He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. Any great alternative to the SM57 for the snare? Shop by category. Labozza . I'm pretty sure it's standard not active/passive. By isolating the output of the ribbon from the microphone preamp the ribbon is consistently loaded at an optimal value resulting in less ribbon loading coloration. ACTIVE/PASSIVE switch is mounted internally for safety (caution should be used when engaging the Active switch, an additional 25db of gain will be added to the signal path), 99% Pure aluminum, 2.5 micron, 1 3/4" (L) X 3/16" (W), Diameter 3" (O.D. The amount of gain you'll need will depend on the nature of and volume level of the sound source, and how close to it you position your microphones to it, but in general, having 60dB of gain on tap -- or more -- is a good idea. The Active mode requires phantom power and will add up to 20db of gain, (this opens up the option to use this microphone with a wide range of preamps). It's also beefy enough that you could use it to drive nails (not recommended, but it would work); this is one heavy-duty stand, and it keeps the fairly heavy microphone pair positioned firmly and securely. Just put one in inline between the microphone and and preamp and engage the preamp or board's phantom power. The Fathead II is offered with three different internal transformers. The engineer, who assisted me on my tracking session a couple of weeks ago, wants to buy a pair. However, for drum overheads, I felt the stock model was a little too lacking in high frequency response. While they are made in China, Cascade Microphones inspects the build and audio quality of every mic they ship out before it leaves their facility in Washington state. Gear Head . Figure 2: Three Cascade Fathead II ribbon microphones, showing the available color options. The operating point is adjusted to provide the best sound through a mixture of individual JFET source degeneration and differential operation. Calibrator: GenRad 1986 Serial Number: 00242 Microphone Sensitivity: -59.0 dB (1 mV/Pa) Noise Floor: <17 dBA (re 1000Hz, 94 dB) Polar Response-20-15-10-5 0 5 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 … The GAP also has active electronics on board, so you will need phantom power. Add in its unique active/passive design’s technical advantages, and Cascade has ensured that this mic’s cult following will continue to grow... and I’m a convert. I was sent the version with the brown body with gold grilles, which I think looks really classy, but if you want something with a touch less flash, the microphones can be ordered with black bodies and polished nickel grilles. Extremely long cable runs with minimal signal loss is possible due to the low-impedance output of the FAT HEAD II ACTIVE/PASSIVE, in addition, the ribbon element is resistant to damage by phantom power. However, I specifically requested the standard transformer equipped models for this review. Olympia, WA 98502Copyright © 2019 Cascade Microphones.All Rights Reserved. Fat Head II Active/Passive Shop … Look, I'm not going to say that I preferred these over vintage RCA and Beyer ribbons; the frequency response isn't as good and they're not quite as detailed, but they absolutely surprised me with just how good they do sound, and at a price that is one third (or less) of what most of those other ribbon mikes cost. The noise is present as soon as the preamp is boosted enough to pickup any sound really, and it is perceived as being about %25 percent as loud as the signal. However, if you're looking for a vintage flavor - and I'm talking about some old vintage; think 1930s through the early 1950s - or if you have a particularly nasal or thin sounding singer, then you may very well like the sound of the Fathead II for vocals. Just to make sure everyone's preferences are covered, they are also available with black bodies and gold grilles (Figure 2). It also does exceptionally well in both mono and stereo as the rotor mike(s) for a rotating speaker cabinet (Figure 3) but again, there's not much going on in terms of frequency response from most rotary speaker systems above 7 or 8 kHz, and the stock Fathead II remains fairly flat up to that point. The FAT HEAD II Active/Passive ribbon microphone is a first for this type of design. Active or Passive mode is activated by a simple flick-of-a-switch Active electronics are designed, manufactured and fitted in the USA. It is a great little vocal mic. Was flattering on a pair of vocalists (using front & back simultaneously). The Cloudlifter uses phantom power to provide power for its internal gain stages, and blocks it from reaching the ribbon microphone. ... Herein lies another key difference in ribbon microphones vs condenser microphones – ribbon mics do not require phantom power. The Cloudlifter uses phantom power to provide power for its internal gain stages, and blocks it from reaching the ribbon microphone. This microphone is perfect for use on a wide range of instruments (guitar cabs, vocals, strings, horns, drum overheads, orchestras and more) and live-stage settings. The active devices in the mic are factory matched for minimum distortion. I recommend keeping the Fatheads in their case when not in use, but if you're going to leave them up on a stand, at least cover them with the plastic bags that they came packed in to help protect them. Stability with a wide range of audio cables is ensured by limiting the bandwidth of the differential cascode amplifier using two complementary frequency roll-off networks. As with all ribbon microphones, just make sure to use a good pop filter in front of the microphone to protect the delicate ribbon from wind blast damage. These were apparently inadvertently omitted from the review unit packaging, and are designed for keeping the mikes covered when not in actual use.). It's killer!!!! FOH for Steely Dan, Engineer at Audio Paints Studio, NYC, Signup for our newsletter to get special offers, Phone (360) 867-1799 630 O'leary St. NW. Figure 2: Three Cascade Fathead II ribbon microphones, showing the available color options. Surprisingly bright and full. (Figure 1) While individual Fathead II's are available for $219, getting the pair for $399 is actually a bit less expensive, at least on a cost-per-unit basis. If you plan on using your Fathead II pair for drum overheads on a regular basis, you may want to consider a transformer upgrade. Cascade Ribbon FatHead Mod? Shop by category. The load for the ribbon was chosen by listening, as well, to open up the top end while providing good balance with the bass. Featured Series | See more microphones. ", "I think you have a hit with these mics. As with most ribbon microphones, the Fathead II has a true bi-directional or "figure 8" polar pattern, and picks up equally well from the rear as it does from the front. grill), overall length 6 1/2", 1" (O.D. Moderators: drumsound, tomb. The Fathead II probably isn't going to be the first thing most engineers reach for when tracking vocals -- especially for most modern music, where a fairly bright vocal timbre seems to be in vogue. Inside I found the two Fathead II ribbon microphones, two sturdy shockmounts, a pair of chamois cleaning cloths and the Blumlein stereo bar all neatly packed into cutouts in the interior foam. The Cloudlifter uses phantom power to provide power for its internal gain stages, and blocks it from reaching the ribbon microphone. This set-up is extremely quiet and can handle 135 dB SPL. Signup for our newsletter to get special offers, Phone (360) 867-1799 630 O'leary St. NW. It does say it doesn't need phantom power but is power-safe for that. Steely Dan touring with 5 Cascade Fat Head II Ribbon Microphones. If you've been recording your guitar amp with just a SM-57 or similar dynamic mic, adding a ribbon mic to your setup will give you a new range of sounds that can be a real eye opener. Hardly used, great ribbon mic. The Passive mode is best utilized with high gain preamps that are capable of powering the microphone with sufficient gain and eliminated the self noise that is usually evident in low gain preamps. Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Associate Editor of Harmony Central. Even in a well-equipped studio with a nice mic locker, I could see the base model Cascade Fathead II's getting a lot of use. In general, it handles percussion very well, and the snappy transient response really helps with the articulation. While the Fathead II "takes EQ" very well, and a slight boost with a high frequency shelving EQ generally brightened things right up, too much added EQ will tend to bring out any noise issues in your mic preamp and recording signal path in general. It does say it doesn't need phantom power but is power-safe for that. They're larger than I thought they were going to be too; they have sufficient size and weight to them that you're given the impression of a solid, professional tool, not a cheap toy. You ... will phantom power hurt a mic that doesn't need it?