Okay guys here's the comparison as promised. I might do a video explaining this a bit more but this should pretty much cover it.
On paper, yes these are both the Mesa 4x12 cabinet. Yes they both have the original and best V30 speakers that were made for Mesa and are 70W. That's where the similarities end. Cab Pack 13 ML USA Bulb was the best 4x12 Mesa collection available until a few days ago. Don't take that the wrong way. A Mesa 4x12 collection will always sound really good. It's the best cabinet ever created. The thing is that it's really hard to find these early Mesa cabs with speakers that are in perfect condition.
The cabinet we used for Cab Pack 13 ML USA Bulb looked like it went to war. The cloth had holes in it, the tolex was torn everywhere and the speakers had gone through touring for around a decade. They were still the original speakers but they were really tired. This can be a really good thing and I definitely think it gives Cab Pack 13 a unique sound which is why I will continue to use it for "that sound" that is IMHO similar to a Pre-Rola Marshall sound, you can't make it harsh even with presence on full. After all it's the sound of Periphery III: Select Difficulty, definitely a bucket list moment for me personally.
The reason why ML USA Djent destroys Cab Pack 13 is that it's a Mesa 4x12 in it's prime. It's really hard to find one of these older cabinets that has not been A) toured for so long that the speakers are dead or B) sitting in a studio and was never turned loud enough for the cab to start doing it's thing. So before we shot this pack I had three Mesa 4x12 cabs in my studio, of which this cab was the clear winner. It's been used enough to get rid of that bee sting buzz in your ear that you will get from new speakers when driven loud. But at the same time it's only been toured enough so that the speakers still have life to them.
Now that I've explained the story behind it all have a listen to them side by side. First it's ML USA DJENT, the second time around it's Cab Pack 13 ML USA Bulb:
These are Ace IR's from the packs. That means they're scientifically the best positions we could find on the cabs. They're single SM57 IR's with the mic on a different speaker per side (one on a bottom and one on a top speaker).
So what's the difference in layman's terms?
ML USA Djent is:
-easier to play with because of it's open sound
-you don't have to pick so hard to cut through
-you will sit way better in a mix
-you will sound tighter
-you will feel like a carpet has been lifted off of your cab
Let's all acknowledge that Cab Pack 13 ML USA Bulb is the most used Fractal Audio Cab Pack. Any Mesa 4x12 pack I would do after would have to be a significant upgrade and I can honestly admit that I've shot a couple of 4x12 Mesa cabs that have not been released because they weren't better than Cab Pack 13. I will never repackage the same product and trick people to buying the same pack over and over again. I see this happen a lot these days I'm afraid. I hope these clips and the examples coming your way will make it clear that we're in fact talking about a difference as big as a V30 vs a Greenback speaker.
Stay tuned for more information!
On paper, yes these are both the Mesa 4x12 cabinet. Yes they both have the original and best V30 speakers that were made for Mesa and are 70W. That's where the similarities end. Cab Pack 13 ML USA Bulb was the best 4x12 Mesa collection available until a few days ago. Don't take that the wrong way. A Mesa 4x12 collection will always sound really good. It's the best cabinet ever created. The thing is that it's really hard to find these early Mesa cabs with speakers that are in perfect condition.
The cabinet we used for Cab Pack 13 ML USA Bulb looked like it went to war. The cloth had holes in it, the tolex was torn everywhere and the speakers had gone through touring for around a decade. They were still the original speakers but they were really tired. This can be a really good thing and I definitely think it gives Cab Pack 13 a unique sound which is why I will continue to use it for "that sound" that is IMHO similar to a Pre-Rola Marshall sound, you can't make it harsh even with presence on full. After all it's the sound of Periphery III: Select Difficulty, definitely a bucket list moment for me personally.
The reason why ML USA Djent destroys Cab Pack 13 is that it's a Mesa 4x12 in it's prime. It's really hard to find one of these older cabinets that has not been A) toured for so long that the speakers are dead or B) sitting in a studio and was never turned loud enough for the cab to start doing it's thing. So before we shot this pack I had three Mesa 4x12 cabs in my studio, of which this cab was the clear winner. It's been used enough to get rid of that bee sting buzz in your ear that you will get from new speakers when driven loud. But at the same time it's only been toured enough so that the speakers still have life to them.
Now that I've explained the story behind it all have a listen to them side by side. First it's ML USA DJENT, the second time around it's Cab Pack 13 ML USA Bulb:
These are Ace IR's from the packs. That means they're scientifically the best positions we could find on the cabs. They're single SM57 IR's with the mic on a different speaker per side (one on a bottom and one on a top speaker).
So what's the difference in layman's terms?
ML USA Djent is:
-easier to play with because of it's open sound
-you don't have to pick so hard to cut through
-you will sit way better in a mix
-you will sound tighter
-you will feel like a carpet has been lifted off of your cab
Let's all acknowledge that Cab Pack 13 ML USA Bulb is the most used Fractal Audio Cab Pack. Any Mesa 4x12 pack I would do after would have to be a significant upgrade and I can honestly admit that I've shot a couple of 4x12 Mesa cabs that have not been released because they weren't better than Cab Pack 13. I will never repackage the same product and trick people to buying the same pack over and over again. I see this happen a lot these days I'm afraid. I hope these clips and the examples coming your way will make it clear that we're in fact talking about a difference as big as a V30 vs a Greenback speaker.
Stay tuned for more information!
