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Post by bluesholyman on Feb 16, 2024 15:46:01 GMT -6
I have been looking for an inexpensive 1U mic preamp since mid last year, largely because I stumbled on a Shure 315 ribbon from the 50s (?) that I love the sound of but my PT Carbon was gained out to get a decent level - I think I even had to use an inline FET boost to get enough juice when testing it out
So I recently found the WA73eq used locally for a decent price just in time for a co-write session I am doing this weekend. Its racked but not wired in yet (need the right cable to use Carbon's line-in instead of mic in.) I excited to have a Neve-style pre in my rack. The most detracting thing I've heard about it is that it does not get "hairy" at high gain like the original Neve's did. Maybe I won't like that, but I don't see it as a problem right now. I supposed I can use a plugin to get that if I want during mixing.
Just wanted to get folks opinion on this unit. It should do me just fine for demo work for a while until I can afford a more "authentic" replica. I do like that it uses IEC connector and not an external PSU. Just a nitpick for me that keeps my 2U rack portable and compact.
Thanks.
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Post by bossanova on Feb 16, 2024 16:52:15 GMT -6
I know someone who really liked hers and used it on recordings (vocalist and keyboard/synth player) all the time. She's a pro and would regularly track a U87 through it, if that makes a difference.
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Post by jacobamerritt on Feb 16, 2024 18:40:56 GMT -6
Ehhhh.... My experience with Warm was sub par. Build quality for the cost didn't feel worth it. It feels to me like Warm is basically becoming another Behringer. 'Cloning' just about anything they can. 'Premium' guitar cables? Guitar pedal rip offs of established brands, and products still in production? Mic Boom arms? ![???](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/huh.png) I'd look elsewhere
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Post by bluesholyman on Feb 16, 2024 19:51:52 GMT -6
Ehhhh.... My experience with Warm was sub par. Build quality for the cost didn't feel worth it. It feels to me like Warm is basically becoming another Behringer. 'Cloning' just about anything they can. 'Premium' guitar cables? Guitar pedal rip offs of established brands, and products still in production? Mic Boom arms? ![???](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/huh.png) I'd look elsewhere I have felt similar about Warm, specifically knockoffs of other stuff at lower price, but having looked around for 1073 style pre, I really couldn't find anything affordable. A used WA73EQ is coming in about $600 and the next closest thing (BAE is double in price.) I suppose there are the Revive Audio Alctrons, but I think I feel better about a used Warm. For $600, I don't see a lot of other options.
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Post by sirthought on Feb 16, 2024 20:01:08 GMT -6
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Post by paulcheeba on Feb 16, 2024 23:32:31 GMT -6
I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole. BAE or Heritage are so much better.
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Post by theshea on Feb 17, 2024 1:40:43 GMT -6
i would also suggest golden age PREMIER instead of „warm“ audio. its up there with my AML ez1073.
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Post by niklas1073 on Feb 17, 2024 2:20:42 GMT -6
Ehhhh.... My experience with Warm was sub par. Build quality for the cost didn't feel worth it. It feels to me like Warm is basically becoming another Behringer. 'Cloning' just about anything they can. 'Premium' guitar cables? Guitar pedal rip offs of established brands, and products still in production? Mic Boom arms? ![???](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/huh.png) I'd look elsewhere I have felt similar about Warm, specifically knockoffs of other stuff at lower price, but having looked around for 1073 style pre, I really couldn't find anything affordable. A used WA73EQ is coming in about $600 and the next closest thing (BAE is double in price.) I suppose there are the Revive Audio Alctrons, but I think I feel better about a used Warm. For $600, I don't see a lot of other options. With hardware it tends to go down the line, you get what you pay for. It is not supposed to be cheap. Good components and especially skilled manufacturing in europe and america is expensive, no way around it. If the eq is not a must, which it often isn’t in todays workflow, the heritage offers their pre only for just over 600 i think. That should be a decent sounding unit within your preferred price range.
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Post by kcatthedog on Feb 17, 2024 3:45:07 GMT -6
I had the double 73 pre eq and quite liked it, no issues with quality and sound. I have never used a neve 73 and didn’t really care about the is it exactly like argument. I have owned Warm gear since it’s beginning and think the quality has gone up. The feel of that pre is much more substantial than the wa76 for example.
