Sennheiser MD 421 II Cardioid Dynamic Microphone

If I was told I could only choose one dynamic mic to record electric guitar with for the rest of my life, I would choose the MD421II. Whether I need to capture lush, chimey and round cleans, or a bitey aggressive overdrive, this mic always gives me the exact sound I'm looking for whether it's in the studio or live on stage. I love to pair this with a large-diaphragm condenser for stereo amp mic'ing, and will use it over a 57 for that purpose any day. That slight midrange bite makes it a no-brainer for live use, even guitars mic'ed in mono are given the edge to cut through the mix without sounding brash or crispy. Throw this over the edge of your floor tom(s) for beefy, resonant, thunderous hits that give the kit a larger-than-life sound. My only complaint is, as ... MoreIf I was told I could only choose one dynamic mic to record electric guitar with for the rest of my life, I would choose the MD421II. Whether I need to capture lush, chimey and round cleans, or a bitey aggressive overdrive, this mic always gives me the exact sound I'm looking for whether it's in the studio or live on stage. I love to pair this with a large-diaphragm condenser for stereo amp mic'ing, and will use it over a 57 for that purpose any day. That slight midrange bite makes it a no-brainer for live use, even guitars mic'ed in mono are given the edge to cut through the mix without sounding brash or crispy. Throw this over the edge of your floor tom(s) for beefy, resonant, thunderous hits that give the kit a larger-than-life sound. My only complaint is, as it's always been, the relatively worthless clip it attaches to. Flimsy and prone to becoming disengaged, most well-used MD421s are either a bit beat up from repeated falls or permanently adhered to the clip with gaff tape.

My first Tom mics Where the Sennheiser 604’s they last over 10 years 1 died and I slowly lost the rest. So I picked 6 more mics but I stepped up to the Sennheiser 904s. These are an improvement and I still use them but I felt compelled to give the Sennheiser 421 a shot ,so I up six of those. And wow such a massive improvement. . They are so rich and full , capturing the true tone of my drums. Where they really shine is in the lower notes I really wish I would’ve bought 10 of these instead of 6 I want to try one out tonight on my snare drum and see how I like that as well. This is one of my best purchases if you can afford it I suggest you go for it and get you a set of these as well. Good luck and happy recording.

A fine broadcast/podcast microphone

For podcasters wanting to upgrade their mic, you may have lost a deal of the century. This proven microphone was nearly half off earlier this year. It sold out, but BH honored the sale price when it was back ordered a month (other places didn't). All Sennheiser dynamic mics are time-tested over the years, and you'll see this model in use decades ago on live television. It is no frills, but great for voice. Almost nobody likes the mount, but it hasn't been an issue for me as I leave it in place all of the time. It is a good mic for the price it usually commands, but was an insane price earlier this year. And it wasn't a typo!

Excellent mic!

I've been wanting to buy a Sennheiser MD421 for awhile. I record my guitar with a few Marshall 4 x 12 and Port City 2 x 12. One of the Marshall has 4 different speakers a few Celestion and Scumback speakers and I like to blend them with different mics like 5 Shure 57 on each speakers, a Royer 121, Neuman UA87 and now with the MD421 my guitar sounds amazing with the MD421 by itself and combined with my other mics. It has a different top end than the SM57. I like the combination of the MD421, SM57 and 121. I'm really glad I purchased the MD421 and I can't wait to try more combinations with different speakers!!!

Great dual element microphone , high spl

Overall: I have used and enjoyed using this microphone since 1975. Now I own two more. I bought them for guitar cab, high volume handling and acurate response. Mic placement maters. I have also hated the superficial, cheesy mic clip nearly as long. This MICS only downfall as so many engineers know. So, maybe in the near future, they will improve the mounting of this mic. I bought two suspension sleds for these as well. Pricey and better but not for the money a "good deal" just the only game in town. BUT, I love this microphone for its many applications and highly recommend having some in ones locker (and on stands ready to go).

Professional must have mic for studios and sound companies.

This is an industry standard microphone that is used in studios and on-stage applications worldwide for capturing clear and clean sounds. Primarily an instrument mic, but can be used in a variet of applications. The mic features a low roll off switch at the base of the mic, that can be rotated to reduce low end transient frequencies. The Sennheiser MD421 has a great deal of clarity for capturing high end frequencies such as horn sections and drums where high volume SPL (Sound Pressure levels) are produced. This mic can handle the extreme high volume application without distortions. This is not a condenser mic and meant to be up close to the sound source. For best use a moderate amount of gain is required to get that deep rich sound to reproduce the tonal qualities ... MoreThis is an industry standard microphone that is used in studios and on-stage applications worldwide for capturing clear and clean sounds. Primarily an instrument mic, but can be used in a variet of applications. The mic features a low roll off switch at the base of the mic, that can be rotated to reduce low end transient frequencies. The Sennheiser MD421 has a great deal of clarity for capturing high end frequencies such as horn sections and drums where high volume SPL (Sound Pressure levels) are produced. This mic can handle the extreme high volume application without distortions. This is not a condenser mic and meant to be up close to the sound source. For best use a moderate amount of gain is required to get that deep rich sound to reproduce the tonal qualities of a Sax, Trumpet, etc, as well as most percussion instruments. This mic has a plastic hard shell housing and a metal grill that are both tough, but can be damaged, although the mic can take some abuse of being dropped and still survive. The only caution that the user should be aware of, is the mounting clip that is both fragile of breaking if handled roughly and the tendency to separate from the mic if accidentally activated. This unwanted separation can be prevented by inserting a tip of a zip tie (cut-off) or small piece of wire under the release button to prevent any unwanted depression of the button.

