MB-1 - Should I get one?

[rabidgerry]

Is it worth getting and MB-1?

I spied one in UK and I have put down an offer.  Tube setting doesn't work though.  I figured could be useful to own though?

Thoughts guy?

[rnolan]

Hey RG, definitely worth getting an MB1, fantastic bass preamp (I have 2, one live rack and one in my studio rack).  So if tube setting doesn't work it needs some TLC.  Most of the patches I use don't use the tube setting and you won't necessarily miss it but hey it should work.  It's also a good candidate for a MDRT (both mine have MDRT).  Also the last EPROM had some CC capability.  If the price is right and you can send it to MJMP for an overhaul (which is what I did with my 2), you (or your bass player) will not be disappointed.  It also works quite well for guitar clean sounds.  Both of mine are as quiet as a church mouse.

[Peter H. Boer]

MB-1 Rules!!!!!!!!!
Been using it since early 90's both on stage and in the studio.
I paid full retail value when it was new, best investment in gear I made, besides my custom build basses.

Do get that tube stage working again though.
Might just be the tubes, but if not send it to MJMP for him to do his magic to it.

Peter

[rabidgerry]

Hey RG, definitely worth getting an MB1, fantastic bass preamp (I have 2, one live rack and one in my studio rack).  So if tube setting doesn't work it needs some TLC.  Most of the patches I use don't use the tube setting and you won't necessarily miss it but hey it should work.  It's also a good candidate for a MDRT (both mine have MDRT).  Also the last EPROM had some CC capability.  If the price is right and you can send it to MJMP for an overhaul (which is what I did with my 2), you (or your bass player) will not be disappointed.  It also works quite well for guitar clean sounds.  Both of mine are as quiet as a church mouse.

Didn't think about MDRT or anything like that Richard but I'm taking you advice!  This will be for me and my studio setup!  Bass player doesn't deserve it 

MB-1 Rules!!!!!!!!!
Been using it since early 90's both on stage and in the studio.
I paid full retail value when it was new, best investment in gear I made, besides my custom build basses.

Do get that tube stage working again though.
Might just be the tubes, but if not send it to MJMP for him to do his magic to it.

Peter

I knew you would say something similar to this Peter    Ok man well lets see what happens!  I put an offer in so see if the guy bites!

[rabidgerry]

He drove a hard bargain the seller but I got it a bit cheaper from asking price.  My thinking was it's not working 100% so you know drop the price 

Hopefully I like it.

[rnolan]

Good Score  (well I hope the price was good and there's room for fixing and MDRT).  I did a few posts in the MB-1 thread after I got mine, the CC stuff took a while to get my head around so I tried to explain it and make it easier for others who wanted to use it.  In the end I just use the expression pedal master volume control.  The only thing that didn't blow me away was the distortion option(s) not that I'm into distorted bass.  I'll be very surprised if you don't like it allot  :whoohoo!: .

[rabidgerry]

No really into distorted bass either.

Can you use tubes for clean sounds?  Or is that all through the SS?

Hope this works out.

[rnolan]

Sure, unless you use the distortion feature all the sounds are clean.  It's got heaps of great patches which emulate most well known bass amps and also for active or passive PUs.  I've heard allot of different bass amps over the years, the MB-1 is way better than most of them IMHO. And direct in for recording you don't need any cab emulation, just take the full range out.  Have a good read of the manual while you wait for it.  There's a table at the back of all the different patches it comes with, very extensive list.

[Peter H. Boer]

No really into distorted bass either.

Can you use tubes for clean sounds?  Or is that all through the SS?

Hope this works out.

Tube in the clean setting works just fine.

Big difference with the guitar pres is that tube and SS voices worked in parallel.

So you can set your tubes to a grind or distortion that is 'too much' on its own, but if you set the main SS voice nearly perfect, you can then mix in the tube until you hit the 'perfect' amount of grind, without loosing any bottom.

:headbanger: :headbanger:

[rabidgerry]

No really into distorted bass either.

Can you use tubes for clean sounds?  Or is that all through the SS?

Hope this works out.

Tube in the clean setting works just fine.

Big difference with the guitar pres is that tube and SS voices worked in parallel.

So you can set your tubes to a grind or distortion that is 'too much' on its own, but if you set the main SS voice nearly perfect, you can then mix in the tube until you hit the 'perfect' amount of grind, without loosing any bottom.

:headbanger: :headbanger:

Interesting so its a blend of tube and SS.  Is this for all patches?

I have it out of the box and was playing with and these is defo an issue with the tube.  I factory reset it and any tube patches are completely silent.

Other pre-sets sound okish so these must be SS patches.

I did change the tubes to known working tubes so I wonder what the issue is????

I also think it is a lot more complex than the guitar preamp!  Richard was right the manual will need reading.  I have only glanced at it.

[rnolan]

Hey RG,  :whoohoo!: .  It's been a while since I got into all its ins and outs but I think you can have any blend of SS and tube just by adjusting the inputs and outputs for each stage as the tube and SS sections have separate controls which then combine just before the compressor/eq/chorus/loop.  It also has 256 patches, why so many  .  Also Peter posted a neat idea where you can make the loop parallel by using both of them but just use a short patch lead between the send/rtn of one of them, then the other behaves like a parallel loop because you don't break the signal path on the short patched one.The factory patches are not only set to emulate a large range of various bass preamps but also for either active or passive PUs.  So the patches for active PUs have their gain set accordingly to accommodate the higher output of the active PUs.  The table at the back of the manual has a list of them all but watch out for if any given patch is set for passive/active.  I made a .doc and pdf version of the patch chart so I could print it A3 (pdf attached).I suspect it needs a Belgian holiday to get the tube stage sorted, an MDRT, latest EPROM (v2.05) and whatever else needs a refurbish (battery mod? etc).  Then you'll have a great unit, super quiet, super versatile, really reliable.  And when you really want to do your head in, get into what you can do with its CC.  As I said, I just use it for overall unit master vol.

[rabidgerry]

I smell a Belgian holiday coming up as well!  I might get it sent off before I even bother to play about with it. 

Is it me or does this thing seem like it might be more complex than an MP1?

I noticed the rom I have loads up stating 2.05 so  guess firmware I'm sorted then (makes a change).  I always laugh that Micahel Wagener as knowledgeable as the man is saying how he thought the firmware in his MP1 made it sound better 

Anyways Belgian holiday.......................who lives in Belgium that this MB-1 would want to visit?

I actually cannot wait to play it as mediocre as a bass player as I am.  Me and my little Cort Action Jnr bass!

[MarshallJMP]

Anyways Belgian holiday.......................who lives in Belgium that this MB-1 would want to visit?

Mmm don't know  ::)

[rabidgerry]

Jean-Claude Van Damme of course!  :whoohoo!: 

Only messin!

I will be in touch MJMP! 

One thing I noticed from the MB-1 already is there is lots of nice bottom end.  Know how there are two kinds, nice bottom (end) and annoying bottom end.  So that's cool!

[MarshallJMP]

Ok!

And yes it's more complicated then the MP-1, but not as bad as a MP-2.