[Harp-L] Audix Fireball

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I just heard a few rough mixes of a session I did in my home studio for 
an Italian singer-songwriter named Edward Abbiatti, and the sound of the 
Audix Fireball on those tracks blew me away.

For this session, I recorded several amped tracks using the Fireball 
into my Digitech RP200 into a Roland MMP-2 modeling preamp set to the 
"Blues Guitar" preset; another track using my Ron Holmes-modified Crate 
VC508 into the same preamp, set the same way; and a few tracks using the 
Audix handheld straight into the MMP-2 using its "Clarinet" preset.  All 
of these tracks have great power, punch, and clarity -- they cut right 
through the band.

The acoustic tracks are the most mind-blowing, though. Tracks made with 
a handheld mic tend not to sound better than good-enough, but these 
Audix tracks have a warm, glowing, beautifully detailed quality that's 
just breathtaking.  The highs are present, but there's not a hint of the 
peaky-ness that a typical handheld dynamic mic produces.

About halfway through the session, I decided to switch for the acoustic 
tracks from the Audix to my Audio Technica AT 4050 CM5 large-diaphragm 
condensor mic -- a very nice phantom-powered recording mic that retails 
for well over $500.  I made that decision because I thought I wanted a 
little more high end in the sound.  I needn't have bothered.  The AT 
4050 tracks sound fine, but the Audix tracks sound thrilling.  To be 
fair, the AT 4050 necessarily picks up some room sound, because I play 
standing in front of it as opposed to hand-holding it, and my room isn't 
very good-sounding at all.  In a better room, the AT 4050 would 
certainly sound better.  But in this session, the Audix didn't merely 
sound fine -- it sounded awesome.

At this point, I'm pretty well convinced that the Fireball is one of the 
best harp mics I've ever used, and its versatility is amazing.

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com