How to best use MD 421-II

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powerval

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Hello,

I won a Sennheiser MD 421-II from Musician's Friend. I'm a drummer, and right now I am playing and recording a pretty basic 4 piece kit. It consists of:

Pearl Vision VX
Birch snare - currently using and liking a SM57
12 inch tom
16 inch floor tom - toms both have Pyle pro mics
22x18 kick - Pyle pro kick mic and condenser
various cymbals - Pyle pro condensers

I like to tune the toms as low as possible, so would the MD 421-II be best for the floor tom? I've seen instances of this mic being used on pretty much every drum, but I'm happy with the sounds I'm getting on everything except the floor tom. Also, which bass roll off setting would be best?
 
Short answer - Try it and see.

421s have been used on snares, toms, kicks, bass cabs, guitar cabs, vocals....you name it!
Excellent mic.

I wouldn't bother with the roll off to be honest.
You can always do that later in your software, which means you don't have to commit.

I think they're on mics and channel strips for live use really or scenarios where you're committing to tape or whatever.
 
Hey thanks for the reply! Ordinarily, I would start messing with it right away, but I'm in the middle of writing a big essay, so I'm stuck at my computer. Thanks for the tip about the roll off though! I've never had a mic with that feature before.
 
German 57. Great mike on anything. Best on vocals, but is de facto gtr 2 and bass mic. Little darker than 57 but more low due to bigger diapraghm. The drawback is the space it takes, get lp drum claws. Also, they've told you about rolloff switch, oh yes, it dies....but be aware of that. Its a better mic than most.
 
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powerval said:
Hello,

I won a Sennheiser MD 421-II from Musician's Friend. I'm a drummer, and right now I am playing and recording a pretty basic 4 piece kit. It consists of:

Pearl Vision VX
Birch snare - currently using and liking a SM57
12 inch tom
16 inch floor tom - toms both have Pyle pro mics
22x18 kick - Pyle pro kick mic and condenser
various cymbals - Pyle pro condensers

I like to tune the toms as low as possible, so would the MD 421-II be best for the floor tom? I've seen instances of this mic being used on pretty much every drum, but I'm happy with the sounds I'm getting on everything except the floor tom. Also, which bass roll off setting would be best?
Click to expand...

Audix D2, shure b52, or sennheiser d112 or shure b92. Only kick mics, don't do the yamama transdoucher. All the mics I mentioned can be made to sound like the kick you want.
Radio Shack drum mics are better that pyle pro mics, hell it's the same manufacturer as Sennheiser.
 
The Grateful Dead often used them for live vocal mics. They are particularly good on horns, sax, and djembe.
 
Auralsects said:
German 57. Great mike on anything. Best on vocals, but is de facto gtr 2 and bass mic. Little darker than 57 but more low due to bigger diapraghm. The drawback is the space it takes, get lp drum claws. Also, they've told you about rolloff switch, oh yes, it dies....but be aware of that. Its a better mic than most.
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It's a good guitar mike, eh? I'll have to try it when I record my guitarist too!
 
It's up there.
You'll often see a 57 and a 421 used together on a cab.
 
Auralsects said:
Audix D2, shure b52, or sennheiser d112 or shure b92. Only kick mics, don't do the yamama transdoucher. All the mics I mentioned can be made to sound like the kick you want.
Radio Shack drum mics are better that pyle pro mics, hell it's the same manufacturer as Sennheiser.
Click to expand...

Ya these Pyle mics aren't great, but I only have entry level drums, and I can get a surprisingly good sound with proper tuning and placement.
 
powerval said:
I'll try that out with my guitarist and his 57
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Do it man, it's great to have the two quite different tones and then blending them together (or just using one or the other). The bass roll off can be pretty useful but, as someone said earlier, if you're not sure just leave it alone and edit it later if needs be.

I use 421's on floor toms a lot and really like them. The only issue i have with them is the stupid clips. We had two at work until one took a tumble thanks to "clumsy" students and it cracked the body around where the clip goes in and now it won't stay on properly :( Just don't be super heavy handed with it and you'll be fine :)
 
Auralsects said:
Audix D2, shure b52, or sennheiser d112 or shure b92. Only kick mics, don't do the yamama transdoucher. All the mics I mentioned can be made to sound like the kick you want.
Radio Shack drum mics are better that pyle pro mics, hell it's the same manufacturer as Sennheiser.
Click to expand...

Where did you get info that Radio Shack is made by Sennheiser ?
 
Auralsects said:
Radio Shack drum mics are better that pyle pro mics, hell it's the same manufacturer as Sennheiser.
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Er - NO - Sennheiser make their own microphones and they do not make microphones for anyone else (other than their OEM mini capsules - and these are capsules, not mics).

Just to stomp on this rumour before it goes further.
 
powerval said:
I won a Sennheiser MD 421-II from Musician's Friend.
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Congratulations :thumbs up:

The MD421 is about the most versatile dynamic mic. on the market.

It is commonly used for brass and Saxophone, but it;s great for drums, even the kick drum and is also a great vocal mic. (after all it used to be the vocal mic. of choice before the SM 58 came along).

There is almost nothing that it cannot do.

It's the one mic. that everyone should have in their mic. kit. :thumbs up:
 
Yeah, those Sennheiser mic were actually spec ed with Radio Shack.... I've seen bands still touring with those, they tended to die faster and not take live abuse, but not a big surprise due to name. Surprising Tone. I wouldn't put them In my mic chest since RS is out of the component game.
 
John Willett said:
Er - NO - Sennheiser make their own microphones and they do not make microphones for anyone else (other than their OEM mini capsules - and these are capsules, not mics).

Just to stomp on this rumour before it goes further.
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Im completely serious, RS had a Senn clone. Clip on tom mic. Not saying it was a show stopper mic, but it was shaped the same and sounded the same. Actually better than Audicks....I'd appreciate you get into the world more than your computer....sorry, somebody told me I had no life.
Yes, I held it in my hand it said radio shack and not sennheiser... So you know nothing, worse is your prejudice... So neg rep me.
 
Proto

Don't be pissed that you missed out on a sleeper mic. Thatsw all i'm feeling from your post..
 
Auralsects said:
Don't be pissed that you missed out on a sleeper mic. Thatsw all i'm feeling from your post..
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Id take 421 over that POS RS/senn tom mike anyday on any source, You really can do more with a 421 than a 57. That fat diaphragm will take any load you put on it at most frequencies other that 12kHz+ Hey Manor Music, use a 421 on kick and give us a chance...To clarify it was not a 421, but the clip on series. But they cost 20 bucks, if your drummer hit them they were toast. Factory seconds, because of mechanics...
 
Tomm Williams said:
Where did you get info that Radio Shack is made by Sennheiser ?
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You don't know how incestuous the music biz is....Factory second tom mics...That means they didn't pass quality control. But branded at Radio Shack. I guess ill explain manufacturing. OK a bad product is not recycled, its sold as a lesser product, think Intel chips, they have bad "batches" that get branded as lower product, celeron. They have to make money on everything to coat a bottom line.RS got a bunch of those Senn caps made exactly the same shells????...Laughing at the Willett. Really?
 
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