MESA BOOGIE BASIS M 2000 OWNER'S MANUAL The Spirit of Art in Technology 1317 Ross Street Petaluma, CA 94954 USA
Hello from the Tone Farm... Congratulations on your choice of the BASIS M-2000 as your amplifier and welcome to the MESA/Boogie family! As a discriminating player you probably know that you have purchased the most comprehensive instrument for amplifying bass that is available. What you might not realize is that this entitles you to all the experience, resources and commitment our twenty-five years of service to musicians world wide has to offer.
BASIS M 2000 TABLE OF CONTENTS Precautions Overview FRONT PANEL Initial Set-Up Page # 1 Description Connect Speaker / Foot Controller / Choose Switching Logic Output Level Control (Adjusting Listening Level) Select Instrument Inputs 2 2 2 VACUUM TUBE CHANNEL Set Rotary Tone Controls & Graphic E.Q. Setting Mini-Toggles 3 Set Compressor, Threshold & Frequency Set Listening Level 3 4 Set Bright & Normal Switch 9 Band EQ Compressor 4 FIELD EFFECT CHANNEL Set Rotary Controls & Graphic E.Q.
PRECAUTIONS Your MESA/Boogie Amplifier is a professional instrument. Please treat it with respect and operate it properly. USE COMMON SENSE AND ALWAYS OBSERVE THESE PRECAUTIONS: Do not expose amplifier to moisture, rain or water, direct sunlight or extremely high temperatures. Always insure that amplifier is properly grounded. Always unplug AC power cord before changing fuse or any tubes. When replacing fuse, use only same type and rating. Avoid direct contact with heated tubes.
OVERVIEW For ease of understanding the M-2000 and to reduce the intimidation factor that one might experience upon first glance, it should be noted that the unit may be digested one channel at a time. The only shared controls on the entire front panel are the MIX control and the Output Level control. Thinking of the M-2000 as two completely separate pre-amplifiers - sharing one common power section, may help you to understand it at a faster rate. 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.
BASIS M 2000 Description: By now you see the M-2000 houses two completely different pre-amplifiers, one all tube, one FET. These may be footswitched between and/or combined by utilizing the Mix Mode, in which any blend of the two may be created. The Tube Channel offers the choice of a normal (low gain) mode operation and an all tube Hi Gain overdrive mode for wilder applications. Each of these preamps offers the full array of rotary style tone controls, producing a rich, warm blend...
INITIAL SET-UP CONNECT SPEAKER First connect the M-2000 to your favorite speaker cabinet using either the 1/4 inch jacks or the 3pin XLR's. The recommended load is 4 Ohms.
VACUUM TUBE CHANNEL ROTARY CONTROLS & GRAPHIC EQ 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.2K 4K 6K Select the VACUUM TUBE CHANNEL using the footswitch labeled TUBE on the Foot Controller and set the controls as per this example. 8K EQ IN NOTE The M-2000 automatically returns to the mode that was last used upon power-up, (when the Channel Select rotary switch is set to Footswitch.) When the Foot Controller is not being used, the M-2000 will power-up with the mode chosen on the Channel Select rotary switch.
BRIGHT While playing an open string, activate the BRIGHT / NORMAL switch to the position.) BRIGHT / NORMAL SWITCH 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.2K 4K ACTIVE 6K (up NORMAL 8K Become familiar with the frequencies that this switch enhances as it works along side the Graphic Equalizers' top 3 bands ( 4 - 6 - & 8K ) to bring out the upper harmonics and sparkle.
TUNABLE BASS CONTROL NOTE When switch HIGH is in the "Down" position the controls, BASS and BASS FREQ., shape LOW and control frequencies from 30Hz to 100Hz. 1.2K In this channel the bass frequencies are shaped utilizing a pair of parametric type controls. Two rotary controls, Bass and Bass Frequency enable you to center in on the region of lows that you wish to enhance and 4K 6K 8K boost or cut them to your desire.
BRIGHT Again, play an open string and activate the Bright / Normal switch by selecting the (up ( up position. ) position.) BRIGHT / NORMAL SWITCH NORMAL 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.2K 4K 6K 8K EQ IN OUT MIX MODE BRIGHT MESA BOOGIE ON NORMAL HIGH LOW MASTER TREBLE MIDDLE BASS BASS FREQ. POWER BASS SHIFT FIELD EFFECT CHANNEL EQ IN Engage the 9-Band Graphic Equalizer 9 BAND EQ 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.
