How is the sennheiser 421?

cooters · Post by **cooters** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 4:38 pm

How is the Sennheiser 421? Thinking about buying it used. And what would it be good for?

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:13 pm

some like it, some do not.

it is good for stuff that makes sound.

I would buy it.

xonlocust · Post by **xonlocust** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:20 pm

kind of one of the "standards" you'll find in every pro studio.

guitars, bass drum, vocals, toms, bass... all depending on what you're going for.

versatile 'hi-fi' dynamic. you'll always be able to sell this, but probably never want to as long as you're recording.

total pain in the ass clips. make sure it comes with a clip - it's practically worthless w/o one specially designed for it.

mattwhritenour · Post by **mattwhritenour** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 5:34 pm

what do you plan on recording with it?

I have 3 and love them on toms, and this prof studio I know uses the Sennhieser e604s, and I went there to track drums and we set up both the 421s and 604s on toms and they sounded so close, I think the 421 were a hair better but nothing you couldn't get out of a little eq on the e604. and you can get 3 e604s for the price of 1 md421

farview · Post by **farview** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:49 pm

The e604's do sound similar on toms, but the 421 sounds better on guitars and bass and kick drum IMO. I use the 421 on vocals sometimes.

oldguitars · Post by **oldguitars** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:49 pm

get it. Great workhorse....

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:49 pm

you will throw out the e604 in ten years

you will be using the 421 in 2051.

if you can avoid buying "good enough" early on, you will save a lot of money.

people who can't afford to buy right the first time, always appear to be able to afford buying wrong over and over again.

DrummerMan · Post by **DrummerMan** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:13 pm

I got my 421 to use as a kick mic, but find that it really shines on toms and guitar amps, so I generally use it there instead, as I only have one, and there are other mics I like for Kick better.

Just to throw some other mics in the same price range and genre into the mix:

ElectroVoice RE20

Shure SM 7

These are all slightly different mics, with different strengths and weaknesses, but, IMHO, you could not go wrong with any of them. I've got one of each (though I'd like more) and they ALWAYS get used, usually before anything else.

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:29 pm

cooters wrote:How is the Sennheiser 421?

doing much better since the Claritin kicked in, thanks.

percussion boy · Post by **percussion boy** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:56 am

The 421 is worth buying once, even if you decide you don't choose it first for any one task.

It seems to work well anywhere you have something with noticeable mids and lows, which you want to flatter without changing the timbre too much. In other words, the 421 isn't a "built-in EQ" mic like some kick drum mics -- but it works on kick. It doesn't fatten up a tenor sax like a fancy tube mic might -- but it works on tenor sax. Or guitar cab. Or some male vox. There are even old pics from the sixties of a 421 on acoustic guitar, which seems strange since it's definitely not a crystalline mic.

Some people (like me) still love it on toms. Other people don't, nowadays. Depends if you want that old twentieth century close-mic-the-drums sound.

To anticipate a question: Yeah, the old ones sound different from the current model. Last I heard, Sennheiser could fix either one.

Jay Reynolds · Post by **Jay Reynolds** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:27 am

Great horn mic.

Andy Peters · Post by **Andy Peters** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 2:28 pm

cooters wrote:How is the Sennheiser 421? Thinking about buying it used. And what would it be good for?

Just don't drop it, or allow a drummer to whack it with a stick.

The cost to repair one is not much less than the cost of a new one.

-a

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 3:02 pm

Andy Peters wrote:The cost to repair one is not much less than the cost of a new one.

this is the case more often than not, with everything.

tdbajus · Post by **tdbajus** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:38 pm

+1

I have three 421 mikes, and use them all of the time. I love them in tandem with the Shure Beta56. If I have enough mikes, i'll do a 56 on the top head, and a 421 on the bottom.

They make a great pair fro recording guitar amps- the 421 a bit fuller and smoother sounding, and the 56 a little more raw.

kakumei47 · Post by **kakumei47** » Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:40 pm

+ on the annoying clips. They strip, slip, don't latch right (well, 2 of mine are pretty old), and they're expensive.
But the mics are great. I have three and don't regret not getting something else instead of the third. used frequently for kick, bass, guitars, and sometimes vocals (mostly live/scratch or for a vocal mic hitting a bunch of pedals). Pretty good all-arounder.

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