Re: [Harp-L] Amp purchase help

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

pdxharpdog@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

 2)  Should I consider something like a Fireball V on a mic stand for the
> acoustic clean melody stuff and the amp/mic for the dirtier sound? Does
> anyone use a Fireball V handheld as opposed to on a stand? Does this work
> well for you?

I use the Fireball V handheld both for amped work and for "acoustic" recording.  It's amazing how good that thing sounds for acoustic harp when handheld, and it's really great when you're recording in a room or location that doesn't sound very good--using it handheld just takes the room right out of the picture.    I recently did my first session for Austin-based producer Bobby Flores in my home studio, an acoustic harp track for a country-western tune where Flores wanted me to do some accordian-ish things, and he liked the sound of the Fireball plenty.

I also use the Fireball V for amped work, and it does just fine.  In fact, it's the loudest mic in my collection.   It's less sensitive to hand work than a Bullet mic, as a result of the same design decision that reduces feedback significantly.

You can hear some of my recent work with the Fireball V at my myspace page (URL below).  "Lever Down," "Ridin' Blues," and "Kill the Doctor (That Killed My Wife)" were all recorded with a handheld Fireball V.

I think you can make a very good case that the first mic any harp player buys should be the Fireball V. It's not very expensive, it's loud, and it works very well for a lot of different stuff, on stage and in the studio.

Regards, Richard Hunter
latest mp3s and harmonica blog at http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp