Originally designed for speech and vocals the Sennheiser MD408 N is a solid, reliable, workhorse microphone which is useful for many tasks. It performs well on guitar cabs, delivering a rich beefy sound with plenty of midrange punch. The flexible gooseneck makes it particularly easy to position. It is also useful on snare and a variety of percussion. Once again the gooseneck is very handy for manoeuvring in awkward spaces. Being a super-cardioid it also has excellent feedback rejection.
Some microphones were destined to appear with the stars, glittering centre stage with Elvis or Tina Turner or David Bowie. Others however, never quite made it to the limelight. Back in the 60’s and 70’s the MD408 N was often used as a humble studio talkback mic. Even so, when it comes to dull publicity photos the shot below takes a lot of beating!
The MD408 also has a silent on/off switch which is very handy if it is used for talkback or as a lectern mic. The neat square plastic actuator has sadly gone missing on mine but you can see it in the publicity photo.
CLICK HERE to listen to the MD408 on rock’n’roll Guitar at a live show.
Conclusion
Whilst it may not have the kudos and charisma of the more famous Sennheiser Models such as the MD421 and MD441 it is nevertheless a recommended addition to any collection.
Martin Mitchell's Microphones 