[Harp-L] Audix Fireball Questions



Bob,

I have both the Fireball and the Fireball V and have been using them for a couple of years. Nether is my primary mic. I am very much an electric player and ordinarily use a Shure 545 Ultimate as my primary mic (or an EV RE 15 before Greg came out with his Ultimate series). But there are times (like the other night when i sat in with a couple acoustic guitar players or when i've played with a jazz group with a string bass and no drummer) when the 545 or the EV produce much more of an "electric" sound than suits the music. For occasions like that, I always carry a Fireball or Fireball V in the drum stick case I use as a gig bag.

These are great mics and have a very transparent, natural sound. High SPL, so there's no proximity effect, but they respond very well to a tight cup and you can produce cool effects with mic gripping techniques. They are hot, so they have good sensitivity, and have a very high feedback threshold, which is a big plus. i primarily use them going into a PA board, but using the Fireball V into a tube amp produces a smooth input signal which can sound pretty good with the grit produced by a tube amp. I think either mic would be great for a chrom.

Both mics are clean and so they process extremely well. If you are using electronic effects, these mics have a clean, smooth, uniform output that sounds very good when processed with effects. i have been told the original Fireball costs more than the Fireball V because its body is anodized and the V's body is cast. Both are very high quality and durable.

Which one to get? These are different mics. Although Mr, Hunter and others say the V simply has more bass response than the original Fireball, it's not actually that simple. If you look at the frequency response graphs for each mic on the Audix website there are differences besides the low end frequency bump on the V. Th original Fireball is MUCH BRIGHTER than the V. Inevitably, it is necessary to roll off the treble significantly if you are using the original Fireball. For this reason, the V is clearly a much better choice if you are playing through an amp. The original is just too damn bright to sound good through an amp. Going into a PA, it's a much closer call. I think the original, being brighter, is a somewhat more responsive mic, and i used to use it more frequently. But lately, I've been using the V more often than the original. I like them both. The V has a really nice well designed volume control, and is more versatile because it sounds good into a PA board or into an amp. To my ear, the original just does not sound as good as the V going into any amp I've tried. However, the original has a little more presence than the V and is a little more responsive into a PA board. But it is a little too BRIGHT, so it is an absolute must too roll off treble, and it just does not sound as good as the V into an amp

I used to have a definite preference for the original Fireball, but after using them both for a couple years, I've come to the conclusion that if i could only have one of them, it would probably be the Fireball V. But these are both terrific, modern, purpose built harmonica mics. Really great for a clean, warm, transparent sound. No proximity effect, but excellent sensitivity and very responsive to cupping, Not so good for dirt or distortion (but I have my 545 Ultimate for that).

Hope this is of help.

Best regards,

JP



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