Markbass amp pairing with another cab?

[Riaz]

Today nipped out to Andertons as they had a couple of second hand Markbass amps, plus I wanted to try out the MB Mini CMD 121 combo. I've been playing a theatre residency with a back line provided, the Ampeg micro-stack was recently replaced with a Little Mark lll amp and 1x15 cabinet. The latter has really impressed me, despite the Ampeg looking so much cooler onstage.

 

Markbass Mini CMD 121 combo - decent bottom end, amp responded well to attempts to create a rock / plectrum sound or softer finger playing. Good at higher volume but less clarity on lower notes. There were no NY cabs in stock, but this gave a sense of what the MB 1x12s can do.

 

Trace Eliott Elf 1x10 - having read other peoples comments on this, was keen to give it a go. Tried 3 different heads, but just couldn't get on with it.

 

Orange OBC 112 - it was ok with the Orange head, but felt it really came alive with the two Markbass amps, Little Mark lll and 58R. Excellent bottom end, coped well with higher volume.

 

Ultimately, am looking for a set up that can be used at home, rehearsals and gigs with the option of running 2 cabs at 4 ohms. I really would have liked to try the New York 121 cab and sense this might be the best option.

 

I bought the Markbass Little Mark lll amp. Am pondering either the Markbass NY121 cab or the Orange 112, there's plenty of second hand ones out there. 

 

Am wondering if anyone else has been using different makes of cabs and amps?

[Lozz196]

I like Markbass gear but found their cabs to have a high end roll off, still sounded great though. But put a Markbass amp through an uncoloured cab such as Barefaced or LFSys and imo the amps then really shine. 

[Supernaut]

11 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

I like Markbass gear but found their cabs to have a high end roll off, still sounded great though. But put a Markbass amp through an uncoloured cab such as Barefaced or LFSys and imo the amps then really shine. 

Was the VLE engaged? 

[Lozz196]

2 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Was the VLE engaged? 

I don’t think so, was a long time ago but fairly sure not - the VPF probably was though.

[Sibob]

I’ve used my Markbass LM2’s with a Barefaced Super Compact (plus a G2 Midget sometimes) for years now, my fave amp combo ever, and I’ve experimented with a whole bunch.

 

So if you have the budget, one of their Super Minis would definitely do the job (and then some).

 

https://barefacedaudio.com/products/super-midget

 

Si

[ezbass]

I used an LM2 coupled with a Schroeder 1212L to good effect.

[Supernaut]

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

I used an LM2 coupled with a Schroeder 1212L to good effect.

Great cab. Miss mine. 

[Greg Edwards69]

On 06/05/2025 at 22:30, Lozz196 said:

I like Markbass gear but found their cabs to have a high end roll off, still sounded great though. But put a Markbass amp through an uncoloured cab such as Barefaced or LFSys and imo the amps then really shine. 

I had a Markbass 1x12 "Traveller" cab with a Little Mark 2 head. I chose this one over the smaller version because it had a slightly deeper frequency range. I was a bit greener around the ears back then when I bought it, but I definitely remember it sounding a little dark and compressed in the top end, and this cab had a superior tweeter than the smaller cube-shaped 1x12 cabs. I replaced the head with a Carvin BX700 that opened it up a bit with its plethora of EQ options.

 

Whilst I don't use backline for gigs anymore, I recently bought a powered GR Bass 1x12 because I wanted something better sounding and lighter than the Headrush frfr-112 I was dragging to rehearsal. I'm really liking the sound that comes out of this so far. It seems to be quite transparent and accurate.

[lemmywinks]

2 hours ago, ezbass said:

I used an LM2 coupled with a Schroeder 1212L to good effect.

 

Had the same head but with a 1212R, Markbass + Schroeder is one of my most missed rigs. Just sounded like they were made to go together, possibly the great big walloping low mid hump of the Schroeder patching a hole in the MB EQ.

[Matt P]

I'm running a pair  of Barefaced Midget G2 cabs with my Markbass head (F1) and have been for ages now, maybe 10 years+ ? (the cabs were bought new and are from what i believe to be the last batch of G2 cabs built.)

 

I thought I'd swap the head out for something else but I've just found that the combination i have sounds right to me.

[Dan Dare]

Markbass amps constantly surprise me with how good they sound. They seem to fill a space and project very well. I bought an Epifani 3x10 some years ago (and wish I'd kept it, but it was an awkward size to fit in my car and carry up the narrow stairs to my flat) and the seller demonstrated it to me with a MB head. It sounded great. I do lean towards an old school sound (don't like tweeters for bass), so slap beasts may not share my opinion.

 

A pal uses the MB CMD 121 combo, with or without the matching add-on cab, and it's excellent. I keep thinking I should get a MB head, but I don't want to dive down the new gear rabbit hole yet again.

[neepheid]

Another Markbass user here - specifically the Mini CMD 121P IV combo on top of a New York 121 cab.  Best rig I've ever owned.  I don't know about the "high end rolloff" been mentioned - the NY121 has a tweeter, and it's controllable, so if you like some highs, crank up the tweeter?

 

Fair enough if you're chasing some purity of sound and 1:1 unfiltered, uncoloured output, you do you.  Me, I just want a "good" sound - I define what "good" means to me and I just crack on with it.  The rig I have sounds "good" to me, it's eminiently portable (can take one cube in each hand in/out of the venue) and they both fit (just) in the boot of my relatively small car.  Happy as a pig in sharn, I am.

 

I've also gone the opposite way round and used a few different heads with the Markbass NY121 cab (specifically a Tecamp Pump 900 and a TC Electronic BH250) and the cab handled them both with aplomb (obviously I didn't crank the Puma 900 up to its higher power capabilities - 600W into a 400W cab doesn't sound like a great idea to me!)