As a guitar enthusiast, I have been looking for a microphone that can perfectly reproduce the tone of an acoustic guitar. Recently, I had the opportunity to experience Sennheiser’s new MD 421 Kompakt microphone, which is a compact version of the classic all-round microphones MD 4

As a guitar enthusiast, I have been looking for a microphone that can perfectly restore the tone of an acoustic guitar. Recently, I had the opportunity to experience Sennheiser's new md 421 kompakt microphone, which is a compact version of the classic all-round microphones md 421 and md 421-ii. After more than half a month of in-depth use, today I would like to share with you some of my experience of using it and who the md 421 kompakt is more suitable for.

Appearance: The fusion of inheritance and innovation

The first impression when I got the md 421 kompakt is that its size is indeed much smaller than the original version. As a music lover who likes to record demos at home, I actually appreciate this compact design. In the box, in addition to the microphone body, it also comes with a newly designed stand and a storage bag.

I have to say that this improvement made my eyes shine. Sennheiser has obviously put a lot of effort into ease of use this time, and the newly designed stand is also very stable.

It should be noted that the bottom of the md 421 kompakt bracket has a 3/8-inch threaded interface (also compatible with 5/8-inch threaded interface), so daily use may require an adapted bracket. For this purpose, I also equipped it with a height-adjustable tripod stand to make it easier to record in different positions.

Recording experience: Surprising sound performance

As a recorder who prefers pure original sound, what I care about most is always the sound reproduction ability of the microphone. In the past half month, I have used md 421 kompakt to record some demos, including different styles of guitar playing, vocals and some simple chamber instrument ensembles. It can be said that every time I use it, I have learned about its sound characteristics. Some new insights.

Let me first talk about the performance of recording acoustic guitar. This is also the most commonly used instrument at home. I tried three different pickup positions: the joint between the neck and body (the 12th fret position), the sound hole position, and the overall position 45 degrees away from the sound hole. When receiving the sound at the 12th fret, the md 421 kompakt showed excellent balance, and both the changes in the strength of the attack and the layering of the chords were well restored. When I aimed the microphone at the sound hole, the low-frequency performance was significantly enhanced, but there was no low-frequency boom problem that I was worried about (and a relatively common problem), thanks to its excellent low-frequency control capabilities.

What surprises me most is the performance of the 45-degree radio position. I chose this position when I was preparing to record a demo that combined fingerpicking and strumming. Next, when I put on headphones to monitor, I was almost amazed - I heard such a natural guitar tone, from the subtle touch of the strings, to the three-dimensional sense of the resonance box, to the enveloping sense of space, everything Details have been preserved intact. The md 421 kompakt frequency response range (30hz-17khz) shows its advantages at this time, so that the recorded sound will neither appear harsh due to distortion nor lose warmth due to frequency loss.

I also made some interesting attempts when recording vocals. At first, I followed my habit of keeping the microphone about 25cm away from the sound source, but I soon discovered that the md 421 kompakt performed equally well at close range. The distance is shortened to about 15 centimeters, and even some low-pitched words and breaths can be clearly captured. Especially when recording some passages that require whispering or soft singing, I was impressed by its excellent sound reproduction.

The performance of this microphone in handling transient response is also remarkable. One time I was recording a fast fingerpicking section, which involved a lot of hammering and strumming techniques. The fastest part was about 6-7 notes per second. When I played it back, I found that the attack and decay of each note was accurately captured without any smearing issues. This excellent transient performance can save the recording engineer a lot of time during post-mixing.

When dealing with dynamic changes in the volume of musical instruments, md 421 kompakt also showed a more professional level.For example, when I'm recording a track with great emotional ups and downs, from the softest fingerpicking to the passionate and powerful strumming, to the roar of the vocals, the microphone can control the gain very well, and it won't be affected by the sound pressure level. Sudden changes produce obvious distortion. Even when strumming the strings vigorously, the vibration of the strings and the resonance of the body are clearly separated without confusion.

In addition to recording guitar, I also tried to record some vocals with md 421 kompakt. Its cardioid polar pattern and excellent feedback suppression worked so well that even when recording in my small bedroom, I encountered very few feedback issues and both sources maintained independent timbre characteristics. . There is very little separation work to do in post-processing.

Another time, when I was recording a fast-paced folk song, I needed to record guitar and vocals at the same time. The excellent transient response of the md 421 kompakt allows both sound sources to be clearly represented without confusion or ambiguity. This performance gave me a deeper understanding of its versatility.

It is worth mentioning that this microphone also controls environmental noise quite well. My recording room (bedroom) is not a professional recording studio, the sound insulation effect is average, and sometimes there is some external noise interference. However, the excellent directivity and signal-to-noise ratio performance of MD 421 Kompakt minimize these interferences. Even when recording with the air conditioner on (preferably not doing this), you rarely encounter problems with excessive background noise.

Innovative design: pragmatic improvements

In daily use, I especially appreciate some of the improvements Sennheiser has made to this microphone. The first is to cancel the bass roll-off attenuation switch. To be honest, in modern recording environments, this feature does seem redundant - we can easily make these adjustments in the mixing console or DAW. This change not only makes the microphone more compact, but also simplifies the use process to some extent.

Another commendable improvement is the newly designed bracket system. The new bracket is perfectly integrated with the microphone housing, which is not only easy to install, but also greatly improves stability. I no longer have to worry about the microphone suddenly tilting or coming loose during recording (a huge improvement especially for drummers).

This time Sennheiser also launched a drum set for the md 421 kompakt. The difference is that this drum set is additionally equipped with an mzh drum clamp, which can be firmly tightened on the microphone's clamp to ensure that it can be installed safely and securely on the drum.

Speaking of workmanship, md 421 kompakt shows Sennheiser's consistent reliable quality. The use of stainless steel grille and gold-plated XLR interface makes people feel solid and reliable. The internal dust-proof and moisture-proof design also makes me feel more secure when using it. After all, in a home recording environment, bumps and bumps are inevitable, and these protective measures are very important.

In terms of price, although md 421 kompakt is cheaper than md 421/md 421-ii, it still has a certain threshold for ordinary music lovers. But considering its excellent sound quality and durability, I think it's worth the money.

is written at the end:

md 421 kompakt is an impressive microphone. It not only inherits the excellent sound quality of the classic all-round microphone md 421/md 421-ii, but also makes many pragmatic improvements in design. For a folk enthusiast like me, it meets the professional needs of recording without making the process too complicated.

After more than half a month of use, I feel more and more that this is a successful product update. It retains the advantages of classic products and makes just the right improvements in details. It's not cheap, but for its sound performance and build quality, I think it's a worthwhile investment.

If you are also a music creator who pursues sound quality, whether it is used to record musical instruments or vocals, the md 421 kompakt is worth considering. It may not be the cheapest option, but it is certainly one of the most reassuring.In this era that promotes "small but beautiful", md 421 kompakt has undoubtedly achieved its well-deserved reputation.