Sennheiser MD 421

Records it appears on · 66

• Walk This Way

  Aerosmith · Toys in the Attic, 1975

  • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedAlbum sessions, not stated for this song: Engineer recalls these were probably the microphones on the toms.
  • Guitar solo · MicrophoneReportedEngineer believes this was one of three mics on the solo amp, supplying the edge.
• Stunt

  Barenaked Ladies · Album, 1998

  • Double bass (Jim Creeggan) · MicrophoneReportedRogers says she sometimes used it as well on Creeggan's double bass, blended with the pickup. (recalled with uncertainty)
• Copacabana

  Barry Manilow · Even Now, 1978

  • Piano · MicrophoneReportedPair of microphones Delugg recalls adding on the piano to get more attack for this upbeat song.
• 52nd Street

  Billy Joel · Album, 1978

  • Drum kit · MicrophoneVerifiedMicrophones on the toms.
• Plastic Letters

  Blondie · Album, 1978

  • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedEngineer believes this microphone was placed on top of the snare drum.
• Night Moves

  Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band · Night Moves, 1976

  • Electric and acoustic guitars · MicrophoneReportedPlaced near the outer edge of the guitar amp speaker, alongside the close SM57.Position: Near the outer edge of the speaker
  • Piano and organ · MicrophoneReportedMiked the bottom rotor of the Leslie cabinet.Position: Bottom rotor of the Leslie
• Total Eclipse of the Heart

  Bonnie Tyler · Faster Than the Speed of Night, 1983

  • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedUsed on the tops and bottoms of the toms.
• Lowdown

  Boz Scaggs · Silk Degrees, 1976

  • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedPerry says he sometimes used this on the kick drum in place of his usual choice, which he believes was an RE20.
• Reckless

  Bryan Adams · Album, 1984

  • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedTom-tom microphones, one above and one below each tom, as Clearmountain best recalls.
• Get Lucky

  Daft Punk · Random Access Memories, 2013

  • Drum kit · MicrophoneVerifiedTom micsPosition: Toms
• Brothers in Arms

  Dire Straits · Album, 1985

  • Drum kit · MicrophoneReportedClose microphones on the toms of the kit in the Montserrat live area.
• Discovery

  Electric Light Orchestra · Album, 1979

  • Drum kit (Bev Bevan) · MicrophoneReportedMicrophone on the toms during the Discovery sessions.
• All by Myself

  Eric Carmen · Eric Carmen, 1975

  • Drums (two drummers) · MicrophoneReportedUsed on the kick drum, alongside an EV 88.
• The Real Thing

  Faith No More · Album, 1989

  • Drums · MicrophoneVerifiedTom microphones.
  • Bass · MicrophoneReportedMicrophone close to the bass cabinet.Position: Tight to the cabinet
  • Guitar · MicrophoneReportedGuitar microphone on the back of the cabinet, flipped out of phase for a low thud.Position: On the back, polarity flipped
• Franz Ferdinand

  Franz Ferdinand · Album, 2004

  • Lead vocal · MicrophoneVerifiedOften used as the vocal microphone, with its bass roll-off filter engaged to give a thin sound to the compressors.Settings: Bass rolled off using the filter on the microphone
  • Drums · MicrophoneInferredUsual practice, not stated for this record: A pair doing double duty as tom mics and overheads in his minimal drum mic setup.
• The Dream Weaver

  Gary Wright · Album, 1975

  • Drums and rhythm machine · MicrophoneReportedMicrophone shared between the tom-toms in the same setup.
• I Will Survive

  Gloria Gaynor · Love Tracks, 1978

  • Kick and hi-hat · MicrophoneInferredUsual practice, not stated for this record: One of two kick drum microphone choices Rouben says he used in those days, the other being the AKG D112; which was used here is not stated. (recalled with uncertainty)
• 21st Century Breakdown

  Green Day · Album, 2009

  • Bass · MicrophoneReportedOne of two mics on the bass cabinet, run through the Vintech preamp and a Distressor.Position: on his bass cabinet
• Dookie

  Green Day · Album, 1994

  • Drums · MicrophoneVerifiedSecond kick drum microphone, added to give the kick a little more presence.Position: Kick drum
  • Rhythm guitar · MicrophoneVerifiedClose microphone on the other of the two best-sounding cones of the Marshall cabinet.Position: Close, on one of the two best cones
• Rise

  Herb Alpert · Rise, 1979

  • Drum kit · MicrophoneInferredUsual practice, not stated for this record: Kick drum microphone in Hahn's go-to miking scheme of the period.

Sources for each use are on the record’s own page.

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