[Harp-L] Audix Fireball

[William Jennings <will@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've had the chance to use an Audix Fireball over the past three weeks 
of shows,
in clubs and outdoors on larger stages.  I play both direct into a 
Clark Congaree
4 x 10 harmonica amp that's voiced and tweaked for harp from the ground 
up, but
generally based on the vintage tweed Bassman.  I'll sometimes go 
through a delay pedal
and use a passive Ernie Ball volume pedal.  And I will also play 
through a Line 6 Pod XT
with custom presets dialed in for harp...and line either into the Clark 
or a newer Fender Pro Jr.
I usually mic amps with a Sennheiser e609 silver that lays flat on the 
grill cloth.

I own and sometimes use the Microvox condenser (which I like a great 
deal, but find a little fussy
and worry a bit about its road worthiness).  I also play through 
vintage, Fritz H tweaked
JT-30, a CR GB, a Turner crystal, a Shure Commando CM, and a few other 
classics.
Our band plays mostly as a four piece, sans percussion, though we are 
also joined by drummers
and others for various types of gigs.  Vocals and three & four part 
harmonies figure large
in our arrangements of originals and a blend of roots, pop, folk, 
bluegrass and, well, whatever the hell
we like and think we can pull off.  I have to cover a lot of back up 
sound holes....as I'm the only
instrument in the group with sustain...so lots of octave blocks, 
chords, accordion and fiddle
lines, horn parts, keyboard fills, etc. as well as verse and chorus 
breaks shared with a mandolin player.
Sans drums, the mandolinist and I have to pull our share of percussive 
drive, too.

All that said, I have greater need for a reliable handheld mic that 
does not color the sound, per se,
allows me to work it with some proximity effect (not so much on the 
hand wahs...for those tunes I just play
through my vocal mic (a Shure Beta 87A or an Audio Technica AE 5400).

The Audix Fireball acquitted itself quite well at softer and louder 
volumes, through FX and straight into
the Clark.  It's light but with enough heft to shift about with some 
authority, didn't feed back at high
volume settings...and, in short, I dig it.  It won't replace my other 
mics, but it may just become my workhorse
for the rest of the summer gig season. I know others have gotten good 
deals at Northern Sound & Light,
but I got mine through Rondinelli Music/Audio 
(www.rondinellimusicaudio.com) in Dubuque, Iowa.
George Rondenelli is a helluva nice guy and a great sound tech.

I have no commercial interest in any of these brand, companies, or 
products mentioned in this post.
Your mileage may vary.

-Will

Big Wooden Radio
will@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.bigwoodenradio.com