It has the good transformers and will get the job done. If the price is right and it seems to be, you could try it and see. If you decided to flip it , you’d have little downside risk.
Good luck.
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Post by ironinthepath on Feb 17, 2024 6:11:23 GMT -6
During the pandemic I happened to be in the middle of a move out of state. I left almost all of my gear behind with the plan of bringing it a few months later once we were settled. With lockdowns, not wanting to fly (or rather my wife not wanting me to) I was basically blocked from retrieving my stuff.
Decided to buy a Motu M4 to get by and keep recording (great little unit btw) but I just wanted more than the stock pres. Ended up buying several used Warm Audio models locally, including WA73eq.
My impression: much more fun to record with the Warm stuff vs stock interface preamps, and I don’t regret buying them for the price I did. It’s totally usable in a pro setting. But…the second I got my main preamps back (Vintech), I immediately knew my ears still obviously preferred my (unfortunately more expensive) pres. Mainly, the WA73eq was almost “too warm”, much more saturated and without the same clarity. But works well on the right things and in the right context. My WA73eq ended up at a pro studio nearby, gets used everyday but not really as their first-choice signal path.
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Post by niklas1073 on Feb 17, 2024 7:01:14 GMT -6
During the pandemic I happened to be in the middle of a move out of state. I left almost all of my gear behind with the plan of bringing it a few months later once we were settled. With lockdowns, not wanting to fly (or rather my wife not wanting me to) I was basically blocked from retrieving my stuff. Decided to buy a Motu M4 to get by and keep recording (great little unit btw) but I just wanted more than the stock pres. Ended up buying several used Warm Audio models locally, including WA73eq. My impression: much more fun to record with the Warm stuff vs stock interface preamps, and I don’t regret buying them for the price I did. It’s totally usable in a pro setting. But…the second I got my main preamps back (Vintech), I immediately knew my ears still obviously preferred my (unfortunately more expensive) pres. Mainly, the WA73eq was almost “too warm”, much more saturated and without the same clarity. But works well on the right things and in the right context. My WA73eq ended up at a pro studio nearby, gets used everyday but not really as their first-choice signal path. Damn, there seem to be two very connected threads going simultaneously here 🤣. But anyway. Yeah, the vibe I get with many clones and gears aimed to the greater masses, is that the marketing relays often on warm sound, saturation, make it organic. Riding on the myth of the vintage sound. All what high end gear never aimed to be nor are. And it touches I think what u describe, too warm and saturated. I don’t want my primary gear to be distortion boxes or low-fi novelties.
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Post by kcatthedog on Feb 17, 2024 9:33:57 GMT -6
I think that overstates the sound of the transformers. This pre is hardly a distortion box.
It is built following the original schematic, that’s why the eq is there, so you can choose to have in signal path of not. With respect, you really should use your own ears, there is never any end to sonic preferences.
With the eq and transformers, in or out of signal path, I think you would find the pre more versatile then you might think .
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Post by bluesholyman on Feb 17, 2024 11:39:31 GMT -6
After reading a number of reviews and opinions across the interweb, it seems the consensus is its great or it sucks. Gotta love the web....
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Post by dok on Feb 17, 2024 13:50:43 GMT -6
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Post by tkaitkai on Feb 17, 2024 14:34:54 GMT -6
I remember being pretty interested in these when they first came out. IIRC, thismercifulfate over at GS (someone I consider very respectable & trustworthy) compared it to a Heritage Elite 73, and the Warm didn't fare so well.
But hey, if it's cheap enough and you have the money to spare, maybe it's worth a shot. There's also that one cheaper line of 1073s that Warren Huart did in partnership with BAE. Might be worth looking into.
That said, if I wanted a cheap-ish 1073, I'd get a Vintech X73i. Double the price of the Warm, but it's a damn good sounding mic pre.
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Post by smashlord on Feb 17, 2024 14:39:45 GMT -6
After reading a number of reviews and opinions across the interweb, it seems the consensus is its great or it sucks. Gotta love the web.... I bet most of them haven’t actually used one either. If there is one thing that never changes, it’s that audio engineers will never pass up an opportunity to be pretentious dweebs on some Internet forum. Here is the skinny: The Warm 73 is great for the $$$. One of the studios I occasionally freelance out of has them in several of their rooms. I tracked regularly on an 8068 for years, still do occasionally, and regularly use BAE 1073s, OG Brent Averill 1073s, 1064s racked 31102s, etc…. I have no problem using a WA-73 because it sounds good enough and I know how to do my damn job. It will not ruin your record. If you have a good performance going into a well-chosen mic, you will get great results with it. That said, I think the Heritage stuff is the best bang for the buck in “Neve” world. The quality/design is a step above the Warm but more affordable than BAE.
