Fairview has 4X421s and they are really about my favourite
large diaphragm dynamic mic. You can use them on loads of different
things and they really come up every time. They are pretty much
industry standard on toms. They have a 4 position roll off on
the back and I usually start off in the flat position (m
for music in Sennheiser speak) but if the tom's a bit resonant
then I will knock the roll-off back a notch or even two. The
great thing about the roll off is that you can really hear it
working. It's not at all subtle and I like that. There is also
something about the middle frequencies that I love on electric
guitar and you can stick a Shure SM57 in a similar position
in front of a guitar cab but they will sound completely different.
Each one covers a different area of the mid range which is all
important in getting that classic rock guitar sound. I was doing
some guitar overdubs recently for Mostly
Autumn
and Brian the guitarist has a really nice Marshall 800 head
going through an old 4x12 cab. Their music is a massive soundscape
with choirs and orchestras but we just put a Sennheiser 421
infront of the cab and there it was, just a great, full sound
which cut through without being at all thin and peaky. I love
em.
Fairview also has a great old C3 Hammond and Sharma Leslie and
the 421s are just brilliant for miking up the Leslie. If it's
a clean sound then I would probably use a pair of AKG 414s but
as soon as you floor the pedal and the Leslie starts distorting
then you need the Sennheiser 421s. They take all the peakiness
off and they really bring something to the party JS