Sennheiser md421

I looked online for some md421 mics for my toms and saw them on scan. Got them slightly cheaper than everywhere else and I am very happy with the purchase. There was a slight problem with delivery but Scan sorted this as soon as I told them about it.Overall,Scan have been fantastic to deal with and I would highly recommend them.

Standard for a Reason

Overall: Finally bought a couple of these for use primarily on drums, guitar cabs, & horns. I'm a former music performance major and audio engineering school grad, & have been building my studio for over 15 years. Got the 421's in the mail and immediately used them on a drum session with rack & floor tom, running through API preamps. The sound was excellent! I was very impressed with the tonal quality, the ambient pickup (or lack thereof), and will probably order at least two more. Different people have different opinions of this mic, but it's a workhorse for a reason. Every mic has its own 'thing', and this mic does what it does amazingly well. Dynamic mics are not condenser mics, and they have a different sound / vibe. The roll-off switch will come in handy for ... MoreOverall: Finally bought a couple of these for use primarily on drums, guitar cabs, & horns. I'm a former music performance major and audio engineering school grad, & have been building my studio for over 15 years. Got the 421's in the mail and immediately used them on a drum session with rack & floor tom, running through API preamps. The sound was excellent! I was very impressed with the tonal quality, the ambient pickup (or lack thereof), and will probably order at least two more. Different people have different opinions of this mic, but it's a workhorse for a reason. Every mic has its own 'thing', and this mic does what it does amazingly well. Dynamic mics are not condenser mics, and they have a different sound / vibe. The roll-off switch will come in handy for mic'ing guitar cabs, bass cabs, low toms & kick drum, and anything in close proximity. These mics handle louder sources very well. Of course, the only downside to this mic is the notoriously bad clip. It's okay if you don't have to move it, such as placing on drums or guitar cabs in a session. Obviously not meant to be moved once set in place. However, a very, very good dynamic mic that will get used a ton in my studio.

The best dynamic studio microphone value anywhere

I've been doing radio broadcasting since I was 15 years old in 1978. Now 39 years later, I am 54 and have worked with virtually every studio microphone configuration you can imagine. While most are good, some stand out as better, and a few rise above the rest. Throughout the spectrum of microphones, from the old standard Electrovoice RE20 to the Shure SM7, the one microphone that was the top choice of the top stations was always the Sennheiser MD421u and it's present-day descendant the MD421II. The Sennheiser MD421-II is a microphone that truly was made for the broadcast studio. It has an enormously ballsy low end, which you can control with the multi-position bass roll-off switch. It also has great brilliance on the high end, which has improved over the older ... MoreI've been doing radio broadcasting since I was 15 years old in 1978. Now 39 years later, I am 54 and have worked with virtually every studio microphone configuration you can imagine. While most are good, some stand out as better, and a few rise above the rest. Throughout the spectrum of microphones, from the old standard Electrovoice RE20 to the Shure SM7, the one microphone that was the top choice of the top stations was always the Sennheiser MD421u and it's present-day descendant the MD421II. The Sennheiser MD421-II is a microphone that truly was made for the broadcast studio. It has an enormously ballsy low end, which you can control with the multi-position bass roll-off switch. It also has great brilliance on the high end, which has improved over the older models as technology has improved. This microphone is very friendly from a distance of 2 inches all the way out to 12-18 inches. Proximity only enriches the sound, and when you learn how to ride this microphone, you will have trouble believing how your vocal instrument is received by this microphone. Legendary low-end, and superb performance throughout the audio spectrum. These studio microphones are a superb value when compared to the much more expensive EV RE27 N/D and the Neumann family of Condensor microphones. True, the Neumann condenser microphones are superior in performance. But for the value, nothing beats the MD421-II. In fact, when I switched from the Neumann TLM 103 to the Sennheiser MD421, my listeners could not tell any difference. And for the money, you can own two Sennheisers and still have money left for shock mounts and wind screens for what you would pay for one Neumann. The Sennheiser is also a dynamic microphone, which means you don't need phantom power, and while I highly recommend a microphone processor, you do not have to have one to use this microphone, and against other dynamics, this will almost certainly outperform any prosumer-grade microphone you may already have. The MD421-II should cost you no more than about $375 brand new. The shock mount should run about $50, and the custom wind screen come sun around $35. What you get for your money is a warm, top-notch studio microphone that will always deliver the quality whether you are using it for vocals or for instruments(the MD421 is also a favorite among drummers). And if you have a multi-studio facility, this microphone is the ultimate in terms of user-friendliness and consistency. I own two myself, and will never be without one as long as I am still in the business.

The best vocal microphone I've ever heard.

This is the best vocal microphone period. I use it every week to mic up the cantor at church to record a radio program and video stream. It sounds like they are standing right next to you. The radio station can't believe that our equipment produces better sound than theirs. This little beast is a huge part of that. I also use it to do voice overs for film. It makes my terrible voice sound pretty good. Best microphone purchase....ever.