Mesa vs. Blackstar 4x12" (Clips!)

[Trevoire520]

Thought I'd do a wee comparison as I've got both cabs and I know some of us Europeans can get the Blackstar much cheaper than the Mesa.

Both cabs were mic'd with a single SM57 in the centre of one of the top speakers. Normally I obviously wouldn't mic dead centre but this is easier to replicate for comparison purposes.

Amp is an Orange TH30, mic pre is a Mackie Onyx 800R set to 300 ohms. Only processing is a high and low pass at 60 & 12K.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ez6izysxy4btb93/Blackstar vs Mesa.zip?dl=0

 

[Tommy Gun]

Blackstar clip sounds way better. I'm actually surprised by the differences between them. The Mesa sounds muddy in comparison.

 

[::XeS::]

Maybe you don't mic the best speaker on both...anyway the Mesa has more bass but it's also more "buried" when the Blackstar is way more clear and probably fits in the mix better with a monster bass

 

[Tommy Gun]

^ +1

Clips without backing tracks would be more educational.

 

[Soundlurker]

Wow, are you guys serious? The Mesa sounds painfully better to me. The blackstar has an awful standing-wave harshness in the mids and highs

 

[Trevoire520]

I can see how you could call the Mesa muddy when comparing it to the Blackstar. If you look at it the other way you could call the Blackstar fizzy compared to the Mesa.

Both good sounding cab's imo. Just got to adjust your mic position and amp eq accordingly, as you do with any cab.

I'll upload some guitar only clips in a bit, got to nip out and get myself some food as I've not had dinner yet!

 

[::XeS::]

It depends on how you deal with guitar sound. I would usually boost some highs if I have bassy sound like the Mesa and the Blackstar is already "boosted".

 

[Trevoire520]

Yep, the Mesa you'd need to brighten whereas the Blackstar you might have to do a little bit of fizz control.

Here's some clips without the backing. Have also removed the h/lpf so these are completely raw. You could even throw them into your daw along with the ROS backing and have a play around with the eq to see what you can get from each cab.

Blackstar Guitar Only

Mesa Guitar Only

 

[Sloan]

I'm going Mesa.

I got a feeling that the Blackstar is Marshall dimensions?

 

[Trevoire520]

Blackstar dimensions are almost identical to the Mesa. Blackstar is about 1kg heavier too.

 

[Notuern]

Yep, the Mesa you'd need to brighten whereas the Blackstar you might have to do a little bit of fizz control.

Here's some clips without the backing. Have also removed the h/lpf so these are completely raw. You could even throw them into your daw along with the ROS backing and have a play around with the eq to see what you can get from each cab.

Blackstar Guitar Only

Mesa Guitar Only

Yeah, and isnt the general consensus that you always cut, not boost?

 

[Trevoire520]

Bingo.

 

[JeffTD]

Yeah, and isnt the general consensus that you always cut, not boost?

Not according to Colin Richardson.

I've always done a combination.

 

[Trevoire520]

Good point.

 

[::XeS::]

It's incredible the difference between 2 cabs with the same dimensions and the same speakers. It's like Mesa has a totally different speakers inside

 

[jeid]

Aren't the speakers slightly different? The Mesa V30's are a bit different from the normal V30's you get direct from Celestion? Or am I talking shit?

 

[::XeS::]

They are different in fact....way more darker I suppose

 

[JeffTD]

Definitely liking the Mesa more, fwiw, but the V30's in it are darker as mentioned. Just seems bigger/less fizzy.

 

[Trevoire520]

Yeah Marshall and Mesa get custom V30's that are voiced slightly differently to the normal V30's you get from Celestion. I think I remember someone saying that Marshalls are voiced darker and Mesa's are voiced brighter but to be honest from the clips I've heard I think it's actually the opposite.

 

[006]

Whenever I hear anyone speak about the Mesa V30s being different it's always been that they are voiced darker than normal V30s. You mentioning that it's Marshall's V30s that are darker is the very first time I've ever heard that - but regardless, it seems the answer is evident in your own clips. Mesa wins in the comparison too, btw, IMO.