Denny Noreikas wrote:
<I'm considering buying a new harp mic but am curious as to whether
<the Audix Fireball V will also work as a vocal mic. I would like to buy
<something capable of both harp and vocals (just some back-up vocals,
<not lead) if necessary.
<
<Would like to stay in the $130 or less range. Any advise appreciated.
Both the Fireball V and the Shure 545SD fall in your price range. I could
recommend either--I own both and use both. No single mic does everything
brilliantly, and it would be very helpful to know what kind of sound you
want on the harp and on your vocals.
On harp, the 545SD has more low-end punch than the Fireball V. The 545
also puts out a lot more distortion in the high register with a harp than
the Fireball V--not my favorite kind of distortion, either--and has a
high-frequency "bump" that's intended to help vocals cut through a band,
but can be troublesome when you're playing harp through a PA.
The Fireball has very little dynamic mic proximity effect, meaning
that--unlike mics such as the Shure 545--it doesn't get louder in the bass
frequencies as the sound source gets closer to the mic capsule. That's
one reason why the Shure punches harder in the low end--it's got the
proximity effect kicking in when you cup the harp to the mic. Some
singers like that effect, some don't.
I personally find that the Fireball sounds great on almost everything,
including amped stuff. Most of my amped recordings in the last two years
have been made on the Fireball, and you can hear the results for yourself
at http://myspace.com/richardhunterharp. But like I said above, no single
mic does everything equally well, and the real question is, what's the
sound you want?
One thing's for sure: don't get a bullet-type mic if you plan to sing
through it too. Some musicians use the bullet for vocals as a kind of
special effect, but it's not what most people want to hear all night long.
Regards, Richard Hunter
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