MD421: Strange Behavior

  • Thread starter Thread starter gumplunger
  • Start date Start date
G

gumplunger

New member
I hate to do a repost because I normally yell at people who do it, but I'm not getting any responses in the Newbie forum so yeah.

gumplunger said:
So I've tried out my MD421 on a number of different sources (everything on my drum kit except the cymbols, even voice) but I can't get it to level properly on my Marshall Half-Stack. Even with the pre-amp gain at the same level as it was for vocals and the amp cranked to, obviously, louder than vocals volume, I can't get it to come anywhere close to 0db without putting the pre-amp at 75%. I've tried positioning it on-axis, off-axis, right up on the grill, a few inches back, aimed at the center of the speaker, the middle, and the outer edge and nothing seems to work. The bass rolloff setting is on 'M' and has been that way for all the other sources I've tried. I'm completely stumped.
Click to expand...
 
Someone else was having a similar problem not too long ago, and it had a very simple solution: the md421 is not a side-address mic, although it looks like one. This may not be the problem in your case, and if I insulted your intelligence, I apologize.
 
That was me before, but now I've got it aligned properly :D Still got this problem though. I can take pics of how I've got it set up if needed.
 
The problem is I shouldn't have to crank my preamp to 75% to get decent levels with a 150 watt Marshall Half-stack.
 
Maybe the mic is damaged. you are pointing it correctly? i assume yes based on your response. you have it set to M = Music instead of S=speech. so if the level coming in is low, how are you driving you mic pre?
 
Do you have the midrange on the amp turned all the way down?
 
giles117 said:
Maybe the mic is damaged. you are pointing it correctly? i assume yes based on your response. you have it set to M = Music instead of S=speech. so if the level coming in is low, how are you driving you mic pre?
Click to expand...
It's going through a Digi002 pre-amp. And yeah, I'm pointing it correctly. I didn't think it was the mic, because all the other sources I've tried work fine, and it sounds pretty good when I do crank the gain, it just sounds fuzzier. And no, the amp eq is set with bass at about 6, mid at about 5, and treble at about 7.
 
gumplunger said:
I hate to do a repost because I normally yell at people who do it, but I'm not getting any responses in the Newbie forum so yeah.
Click to expand...

Try a different cable, try moving the select switch back and forth twenty times or so. Could be that the switch is dirty. Clean the contacts on the mic connector as those could be dirty too. Look to see if you have the mic pad (if you have one on the mixer) on.
 
acorec said:
Try a different cable, try moving the select switch back and forth twenty times or so. Could be that the switch is dirty. Clean the contacts on the mic connector as those could be dirty too. Look to see if you have the mic pad (if you have one on the mixer) on.
Click to expand...
No pad (again, it's leveling fine with everything else) but I'll try those suggestions when I get home.
 
So when you use the 421 on other sources all is well?

If so, then maybe it is your placement of the mic in proximity to the speaker....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top