MarkBass Cabs Question

[Peter Murray]

You can get a series cable but then you are still not in an optimal impedance range with 8ohm cabs. You would connect one 2x10 to each speaker output on the amp. Then you connect another 2x10 to the open jack on the 2x10 with a series cable. So:

(2x10 (in series) 2x10) in parallel with ((2x10 (in series) 2x10))
=
((8ohm + 8ohm) + (8ohm + 8ohm)) / 4
=
8 ohm load on amp

Of course if you had four 4ohm 2x10's then you could get a 4 ohm load this way.

This looks correct to me.

But your problem is that no matter how you slice it, you can't get more than 500W out of the Little Mark II, no many how many cabs you manage to string up.
An SD800 would give you 750W, so that's one option.

Probably given what you want to do, it would be best to get four 8 ohm 2x10s and two 500W heads. That would give you 1000W total and a lot of flexibility and portability.
But it wouldn't be cheap.
You could achieve the same result with two CMD 102P combos and two TRV 102P cabs.

Even if you did want to make something work with 4 ohm cabs, they won't be available in the US until 2008.

By the way, a lot of players start conceiving their Markbass rigs before getting much practical experience with the gear--once you play a few gigs you realize how loud the stuff is for its size, and how the clarity of the sound allows you to get away with less power. You well may find you don't need a 1000W Markbass rig.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[oli@bass]

just dont rush into in,take the time even if it takes a few months to try as many as you can.
have fun !!

No I won't and yes, I will and I will.

 

[oli@bass]

Peter, thanks a lot for your additional input

You well may find you don't need a 1000W Markbass rig.

That is not what I'm looking into, or think I need. In my experience, if I have a large cab with lots of speakers with the topmost being closer to my ears, the amp can be even set at a lower volume.

However, given with that it seems my SWR 2x10 cabs are worth almost nothing anymore, I'll be stuck with what I have for some time... I'll first try to use my 8x8 more.

But I'll try to have a look and listen at as many options as there are...

 

[Aussie Mark]

if I have a large cab with lots of speakers with the topmost being closer to my ears, the amp can be even set at a lower volume.

I'll first try to use my 8x8 more.

In my experience, that's the strength of the Henry 8x8. The 8's develop their sound very quickly, which means you can be standing right on top of your rig and hear the same thing you'd hear 20m away. The same can't always be said for 10's or 15's.

 

[oli@bass]

Mark, do you put your Henry on top of a stand/box or just on the floor? In the rehearsal room I usually have it standing on one of the 2x10...

 

[Aussie Mark]

Mark, do you put your Henry on top of a stand/box or just on the floor? In the rehearsal room I usually have it standing on one of the 2x10...

I just sit Henry on the floor. I find that I don't need the cab to be at head height to hear what's going on.

 

[oli@bass]

I just sit Henry on the floor. I find that I don't need the cab to be at head height to hear what's going on.

Tried at a rehearsal to:
- Have Henry on the floor
- stack the two 2x10 on their sides (instead of on their top... so that there are 4 speakers in a row from the bottom to the topmost, sort of a semi-fridge-cab )

Wasn't happy with either. The 2x10s just don't work for me, and compared to the Henry there's just no midrange. They produce a very "nice" sound, but that's not what I'm looking for... if I wanted "nice" I'd be playing violin...

The Henry on the floor gave me two problems: First there was way too much low end for the rehearsal room, second in order to hear the sound in all its glory (and it actually is glorious IMO), I had to either kneel down in front of it, or have a distance of at least 5 meters. By standing right in front of Henry, there was just not enough definition in the tone to be comfy with playing by ear (mind you, the drummer and the guitar player had both a blast, and played way too loud -- I was neardeaf by the end of rehearsal).

Bottom line (pun partly intended): I have to find a Throne for my Henry. Something light, foldable yet very sturdy and stable...