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Author Topic: sennheiser 441  (Read 13285 times)

zakco

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sennheiser 441
« on: February 18, 2007, 02:45:42 AM »

I had the chance to borrow a pair of 441s for a while and I really found them useful in a variety of unlikely places for a dynamic mic. Unfortunately, I had to give them back and now I'd like a couple for myself.

Are there any real differences between the older (black) 441s and the new ones?

thanks,

Fletcher

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2007, 07:07:52 AM »

I didn't even know thate was a "new" one... but if the 421 is any indication it should be fine.  The 421's in my joint are all less than a year old and they sound [believe it or not] just like 421's are supposed to sound.  Sometimes at that level of the "marketing world" they'll change a color here and there to spark new interest... sometimes at that level of the world they'll change something inside to cost less, or change the process to cost less... but transformer expenses are pretty much going to be the transformer expense and its usually not cost effective to retool to build new transduction elements [the "capsule"] so my gut instinct is that the thing is pretty much going to sound like it did before... but as my wife will tell you... I've been wrong many times before.

Peace.
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CN Fletcher

mwagener wrote on Sat, 11 September 2004 14:33
We are selling emotions, there are no emotions in a grid


"Recording engineers are an arrogant bunch.  
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Han S.

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2007, 08:13:02 AM »

IMHO the old 441 is the one with the chrome top, the newer one is the all black one (541) and yes, I have them both and they do sound a little different.
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zakco

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2007, 03:15:20 PM »

Thanks for the info,

I guess I got the old/new thing a little mixed up. I've seen pictures of "new" ones on ebay that appeared to be white or silver bodied as well as the all black ones that you mention. The only ones I have any experience with were more than 20 years old and black with chrome grill.

Han, when you say the old one sounds "different", could you elaborate a little? Do you have a preference for either in any particular applications?

Thanks,

-Zak

Han S.

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #4 on: February 21, 2007, 06:49:04 PM »

Well, actually they both sound very good but just a tad different and I think the old one is a little more rejective, but I'm not 100% sure about that.

The older one I have has the 5 step M to S switch, which the newer one doesn't have. This may be the reason perhaps.
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Sarusan

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2007, 01:15:11 AM »

The new ones sound as they should.  I wouldn't hesitate buying one.

Steven
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Empty Planet

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2007, 08:15:34 PM »

Hey, I just picked up one of these on eBay.  Old one, black with chrome grill.

Totally love it.  Set up some of my other dynamics alongside it to begin to get a feel for the thing.  Beta 58 sounded thin and shrill comparatively (maybe I should say thinNER and shrilLER  Very Happy ), and my sm7 somehow just didn't seem as meaty, seemed a bit smaller.  Even doing this at all is of course a bit nuts, I'm sure if I'd played up the proximity on the sm7 it would have been plenty beefy.  

Still and all, the 441 seemed to have a really balanced sound -- which is wacky if you consider their published chart, which shows flatness up to around 3k and then suddenly it's the Sierra Nevadas -- and it seemed to be strangely "focused" sounding.  It's a great-sounding mic.  A particularly good match-up for my voice, which is a great unexpected treat.  Love it when that happens.  Acoustic guitar sounded very acceptable; minding one's basic mic placement, it was pretty easy to get good sounds.  It's my new favorite mic.

Them's my two cents.  Hope you get one and it works out for you.

Cheers.

Cool  
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Phuckwit

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2007, 07:19:19 PM »

I think there is a difference unless my old one just sounds different cos its got used so much for snare drum that the modifications made to the end of it by punk drummers
have altered it a lot, I think the tuchel connector one sounds to be a lower impedance version using it around different pres it tends to favor nominal 250 ohm, where as the newer one sounds Phatter/better on nominal 600 ohm also the old one seems to be a little less sensitive generally maybe also due to the ingress of punk snot and spit.
Great Mic though which ever one.
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compasspnt

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #8 on: March 03, 2007, 01:21:49 AM »

Some of Stevie Nicks' vocals were done on 441.
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Larrchild

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2007, 03:22:02 AM »

They make a nice floor tom mic.
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Barish

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2007, 03:48:02 PM »

Larrchild wrote on Sat, 03 March 2007 08:22

They make a nice floor tom mic.


Seconded.

B.
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M Ozturk

minkthinking

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2007, 02:07:54 AM »

i bought 6 of these mics for about 100 dollars each.

best purchase ever!

they are my secret weapon.  not very many people that i know use them and i think that they sound great on a lot of sources.  plus, they look insane.  people sort of freak out.  

shhhhhh let everyone keep using the 421!

(just kidding)
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Fletcher

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2007, 12:20:22 PM »

One of my favorite drum mic'ing things is 441's on the top of toms and 421's on the bottom... move the bottom mic up and down and you can kinda do a lot of the EQ to the tom sound with no EQ at all [just the phase relationship between the two mics and the drum!!].
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CN Fletcher

mwagener wrote on Sat, 11 September 2004 14:33
We are selling emotions, there are no emotions in a grid


"Recording engineers are an arrogant bunch.  
If you've spent most of your life with a few thousand dollars worth of musicians in the studio, making a decision every second and a half... and you and  they are going to have to live with it for the rest of your lives, you'll get pretty arrogant too.  It takes a certain amount of balls to do that... something around three"
Malcolm Chisholm

thephatboi

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2007, 12:53:23 PM »

compasspnt wrote on Fri, 02 March 2007 22:21

Some of Stevie Nicks' vocals were done on 441.




yes, I used to work at Studio 55 in Smell-Aye under the infamous Richard Perry and was there when "I can't wait" was recorded and a 441 was her vox mic. That mic works great for certain vocalists that are either very loud or have a certain attack or raspiness. SM7 lovers would like vocals on the 441. I have used mine on electric guitar cabs like a super 57 with great results too.

I think the new ones sound fine, I expect any major differences in sound on old ones are probably the result of the mic being beat on or dust etc.

Anybody ever play with changing the pattern (HC to wider) by wrapping something (like studio tape) around the side grills?  

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New Orleans Steve

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Re: sennheiser 441
« Reply #14 on: March 18, 2007, 01:20:17 AM »

Han S. wrote on Tue, 20 February 2007 07:13

IMHO the old 441 is the one with the chrome top, the newer one is the all black one (541) and yes, I have them both and they do sound a little different.


Hummmm A 541? Do they have thoes in the US? There is absolutly NO switches? The 441s that I have used had both a 5 position switch and a second 2 poss. roll off.
Steve
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