Sennheiser MD 441

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Sennheiser MD 441

The Sennheiser MD 441 is a large-diaphragm dynamic microphone introduced by Sennheiser in 1971.[1] Following the introduction of the MD 21 in 1953 and the Sennheiser MD 421 in 1960, the MD 441 was widely-used for radio and television reporting and was often seen as part of political appearances around the world.

Features[edit]

The MD 441 has a supercardioid polar pattern, with a frequency response of 30 to 20,000 Hertz, sensitivity of 1.8 mV/µbar ±3 dB, and Impedance of 200 Ohms. It also features a hum compensation coil. Like the MD 421, the MD 441 has a five-stage bass switch.[2][3] While it was originally introduced with a DIN connector,[4] it has featured an XLR connector since 1985.[5] Available in various versions and colors over the years, the current model is silver.

Usage[edit]

Broadcast and film[edit]

Helmut Kohl speaks at the official opening of the Brandenburger Gate in 1989.

The microphone was introduced at the Hannover Fair in 1971.[6] From the 1970s onwards it could be seen in various television news programs programs, e.g. in Russia's main evening news program Vremya.[7] Four MD 441s are visible in Barbara Klemm's famous 1979 photo of the socialist fraternal kiss between Soviet general secretary Leonid Brezhnev and Erich Honecker.[8] The later Serbian President Slobodan Milošević spoke into six MD 441s at a large rally in Belgrade on November 19, 1988.[9] At the Alexanderplatz demonstration on November 4, 1989 in Berlin, the speeches were spoken into two MD 441s. On December 19, 1989, Helmut Kohl spoke into an MD 441 in Dresden at his first major appearance after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Xi Jinping with two MD 441 (2017)

The British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen used an MD 441 in the film Brüno (2009) for his interview with Paula Abdul, in which both sit on the backs of kneeling men.[10] In the 2010s, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping was often pictured with two black MD 441s at press conferences.[11] Two MD 441s are used at the lectern in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.[12]

Music[edit]

The MD 441 has also been used as a vocal microphone since the 1970s, by artists including Frank Zappa, Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks, David Bowie,[13] and by The Cure lead singer Robert Smith during the band's first television appearance at a concert in Paris in 1979.[14]

While the MD 441 as a broadcast microphone has largely been replaced by other models, it is still used today for recording musical instruments, particularly on drums, electric guitars and amplifiers, as well as woodwind instruments.[2]

  • Frank Zappa and MD 441 with windscreen (1974)
    Frank Zappa and MD 441 with windscreen (1974)
  • Stevie Nicks and MD 441 at a Fleetwood Mac concert in Zurich (1980)
    Stevie Nicks and MD 441 at a Fleetwood Mac concert in Zurich (1980)
  • Kenny Wheeler with MD 441 (1992)
    Kenny Wheeler with MD 441 (1992)

References[edit]

  1. ^ "MD441 Mikrofon/TA Sennheiser Electronic Labor W; Wennebostel". Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Sennheiser MD 441 Test :: bonedo.de" (in German). Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Sound-Künstler Kymat: Er zaubert Sterne in ein Wasserglas" (in German). Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Neuzugang in der Mikrofonvitrine: Sennheiser MD 441 N - Alles andere - Bandmaschinenforum". Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Sennheiser Vintage Microphone Models". Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  6. ^ Schumann, Robert (1971). New Magazine for Music. B. Schott. p. 334. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Вспомним ведущих Советского телевидения" (in Russian). 31 August 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Photojournalist Barbara Klemm turns 80". www.dw.com (in German). Deutsche Welle. 26 December 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Letter: Don't let our democracy become authoritarian". The Mercury News. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Sacha Baron Cohen tricked Paula Abdul into being in 'Bruno' and didn't invite her to the premiere". ew.com. Entertainment Weekly. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  11. ^ "Coronavirus China update: UN Security Council yet to discuss coronavirus crisis under China's presidency - The Economic Times". 27 March 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Czech MP provokes scuffle". n-tv.de (in German). n-tv NEWS. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  13. ^ Shaw, Dan (24 March 2020). "Always listening: 75 years of Sennheiser microphones". happymag.tv. We Are Happy Media. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Watch The Cure's First TV Appearance in 1979 … Before The Band Acquired Its Signature Goth Look". openculture.com. Open Culture. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
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