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Post by nicksteinborn on Feb 17, 2024 15:04:31 GMT -6
A friend of mine who I trust had a Warm and Heritage on loan and said the Heritage "smoked" the Warm so that's what I went for since they're similarly priced. I can't imagine the Warm is bad at all. Certainly won't be the thing to make a song suck.
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Post by ironinthepath on Feb 17, 2024 16:02:56 GMT -6
I would straight up say (in my opinion) that the WA73eq is not “high end”, but it’s still a professional grade tool., I also realized that the original post mentioned a ribbon mic. I don’t think I’d want to use a ribbon (at least directly, without a cloudlifter or similar) with a WA73 preamp or most 1073 inspired units, highest input impedance setting is typically 1.2k Ohm (and 300 for the lowest). Plenty of people disagree with that though and claim Coles (fairly expensive ribbon) goes great with 1073…. Might be true for loud sources (drums, etc) but for me vocals is a key test.
I’d look into a used Buzz Audio Elixir or RND 511, each having higher input impedance and no need for the compromises from inline JFET booster (cloudlifter, etc.). Very nice sounding but cleaner units, “higher grade” fidelity than WA73 to my ears. If you do buy the warm, consider trying a cloudlifter though.
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Post by ironinthepath on Feb 17, 2024 16:10:09 GMT -6
Agreeing with post above, X73i is awesome. Bought one back in 2005 soon after they came out. Still in my rack (along with three more X73i units I acquired for an amazing deal, and I also have two X73 units, and an X81) as my workhorse pres. I’ve got some other stuff too but if I had to start over on a budget, X73i (or maybe an Aurora Audio) pre would be my first purchase aside from interface and mic (s).
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Post by bluesholyman on Feb 18, 2024 7:07:03 GMT -6
After reading a number of reviews and opinions across the interweb, it seems the consensus is its great or it sucks. Gotta love the web.... I have no problem using a WA-73 because it sounds good enough and I know how to do my damn job. It will not ruin your record. If you have a good performance going into a well-chosen mic, you will get great results with it. I think this is where I sit right now with the WA-73.....it sounds good enough. All I need to do right now is "good enough for a demo" and I think this will do that. Used HAs are $700'ish and thats just beyond what I can spend right now. Did a scratch acoustic recording last night with a '70s Martin D-35 (signal chain below) and it was decent. I can upgrade later as I can afford to. My main workhorse mic is a Lewitt LCT 840 -> WA73eq -> PT Carbon. And then plugin-palooza after that as needed. My only other LDC is a Warbler MkIII, then an Earthworks Ethos, and a smattering of dynamics (mostly for electric.)
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Post by audiospecific on Feb 18, 2024 7:40:05 GMT -6
I have no problem using a WA-73 because it sounds good enough and I know how to do my damn job. It will not ruin your record. If you have a good performance going into a well-chosen mic, you will get great results with it. I think this is where I sit right now with the WA-73.....it sounds good enough. All I need to do right now is "good enough for a demo" and I think this will do that. Used HAs are $700'ish and thats just beyond what I can spend right now. Did a scratch acoustic recording last night with a '70s Martin D-35 (signal chain below) and it was decent. I can upgrade later as I can afford to. My main workhorse mic is a Lewitt LCT 840 -> WA73eq -> PT Carbon. And then plugin-palooza after that as needed. My only other LDC is a Warbler MkIII, then an Earthworks Ethos, and a smattering of dynamics (mostly for electric.) I didn't think it was bad when I went over to someone that wanted me to evaluate it. Because a little different can help you as it would naturally sit different in the mix compared to all of the same mic preamp. If someone wanted me to come up with a mod, it would be changing some resistors and caps out with a cocktail combination like Neve would have used in his branded and custom designed mixers (like Amek).
