Warm Audio WA273-EQ 2-Channel Mic/Line/Instrument Preamp, 3-Band EQ w/ PDB Passive DI Box

Warm Audio WA273-EQ 2-Channel Mic/Line/Instrument Preamp with 3-Band EQ

A Dual Channel '73 For The Rest Of Us

If there’s one style of preamp that professional engineers would unanimously agree has defined the tone of pop/rock records for decades, it would most definitely be the venerable '73-style of mic pre. '73-style preamps have been massively used in recording and live applications for many years and are still considered to be the “Holy Grail” of preamp choices today.  The Warm Audio “WA73 Family” consists of single and dual channel '73-style preamps (with & w/out EQ), that each pay careful homage to British audio history.

When we at Warm Audio decided to release the WA273-EQ it was imperative that it met vintage expectation in both design and performance.  The tone and sweet character that vintage '73-style mic preamps impart is so unique and familiar, that we had only the pure desire to release sonically accurate reproductions. After years of R&D, careful reverse-engineering, and countless hours of auditioning, the WA273-EQ has been born.

The WA273-EQ is a “Desert Island” boutique preamp, but it can also be classified as a studio and live work-horse.  Classic '73-style preamps are known for being versatile tools that work with all kinds of microphones from Condenser, to Dynamic, to Ribbon.  The WA273-EQ equally shines on all types of microphones and sources including; vocals, acoustic/electric guitars, bass, drums, percussion, orchestras, keyboards, and even as a tone shaping tool to run partial or complete mixes through.  With 80dB of gain and a fully discrete Carnhill Transformer balanced signal path, there’s no recording, mixing or engineering task that the WA273-EQ can’t handle.

Hand Wired & Hand Assembled

Classic '73-style preamps were often hand-wired and so is the WA273-EQ!  Guru’s claim that a portion of the sought after classic British tone can be attributed to the hand-wired nature of the build. The WA273-EQ is hand-wired and hand assembled, including the pcb components that are all populated by hand.

UK Custom Carnhill Transformers

Enthusiasts unequivocally get excited about the components used in classic '73-style British preamps.  The signal transformers are a common topic of conversation.  Vintage units used various versions of transformers throughout the years, but the most coveted were the earliest versions.  These are regarded as the most desirable choice due to their fluid and forgiving nature.  They saturate sweetly when pushed, and have been known to make engineers cry when they hear how beautiful their mixes sound through them! Warm Audio worked closely with Carnhill Transformers of Cambridgeshire, UK, to design faithful reproductions of these most coveted, early version transformers.  We at Warm Audio have not yet heard a modern day '73-style preamp sound as sweet and musical as does our WA273-EQ with these beautiful custom Transformers.

Capacitors & Signal Path

An important part of these classic British circuits not often discussed is the different styles of capacitors and output transistor used.  We found it important to maintain integrity to the original design by using tantalum and polystyrene capacitors in the signal path and an output transistor choice that is much smoother in the high gain settings than what is typically found in modern '73-style reproductions.
 

UK Blore Edwards Switch-Pots

A great sounding '73-style circuit should be just as reliable as it is great sounding. The complex dual concentric switch potentiometers in the EQ sections of the WA273-EQ are made in the UK by Blore Edwards who manufacture military spec switches and potentiometers.  The use of Blore-Edwards components is no small inclusion for a '73-style preamp-eq in this price range.

Warm Audio PDB Passive DI Direct Box for Guitar Bass Keyboards, Rugged Aluminum

circuit options

Whether you play guitar, bass, keyboards or another stringed instrument, you'll need a direct box that won't diminish your instrument's tone, like the Direct Box Passive from Warm Audio. Built around world-famous CineMag USA Transformer topology and engineering, like no other DI Boxes in the world. Constructed with top-tier discrete components housed in rugged aluminum chassis' that include switches, knobs and connectors that are all designed to withstand heavy abuse on the road or in the studio.

Made with USA Custom CineMag Transformers

Every aspect of our direct boxes are designed for maximum sonic integrity, from the custom-wound CineMag USA transformer to the rugged metal knob and switches. You can expect warm, rich tone even after long cable runs, and the extruded aluminum enclosure ensures a long life span. When you need to convert an instrument-level signal to mic-level, with sonic quality as your top priority, you'll be well-served with the Direct Box Passive from Warm Audio.

New DI Box Experience

Warm Audio DI boxes offer the rare versatility of having an onboard variable pad knob which attenuates your input signal all the way from -3dB to -30dB, which will easily tame any instrument input source.

Both of our Direct Boxes offer a Thru-put jack that is jumpered to the input jack. It is a convenience jack allowing you to send your instrument's signal to a second place in addition to the live mixer or recording device. Our Direct Boxes can also take a recorded signal at line level and send it to another line input while simultaneously sending signal out of the XLR mic level output of the Direct Box.

Typical Applications for a DI box

Connecting electronic instruments such as guitar, bass, keyboard, or drum machines directly to a PA or recording system. Simply put, a DI box converts the high impedance, unbalanced output signals to low impedance, balanced output signals. By doing so, the instrument signals are now converted to the proper voltage level for the PA or recording system - which greatly reduces and/or eliminates connections which could cause tonal shifts and distortion.