4x12 USA MC90 Dynacab uniqueness?

[icarri]

I'm really obsessed with this Dyncab and the mc90 black shadow speakers. With a condenser mic is the perfect amp in the room for me when all the music I listen to (90/2k alt rock/metal like Tool, Chevelle, 3 Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin, etc) is based on v30 speakers and SM57 so in theory I should prefer these. I wonder if as it's based on Cliff's Boogie" cab he used for years he "added" something into it to be the best

It sounds good when playing alone, but so does the Stealth 2x12, Mesa straight 4x12, and third parties like YA Mesa 2x12 (my favourite until recently), etc but when playing with my band at rehearsal through my frfr monitor (Yamaha DHR12M) the mc90 stands out by a huge difference. If I switch to any other, I feel lost in the mix and even feel like the volume is lower than with this cab, like 2 or 3 points lower in volume. If I switch back to that one then bam!, I'm there again, loud, raw and less polite than the v30 and clear. My main amps with this speaker are the Modern III and Mesa Mark IV (love both, can't decide) and my band's other guitarist uses an Helix through tube power amp and Marshal cab with v30s so maybe that is why when I also use v30 we both occupy the same space.

I guess it's the combination of the cab and the impedance curve but ¿what could be the reason of that cab sounding louder or more present and more like amp in the room in the mix? IRs are mainly EQ filters so I guess in theory I could apply EQ to any IR to make it sound similar to the Mc90 but I lack the knowledge or experience for it, nor I can see the EQ curve in the analyser in the FM3 unlike the FX3.

Any help? on what is this IR different (EQ) let's say to the Mesa straight to feel with more volume and clarity? More high mids?

 

[Sleestak]

This DynaCab model sounds very close to the sound of my old Boogie 4x12 cabs with Black Shadow speakers. Back in the days when I used those cabs, I mic'd them with a SM57, and later, added a Sennheiser 609. The SM57 delivers more of the classic dark recto punch, and the Sennheiser enhances it with a little more sparkle in the upper mids. I do miss the wallop of those Boogie cabs. Standing in front of them was a shiatsu massage. But oi... the weight! In a flight case, a Boogie 4x12 cabinet weighs as much as a diesel locomotive.

As far as why that sound is so right for the tones you're describing, you have already hit upon many of the key components, but remember that the IR response is more like a movie than a photograph. The cabinet's initial EQ is part of it, but this dynamically changes in response to the amp signal driving it. As your picking dynamics change, the amp signal changes, and the cab's response to those signal changes are expressed through the cabinet's resonance and speakers. And, the speakers themselves are part of the IR, contributing things like cone compression. It's a nuanced interplay, and in my opinion, is one of the reasons DynaCabs feel so alive and responsive.

Another important dimension you're describing is "how it sounds when I play at volume with other musicians". I work very hard on my guitar tones. Then I get together with my bandmates for rehearsals, and may discover that my amazing killer tone I so carefully honed doesn't sit well in the band's overall mix. The first thing that I usually have to adjust is my EQ on each song. We have a keyboard player, a bass player, a sax player, a drummer, and occasionally, an acoustic guitar. So you can imagine where the sonic buildup will occur: lows and muddy mids. To make my guitar speak with more authority, I have sometimes switched out the DynaCab for something with smaller speakers (yes, that is counterintuitive).

The physics involved are complicated, and thankfully, Fractal has done that work for us. It's an oversimplification to say "your ears are the best judge of whether something works", but it's an important consideration. Try creating versions of your presets with multiple DynaCabs on different channels, and step through them as you rehearse. See if one surprises you, and then tweak it by changing the mic type / placement. Then go look at the details of the IR to delve into the beautiful complex electrophysical mystery of why that works for you, at which point you can apply that to other presets. It sounds like you may already be at that point, but I recommend continuing to experiment in the band setting with other DynaCab IRs so that you have multiple samples to compare.