[Harp-L] Audix Fireball



About the Audix Fireball V:
 
 I read the reviews and bought one. It comes with a clip for a mic
 stand, but I prefer to cup it. I play chomatic as well as diatonic.
 I like the better highs of the Fireball so that the volume levels of high and low notes match when cupping the mic.
 
 I have vintage and modern mics: a green bullet (Mexican CM , an
 Astatic ceramic brown biscut, a Turner CX-22, a Shaker
 dynamic, Shure 585 both low and high zs, SM57 good lows but small diameter for cupping, PG57 (not bad for harp), and both low z and high z EV630s.
 
I like the green bullet with a Peavy Classic 30, but not so much with my
 vintage amps, as the bullet is mid heavy and feeds back easily at higher volumes. (Mic cupping technique definitely makes a difference in feedback, as does
 amp placement.)
 
 I prefer hearing the higher notes, but I like the deep lows the Fireball V mic
 gives, especially with the resistance to feedback.
 
 I have used each mic with each of my amps, and each had a unique sound
 combination. Until the Fireball V I favored the high z EV630 with my
 vintage amps and the PG57 for cupped playing to a PA. 

For straight acoustic style with no cupping, the Shure 55SH Series II works fine, good for vocals, too. SM 57, 58, Sennheiser 835, or other vocal mic is fine for non-cupped playing. 

For cupped playing into the PA I have found that the
 Fireball V is great (remember to reserve a little volume on the volume
 control when the soundman sets the levels). You can do vocals, too,
 though watch for breath sounds (plosives).
 
 I found that the Fireball V can work great with an inline transformer
 to my vintage amps. The sound is dirty in the Chicago blues way, but
 with better highs which is good for blues chromatic, and you can push the amp to much higher volume levels before feedback problems. My 14 watt Gibson Explorer, with a Weber 12" speaker is now gigable in small rooms or small outdoor
 gatherings, though I would still mic it for a large outdoors
 performance or in a large or very noisy room requiring the band to be
 louder.
 
 I recently played an larger outdoor party gig with the Audix Fireball
 V staight into a Stromberg-Carlson AU57 low z input (2 6L6s with 3 low
 z and 1 high z input), through a single 12" closed back cab. It was
 LOUD, and though I set up a mic to the PA on the speaker, it did not need the PA to reinforce it. Though I stood in front of the amp, it did not have
 feedback problems. I would not want to play that loud indoors...
 
 The Fireball V mic is easy to cup, has volume control, is good
 straight to a PA, can sound dirty with impedance matched if it pushes
 a good tube amp.
 
 To all you who recommended the Audix Fireball V (Randy Singer, Richard
 Hunter, and others) Thanks!
 
 PS. I have no connection with Audix or Audix retailers other than as a
 paying customer. I really like the mic! It is now my favorite "new
 vintage" mic. (Though I am keeping the real vintage mics to use as
 needed for studio work, when high volume is not needed)
 
 
 		
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