In anticipation of this option, newly manufactured units (with or without the mod) now come with an enlarged body and an upgraded wood box with a nice lacquer finish, plush interior, and silver hinges. In fact, a 57 and a fathead side by side on a nice tube combo amp sounds like a good day of e guit tracking. What I found was almost too good to be true! For those of us who haven’t yet entered the world of ribbon mics or just don’t have the dough for R84s and the like, the Fat Head is a perfect choice. In the end, I decided to buy a matched pair of the Fathead II, with the Lundahl transformer upgrade. Keep your eye on the Cascade website for news about the forthcoming Fat Head with transformer “mod” — your choice of Lundahl or Jensen — for $299. The words "rich texture" have become a cliche', but the description fits. Pro Audio Review. I borrowed the Cascade Fat Head II from a friend before purchasing my own. The SF-12 also has a bold midsection that often needs taming. How to Put the Trampoline in the Ground? For me, I liked the Fat Head best on vocals and acoustic guitars. When I pulled it out and 3-4 ft away from the piano, it sounded beautiful; an attestment to the proximity effect ribbons are famous for. That thing is beautiful! Perhaps one day, the company will offer a nicer case for a bit more money. It also comes with a nice padded wooden box, and a sturdy metal carrying case. As far as the Fathead, I used one recently recording a trumpet part. On some sources this can be a good thing, whilst on most others it can be less than ideal. I was really impressed after using it to track a nylon string guitar and a vintage Fender amp. I spent many hours reading reviews and opinions, and listening to shootouts on ribbon mics. However, I have had good results using the Fatheads in a M-S array on jazz drums, and as a single overhead mic on "fiddle" (not violin), where it really, really took the edge off any potential stridency. The suspension elastics gets unhooked a bit too easily from the shockmount frame. I was introduced to the Cascade Fat Head mic over half a decade ago and since then I’ve been convinced that they hold the reins in the low-cost yet fine sounding ribbon mic market. When my ribbon became damaged and started buzzing, I called Cascade and they replaced it for me quickly and cheaply. Fathead vs. Fathead II I guess if I had to choose now, I would get a pair of the normal fat heads. They blew me away. before looking applied). I have owned both Fathead and Fathhead II (didnt hear a difference, personally). I also love ribbons on acoustics. If you turn the mic around backwards, it's a little brighter. The price is great for this quality, it's not an all-rounded mic for sure but a great mic to have in your sonic palette. There really isn't any one mic that is better than all the others for all sources. The sound of the mic was open, yet warm and definitely natural. The walls of the case are metal, but thin, and I'm not sure what's behind them to keep it's shape. One items I came across recently was a very small ad for Cascade Microphones. Phil’s Cascade is an amazing toolbox which will open the world for creating the most interesting sound flavors. Reviews. Feel a bit more professional for lack of better word. Ribbon Mics: The Good & The Bad (Cascade Fathead) - YouTube The mic comes with a wooden box, a velvet mic pouch, a cleaning cloth, and a shockmount made especially for the Fat Head. Now the pair I bought were from Cascade's B-stock; the case had a chipped corner, and the mics were an older model, with the basket being flat on the front, round on the back. Just bought a pair of Cascade Fathead II's. I didn't think I'd care for these mics on vocals, due to the frequency roll-off that starts around 7K (rolling off fairly gently). There were several mics with bargain price tags, including their Fat Head ribbon microphone! I used the Fat Head close-up on acoustic guitar as well as on a small Vox tube amp with an electric guitar, as an overhead for hand percussion, and as a straight-up vocal mic. And the low price is one of the selling points of this mic, along with the aforementioned generally good quality; as well as decent sound. At first, I thought the high end was also affected, but after continuing to listen, I have decided that the difference in the upper range was not noticeably affected. My favorite so far is a Royer 122. I asked the seller to describe the difference in sound, front-to-back, due to the basket shape difference. The case and accessories are great, shockmounts are super sturdy and holds the mic with elastic (really strong, unlike the BLUE shockmounts), so nothing to twist or crank or get stuck. 1st December 2011 Cascade Microphones Fat Head II by Szejna. I used it combined with a cardioid on a cello and violin and the combination gives a perfect match of smooth tone and precision. They are big and heavy. Having only recorded guitar amps with dynamics and LDCs, I really liked the beef this added to my guitar sounds. Contrary to this fact, I found that up close, the mic sounds pretty darned good on my (male) vocals, when I inserted a 100 Hz roll-off filter (no other E.Q. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. I purchased one with the Cinemag transformer upgrade and did some comparative testings with the standard one. The Cascade Fathead Sootout: Is it very Honest? But generally I have found that there are much better sounding ribbon mics available, albeit usually more expensive. I don't care for the tightener. The $2700 microphone was used for many things, but it's fame was as a primary stereo pair for the choral performances. The shock mounts: These seem fairly decently made. Like many readers, when I receive Tape Op, I thoroughly take in every page. The Cascade Fat Head is an upgraded Alctron HRM-15 / ShuaiYin SYR-30 ribbon microphone. Fat Head The Famous Short Ribbon Microphone. The microphone was not mine, and when I moved away, I missed it dearly!