Warm Audio WA-67 Tube Powered Microphone w/ WA12 MKII Black Microphone Preamp

Warm Audio WA-67 Tube Powered Studio Recording Condenser Microphone

WA-67: Another Legend Reborn

The original ’67 became one of the most sought-after and widely-used studio microphones of its time, recording a massive collection of some of the most memorable songs of the last 50 years - we’re talking about classic tracks from artists as varied as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Temptations and Nirvana! The original mics are still sought after, but they can command upwards of $8000 for a pristine unit, putting them far out of reach for most recordists.

Thankfully, Warm Audio has now changed that scenario with the release of the new WA-67! Based around an EF86 pentode tube and having the same smooth and creamy tone of the original, the WA-67 excels at recording just about anything that you put it in front of, and it may immediately become your go-to choice for vocals, guitars, drum toms and overheads, pianos, brass and strings.

Going All Out

At Warm, we’re passionate about killer studio tools and we take our responsibility to our customers seriously. That means that we don’t make “look-alike” gear that doesn’t deliver, and we take considerable time and effort to get as close as possible to both the heart and the soul of an original design. We went to great lengths to recreate the discrete circuit of the original microphone, using boutique components throughout to ensure that nothing got in the way of pure tube magic. The sound and vibe of the original ’67 is recreated in our WA-67, and we take great pride in being able to make such a high-quality microphone available to everyone at an unheard of price.

The Capsule: The Heart of a Microphone

Even if you stuff a microphone full of premium components, if the capsule isn’t right, nothing is - it’s that critical. Knowing this we went to great lengths to recreate the capsule from the original ’67, making sure that ours performs the same way, has the same frequency response and contributes to the same chewy character as the original. That meant not only ensuring that the hole pattern was identical, but we also made sure to craft the entire assembly out of brass (including the mounting rings) just like the original design. It takes more time and it’s more expensive than using multiple types of material, but we felt that it was critical to go the extra mile on this microphone. The results speak for themselves - the WA-67 sounds absolutely stellar!

The Guts and the Glory

The EF-86 tube is well-known in the industry for having characteristics that are consistently flattering to audio sources, and it’s one of the reasons why the original ’67 microphone remains sought after (and why some modern audio manufacturers use it in their own hyper-expensive microphones and preamps). We knew that it was critical to get absolutely right in the WA-67, and we’re thrilled with the results.

Going even further, in order to accentuate and complement the custom capsule and EF86 tube, we used top-shelf components to complete our version of the original circuit. We used high-bandwidth polystyrene capacitors, as well as boutique polypropylene caps from Wima and a large output capacitor from Solen. Just as important in a tube design, we also used a custom large-core transformer from Lundahl in Sweden, which plays a significant role in the buttery smooth high frequency response and huge three-dimensional sound of the WA-67. The microphone is also encased in a beautiful nickel-plated brass body and headbasket, which provides strength, additional shielding from extraneous handling noise and the ultimate in audio performance.

Last but not certainly not least, the quality of the 7-pin cable that connects a tube mic to its power supply is also of paramount importance - it carries both audio signals and voltage for the tube on different pins, which means that it plays an integral role in the performance of the microphone. That’s why we’ve partnered with high-end manufacturer Gotham Audio of Switzerland to use their high-end GAC-7 cable with the WA-67. This special cable is integral to the sound and performance of the microphone, and adds the finishing touch to the WA-67 system.

Warm Audio WA12 MKII Black Discrete Microphone Preamp, Cinemag Transformers

Raising The Volume

A lot of preamps on the market do a good job of raising the volume of microphones and instruments, but many pres today are doing only that: raising the volume. These “super clean” designs often leave the signal exiting the preamp sounding much the same as it did entering it, which ends up requiring a lot of work in post-production to get instruments to wake up and sound big in a mix.

If you’re looking for a preamp to actually improve and shape your signal instead, you will most definitely love the WA12 MKII Black. This preamp is designed to transform the tone of plain instruments and vocals into exciting sounds that can stand on their own - so if your mixes lack depth, struggle to sound alive, or are just missing that professional touch you’ve always wanted, the the WA12 MKII Black is the affordable answer.

Packed With Performance

The WA12 MKII Black is a completely discrete, high voltage, dual-transformer microphone preamplifier design with high gain (+71dB), high headroom, low noise, and exciting sonic performance – which makes it an ideal choice for all types of recording applications. A high-quality mic preamp is one of the most critical pieces needed to achieve that elusive ‘larger than life’ sound, and the WA12 MKII Black delivers on that promise every single time.

Premium Components

The WA12 MKII Black is based around the X731 discrete op-amp, which is our own reproduction of the classic Melcor 1731 - considered by some to be the warmer predecessor to the modern 2520-style op-amp. The X731 can achieve vibrant, clean and lifelike tones, but it can also be driven into mild saturation at much higher gain levels. While the effects of that saturation can range from subtle to obvious, they always remain very pleasing to the ear, and because it was designed around the X731 the WA12 MKII Black can accept any discrete op-amp on the market that conforms to the +/-16v, 2520 pinout standard.

Our ears played a big part in the process of designing the WA12 MKII Black, and we didn’t stop tweaking until anything we ran through it sounded better. Using CineMag USA transformers and an all-discrete signal path, we ensured that this preamp would have the building blocks to compete with the best-sounding preamps on the market, and we’re very proud to offer such a robust and professional design in a small and affordable package.

Warm Audio PREM-XLR-15 Premier Series Studio & Live XLR Microphone Cable, 15'

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.