feelings on a 441

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Yeah, I guess "the xlr/switch is broken" meant "the xlr/switch is broken and lost."
Haven't had a chance to tag another xlr on the end to test, all things considered I might Frankenstein this one into a different body as well. I'd like to try the same 441/421 combo on a folksy session week, so I've got some work to get done!
 
great thread!
with 441s  you definitely can make great recordings,
i`m always glad if i have one of them handy. i like it on metal bassdrums, toms, brass and female vocals. but to me it is always a compromise.

because i mostly record in full live setups ( and i like to let it bleed) i found out that i dislike its off- axis-response.  it takes up bleeding very frequency-dependent. on toms f.e. the cymbal leakage sounds harsh and phasy and you easiely can get in troubles here together with the overheads/room, on snare i find it too pointed and hi hats are not well isolated.

i find them slow responding and they have a quiet low output compared to other dynamics.

for these reasons i like beyerdynamics much better. the off-axis response of a m160 is amazing. very quiet and still full sounding, without having phase troubles. same for all classic beyers like m260 ( killer on snare if you like it dark/meaty), m130, m88 and m69. to my ears beyers are much more open, sennheisers are midrangier and edgy.

thx
 
headcleaner said:
great thread!
with 441s  you definitely can make great recordings,
i`m always glad if i have one of them handy. i like it on metal bassdrums, toms, brass and female vocals. but to me it is always a compromise.

because i mostly record in full live setups ( and i like to let it bleed) i found out that i dislike its off- axis-response.  it takes up bleeding very frequency-dependent. on toms f.e. the cymbal leakage sounds harsh and phasy and you easiely can get in troubles here together with the overheads/room, on snare i find it too pointed and hi hats are not well isolated.

i find them slow responding and they have a quiet low output compared to other dynamics.

for these reasons i like beyerdynamics much better. the off-axis response of a m160 is amazing. very quiet and still full sounding, without having phase troubles. same for all classic beyers like m260 ( killer on snare if you like it dark/meaty), m130, m88 and m69. to my ears beyers are much more open, sennheisers are midrangier and edgy.

thx

I feel the same way about the M160, but I would disagree completely about the 441. Both happen to be favourites of mine.  Slow responding/pronounced off axis pick-up/low output sounds like a very odd description of a 441 to me...

Gustav
 
headcleaner said:
sennheisers are midrangier and edgy.

I find 421 very midrangey and not neutral at all but using every day almost 4 to 6 different 441's have to say they are one of the best dynamic mics ever made. Smooth sound, really nice rejection and very pleasant to EQ, some mics don't handle eq but you can sculpt a 441 to your taste
 
Sennhiser 421 can indeed sound a bit more midrangey!
But it all depends from mic to mic.
I have two black 421 dating from around late '70s and they are very midrangey. But in contrast, I also have cream white 421 from early sixties that is even better than 441's I have, especially in low end definition.
Same with 441. Of the two I have, one is just a small bit more detailed in midrange than the other. I don't know their age, but believe they are both from mid '80s, so I don't know if older models would sound different

I would say that in general 421's and 441's both have excellent definition in mids and highs but 441 feels more smooth and it has better controlled low end. The way I feel it, their general difference in mid range has to do with microdynamic response and the speed of transients they bring you. In that game, 441 is a sure winner. But hey - old 421 can match that and even outplay them!

In direct comparison with them, Shure SM7B is very close. Very very close! I've tried it on guitar cab and SM7B had something with the tone that Sennhissers didn't have on that particular recording session. But in general, 421&441 would be more versatile.

Just my 5 cents...

:)
 
Pretty old topic but worth  bring to life.
Both 421 and 441 can sound different due to condition of it.
Properly working sounds exactly the same until 90's.
I'm not sure how 441 capsule was changed (if even was - except few minor changes in all these years) but 421 starting  from the 90's have completely different capsule which first was used in MD422.
With both there's many factors which can change frequency response and sensitivity in time.
About that later ;)
 
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