After 35 years my Sennheiser MD-421 mic died

[Notes_Norton]

It was my favorite sax mic. Unlike the Shure SM series and the AT and other clones, it made my saxes sound like saxophones instead of some sax/clarinet hybrid. It made my voice sound as good as the equipment I was blessed/cursed with. It's been dropped, and abused because I make my living doing one-nighers. The case cracked years ago with a big fall (mic stand tipped over when someone hit it and landed on a concrete floor), the grill was loose which extracted a few mustache hairs but the sound never faltered. Until one day it didn't sound. I checked the cable, put it on the cable of another working mic, and when all else failed, I slapped it. It came back on. It took two or three more slaps that evening.

So what did I do? I bought a new MD-421 II (series 2). A few days with the Shure was more than enough. Now if this lasts me 35 years, it'll take me past the final coda.

For live performers, I can't recommend this mic highly enough. It can take the loud sax without distortion, yet handle subtle vocal inflections and there is for all practical purposes no proximity effect.

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[saxhound]

This is one of my favorites as well. I have three of them, and they have been through a lot. My only gripe is the flimsy clip, which is difficult to latch and comes loose quickly if you happen to get anywhere near the release button. As a result, all of mine have hit the floor more than once. If I'm doing sound for another band, I will use duck tape to secure them.

My brother is in the commercial audio business selling to radio stations, the government, churches, etc. He told me that many years ago Sennheiser advertised the 421 as the only microphone in the world that can accurately reproduce a gunshot at close range.

 

[Notes_Norton]

I put a little WD40 in the clip mechanism, and it gives me no problems at all. Once every few years works for me.

The guy who sold me my first 421 owned a music store with a recording studio in the back. I went in one day, asking about mics because my Shure made the sax (especially my 1925 King Alto) sound like a clarinet.

So he took a mic out of the studio, told me to try it out on the gig, and come back Monday with either the mic or some money. No credit card, no deposit, no restocking, just trust - it's the advantage of doing business with a mom & pop store.

I was doing a Sunday gig in a marina and a musician friend came to see us. She said she heard the difference in the parking lot and it sounded great.

I went back Monday and he said keep the mic, he had a few more, and he would order a new one. I didn't ask price, and when the new one came it, I bought it and gave him the loaner back. I checked with Sam Ash (this was pre-Internet) and they quoted me a slightly higher price plus shipping. I had to pay Florida Sales tax, so in the end, I would have paid just about the same amount. The store owner obviously did his homework.

The new series II sound to my ears just like the old one. Looking at the individualized frequency response graph that comes with each mic, the Series II has a slightly flatter response in the midrange - but the difference was not significant by any stretch of the imagination.

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