This is a real premium lineup to feed that new MAS112. Does that switch to disengage the mid/hi drivers give that more vintage (topped out at 4k) feel? Also, how does the MAS112 compare to the MAS66 as a bass cab? I have the Gen-3 MAS66 which I use more for small PA duty (very nice in this service) but am considering an MAS-112 like yours with the okume back and full range 12-only switch. Is the low end fatter and fuller? Thanks.
Yeah -- the Iceboxes (sorry, that word just seems apt for the poweramps) aren't mine, but the HBP, Monique, and the big Genz are. I'm a little embarrassed, actually, at the extravagence.
Re. the 112 vs. the 66, I've been holding off on saying much more until I can play it out a few times with groups in different rooms -- as busy as work is now, that might be a little while. Also, my 66 was a 2nd generation. I did get to play the 66 out several times, including several times at a loud jam in an acoustically weird bar and once at a small outdoor festival. I haven't played the 4 Ohm, Eminence-loaded 112. Those caveats in mind, here are my impressions:
My 66 was smooth and deep, with a relaxed midrange and a clear top end. Super-groovy for R&B and hip-hop, though certainly not limited to those genres. Did fine at lower volumes, but, the more power I hit it with, the happier it seemed. Didn't compress like some cabs, but just got more open and articulate up to the limits of my Markbass F500 (It was even better with the HBP). I played the outdoor gig with the F500 and that cab just slew in that context. That said, it never quite felt like "me" -- I like a present midrange with a lot of texture, maybe a bit of grind. I don't mind hearing the windings on the strings, now and then. Playing it solo in practice, the 112 comes closer to the mark for me in terms of tone and feel than any other cab so far. Mids are more present and detailed than they were with my 66. Bottom extends deep, but feels tighter and more controlled to me. Slap is special -- a great feeling of bounce. The 66 had a "little kick drum" feel when it got going. The 112 has a slightly bigger kick drum, tuned a little higher, and it seems to kick in a bit earlier. The low end is full, but doesn't strike me as "fat" if that makes sense.
The switch -- the 12" on its own goes surprisingly high. If I want to cop a Jamerson tone (never mind that the rest of my gear is different), I'll need to use a sponge, palm-mute, and/or roll off the passive tone on my bass. That said, I think it's a useful option and could see it killing on a rock gig with an SVT. Even does some respectable, old-school slap tones on its own. That said, I'm glad the mids are there. They add a lot of detail. The tweeter -- I'm actually leaving it engaged more often than not. Didn't think that would be the case. Not necessary, but it adds something nice, and integrates with the other drivers better than any other tweet I've heard in a bass cab. Mike tweaked the switch package formerly known as "the MarkA Switch Package" (he had to -- my lawyers were beating down his door for back-royalties) by making the mids and tweeter independently switchable, so you can run just the woof and the tweets, which is surprisingly useable. Still better integrated than a lot of 2-way bass cabs. Not what I'd go for normally, but another viable voicing.
I could ramble on more, but I've really got to get the cab out -- if I still had my 66, I'd A/B them live. That'd be fun.
If the 4 Ohm 112 has a bigger bottom than the 66... that's a big bottom.
One more thing, if it helps -- again, this is just based, so far, on solo practice, but I felt the 112 a better match, for my tastes, for Monique, than my 66 was. The tighter, more mid-present voicing of the 112 is a nice yin/yang with the wide, smooth voice of Monique. YMMV and all that.
