21" Sabian AA Mataray Chinese

Product Description

The MantaRay came out of more than a year of work between SABIAN and Ray Luzier, and it does not sound like anything else on the stand. Its asymmetric shape delivers the explosive attack of a China at a lower pitch, with a decay that stops almost as soon as it starts. What you are left with is an accent that carries straight through the band without laying a blanket of wash over the next bar.

A conventional China tends to take over the room. It cracks, and then the sound sits there humming well into the next phrase. This one gives you the first part without the second. The attack is fast and trashy, the pitch sits lower than you expect, and the sustain lets go almost immediately. That makes it usable in places where a China is normally too much: dense arrangements, studio dates, and any music where an accent has to land in one exact spot.

The shape is the whole point

The asymmetric profile is not a styling detail. It is the reason the cymbal behaves the way it does. Development started from a real playing need on stage and carried on until the shape gave both the crack and the quick stop. The feel is articulate — you get a clear, defined answer every time you hit it, whether you catch the edge with the shoulder of the stick or play it with the tip.

Power you can control

The volume is there when you want it. The B20 bronze handles hard playing in the rehearsal room and on stage, and the cymbal is still easy to meter out. You can drop in a marker halfway through a verse without the mix ducking away from it, and you can lean on it at the end of a chorus knowing the sound will stop when you want it to. That combination is hard to get from a traditional China.

Who it works for

This is an accent cymbal, not a ride and not a general-purpose crash. It works especially well for rock, metal and anything else where the accents need to be heard, and for players who want a shorter, more defined statement than a standard China gives. If you already run AA cymbals, it sits in the same bright family. For quiet jazz work it is on the loud side.

Our Tips

• Mount it where your China normally lives, ideally a little lower and at a steeper angle so you can catch the edge on the way past.
• The fast decay makes it easy to record — it clears out of the way of vocals and guitars right after the accent.
• Use felts and an intact cymbal sleeve. An asymmetric cymbal does not hang level the way a round one does and moves around more on the stand.
• For an even shorter, more percussive voice, try it in a stack with a smaller cymbal on top.

Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

How is it different from a regular China?

The attack is just as explosive, but the pitch is lower and the sound decays almost immediately instead of hanging around as wash. In practice that means you can use the accent more often without clouding the sound of the band.

Does it work both live and in the studio?

Yes, it was built for both. Live it carries through the band, and in the studio you avoid the long tail that otherwise bleeds into the next bar.

What does B20 mean?

B20 is the high-tin bronze alloy used for professional cymbals. It gives a richer, more complex sound than alloys with a lower tin content.