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Post by bluesholyman on Feb 18, 2024 7:53:14 GMT -6
I think this is where I sit right now with the WA-73.....it sounds good enough. All I need to do right now is "good enough for a demo" and I think this will do that. Used HAs are $700'ish and thats just beyond what I can spend right now. Did a scratch acoustic recording last night with a '70s Martin D-35 (signal chain below) and it was decent. I can upgrade later as I can afford to. My main workhorse mic is a Lewitt LCT 840 -> WA73eq -> PT Carbon. And then plugin-palooza after that as needed. My only other LDC is a Warbler MkIII, then an Earthworks Ethos, and a smattering of dynamics (mostly for electric.) I didn't think it was bad when I went over to someone that wanted me to evaluate it. Because a little different can help you as it would naturally sit different in the mix compared to all of the same mic preamp. If someone wanted me to come up with a mod, it would be changing some resistors and caps out with a cocktail combination like Neve would have used in his branded and custom designed mixers (like Amek).
Any thoughts on the Revive Audio mod for this? If I wanted to get it "tweaked" that would probably be where I'd go first, largely because its the only service I am aware of.
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Post by audiospecific on Feb 18, 2024 8:04:33 GMT -6
Ehhhh.... My experience with Warm was sub par. Build quality for the cost didn't feel worth it. It feels to me like Warm is basically becoming another Behringer. 'Cloning' just about anything they can. 'Premium' guitar cables? Guitar pedal rip offs of established brands, and products still in production? Mic Boom arms? ![???](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/huh.png) I'd look elsewhere This was one of the reasons why I have been hesitant to crank out a line of clones. I don't want to be associated with ripping off a design. I do think there is a market for nice sounding stuff that don't break the bank. And I want to accomplish it as a mile marker on my path as a master builder. Instead of having just a product out there built with someone else's template of design. I think variety is the spice of life and gear choices for people to choose from should reflect that.
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Post by audiospecific on Feb 18, 2024 8:19:45 GMT -6
I didn't think it was bad when I went over to someone that wanted me to evaluate it. Because a little different can help you as it would naturally sit different in the mix compared to all of the same mic preamp. If someone wanted me to come up with a mod, it would be changing some resistors and caps out with a cocktail combination like Neve would have used in his branded and custom designed mixers (like Amek).
Any thoughts on the Revive Audio mod for this? If I wanted to get it "tweaked" that would probably be where I'd go first, largely because its the only service I am aware of. I used to have a client list of 4 label studios years ago. But I have been on the fence releasing a website for it verses doing it the way I used to do it: I would travel to the studio, do repairs and on modifications, customize it for them for their applications and hardware setup. Because I can come with generic mods. However, customizing it to work better with the other equipment seem to yield nicer results.
I haven't found a picture of the inside of their mod to give you a commentary on their mod. But I can give you a commentary of Warm's build. Looking at their build really reflects on how well they tried cloning it.
Looking at their stock warm build, the most important things to get the sounds are the tantalum and polystyrene caps (which both have good sounding surface mounts available and I think BAE and others uses that with better polymer electrolytic caps) The electrolytic they stuffed in as well as the box polyester and polypropylene film caps is probably an ok combination and probably wouldn't need a gross recap. The all metal film design, I would replace with the mixture commonly used in the consoles (low noise carbon film and industrial metal films) Then evaluate and touch up the EQ caps if it needs it. For me, I don't look into gross replacing things as a way to do a modification, rather I mod to try to achieve the desired results instead of a generic improvement. The tantalum and polystyrene capacitors, I want to say, is 80% of the Neve sound, the transformers, somewhat but there are a lot of nice transformer combinations that work just as well as the Carnhills, but the resistor combination is really the other part of the signature sound. I would have to say, it would be in the neighborhood of $250-$300 for a decent mod.
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Post by eq on Feb 18, 2024 9:45:35 GMT -6
Wow that's really a good deal I have been on the hunt for stereo mic pre on the fence between IAA (QPP/QP5)c and Stam ( 1073MPA) dragging my feet as I haven't had any time ( in the middle of a home renovation project) most of my purchase from last year still sealed in box, but man $500/channel with EQ. Only hesitation was an issue Phoenix audio had with their OPAMPs and maybe something else. Not sure if it affected the orginal versions or MK2 units. Based on what I have read these seem to exist somewhere between API and Neve ? Anyone have experience with the DRS-4 MKII ?
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