Do-it-all Maple/Mahogany Kit Built with Groundbreaking Shell Tech
Mapex is back with a new lineup of premium kits inspired by its illustrious Black Panther snare collection. The Mapex Black Panther Design Lab Versatus shell pack is masterfully crafted from a special blend of maple and mahogany — each shell size calibrated by thickness and placement of reinforcement rings — for do-it-all studio versatility and far-reaching tonal potential. Mapex's groundbreaking shell enhancements include its range-extending SONIClear bearing edges and adjustable self-damping SAS floor tom legs. Perhaps most striking of all, however, is the Versatus's Randall May MAATS magnetic tom mounting system, which floats high toms in a magnetic field and allows players to adjust shell movement and sustain as easily as twisting a dial. If you're a player who demands the best today's (and tomorrow's) drums have to offer, be sure to check out the Mapex Black Panther Design Lab Versatus 6-piece Shell pack from Sweetwater. It's truly unlike anything you've played before.
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Mahogany/Maple Shells
Warmth meets cut
By blending select plies of maple of and mahogany, Mapex has given the Black Panther Design Lab Versatus an exceptional blend of warmth, cut, focus, and resonance. From down-home soul to radio pop and rock, the Versatus boasts versatility to suit virtually any live or studio session.
Vari-ply shell construction
Each Versatus shell is built from a custom thickness (six to ten plies) and crowned with optimized bearing edges (45° or 60°) to yield what Design Lab artists are calling the ideal cut and sustain. What you get is incredible balance across the kit, from the most delicate ghost notes to the most dramatic wide-open beats and fills.
SAS Ring System
Also tailored for each shell in the Versatus shell pack are the number and placement of reinforcement rings, which serve to either open up or control the shell. The Versatus's bass drum features three 2" reinforcement rings to eliminate standing waves without the need for internal muffling.
Versatile 18" aux drum
The Versatus packs added versatility via its 3-in-1 18" auxiliary drum, which can be played upright as an additional floor tom, stand-mounted as a gong drum, or on the floor as a secondary kick drum.
Brought to you by the Mapex Black Panther Design Lab
The Black Panther Design Lab is a group comprised of several high-profile artists, designers, and engineers. Each has rendered their own input on sound, playability, features, and appearance to make the Design Lab shell packs into some of the very best kits the world has ever seen. Here's what players are saying:
"If there's such a thing as perfection, these are it." — Kirk Covington (Tribal Tech, VOLTO!)
"These drums are limitless." — Rashid Williams (Alicia Keys, John Legend)
"It's as good as a set of drums can be." — Claus Hessler (instructor and clinician)
Tone-enhancing Shell Technology
MAATS magnetic tom mounting system
Randall May, creator of the in-shell MAY Miking system, is world famous for his premium aluminum drum mounts, rack systems, and marching shell carriers. The May MAATS (Magnetic Air Adjustment Tom Suspension) mounts on high toms one and two yield three major benefits like you've never experienced:
- Floating shells — suspension systems have come a long way from inserting a metal tube halfway into the shell. The MAATS magnetic tom mounts enable max sustain that's virtually free from vibration loss through contact.
- Tunable sustain — May's adjustable MFA and ARG resonance mechanisms adjust note length in real time with the turn of a screw. In all but extreme cases, gone are the need for tapes and gels to control sustain. The MAATS tom mounts give you the feel of a wide-open drum with the control you need for miking and recording.
- Adjustable bounce — An ergonomic benefit to the MAATS tom mounts is an adjustable shell bounce feature, which really alleviates strain on the wrist.
Self-damping SAS floor tom legs
Mapex's SAS (SONIClear Attenuation System) floor tom legs lengthen or shorten note length without the need for tape or gels. An adjustable break angle (90–180°) quickens or slows energy transfer to the floor to permit more or less sustain. Now dialing in your floor toms for any room is simple — just adjust the angle of the leg closest to you, and hear in real time as the sustain lengthens or shortens.
SONIClear bearing edges
Bearing edges have a big impact on tone and tuning capability. Mapex's SONIClear bearing edges seat heads so perfectly that they can be hand-tensioned and still produce a pure tone. This widens the tuning range for players who like deeper fundamentals while producing a purer pitch across the board.
Snare, cymbals, and additional hardware not includedMapex Black Panther Design Lab Versatus 6-piece Shell Pack Features:
- Inspired by Mapex's illustrious Black Panther snare collection
- Built from the ground up with input from high-profile artists, designers, and engineers
- Versatile blend of maple and mahogany
- Balanced warmth, cut, focus, and resonance
- Variable response suits virtually any live and recording application
- Shells calibrated by thickness, bearing edge, and number and placement of reinforcement rings
- MAATS magnetic tom mounts let you adjust shell bounce and sustain
- Self-damping SAS floor tom legs control note length without gels and tapes
- SONIClear bearing edges unlock the full potential of your shells
- Sizes (depth x diameter): 7" x 10" and 7.5" x 12" toms, 13" x 14" and 15" x 16" floor toms, 12" x 18" auxiliary drum, and 16" x 22" kick drum
- Snare drum not included; sold separately
