Sennheiser’s new MD 421 Kompakt with the optional Drum Clip has been turning heads wherever I’ve been in the last four months. Based on the company’s iconic MD 421, that’s been a mainstay microphone in almost every studio I’ve worked in over the last four decades, the new ‘Kompakt’ is just that – a smaller, lighter version of the original. Great sounding on a variety of sources, including drums, guitar cabinets and even vocals, MD 421 Kompakt sounds crisp and full toned, giving size are realism to drums and guitar amps, in some cases without ever feeling the urgent need to reach for EQ. That is a rare gift for any microphone, particularly live.

The MD 421 Kompakt with Drum Clip is significantly lighter than the original (only 159 grams rather than 385), featuring a shock-absorbent drum mount that’s both highly refined and ergonomic. With no moving parts other than a screw that mounts the mic to its clip, and the tilt adjustment of the mic itself, the Kompakt is robust and bullet-proof. It handles the indiscriminate knocks and relentless shaking suffered by any mic mounted to a drum without batting an eyelid, it’s quick to setup and features a neat cable holder that’s positioned perfectly directly behind the base of the clip.

The clip’s shape is reminiscent of the Sennheiser logo, its swooping curve allowing the mic to be positioned closer to, or further away from, a drum head, depending on your requirements. The only minor gripe I find is that, being slightly S-curved, when the mic is backed away it can no longer be positioned directly over the skin of the drum. If you want to use these mics directly over a drum head from slightly further away, you’ll need to use a stand rather than the clip.

Sonically, like it’s forebear, the Kompakt is clear and detailed, but without the fragility often associated with this sort of open microphone response. It cops significant SPL with no audible distortion, and with its squared-off, signature band across the middle of its external housing, the mic is resistant to plosives. It’s great on horns, vocals, drums and guitars and its smaller stature allows it to be placed in awkward places or be less visible on camera.

Sennheiser is renowned for its drum and instrument mics, and the MD 421 Kompakt adds strength to the company’s already impressive stable. Its pedigree is clearly audible (as well as visible), the mic itself being sonically ‘identical’ – according to Sennheiser – to the MD 421-II, which is still a mainstay of the Sennheiser brand to this day.

The main advantages of the Kompakt over the original MD 421-II are several. The Kompakt clips directly onto the metal hoops of drums, remaining firmly positioned without the need for tightening a screw, since there isn’t one! It’s smaller size (122mm long, rather than 215mm) makes it far more capable of being positioned on a drumkit without it clattering into cymbals and other hardware, and it’s also far less conspicuous on a kit overall. You only have to look at the photo below article showing Sennheiser’s stable of drum mics and their relative sizes (or old ’80s video clips that featured MD 421-IIs on drums) to see how much space they consumed above toms, in particular. High cymbals were a must back in the ’80s for this reason alone!

Very few drum mics are as iconic as the original Sennheiser MD 421, and like a young actor with famous parents, the new MD 421 Kompakt seems destined to inherit the spotlight from its namesake. It helps that the Kompakt is also about half the price of the original, allowing buyers to potentially purchase three or four rather than one or two. Combined with its superb build quality, ergonomic design, clear and dynamic response, and all-round versatility in front of countless sound sources, the Kompakt is a fantastic modern take on a Sennheiser classic.