Thought on Markbass CMB 121 Blackline

H

hacomania

Jul 21, 2024
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#1
Hi all

I play bass every Sunday at a local church and the venue is a high school auditorium. It’s not too big maybe can containt 200~300? Currently, I use Rolando Super Cube Bass 60 and the bass amp is not miced. So, no IEM or wedge monitor for bass and no bass in PA. The stage amp is the only one I can use at this moment. Instrument parts do not increase the volume that much, but still I feel the current amp falls short. The biggest problem is that I cannot here myself well during the worship even though I stand in front of the amp and in recordings (with iphones at the FOH) as well. So, I am thinking about buying Markbass CMB 121 because it is on a discount at GC. But I am not sure whether it would make any differences. I would appreciate any input or suggestions/recommendations. We have one eg, one ag, keyboard, and drum (electric, not accoustic). Thanks!
 
#2
1. no surprise, a 1x10" 60W combo is not enough for you.
2. a 150W amp isn't like a twice louder than a 60W, a twice louder amp would be a 500W one
3. you'd gain like +3-4dB maximum, but that's it.
4. look for a proper gig-worthy amp with enough speaker surface. my bet would be a 500W 2x10 with the ability to hook an extension cab, if it's still not loud
5. another option is some old heavy huge bass cabinet used (just leave it in church) and some high-powered head. like a 4-ohm 4x10 and a 500-watt head
 
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#3
That ^

I'm guessing if the venue is "a high school auditorium" you guys aren't in a permanent setup situation, probably using the space and then moving any of your gear out after services are done. Unless you are totally cool with the haul every Sunday, I'd steer clear of any massive "set it up and forget it" bass cabs...i.e. - so heavy that you just leave it in place and never move it.

You'll get a lot more headroom (and flexibility) going with a separate head + cab rig, instead of a combo. This makes it easier to buy used, just find a decent 200-300w head (more wattage isn't a problem, just be mindful of your volume and the cab's limitations) and a decent 2x10 or two 1x12s. Aim for a cab with "RMS handling" that meets your amp's output. Not a guarantee to keep it from being damaged, but a decent enough guideline. I'll also reiterate that you will generally get MUCH better volume increase from adding more speakers, as opposed to more watts. Like Aloe said above, to "double" your volume via wattage, you need 10x your current wattage, not 2x. You'll get far better results pumping 150w into 2x10s as opposed to 1x10.

Plenty of online dealers are doing generous financing for new gear, but Guitar Center also has a used gear section and they ship to home or store. You can go the combo route, but it limits room for growth or splitting/repurposing/upgrading gear in the future.
 
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#5
I used to play at a church with almost the same setup. Gymnasium, size etc…

First, get your current amp up on a stand or small table and tilt it up. That will help with you hearing it.

As far as a replacement, a 15” combo is the best un-mic’d setup for a church your size. A budget 12” might get loud enough but not deep enough by itself.

Check guitar centers used website. Tons of good deals on 15” combos.
 
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#6
I agree that IF your current rig's ONLY limitation is that you can't hear yourself (but everyone else can just fine) then a stand or table or something to reposition the combo is a perfect solution.

We will NEVER discourage execution of GAS, though. :)
 
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#8
hacomania said:
Hi all

I play bass every Sunday at a local church and the venue is a high school auditorium. It’s not too big maybe can containt 200~300? Currently, I use Rolando Super Cube Bass 60 and the bass amp is not miced. So, no IEM or wedge monitor for bass and no bass in PA. The stage amp is the only one I can use at this moment. Instrument parts do not increase the volume that much, but still I feel the current amp falls short. The biggest problem is that I cannot here myself well during the worship even though I stand in front of the amp and in recordings (with iphones at the FOH) as well. So, I am thinking about buying Markbass CMB 121 because it is on a discount at GC. But I am not sure whether it would make any differences. I would appreciate any input or suggestions/recommendations. We have one eg, one ag, keyboard, and drum (electric, not accoustic). Thanks!
Click to expand...
I own the CMD121 and I played it in similar size churches and I think it's not enough. The limit is not the watts but the 1*12" cabinet.
I used to add a 1*15 bassman to be more confortable.
So yes, if You get a chance to have a 2*10 or more, You will really benefit from it.
 
