Sennheiser MD 441-U

Josh is seen using this mic through several live shows in 2010.

Kevin Parker can be seen with the Sennheiser MD 441-U at the 1:00 mark of the attached video of Tame Impala performing on Conan.

Seen using it as vocal mic in 1988 recorded performance.

Launched in 1971 as Sennheiser’s flagship dynamic the MD441 has remained in production ever since. Famous users include David Bowie, Stevie Nicks and Elton John. It is a superb example of German design and engineering, and even today has few competitors.

Used on vocals for "Take Me to Church", as stated by mix engineer Rob Kirwan in this March 2015 *Sound on Sound* interview. > “I recorded Andrew’s vocals with him in the room, right behind me, so there were no natural acoustics on them. I already spoke about my CMV563/M7 vocal chain. I also always had a Sennheiser M441 on him as a sort of safeguard, and I combined these two while mixing. My mic pre on the 441 was the 1071, and I also had the Vac Rac EQ on his vocals, and the LA2A. So the vocal chain was as warm as it could be. The mic he used in his attic is a Neumann U87. The problem with 87s and 414s for me is that they are so accurate that everything sounds pretty sterile on them, hence my preference for using Gefells and other unusual microphones with lots of character. But it worked on his vocals because his performance was so good.” The version goes unspecified in both this interview and on [Kirwan's official microphone inventory list](https://www.robkirwan.com/studio/), evincing that it is the original U version.

> “I originally chose the Sennheiser MD 441 for her vocal simply because it’s a fantastically versatile microphone, great for vocals and just about everything you choose to point it at,” Head explained. “Polly [PJ Harvey] used it on some of the vocal recording on her latest Hope Six Demolition Project album and in rehearsal, so it was always an option for the live shows, but in the end, when the whole PJ Harvey production was set-up with 9 musicians on stage and 23 monitors, we thought that the MD 431 had slightly better rejection, and Polly chose it above the MD 441 to use for the festival shows. This is a show where the audibility of the vocal is crucial. I constantly recommend the MD 431 to other engineers.”

Concert photo, likely around 2014-2015.

lots and lots of shots of the M441 all thru the video- from the begining to the end.

Used for the snare drum on *Icky Thump*, as stated by recording and mixing engineer Joe Chiccarelli in this October 1, 2007 *Mix Online* interview. > As far as miking Meg White's kit, Chiccarelli kept things straight ahead: An AKG D-12 on the kick and a U47 as an overhead run through a Fairchild compressor. It was rare that he miked the snare, but when he did it was a U47 through a Fairchild. When she used a bigger kit, Chiccarelli put a 57 on the snare top and a Sennheiser 441 on the bottom. The toms were not miked, but he used an assortment of mics as overheads and in the room. “I set up a lot of different room mics, maybe eight,” Chiccarelli explains. “Depending on the song, I could go smaller, tighter and punchier, or wide and open. Sometimes, I would use old funky cheap mics as room mics and distort them. Other times, it was a pair of Coles, maybe combined with a pair of 87s far up in the room. We did things with drums like pumping them through the reverb chamber or pumping them through guitar amps.”

you can spot the 441 a bunch of times in the video. Este can been seen using it at about the 1min mark.

Closeup of the mic can be seen around 0:10 mark. Elton has been said to use Sennheiser mics in general, and there have been claims of using the 441 in particular. He can also be seen to use this mic as early as 1974, as first seen around 2:27 during a concert in London: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF14ECixT9I I'm not sure if this is the exact microphone model, but it seems to be similar in shape. I was also unable to find an exact date for the mic, but scowering various forums has lead to claims that it was popular during the 1970s, also used in drumming.

According to the "equipment list" found on Church Studios, owned by Epworth, one of the things listed is Sehnheiser MD421.

“Snare top is a Sennheiser MD441."

Used on *Anthem of the Peaceful Army*, as stated by mix engineer Al Sutton in this January 2019 *Sound on Sound* interview. > (...) "I take the Glyn Johns setup as my basis, with an overhead and a side mic equidistant from the snare — I use two drum sticks to measure the distance. I used to use two Mesanovic M2 ribbons for this, but now use two Neumann U67 mics. In addition, my kick mic is the AKG D36, and my snare mics are the Shure SM57 and Neumann Gefell M300, held together by an X clip. I have a mic pointing at the side of the snare which often is called the 'wurst mic' [a term coined by German engineer Moses Schneider for a saturated lo-fi drum mic that delivers a sausage-shaped waveform — Ed.]. I used to use the Neumann UM57 for that, but now it's the Sennheiser MD441. It's really pointy and effected-sounding, and technically you can use that mic for your entire drum sound. My room mics are two Mesonovic ribbons, in a Blumlein setup. All drum mics went through the API, straight into Pro Tools."

She's been using this mic since forever. Fits her voice very well.

"I just bought a Sennheiser 441 because it sounds good on everything, but I really want one of those old RCA ribbon mics on my vocals would be sick."

Used live for saxophone late in life, as is visible in [this January 1, 1989 photo of Fela in the UK](https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/photo-of-fela-kuti-news-photo/91140443) and [this January 1, 1990 photo of Kuti at London's Brixton Academy](https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/photo-of-fela-kuti-fela-kuti-performs-live-at-brixton-academy-london-picture-id85513440).

"This is what happens when you get drunk and go on eBay #JETSV"

Toni Torres use in HCTSOUND recordings and some shows

Greg lake chose the stylish and accurate Sennheiser 441 microphone as his main vocal mic for the technically advanced PA used in the 1977 'Works' Orchestra Tour. Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac began using this mic for their 'Rumors' tour, and it remained her visual trademark for decades.

"I think the old CK12 ['brass ring' capsule] AKG C414 may have been something I used a lot, but it also could've been a Sennheiser [MD]441 on a lot of it too."

Visible in this photo of Stratos and throughout [this 1977 live performance with Area](https://youtu.be/dSQ6k-v8D40?t=42).