Warm Audio WA-1B All-Tube Transformer-Balanced Optical Compressor w/ Cables

Warm Audio WA-1B All-Tube Transformer-Balanced Optical Compressor

All-Tube, Transformer-Balanced Optical Compressor Accurately Recreating World-Class Scandinavian Compression Combining Smooth Tube-Optical Warmth with Precision Controls

The WA-1B accurately recreates world-class Scandinavian compression, combining smooth tube-optical warmth with precision controls. Like its original inspiration, favored by producers and engineers from Chris Lord-Alge to Rick Rubin, the WA-1B delivers that revered “forgiving” musical compression of tube-optical circuitry with speed and control more closely associated with modern dynamics processing. Hand-wired to authentically recreate the sound of a renowned circuit, the WA-1B combines custom large-core transformers from Lundahl Sweden, select tubes from JJ and Tung-Sol, and a premium high-precision optical element for ultra-fast and accurate operation without sacrificing authentic analog warmth.

Tube-Opto Tone with Extended Control: Delivering that revered “forgiving” musical compression with the added speed and control functionality, the WA-1B excels on highly dynamic sources that demand analog warmth.

True-to-Original Controls: To deliver extended dynamics processing, the WA-1B features all of the classic controls of its modern-classic inspiration.

• Threshold: The WA-1B supports a variable threshold giving maximum control to the user regarding how much compression is applied to any signal at various input levels.
• Ratio: The WA-1B ratio is variable and has infinite controls between 2:1 and 10:1. From soft musical dynamic control all the way to hard-smashing compression!
• Attack & Release: The Attack/Release controls on the WA-1B are unique in that the attack/release operations can be switched from a fixed setting, manual (variable) setting, or a combined setting. In the “fixed” mode, the WA-1B delivers the natural attack & release time of the optical element. The combined setting in particular creates the opportunity for a more nuanced release-time curve. This dueling time-constant circuit operation is a special feature of the WA-1B and its original inspiration.
• Meter Switch: The WA-1B meter switch has three settings: input, compression, and output levels. Set to “input”, the VU meter is reading the level at the input connector. Set to “compression”, the VU meter is reading gain reduction. The steady state is "0", and the amount of compression is shown as the needle moving right-to-left away from 0dB. Set to “output”, the VU meter is reading the level at the output connector.
• On/Bypass: The on/bypass switch on the WA-1B activates or bypasses the compressor. This is a hard bypass, meaning no signal passes through the circuitry in bypass mode.

Premium Components: The WA-1B is a 270v circuit with hand-wired through-hole circuitry, and 100% discrete analog signal path. The custom large-core transformers from Lundahl Sweden bring the full Scandinavian-style analog tone of the WA-1B circuit to life. Paired with select tubes from JJ and Tung-Sol, the high-precision optical element applies sweet analog warmth to audio signals with unrivaled accuracy.

Warm Audio PREM-XLR-20 Premier Series Studio & Live XLR Microphone Cable, 20'

Introducing Premium Cables by Warm audio

At Warm, we always put customers front and center in our decision-making. You are the reason that we put so much time and effort into ensuring that the products we bring to market sound amazing, are as affordable as possible and inspire endless creativity - we’re serious about this stuff!

We’re also serious about recording as an art, and we’re always looking for ways to help our customers achieve their sonic goals. With that mission in mind we partnered with Switzerland-based Gotham AG - Europe’s top producer of premium cable - to provide the cable stock for our entire new line of interconnects, and the results have exceeded our expectations!

Highest Quality Possible

With Warm Cables we knew that we wanted to offer the highest quality possible at a price low enough for everyone to afford, with construction robust enough that we could offer a lifetime warranty. Well known as the original supplier to some of the industry’s elite manufacturers (their 3-conductor wire was known simply as “the Neumann Cable” for decades), Gotham’s cable construction techniques and technology now represent the current state-of-the-art. We couldn’t be happier to partner with them on these new cables, and we can’t wait for you to use them!

Premier vs. Pro

Warm makes two lines of cable - Premier and Professional - in order to offer the largest number of options possible in two different price ranges. Both lines take advantage of Gotham’s state-of-the-art construction, offering absolutely stellar audio performance, near-perfect signal transfer and the ultimate in reliability (which is why they both feature a lifetime warranty!). Both cable lines produce fabulous results, but the Premier line adds above-and-beyond features like gold-plated connectors, four-conductor Starquad construction for powerful rejection of EMI and Double-Reussen shielding for increased rejection of RFI. There simply is no better-sounding or more reliable cable on the planet, and Warm Cables don’t come with a gold-plated price tag - these are wires that everyone can afford!

Warm Audio Premier and Pro cables are offered in XLR, XLR to TRS, TS to TS, and TS to angled TS varieties.

What does “StarQuad” mean?

A traditional balanced cable uses three cores of wire to carry the audio signals: one shielded core for the hot/positive leg, one shielded core for the cold/negative leg (which is wired in reverse polarity to the positive leg), and a plain outer wrap that functions as the ground. A balanced audio system effectively rejects most induced noise encountered along the cable’s length by removing signals that are common to both the hot and cold legs.

StarQuad construction takes that concept even further, by using four cores instead of two: two cores each for the hot/positive and cold/negative legs and a single ground. This helps to further shield the audio from RFI (radio frequency interference) even more than a traditional 3-conductor cable.

What is Double-Reussen Shielding?

Most cable construction techniques use an outer wrap of wire to act as the ground. Some manufacturers braid this wire, while others simply wrap the wires in a highly uniform way to shield the interior wires from interference.

Double-Reussen shielding goes much further than more traditional techniques in two ways: First, the cable is wrapped with not one but TWO separate shields, and second, the outer shield is wrapped in a contrary direction to the inner shield. This creates a stronger and more complete shield from RFI for the internal cores, and can result in an astounding reduction of interference. Double-Reussen shielding is a tad more expensive to manufacture, but for those who will accept nothing but the best it represents the pinnacle of current balanced cable technology.