Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt Dynamic Instrument Microphone

The name is already pretty familiar, so it's little surprise that in the tight form of the Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt, you're getting all of the dynamics and detail of an OG MD 421, just a lot smaller. Redesigned for miking up drums, guitar amplifiers and wind instruments, this microphone is just 12 centimetres long so it can be neatly worked into tighter spaces to mike up the resonant head of a snare or the lower cymbal of a hi-hat. Compared to the original MD 421, the Kompakt edition features an integrated microphone mount, removing the possible horror when you realise you've forever lost the microphone clip. While the body has been shrunk down and the now-unnecessary bass roll-off switch has been removed, what does remain is the enormous dynamic range, the condenser-flavoured detail and the sheer quality of sound this microphone has been capturing since the '60s.