#13
hacomania said:
Hi all

I play bass every Sunday at a local church and the venue is a high school auditorium. It’s not too big maybe can containt 200~300? Currently, I use Rolando Super Cube Bass 60 and the bass amp is not miced. ...
Click to expand...
Doesn't your amp have a speaker out? You could try a second 1x12 speaker, stack your amp on that, now you're pushing more air and you're up off the ground too. Should be a cheaper route as well.
 
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#16
Thank you all for your replies. First of all, I tried a stand though I am not sure the angle was perfect, but it did not work. It is not that I can’t hear any sound from my base. I can feel the presence of low end while standing in front of my amp but I can’t rally tell the notes that I am playing once other instruments start to play. Currently, the volume knob is at 12 or 1 pm. I can try increasing that more, but not sure if it will sound good. Another problem is that though I find it hard to hear bass in front of my amp and can’t hear any of what I played clearly, other members often complain about the bass volume. Maybe they hate bass sound or more precisely boomy sound with no definition. That is why bass amp is not miced currently.

I cannot really explain and maybe I am totally wrong, but the problem with the current bass amp is not that it is not loud enough but that it lacks power to cut through other instrument sounds (I would say ‘punchiness’?) and any definition of sound. What I thought is maybe an amp with higher wattage and bigger speaker may improve the situation. I would love to have bass head and cabinets if it is our church building, but in reality we do not have enough storage space at the moment. I am actually tempted to try a 15 inch combo amp because I think it may give me a little bit of what I want (punchier sound with more definition).

Again , thank you all for your inputs. I really appreciate! And if you think I am totally wrong, feel free to correct me!
 
#17
OK, so if you haven't even tried other settings on the existing amp, it wouldn't be great use of funds to buy another one IMO.

It sounds like the tone may be part of the problem rather than the absolute volume, (and gym halls often have rubbish acoustics, so I'm not surprised if that's the case).

The first thing I'd try, if you haven't already, is cutting the bass control on the amp. All the way if need be, but at least try it half way down.
Then, boost the mids - start with the mid level about 2-3 o'clock and sweep the frequency control as you play - you'll hear a changing tone and at some point it'll help the bass stand out in the mix without being boomy.

It'll sound bad on its own but these kind of settings go a long way to minimising boom/mud and maximising your ability to hear yourself in the mix.

[Edit - aberrant apostrophe axed]
 
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#19
David Morison said:
OK, so if you haven't even tried other settings on the existing amp, it wouldn't be great use of funds to buy another one IMO.

It sounds like the tone may be part of the problem rather than the absolute volume, (and gym halls often have rubbish acoustics, so I'm not surprised if that's the case).

The first thing I'd try, if you haven't already, is cutting the bass control on the amp. All the way if need be, but at least try it half way down.
Then, boost the mids - start with the mid level about 2-3 o'clock and sweep the frequency control as you play - you'll hear a changing tone and at some point it'll help the bass stand out in the mix without being boomy.

It'll sound bad on its own but these kind of settings go a long way to minimising boom/mud and maximising your ability to hear yourself in the mix.

[Edit - aberrant apostrophe axed]
Click to expand...
Thank you for suggestion. I indeed cut the bass of the amp all the way down, but did not boost middle. I’ll try that. Maybe I have to adjust my HX stomp setting. I agree that maybe the tone that sounds bad on its own works better with the mix.
 
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#20
Tl;dr: rely more on the power of the hx and less on the combo.

You have an hx stomp and are only playing through a small combo??

1. You're crippling a powerful tool (hx) by squeezing it through a weaker one (that amp). Given the problem you have, you should be going directly to the PA and have them give you a monitor.

2. With the hx, you shouldn't be focused on the amp's eq. IMHO, flatten that eq and focus on settings in the hx. The you can program it for different songs, etc.

3. Personally I would never cut all the bass of my...um...bass. yes to boosting mids, but you shouldn't need to do any more than slight cuts of the bass. You still need to provide the actual bass for songs. But again, with the hx, you should keep the amp's eq flat and focus on learning that hx. Program in several eq arrangements and switch through in rehearsals to see what works.

4. In the alternate, eliminate all pedals, go direct into amp, and tinker with the tone until you get a good result there. Then you'll know a kind of eq profile that works. Use that as a starting point in your hx.
 
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