MD421 II vs MD421 Kompakt | Guitar Cabinet Comparison

Sennheiser's classic MD421 microphone is one of the best mics for studio recording. The new Kompakt version is almost half the size and half the weight, making it easier to get the MD421 sound for drum and guitar cabinet recording.

This video contains product provided by Sennheiser.
#scienceofloud #microphone #md421kompakt

Timecodes:
00:00 - MD421 History
01:14 - Design Drawbacks
02:02 - Kompakt Introduction
02:22 - Mic Placements & Test Conditions
02:54 - MD421 vs Kompakt | Guitar Cab Comparison
05:22 - Caveats & Analysis

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[ScienceofLoud]

Sennheiser's classic MD421 microphone is one of the best mics for studio recording. The new Kompakt version is almost half the size and half the weight, making it easier to get the MD421 sound for drum and guitar cabinet recording.

This video contains product provided by Sennheiser.
#scienceofloud #microphone #md421kompakt

More from Science of Loud:

*Description contains affiliate links. Purchasing using one of these links will generate a small commission for Science of Loud at no additional cost to you.*

[JohnShalamskas]

The Kompact is flatter response, while the original sounds like there's a big peak on the higher treble. Could be due to positioning.

[AiiZStudio]

The kompakt sounds like it doesn't have the harshness of the II version of the 421 and sounds more like an OG. Which is very cool!

[Bloor]

The moment they released this I searched for decent examples on guitar cabs and couldnt find any. I think your video is the first I've seen. The Kompakt sounds a little darker in your tests, reminds me of the e609 quite a bit

[hewdawg]

My MD421 Kompakt arrived in the mail last week. I love the 421 sound with portability and ease of positioning. I tracked guitars for a client and really love the result! The differences between this and the 421 II aren't vast and can easily be made up in EQ.

[flapjack]

Considering the 421's popularity as a tom mic, my only concern with these is that some drummers may see this as an excuse to lower their cymbals even more, and leave engineers to deal with even more cymbal bleed, lol.

[lylaznboi]

I don't know if it's just due to the positioning, but I prefer the sound of the Kompakt version as it sounds better in the ears.

[ChrisWeinhardt]

Dang, I liked the Kompakt far better. Have been using the OG to record toms for years, maybe it's time for an upgrade. Thanks for this, great video as always!

[compucorder]

The Kompakt sounds smoother. More like the older 421 U4/U5 series. Which is awesome, because these Kompakts are more convenient, especially for toms. It's a definite design improvement. Great they finally made these, but also makes you wonder why it took literally decades to make this sensible decision, and to execute it properly.

[PedalPlayhouse]

Could hear how they both were still very similar, the lightweight of the new one and even with slight variance is possible to have it’s applications range expanded in the new version.

[yackohoopy]

The regular MD421 has a beefier low end and the compakt sounds like the high mids seem to come through more.

[RushikMusic]

I have owned the MD421 Kompakt for three months now. I have also used the MD421 Vintage for a long time. My only note is that the Kompakt series lacks some mid range clarity for me. Rest it is a great mic to have in the arsenal.

[ichibandude]

I prefer MD421 II. It has more clear top end which will be better for my voice. If you want milder tone, kompakt might work.

[bobvines]

Surprisingly, I heard more bass out of the MD421 II than I did out of the Kompakt & therefore prefer the MD421 II. Of course, my hearing sucks now and I've reached the point where I need to get some hearing aids. I'm still surprised that I feel like I heard more out of the MD421 II.

[ZymanoKentaro]

Even though this is how you use the mic (and it does sound great in this application!), to test the similarity to another mic it's better to sit in the far-field where the different parts of the source (conus) have more or less blended with each other and the room sound.

Great recording anyways though! The mics sound amazing.

[moliver_xxii]

i mean... i hear a difference, but they both sound ok! the main difference i think is the high frequencies, above 3kHz... and that must [probably ???] be comb filtering at close distance, see the Steve Albini/Electrical Audio video about miking cabinets for an explanation... the real differences i hear are playing nuances, and that's always the most important when playing guitar!

[klausfritsch]

If anything, the Kompakt sounds better to my ears.

[vincentklein]

Were these positioned exactly the same? Because the difference is more noticeable than I would anticipate

[gorbrushthreepwood]

I just record everything through my old PS2 Rock Band mic.
It does the job perfectly, as long as the job is to sound utterly abhorrent.

[bachmannmanuel]

is it just me, or seems to sound the 421 a bit "wider" than the compact?