Text: Martín Sequeros

In just six years or so, working out of Italy, they have managed to establish worldwide an innovative electronic product of the highest professional caliber, one that is winning over many bass players with its versatile EQ, its power and the cleanness of its sound.

Amplifier or monitor?
This young company now offers a wide range of solutions and models to choose from.
For me there are two “acid tests” where the virtues of a good amp really show: a) On a stage, in front of a big audience, and b) When making recordings of any kind with it in a professional recording studio.

I've now received two very specific pieces from MARK BASS: an F1 head delivering 500 watts at 4 ohms, priced at €1,050, and a STANDARD 104-HF-4 Ohm cabinet with four 10” speakers at €1,250; in other words, this whole set of two inseparable pieces for €2,300, VAT included.

For the case I described as “a”, I would consider it an extraordinary monitor, since it has power to spare with no noticeable distortion, and its speakers sit well below our ears, which will help avoid damaging them when we get carried away during a “highly inspired” musical performance. In any case, this amp and cabinet set projects our sound on stage with much more power than needed, and with quality to spare, which will no doubt help us revel in the sound we get out of our bass guitar.

What actually reaches the rest of the audience off the stage, from the sound projected solely by this “monitor”, is another matter... I'm in favor of “distributing” the sound sent from our bass throughout the whole room; that is, besides having our good monitor next to us, we should provide the best and cleanest possible signal to the venue's main mixing desk, where the engineers will in turn distribute it to the rest of the main speakers, usually located on both sides of the stage. Some musicians insist on putting bigger amps and cabinets on stage so that their instruments “don't lack” power in front of the expectant audience; what ends up happening is that some people hear them far too much while others barely hear them at all. On the other hand, having speakers behind us that hit us so “directly in the ears” can even damage our hearing, possibly even causing irreparable deafness. What's more, this type of cabinet means hauling around “more luggage” and, consequently, a bigger budget devoted to such an ineffective end.

So, in short, I'm in favor of using a GOOD AMP on stage, but only for quality, and also a GOOD MONITOR.

For the case I describe as “b”, in a studio, these new MARK BASS solutions of course provide direct outputs from their amp heads to the mixing desk, and if we place a mic in front of their speakers, the sounds we get will also be clear, without the slightest audible background noise. The range of sounds across the EQ settings this amp gives us is extraordinarily versatile: from very striking highs to very enveloping, deep lows, by way of a huge range of combinations that are very easy to find again when you turn its knobs. I'm convinced that many players will feel confident with, and surprised by, the results.

In my test studio I couldn't push it to full volume, not even halfway, because it has power to spare and, of course, at no point could I hear any distortion, even in my most “savage tests”...

Let's take a closer look at each of the two pieces I'm testing here: the amp head and the cabinet housing its four speakers, which are joined by a single cable.

F-1 head
It seems that part of its big secret for getting sounds with such excellent results lies in two very special filters, designed specifically for these MARK BASS products, which they call VLE (Vintage Loudspeaker Emulator) and VPF (Variable Pre-shape Filter). They are able to shape and deliver an enormous number of high-quality sounds as we turn their knobs.

The first surprising thing about this head is how incredibly light it is, just 2.1 kg, as well as its compact size (276 x 44 x 255 mm), while we appreciate the enormous power it can deliver.

It looks “small but sturdy”, with a pleasant semi-matte black metal finish and screen printing on the front in the emblematic yellow this company uses to personalize its products, which indeed gives them a very striking image.

On the front there are no fewer than eight knobs, with which we'll find endless settings to our liking, depending on the type of music and the occasions that arise when using it with our bass guitar. Naturally, I tried it out as soon as I took it out of the boxes and: “IT'S A JOY”. It gives the impression of handling a range of tonal nuances well above what you get from the average amp on the market from much older and better-known brands.

The knobs at each end are labeled “Gain” and “Master”.
“Gain” allows precise level matching for our bass guitar (whose style and output may vary depending on whether it has active or passive electronics). With “Master” we set the strength or power of the volume this amp delivers to the speakers connected to it.

Its comprehensive EQ, using four of those knobs, will refine our desired sound across the “bass, low-mid, high-mid and treble” frequencies. Its effectiveness, I assure you, is very remarkable in my view. But when we turn the other two knobs not yet mentioned (of the eight I listed earlier), which correspond to the filters already described as “VLE” and “VPF”, it's as if a kind of “sonic magic” appears that we certainly don't usually find in other good bass amps. It's as though some complex compressors or expanders came into play, “tubing up” the sound or masterfully “fattening” it, giving it deep weight and great personality without processing it with any other external devices. And if we want even “more action”, the back of course has two independent female jacks, one to send the signal out for processing to whatever external devices we fancy, and another to return that processed signal to the F-1's preamp, so that it blends with the rest of the sounds produced by the F-1's own circuits.

Also on the back there's a balanced XLR (CANON-type) output, for sending the processed signal to the venue's mixing desk without any problems. In addition, there's another unbalanced output back there that can serve several purposes, for example connecting it permanently to an electronic tuner, to another amp, to other effects pedals, for recording, etc.

Likewise, there's a ground lift switch on the back in case, for example, hum appears at some point as a result of problems with the incoming power supply.

For connecting to speakers there are two independent outputs (for two possible cabinets) with the most professional and recommended connections available today, “CLASS 2 WIRING or SPEAKON / 1/4”. But connected to a single cabinet it sounds wonderful and with power to spare.

STANDARD 104-HF-4 Ohm
That's the name given to the cabinet, enclosure or cab housing the four ten-inch speakers, which came along with the F-1 amp head described above as the ideal partner for testing it.

Mounted at the center of those four speakers there's also a one-inch tweeter driver, and both at the top and the bottom there are reflex-style air ports.

On each side there's a large, sturdy handle for lifting the whole unit, which naturally has a weight and size that would make it hard for one person to move on their own, unless you put some kind of wheeled contraption under it, which it doesn't come with.

The thing is, it has a sober finish, with charm and a powerful look, especially when I tested it connected up with the whole system and the F-1... “awesome”... a blast!...
Clearly quality still isn't sold in pocket-size boxes, especially if we expect that deep, thoroughbred sound we want from our playing. And it's true that “if you hear yourself well”, you grow in confidence and play better... So something has to be sacrificed to achieve it. The first thing, perhaps, is the usual... “the cash”, and in that respect this product is reasonable; perhaps not one of the cheapest, but not the opposite either, I think. Considering the sound quality it ultimately delivers... yes, it's worth the effort.
Another sacrifice will be almost always needing someone to help you move it, especially when it comes to getting it on stage. But other people will want it for a work or recording studio, where it will rarely be moved; in many of these cases, if the distance isn't great, it could even be carried by one person.

Reliability of this product
That's the motto its makers proclaim very loudly, claiming they constantly subject it to the most extreme conditions, such as temperature, humidity, heavy use and even knocks (within reason...) to ensure they are world leaders in the face of such mishaps. I imagine their competitors won't agree... but it certainly feels reliable, very high quality and with a personal, “very classy” design.

You may be open to other options, since there are lots of them in our stores, but if you possibly can, try to get them to let you test this rig with your own bass, and then decide whatever you like... I hope that by then you won't feel “much more confused” after seeing what this product offers you...

02/25/2008

To see the spec sheet and rating table, download the magazine in PDF