedly this was a speaker problem. Purchased a secondhand Schroeder 212pl yesterday and gigged it last night. Slapped the hell out of it at one point with no ill effects!
And.......what a great cab that Schroeder is too!! Filled the pub with creamy bass goodness!!

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[quote name='barneyg42' timestamp='1465116642' post='3065322']
So I've read about this phenomenon but playing in a classic rock band it's never crossed my mind when I got a new LM3, until last night when a little impromptu jam between songs turned into a slap fest by yours truly and a total amp cut out! Switched off, switched back on and all was good! Anyone else had this? I'm pretty sure I wasn't lighting up the input gain, I use a Spectracomp that that limits quite nicely too! Am I destined to never slap my bass whilst I have this amp!!!!!?????
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I used an LM3 in a RHCP tribute band a while ago, so... no, you can certainly slap with that amp.
Whether your bandmates think you should, that's another matter. :P

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