Warm Audio WA-67 Tube Microphone - Secondhand

Full Description

No compromises

When it comes to Warm Audio, there's absolutely no compromises. Not only do their microphones look the part, they sound it too. A great amount of time and effort was spent during the research and design stage to ensure that the WA-67 is as close as it can get to its predecessor. No expenses were spared in the lengths the company went to when it came to recreating the tube microphone's discrete circuitry. The capsule that lies within the WA-67 is virtually identical, not only is it constructed entirely out of brass, it also features the exact same hole pattern as the original. Warm Audio ensured that only the finest boutique components were used to guarantee that the end result was nothing short of exceptional.

Finest quality components

Each and every component was carefully considered and sourced from a wide variety of suppliers. Boutique polypropylene caps were chosen from Wima and a large output capacitor from Solen. The on-board transformer was sourced from Lundahl in Sweden, this is one of the key components that allows the WA-67 to achieve its signature smooth, detailed frequency response and larger-than-life 3D sound. For maximum aesthetic appeal, the tube microphones comes complete in a sleek nickel-plated brass body and headbasket. Not only does this provide optimised protection, it also helps protect the microphone from electrical interference.

Custom-made, premium cables

Although easy to over-look. Warm Audio desire to provide their customers with the greatest components possible. That's why lots of time was spent learning about the inner workings of 7-pin cables. The end-result of this hard work saw the collaboration between Warm Audio and Swiss company, Gotham Audio. The GAC-7 cable is the perfect pairing. Sonically superior, it enhances top end presence and guarantees a tight, focused image with minimal phase shift.

Which polar pattern should I use?

Boasting three polar patterns, the WA-67 is a real work-horse;

Cardioid is excellent for delivering a tight-focused sound, whilst providing excellent off-axis rejection of around -6dB of unwanted noise and ambience. This is a great polar pattern to rely on when recording live performances, either on-stage, or, in-the-studio.

Figure-8 picks up sound from the front and the back of the capsule whilst rejecting all sound coming from the side. This pattern has been a go-to trick for many producers recording two background vocals. When paired with another figure-8 microphone and carefully positioned it can also work wonders on capturing vocals and guitar from a single performer simultaneously. However, beware. Utilising this positioning enhances close proximity effect which can lead to an unnatural amount of low-end being reproduced by the microphone. There's good reason why many radio broadcasters opt for this pattern!

When you want to capture natural recordings it doesn't get much better than omni. Omnidirectional means that sound is picked up by the capsule within a 360 degree radius. Selecting this pattern allows you to get up-close on sources without the risk of proximity effect being introduced. This is a favoured pattern for many Grammy award winning engineers and producers when recording multiple string and brass players. It can also make the "Levee Break" when heavily compressed and used for drum room microphones!

Features

• Large diaphragm studio condenser microphone
• Faithful re-creation of the classic ’67-style pentode tube circuit
• Creamy, warm tones thanks to EF86 pentode tube
• Custom large-core Swedish Lundahl transformer
• Custom all-brass large K67-style vintage capsule re-creation
• Gold-sputtered Mylar diaphragm, 6 microns thick
• High-bandwidth polystyrene capacitors
• Boutique capacitors from Wima and Solen
• Ultimate acoustic performance via nickel-plated brass microphone body and headbasket
• Premium Swiss Gotham 7-pin tube cable

Specifications

• Polar Patterns: Cardioid, Fig. 8, Omnidirectional
• Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20kHz
• Rated Impedance: 200 ohms
• Rated Load Impedance: 1 Kilo Ohms
• Equivalent Noise Level (A-Weighted): 17 DB-A
• Maximum SPL for THD: 0.5 percent 138dB
• Signal to Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): 78dB
• Product Code: WA-67