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Author Topic: Sennheiser MD 409  (Read 44228 times)

J.J. Blair

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #30 on: November 17, 2008, 12:52:15 PM »

Toby, that's what I was referring to on the first page.  I didn't know about the agreement on the 4xx series though, as being the reason for the name change when being sold in music stores.  Thanks for filling in the blanks.

It's funny though how 509s are usually $100 cheaper on eBay from the same seller, even though it's the exact same mic!
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They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

Klokkern

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #31 on: December 05, 2008, 03:12:00 AM »

teleric wrote on Thu, 13 November 2008 19:12

J.J. Blair wrote on Fri, 26 October 2007 17:40

409 and 509 are exactly the same.  I have both.  The difference was to whom and where they were marketed, AFAIK.



I always wondered about that about some sennheiser mics.
What are the differences between an MD409/MD509
and for 441/541 or even 421/521.
they look the same, and to this point, MD441 and MD541 sound the same to me. was it just that 'blackfire' series that made some mics go from a '4' to a '5' prefix? Or are just the later more recent?


Hi all

If I remember correctly, there is a slight difference between 421 and 521. The 521´s I have used did not have the LF roll-off (the S/M (speech/music) switch located around the xlr plug) So in that case 421 and 521 are close, but really not the same... Other than that, I really don´t think there is any difference.

I don´t think there are similar differences between any of the other MD4 series vs BF5 series. (more correctly: I don´t know of any)

In Norway, the same dealers sold both the series, and they were available at the same time. I seem to remember something about the BF5 series being marketed as the "road" alternative (eg more robust), but I have no clue if this was just something the norwegian/scandinavian/european distributors said to explain the differences that were really only in the model number. The sound company I worked for at the time never had 521´s, only 421´s.


LarsK
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Markus Aalto

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #32 on: December 05, 2008, 04:41:33 PM »

Just realized MD409 / BF509 are transformerless. It must be one factor that affects to sound too. Not only the mic element  design. It should be interesting to try SM57 with bypassed transformer or with Oliver's transformer! Btw. i think SM77, rare variation of SM57 (with shorter body) is transformerless too.

I posted sample file that includes MD409/BF509 guitar tracks to thread:" Mics / techniques for creating high end "Californian" guitar sounds?"
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bo putnam

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #33 on: March 25, 2009, 09:24:32 PM »

This thread prompted me to run a quick test of the frequency response of the 409, 509, e609.  I ran Pink Noise generated by Smaart through a JBL VP7212MDP powered wedge, with the mic diaphragm about 11" out from the face.  I EQ'd the output to the VDP7212M through a KT DN370 GEQ to a reasonably flat response.

The image has the following traces:

Brown= reference trace
Blue= e906
Pink= 509
Green= 409 "Echolette"

index.php/fa/11764/0/

It was not easy to match-up the gains precisely, but the overall responses are interesting - the entire group is very similar.  The e906 has just a touch greater sensitivity near 80Hz, but otherwise nearly lays on-top of it's predecessors - however, the whole experiment is very gain dependent and the traces were matched by-eye.    

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bo putnam

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #34 on: March 25, 2009, 09:29:01 PM »

Then, I ran the venerable SM57 too.

Brown= reference trace
Blue= e906
Pink= 509
Green= 409 "Echolette"
Purple = 57

index.php/fa/11765/0/

The 57 has the pronounced 1 octave peak centered at approx. 6.7kHz.  It really is pretty damned good, as we all know.



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J.J. Blair

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #35 on: March 25, 2009, 11:04:56 PM »

Bo, have you listened to my soundfiles of the 409 v. both 609s and the 906?

BTW, the 509 and the MD409-U3 are the same mic.  The Echolette is essentially a MD409-N.  
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They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

bo putnam

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #36 on: March 26, 2009, 12:21:20 AM »


J.J. Blair wrote on Wed, 25 March 2009 20:04

Bo, have you listened to my soundfiles of the 409 v. both 609s and the 906?

BTW, the 509 and the MD409-U3 are the same mic.  The Echolette is essentially a MD409-N.  

JJ...

I sure did - great stuff.  Those soundfiles compelled me to the e906 vs the e600-series a few years ago.  I owe you.   Cool I had not had their ancestors in-hand until lately and was curious on measuring their responses, which only confirmed what our ears heard from your work.  

re: 509 and 409.  I know - I've read all your posts on it, and those of others.  

But in-short, Sennheiser did a great job with the e906 - it is virtually indistinguishable from it's predecessors.  
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J.J. Blair

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #37 on: March 26, 2009, 01:16:06 PM »

Cool!  Yeah, I can hear the difference in the top end, but it's so much better than the 609s, and is totally usable.
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studio info

They say the heart of Rock & Roll is still beating, which is amazing if you consider all the blow it's done over the years.

"The Internet enables pompous blowhards to interact with other pompous blowhards in a big circle jerk of pomposity." - Bill Maher

"The negative aspects of this business, not only will continue to prevail, but will continue to accelerate in madness. Conditions aren't going to get better, because the economics of rock and roll are getting closer and closer to the economics of Big Business America." - Bill Graham

MagnetoSound

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #38 on: March 26, 2009, 02:43:54 PM »

It's a shame the 906 looks so naff, with that 'e' on the grille ...

Sounds pretty good though, preferred the flat setting. Might give it a go.

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JGauthier

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Re: Sennheiser MD 409
« Reply #39 on: April 02, 2009, 11:06:02 PM »

Anyone else notice the e906 has about a 5 db hotter output than the md409? Or is that just my MD 409... Shocked

I really really like the 906 too. I personally think its a step sideways from the 409- just as good but different. And I really like high bump silver filter setting... and the flat.

But anyone else notice a sizeable difference in output? I haven't looked at the specs...
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