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Double Bass MAS 16 review

This is gunna be a killing little Cab. Coupled with a 16 slave (sitting side by side as a little cube or spread apart) and the Felix, or just the one for duos...There is something unique about the way these speakers sound and spread and with the poweramp built in, a perfect gigbox.

The combination of the powered and unpowered 16 was possibly the most requested at NAMM. I've already had a bunch of orders for the combo.(from NAMM).
 
I knew you would. I am selling stuff right now to get the powered one. What a versatile little combo, stack them, velcro together put one one a pole aim one at the drummer, get two powered speakers and put the mic in one, small PA, take them home and hook up your stereo.
 
I knew you would. I am selling stuff right now to get the powered one. What a versatile little combo, stack them, velcro together put one one a pole aim one at the drummer, get two powered speakers and put the mic in one, small PA, take them home and hook up your stereo.

an engineer wanted the pair for his nearfield monitors
 
Hey Mike I have a question about how to deal with the gain structure on the MAS 16: until I get the powered speaker (It has no gain right?)
I hook up the Felix to the FX input of the Focus, but I have been getting some distortion at gigs ( I think I really need two of them) but If I want to push just the one without distorting it...do I keep the gain on the power amp low and boost the preamp (seems like the way to go but I have been running into distortion) or the other way around or is it just get another speaker for additional volume? What is the best practice with these 6 in drivers? (especially if you only have one)
 
Hey Mike I have a question about how to deal with the gain structure on the MAS 16: until I get the powered speaker (It has no gain right?)
I hook up the Felix to the FX input of the Focus, but I have been getting some distortion at gigs ( I think I really need two of them) but If I want to push just the one without distorting it...do I keep the gain on the power amp low and boost the preamp (seems like the way to go but I have been running into distortion) or the other way around or is it just get another speaker for additional volume? What is the best practice with these 6 in drivers? (especially if you only have one)

watch your gain on the input. Does it have an indicator? A big mistake guys make is running their gain high and master low. The 16 won't distort---when it hits the wall you'll know. The woofer will fart out with a smacking sound. Up until then it shouldn't distort at all.

There is no gain control on the 16. reason is---the 16 is small enough that I'm concerned about blocking airflow. That's why the switch is in the output scoop. Maybe I could put a pot in there, though. I'll check it out.

Keep in mind that the 16 is pretty neat but it is what it is. I can use it for any duo gig or a trio gig where the drummer is playing soft. If the drummer is on sticks and hitting it--at least for me---it's pushing it too far. When you add a second one the clouds kindof part. Then it's a 26 which is the same volume as a 45. I can handle anything short of one of my fusion gigs with it. What guys at the show dug was one on the floor and one elevated. Then it really does have an advantage over a 45 or 26. It'll go louder than a 45 or 26 on a stand and have more clarity than a 26 or 46 on the floor. I typically don't like my cabs on the floor but the 16 likes to be on the floor, port on the bottom, and tilted back. The preferred setup at the show to get max volume with the two of them was both on the floor and wedged up. That's how I use a single 16 on an upright gig.
 
THanks. Yeah I've done both (fart it out and distort it) and I think you are right....THe felix manual says to keep the input hot (occasionally clips from green to red) which is what I have been doing except that is what goes out the FX loop so when I have it plugged into a looper I have to turn the gains way down (or the looper clips)
I totally hear you on the 2 MAS 16's..I'm converted.

I bought my MAS 16 on TB here and it was voiced to be a PA apparently. Mike is gunna fix it for me (nice Mike) and in discussing it and the powered speaker he was saying that with this power unit there WOULD be plenty of power for both cabs, in fact you could plug in 3 16's.
 
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I forgot rhat the 16 does not quite act like the bigger box... I have been aiming it up pretty far. But yesterday i put it on the floor with just a little wedge under it. Sounds way better. Got the gainstaging better in hand too. Sounds great. With the Ischell and Felix a very acoustic sound. Man rhinking about two powered 16's (as opposed to the slave) has a lot of possibilities and makes a great hime stereo....
 
I forgot rhat the 16 does not quite act like the bigger box... I have been aiming it up pretty far. But yesterday i put it on the floor with just a little wedge under it. Sounds way better. Got the gainstaging better in hand too. Sounds great. With the Ischell and Felix a very acoustic sound. Man rhinking about two powered 16's (as opposed to the slave) has a lot of possibilities and makes a great hime stereo....

Yeah---I elevate all of my cabs---except the 16. I put it in the vertical position with the port on bottom, wedged up a bit. You get WAY more usable volume and low end. At the NAMM show I had the two 16's on the floor that way. That's when guys started freaking out about the combination. It went a bit louder than a 26 elevated. I preferred the two 16's like that to a 26 in the vertical position.
The new ones have a bit more low end authority and output. We tweaked the cab geometry a bit.
 
