Audix Fireball-V

De entrada, así es como venden este AUDIX FIREBALL V y precisamente para eso lo utilizo. No deja de ser un micro vocal de características técnicas similares al SM 58. De hecho, me debatía entre ambos al llegar a la conclusión de que necesitaba algo de este estilo; un micro dinámico vocal de baja impedancia que se llevase bien con pedales y multiefectos. Los micros de alta impedancia tipo "bullet" que tanto gustan a los armonicistas es bien sabido que son fantásticos para ir directos al ampli, pero con efectos, altavoces de rango completo y PA ya es otro cantar... Finalmente me decidí por este AUDIX FIREBALL V por su tamaño reducido, ligerísimo peso y también he de decir que por su bonita estética, siendo esto último, por descontado, lo de menos.
Doy fe de su capacidad para evitar acoples y retroalimentaciones, lo cual también venden como cualidad de este AUDIX. Además, no son pocos los armonicistas que lo utilizan y eso también dice mucho del micro...
El único inconveniente que le he encontrado es el control de volumen. Realmente no es esta su función, porque no controla nada, al menos de una forma gradual. Prácticamente lo que hace es encender o apagar el micro, obligándome a trabajar este importante parámetro a través de la entrada para micro del loopstation que utilizo. Si no fuese por este notable defecto y el control funcionase como es debido, por ejemplo y sin ir más lejos, como el de un Superlux D112C -de precio infinitamente inferior-, estaríamos hablando de un micro perfecto. Por este motivo, quizás el modelo AUDIX FIREBALL sin control de volumen y curiosamente algo más caro, hubiese sido mejor opción. No obstante, para ARMÓNICA, va de vicio.

This is a uniquely suitable mic for harp or beatbox.

First of all, the size makes it comfortable and practical to hold in the hands.

Harp & beatbox are both unusual in that the audience can't really see what you're doing. So it helps that at least this is one lovely looking mic.

Hand wah effects are easily possible, although not as pronounced as for acoustic harmonica nor for green bullet style Chicago blues. I reckon this is due to the pronounced cardioid sensitivity pattern. On the other hand, this also makes the Fireball-V as feedback resistant as you're likely to get, especially if playing through an amp (for which you'll need an impedance converter). Perhaps it also cuts down on handling noise; in any case, handling noise is very low.

The integral volume knob is indispensable for both shaping your tone and for keeping feedback at bay, harping through an amp. It operates silently and is ergonomically accessible.

The integral pop filter is pretty effective, helping to cut down on breath noise through the harp. It also makes it better than say an SM57 for close mic'ing of vocals.

The clip is of better quality than you'll find supplied with most dynamic mics, even though it's primarily designed to be hand-held.

Audix themselves give a low-medium rating for proximity effect but it has substantially less than say an SM57.

Tone-wise, you get a nice bluesy fuzz that's grittier than an SM57 without being so saturatedly overdriven or honky as the Chicago blues sound. In terms of frequency response, the Fireball-V is a little peakier in the higher range than a '57. It also has a very gentle lift in the lower musical register, as you'd want for harp.

Being dynamic, the output isn't super hot, but it does seem to be more attentive to finely detailed nuances than you'd expect.

There is nothing else out there that compares.

I play mostly acoustic, non-blues harmonica and also beatbox, so this mic seemed like a must-buy for me. It's also beautiful, well-built and comes with a handy volume control.

It's not a blues harp mic. Players who prefer clean sound with lots of presence will get much more out of it than Chicago-style enthusiasts. It's also a good beatbox mic with a crispy character.

At first, the overall harp sound seemed a bit shrill compared to my D5 mic. Now I'm starting to get more used to it, partly due to a quality EQ that I use. So while the mic might need a bit of tone shaping, with the right kind of setup it performs very nicely.

Time will tell if this will become my no 1 choice, but it's starting to look very promising!