Re: [Harp-L] audix fireball

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Brian Irving" wrote:
<What are the advantages of an Audix Fireball mic over a Shure SM58 for harp?

The SM58 has a pronounced proximity effect, which means that you're going to get a lot of bass in the tone when you cup it.  The SM58 also has a frequency emphasis at about 10 kHz, which is great for vocals but not tops for harmonica in my opinion.  

The Fireball has practically zero proximity effect, which is great when you want a clear, singing tone.  The Fireball is by far the most feedback-resistant mic I have ever used.  It's not as gritty as an SM58 or a Bullet, but you can often pump up the amp to get more grit, which you can't do with most other mics because feedback increases with volume and gain.  

I own an SM58, a Shure 545SD, a bottle o' blues, a Shaker dynamic, and a Shaker madcat.  I've used them all in various contexts. For gigs where I only bring one mic, I generally bring the Fireball, because I can count on getting it loud enough to be heard with minimum feedback, and it's the most versatile mic in my collection.  For a straight up blues gig I would probably bring the 545SD.  I probably wouldn't use a bottle o'blues as my only mic, because (like bullet mics) it smears chords very badly, and I use a lot of chords in my playing.

You can hear samples of me playing similar licks on the 545SD, the Fireball, and the BoB at my site:
http://www.hunterharp.com/what-a-difference-a-mic-makes-part-1/
http://www.hunterharp.com/what-a-difference-a-mic-makes-part-ii/

The first URL shows you what these mics sound like on blues; the second shows you what they sound like with various FX applied.  

In general, mics are pretty inexpensive as gear goes, with an SM58 selling for about $100 and a Fireball for about $125.  it's not out of the question for many players to own both, and given that the mic really does change the sound, it's worth considering both if you play a lot of different styles.

Regards, Ricard Hunter