Yeah---I elevate all of my cabs---except the 16. I put it in the vertical position with the port on bottom, wedged up a bit. You get WAY more usable volume and low end. At the NAMM show I had the two 16's on the floor that way. That's when guys started freaking out about the combination. It went a bit louder than a 26 elevated. I preferred the two 16's like that to a 26 in the vertical position.
The new ones have a bit more low end authority and output. We tweaked the cab geometry a bit.

Mike, do you still prefer the 45 sonically for DB to the sixes? I'm still knocked out every time I use my 45.
 
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2 16's or just one by itself (especially with the power built in) gets you a form factor as nice and compact and easy to transport as the old GK200MB (my first amp)...light weight, fits in the nooks of any car, but sounds way better. The 46 is a nice form too, in a much bigger way, but 2 16's ( I can easily see Sue at Studio slips making a little cube clamshell case to put both into) is killing. Just so many ways to arrange them custom for each gig....For example I play one place where the 6 foot grand has me backed into a corner. THe audience often cant hear the bass very well, but shoving a 16 under the piano and keeping one for me to monitor will be perfect there. Some stages I would love to have a speaker aimed at the drummer. Mostly just little tweaks: one elevated slightly more then the other (best of bass and monitor)...I'd like to try one on each side of me facing slightly out so that a mics Feedback could be minimized. But really having two powered 16's and a Felix would be really fun: you could put a mix in one and just a mic in the other or just a mic in one and just a pickup in the other, shove the mic 16 out front so it does not Feedback.
 
I'm sure those who understand the physics of sound will be able to shed more light on this, but I've always found that it pays to be very careful with the array of multiple speakers on a stage to avoid strange phasing issues. IME, vertical seems to work best, even when they are several feet apart (even if connected by a pole mount with one low and one high). That, to me , would be the most interesting configuration.... assuming the balance of the bottom unit would be stable enough to support it.
 
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I'm sure those who understand the physics of sound will be able to shed more light on this, but I've always found that it pays to be very careful with the array of multiple speakers on a stage to avoid strange phasing issues. IME, vertical seems to work best, even when they are several feet apart (even if connected by a pole mount with one low and one high). That, to me , would be the most interesting configuration.... assuming the balance of the bottom unit would be stable enough to support it.

I worked with several sets of identical dual cabinets one directly behind me and one on the other side. It did not work well as there was some latency between the two cabinets, when the cabinets are placed in a vertical array
the lowered impedance caused feedback. That was difficult to control.
Ultimately, I prefer a little larger cabinet. Just my take.

Ric
 
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I worked with several sets of identical dual cabinets one directly behind me and one on the other side. It did not work well as there was some latency between the two cabinets, when the cabinets are placed in a vertical array
the lowered impedance caused feedback. That was difficult to control.
Ultimately, I prefer a little larger cabinet. Just my take.

Ric

Oh i think i had that with a stack of two wizzy 10s i used in a couple places. But an array of two speakers is everywhere in practically every home anywhere and i know it is stereo, but even the pjb cab has speakers aimed up and also out, seems like a little kick of it to change direction slightly would rake care of errant phase.
I know i am a hyperbolic enthusiast for new stuff. But i have to say THIS stuff is really closing in on it.
 
I'm sure those who understand the physics of sound will be able to shed more light on this, but I've always found that it pays to be very careful with the array of multiple speakers on a stage to avoid strange phasing issues. IME, vertical seems to work best, even when they are several feet apart (even if connected by a pole mount with one low and one high). That, to me , would be the most interesting configuration.... assuming the balance of the bottom unit would be stable enough to support it.

I worked with several sets of identical dual cabinets one directly behind me and one on the other side. It did not work well as there was some latency between the two cabinets, when the cabinets are placed in a vertical array
the lowered impedance caused feedback. That was difficult to control.
Ultimately, I prefer a little larger cabinet. Just my take.

Ric

The MVW cabs are really weird. I find that they are way more forgiving in odd placements. When the rear and front waves combine they throw the sound all over the place. Obviously you have to experiment, but I have done multiple cabs in odd placement and it works well.

I dont think you could support a 16 on top of a 16 i think you would have one on a tripod and one vertical in the floor

A 16 sits just fine on another 16 if both are in vertical position. I just had a great electric player over. We had an active bass with a lot of output.Plugged straight into the powered 16. Wicked loud. We both preferred two cabs vertical on the floor and tilted back a bit. I spread them apart about 5 feet and it worked great.
 
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