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MICROPHONE OF THE MONTH OCTOBER 2013

SENNHEISER MD 21 U

 

 

The Sennheiser MD 21 U omni directional dynamic was first made in 1953. Made of steel, with an integral stand mount, it was developed for the German broadcasting network, intended as all purpose mic, for speech and music. It was small, rugged, very insensitive to pop and wind noise, and extremely insensitive to handling noise. This made it an instant smash hit with reporters.

It is used in large numbers, and even sold, after 60 years, making it one of the very oldest microphones still in production today. Several hundred thousands have been sold.

The later editions are all black (the earliest were grey or bronze, like the left one, made for Grundig), but the ivory coloured type, shown here on the right, can still be seen at many press conferences, and in sports broadcasts.

In the Sixties it was also often used as a solist microphone,
for singers and other entertainers. At that time there wasn't much monitor sound on stage. When stage monitors got common, and singers were able to hear themself better, use of omni directional mics ended, because directional types had much more gain before feedback. This gave singers the freedom to move closer to the loudspeakers, without the risk of the horrible hauling sound.

In 2000 a modernized version was presented; the MD 22 ; a stick mic, with a plastic casing, but production ended after some years, leaving the MD 21 as solemn ruler.

 

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