sennheiser hd421?

T

tylerxxx

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sennheiser md421?

i'm looking for a mic to record guitars with (will be using a 4x12 cabinet) and from the browsing i've done, this seems to be one of the best.

i want to record everything from metal (thrash, black metal, all the way to the heaviest death metal), to spacey post rock stuff (like mogwai, explosions in the sky, etc)

would the sennheiser be a great mic for this? or is there better for around the same price?
 
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excellent choice! I use the 441 as well. Sometimes a 201 (beyer) and for a skankier tone , a 609. For depth, throw a ldc about 3 or 4 feet out
 
I'm glad you mentioned the 441, Kenny, as I'm considering buying one myself, but I don't want to unless I'll be able to use it quite a bit. Would you say that it would be a pretty versatile mic in recording your typical three or four piece rock band? Also, what would you say are good prices for a 441, new and used?
 
http://mvpaudiovideo.com/index.php?Iid=2266&source=yahoops anything less than this is good, call these guys too http://www.fullcompass.com/Products/pages/SKU--15267/index.html

It is one of the most useful dynamics I know of. Sounds great on cabs, snares, bass cabs, percussion, strings, and while I seldom use it for a lead vox (I've just gotten used to LDC's or tubes here), I frequently use it on backups and harmonies. The roll off makes it very easy to tweak without having to mess with eq on the way in.

A good used price would be anywhere around $350 - $400, maybe a couple more if perfect
 
tylerxxx said:
i'm looking for a mic to record guitars with (will be using a 4x12 cabinet) and from the browsing i've done, this seems to be one of the best.

i want to record everything from metal (thrash, black metal, all the way to the heaviest death metal), to spacey post rock stuff (like mogwai, explosions in the sky, etc)

would the sennheiser be a great mic for this? or is there better for around the same price?
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Sennheiser HD is a headphone, the MD series are dynamic mics. Note that there are two series of MD421's, the older MK1 and the newer MK2, which sound a tad hotter due to a couple of differences. The most significant difference is the aluminimum coil where the MK1 has a copper coil.

The MK1 sound a tad smoother as well, which can be a benefit when recording horns. For cabs I prefer the MK1 sometimes, depends on the guitar sound.

Another great mic for cabs is the Beyer M88, very tight and extremely rejective.

Note that the MD441 is quite different from the MD421. The MD441 is as versatile as the MD421, but in a different way, great on cabs as well, but even better on horns and saxes and more rejective, truely one of the best dynamics around. Sounds somewhere between a condenser, ribbon and dynamic.
 
i have several md421's and really like them,
but my 441 is better IMHO, more versatile,
the bassrolloff switches really can change the sound big time,
the mic can record lovely deep bass sounds

soon i'll sell one of my 57's and get me another 411,
its definately worth the money !!!
 
Han said:
Sennheiser HD is a headphone, the MD series are dynamic mics. Note that there are two series of MD421's, the older MK1 and the newer MK2, which sound a tad hotter due to a couple of differences. The most significant difference is the aluminimum coil where the MK1 has a copper coil.
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ahh, i was looking at headphones on ebay at the time, haha. simple slip-up.

The MK1 sound a tad smoother as well, which can be a benefit when recording horns. For cabs I prefer the MK1 sometimes, depends on the guitar sound.

Another great mic for cabs is the Beyer M88, very tight and extremely rejective.

Note that the MD441 is quite different from the MD421. The MD441 is as versatile as the MD421, but in a different way, great on cabs as well, but even better on horns and saxes and more rejective, truely one of the best dynamics around. Sounds somewhere between a condenser, ribbon and dynamic.
Click to expand...

so would you recommend the 421, or saving up a little more and getting the 441? or should i get the beyer or mk1 you recommended?
 
I love the 421's..I got to..I want more :) for all my toms..
I use them on toms and guitar, and sometimes on kick when I'm looking for a specific sound.
 
tylerxxx said:
ahh, i was looking at headphones on ebay at the time, haha. simple slip-up.



so would you recommend the 421, or saving up a little more and getting the 441? or should i get the beyer or mk1 you recommended?
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For metal guitarsounds my choice would be the MD421, MK1 or MK2 doesn't matter much, both sound more agressive than the MD441.

For guitar cabs you can't go wrong with a 421, the M88 otoh is great for distorted guitars and a great vocal, kick, snare and much more mic.

The MD421 is a not so narrow cardiod, the M88 is a hyper cardioid, the MD441 is a super cardioid, so if you're going to record a band in one take this can be an advantage. Both the MD441 and the M88 have a nice off axis response. The MD421's OAR is not as nice as the MD441 and you'll have much more spill/bleed with a 421.

Recording bands and orchestras at once requires quite some knowledge about microphones and that's what this job makes so damn interesting.

In case you'll have to record a big band (for example) you can't afford to make mistakes. In that case make sure you have plenty of 421's and 441's or similar quality.

Metal bands eh? Done tons of them, great fun!
 
i'm not going to be recording any live bands soon, so i think i'll just stick with the 421. thanks for the help, guys!
 
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