...and thanks to everyone for their input. TB is such an amazing resource with such knowledgeable people.
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Heil PR40 or Sennheiser MD421 for FOH
- Thread starter the dude
- Start date
Very cool. Thx.
...sounds like a no-brainer future home studio purchase for sure.
Improvement is in the ear of the beholder, but I don't think there's any finer live mic for bass than the RE20.
I've always felt that the 421 is over rated, at least for live use. If you can get if from a 421, you can likely get it from a D4 ($100 used).
You can get a used PR40 for under $225 shipped.
You can get a used PR40 for under $225 shipped.
I just want to report that I tried the PR40 on a guitar cab at a gig last week. Wow, it makes a KILLER guitar mic - very full, articulate, and present in the mix. You do need to back it off the grill an inch or two, as it gets a little woofy. But once you do, your 90% on your way to a great guitar mix.
Tried it quickly on my guitar amp at home and thought, man, that's woofy, and moved on. But backing off the grill does take a lot of steam out of the woof.
Heil PR40
Shure SM7
EV RE20
AKG P2
all are excellent mics for both studio and live use.
Personally, I never liked the MD421 on bass, but that's just me.
Shure SM7
EV RE20
AKG P2
all are excellent mics for both studio and live use.
Personally, I never liked the MD421 on bass, but that's just me.
Slip a paper clip through the handy-dandy hole in the clip. It will without fail prevent fumbling fingers from sliding the release. The Clip is locked in place until the paper clip is removed. Works like a charm.
I tend to agree with this, and honestly I probably wouldn't own 421s except people expect audio-for-hire folks to have a few on hand. The only thing I routinely would use them as "first choice" for is the bottom of a Leslie and maybe a baritone sax.
FWIW My all time favorite for everything low end is the ATM25 , if you can find one....
I got 4 of 'em.
Kick , floor , Barry , TBone , Bass Monitor , Tuba , etc....
And it's hyper cardioid.
What bugs me with the 421 is not that they don't hold still (thanx to that old trick) it's that they break easily and they cost quite a bit.
I got 4 of 'em.
Kick , floor , Barry , TBone , Bass Monitor , Tuba , etc....
And it's hyper cardioid.
What bugs me with the 421 is not that they don't hold still (thanx to that old trick) it's that they break easily and they cost quite a bit.
While on the subject of large-diaphragm dynamics, before everyone gets rid of their AKG D112s, try it on a guitar amp. It sounds a lot like a SM57 but with more balls.
I was playing bass on a show once where a 421 on a floor tom fell off the clip and went straight into a 500 watt PAR 64 can that was pointed up on a floor mount beside/behind the drummer. It melted into a blob on top of the lamp in the time it took to play one song. Smelled pretty bad too.
Yikes, that's an ouch.
Guitar amps these days I like the I5 and e609 for cheap. I have a couple of Rode nt-3 MDC's that I'll place for something special - used to run them as meaty drum overheads but I snagged an old Senn 441 for overhead duties. That thing is awesome! I particulary like the the drummer's reaction when I tell 'em it was George Jetson's drum mic ;-). Really ? Wow. Who did he play with? ...pups...
Guitar amps these days I like the I5 and e609 for cheap. I have a couple of Rode nt-3 MDC's that I'll place for something special - used to run them as meaty drum overheads but I snagged an old Senn 441 for overhead duties. That thing is awesome! I particulary like the the drummer's reaction when I tell 'em it was George Jetson's drum mic ;-). Really ? Wow. Who did he play with? ...pups...
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D4 user here, I'd argue a similar point. 421 is a bit bright for me, but the D4 has a nice smooth overall sound, narrow pic up pattern, and doesn't have a huge proximity build up, which means what comes out of my speakers is more or less what comes out of FOH. Gotten some nice compliments from FOH, plus Audix is a known brand for most sound people, and the small size means I can stick it just about anywhere and it stays out of the way.
- Sep 3, 2006
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I used my PR40 for vocals a couple of weekends ago. Some dude came up to me afterwards and said "MAN! That is a REALLY nice mic! Really high-end! The vocals sounded great!" Turned out he was a vocalist and really knew his mics. The kicker is, I was the one singing and I am NOT a vocalist. I am not saying the PR40 will turn a sow's ear into gold, but...
