Re: [Harp-L] Torpedo Mic and Nady VHM-7 Vocal/Harmonica Microphone

[nonidesign@xxxxxxx]

For what it's worth:
    I have a bunch of good mics (vintage CRs, CMs, 545s, a couple of nics crystals, SM57s, SM58s etc.) but like all good gear junkies I thought I'd give the commercially available stuff a try. I bought a Nady VHM-7 from Musicians Friend just to try it out. I figured that if I didn't like it I'd swap out the element with one of the elements I already have that need a home (at $50.00 for the mic that's cheap enough for a shell, I guess).
     When I got the mic...well....it sucked. Weak, thin, vaporous tone. Crummy little dynamic element. I didn't expect it to sound like a black label CR but damn, it was worthless. I even tried running it through a Harp Commander to see if the added boost might help. All it did was make it's crappy sound more obvious. I tried it through a bunch of amps including a Kalamazoo 2, a Gibson GA5 from the 50's, a Gibson Discoverer from the 50's, An Ampeg Jet II reissue, a Sonny Jr2 and a Sonny Jr 410. The SJs did more than any of them, but even my 10 year old daughter's Barbie Karaoke mic sounded better (really). Nothing helped the Nady. Blah. 
     The Nady shell looks cool but I scrapped my plan to outfit it with another element because there are vents in the shell just begging to cause feedback. I suppose I could fill them by putting something in the shell, but I was so disappointed in the sound that I returned it on principle. 
     Once I get the refund credit I'm going to get a Shure 520DX with the same plan. I don't expect it to sound like the mics I treasure, but I've played through a 520DX and they do OK, especially through an amp that can help. 
     I'm not pissed about the NADY because all this is just curiousity/research anyway, but if anyone out there is looking to get there first mic, or beginning their gear journey, I'd recommend stearing clear of the Nady VHM-7.
     
I never tried the Bushman Torpedo, but if it was the same as the Nady VHM-7 I wont miss it.  

PS: If Barbie Karaoke mics start going on Ebay for $200.00 don't blame me ;-)

-------------- Original message from "Rick & Dana Siekmann" <dsiekmann@xxxxxxxxxxx>: -------------- 


> Apparently it's the same mic...there was a big discussion over this on the 
> Bushman board. 
> 
> http://bushmanmusic.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=1168&PN=1 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "JJackson7" 
> To: 
> Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 5:16 AM 
> Subject: [Harp-L] Torpedo Mic and Nady VHM-7 Vocal/Harmonica Microphone 
> 
> 
> >I saw this mic and it looks very similar to the Torpedo. 
> > Jim 
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