VACUUM TUBE CHANNEL SETTINGS THUS FAR 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.2K 4K 6K SIMUL STATE POWER 8K ACTIVE EQ IN OUT MIX MODE BRIGHT INSTRUMENT INPUTS NORMAL HI GAIN TUBE 3:1 NORMAL PASSIVE MIX ASSIGN 50% COMPRESSION MESA BOOGIE 5:1 GAIN TREBLE MIDDLE BASS MASTER OFF FREQUENCY VACUUM TUBE CHANNEL FET MIX THRESHOLD TUBE FET HI GAIN CLIP OUTPUT LEVEL FIELD EFFECT CHANNEL SETTINGS THUS FAR SIMUL STATE POWER 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.
Next, let's try mixing a distortion (or maybe just a slightly overdriven) sound from the VACUUM TUBE CHANNEL with a tight clean sound from the FIELD EFFECT CHANNEL. While still in the MIX Mode, select the HI-GAIN setting of the MIX ASSIGN Switch in the TUBE Channel's lower left corner.
REAR PANEL EXTERNAL SELECT 12A S.B.
BALANCED OUTPUT / BALANCED LEVEL (Continued) Balanced Output XLR jack. Basically, this means that your instrument is going directly into the console with no alteration from the M-2000. Sometimes this is preferred when playing venues with large sound systems that have plenty of low frequency power of their own and don't always need the added shaping that is happening on the stage. RETURN 0% The BALANCED LEVEL control enables you to match the optimum levels required by most mixing consoles.
When panned hard left CHANNEL SELECT EFFECTS LOOP (7:00), mostly lows will TUBE FET MIX MODE CROSSOVER ON FET EXT TUBE SEND pass this junction. When the rotary control is swept toward MIX FOOT OFF TUBE MODE SWITCH HI GAIN HIGH, the crossover will allow more of the upper harmonic HIGH LOW MIX range to receive processing. Panned hard right (5:00), mostly FX LOOP AUTO FOOTSWITCH FUNCTION ASSIGN highs will be present in the loop's signal path.
This section of the Rear Panel as we mentioned earlier, while explaining the CHANNEL ASSIGN section, is provided to make possible the triggering of the M-2000 Modes from remote switching sources. The six 1/4 inch jacks represent all four Modes of operation and the two channels' Graphic Equalizers. These functions may be controlled by connecting most any "tip to ground" type switcher to the appropriate jacks and grounding them.
Settings Templates for Your Personal Favorite M-2000 Sounds 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.2K 4K 6K SIMUL STATE POWER 8K 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.2K 4K 6K 8K ACTIVE EQ IN EQ IN OUT OUT MIX MODE BRIGHT MIX MODE BRIGHT INSTRUMENT INPUTS COMPRESSION MESA BOOGIE NORMAL HI GAIN TUBE PASSIVE 5:1 MIX ASSIGN GAIN TREBLE MIDDLE BASS MASTER OFF 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.
Sample Settings - Field Effect Channel Punch Funk SIMUL STATE POWER 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.2K 4K 6K 8K EQ IN OUT MIX MODE BRIGHT COMPRESSION 50% ON BASIS M 2000 NORMAL HIGH FET MIX THRESHOLD 3:1 FET 5:1 CLIP MASTER OFF MIDDLE BASS BASS FREQ. FIELD EFFECT CHANNEL FREQUENCY OUTPUT LEVEL TREBLE LOW BASS SHIFT POWER Scooped FET SIMUL STATE POWER 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.
Sample Settings - Vacuum Tube Channel Fat R & B 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.2K 4K ACTIVE 6K SIMUL STATE POWER 8K EQ IN OUT MIX MODE BRIGHT INSTRUMENT INPUTS MESA NORMAL HI GAIN TUBE THRESHOLD 3:1 NORMAL PASSIVE 50% COMPRESSION BOOGIE TUBE 5:1 GAIN MIX ASSIGN TREBLE MIDDLE BASS MASTER MIX OFF HI GAIN FREQUENCY VACUUM TUBE CHANNEL OUTPUT LEVEL Thumb Funk 50Hz 80 180 300 600 1.
EQ IN MIX ASSIGN NORMAL NORMAL HI GAIN MIX MODE BRIGHT OUT 8K POT # 592737 POT # BASS 592148 POT # MASTER 592151 POT # FET MIX MODE SUGGESTED LOAD 4 OHMS 600 WATTS RMS MINIMUM LOAD 2 OHMS SPEAKER OUT XLR JACK pt# 614028 POT # 592379 FREQUENCY 592379 3:1 THRESHOLD POT # OFF SWITCH pt# 607203 5:1 COMPRESSION EQ pt# 588540 KNOB pt# 408530 6K POT # 592148 MIDDLE LED pt# 395620 592148 TREBLE ALL JACKS (6) pt# 618100 EQ EXTERNAL SELECT TUBE TUBE HI GAIN SPEAKER OUT KNOB pt#
MESA BOOGIE The Spirit of Art in Technology Thank you for trusting MESA/Boogie to be your amplifier company. We wish you many years of toneful enjoyment from this handbuilt all tube instrument.
