Warm WA12 preamp

just got this baby in for testing.  It reproduced my crackling voice fine, but I think I'll wait for a real guitarist to actually play anything.
 
Nice sounding unit, esp. for the price.
 
If any of the DFW gang are interested in hearing it, pm me or get in contact via our group.  Reece, I know you are interested in such preamps.
 
@

NO NO NO!  Evil one!  do not tempt me!!!

I had never heard of this one before, I had to look it up.  a "warm" discrete 312 clone with input & output transformers.  I'd like to know more about what's under the hood on those transformers and their "unique" discrete components for the amp.

71dB of gain - that's pretty sweet.

it appears to be a 1/2 rack size - is that correct? 

and priced just under the GAP unit.  which, BTW AT, I sold my GAP73 - did you know that?  I wasn't using it and decided to sell it.  made a profit on it, too.

Anyway - this looks really sweet, but I'm not sure I'm tempted right now to buy it.  I would love to hear it, tho, and hear what others think of it.

Cinemag input trannie, I think.  1/2 rack.  I knew you sold the Gap a while back.  Glad somebody is making money selling equipment.

feel free to stop by and check it out if you get over from Ft. Worth.  Maybe I'll be over that way sometime.

@

I had never heard of it before this post.

It seems nice.

I find it hard to review the ad copy about the revolutionary new low pricing without feeling a bit bemused.

At $450 per channel for a wall wart powered appliance in a mini box, it is priced right about exactly where everything else is priced. It almost makes the genuine API 3124+ I bought for $2300 ($575/ch) seem like a bargain, because it's convenient to have everything all in one box.

Does it go all the way to 28dBu output with out clipping?

I hope it sounds great... It should for that price.

I hope you have fun with it.


best regards,
mike

Funny, one of their ads popped up at the bottom of a forum (Gearsluz, I believe) and I had a look at it last night.

Half rack unit?  Is it a one space height?  I've got a hole next to the VTB1 that's empty.  I was kind of saving it for a half rack compressor or eq to team up with the VTB1.

Beagle


NO NO NO!  Evil one!  do not tempt me!!!

I had never heard of this one before, I had to look it up.  a "warm" discrete 312 clone with input & output transformers.  I'd like to know more about what's under the hood on those transformers and their "unique" discrete components for the amp.

71dB of gain - that's pretty sweet.

it appears to be a 1/2 rack size - is that correct? 

and priced just under the GAP unit.  which, BTW AT, I sold my GAP73 - did you know that?  I wasn't using it and decided to sell it.  made a profit on it, too.

Anyway - this looks really sweet, but I'm not sure I'm tempted right now to buy it.  I would love to hear it, tho, and hear what others think of it.

You weren't using your GAP73?  Was it because you had something better, not recording or it disappointed you?  I've been eyeing those units.

Mod Bod

Beagle


NO NO NO!  Evil one!  do not tempt me!!!

I had never heard of this one before, I had to look it up.  a "warm" discrete 312 clone with input & output transformers.  I'd like to know more about what's under the hood on those transformers and their "unique" discrete components for the amp.

71dB of gain - that's pretty sweet.

it appears to be a 1/2 rack size - is that correct? 

and priced just under the GAP unit.  which, BTW AT, I sold my GAP73 - did you know that?  I wasn't using it and decided to sell it.  made a profit on it, too.

Anyway - this looks really sweet, but I'm not sure I'm tempted right now to buy it.  I would love to hear it, tho, and hear what others think of it.

You weren't using your GAP73?  Was it because you had something better, not recording or it disappointed you?  I've been eyeing those units.

the GAP73 is excellent for a 1/2 rack single mic pre for the price if you're looking for that Neve type clone.  I bought it hoping it would do good on my vocals, but discovered I did not like it as much as I thought I would.  to me, the transformer I/O was a much harsher sound than that of even the starved plate dual path tube pres or even the solid state pres on my MOTU or Mackie.
 
I did like it, it gave character to the input and the transformer gain was very tweakable.  it just wasn't what I wanted.  to me, that means that this 312 clone probably won't be what I like either, at least not for vocals (my primary instrument).

Mike et al,

They are brand new - no major reviews out yet.  it is not a clone, but based on the API: Bryce @ Warm was going for an old-school sound.  I plugged in a mic last night and my crackly voice was reasonably reproduced.  One funny thing - on the headphones my voice sounded a lot brighter when I punched in the tone button.  It bumps the impedance up (I know you'll love that feature, Mike).  But on playback my voice didn't sound nearly so bright.  Some kind of psychological something must be going on.  Anybody got any ideas?

DI guitar sounded very good.  We'll see if a real player sounds as good.  I did distort it when pumping up the vol, but that was operator error, not a flaw.

I also ran a hand drum through it (bodrum).  Worked very well - punchy and full.

Hopefully over the weekend I can get some real testing done, not just make sure the unit is working.  And next week I'll take it to the studio and shoot it out w/ a real API preamp.

Overall, I'm already impressed, if in an unscientific way.  The sound, well, sounds substantial.  The gain knob is very even and stepped, making it easy to dial in separate gain amounts.  That in itself is a big step up from many interface knobs, where you turn and turn and much of the useful gain is in the last bit of twist.  There is no metering.

It sounds good so far - I'll know more in a week or so about how it stands up to the big boys. 

As far as the api 3124, Mike, that is a classic and  a great way to get 4 preamps.  But  individual API modules cost considerably more than the $450 asking price of the WA12.  And many users don't need 4 amps - well, they might, but can't swing it.  Even the couple hundred dollars difference puts the kabash on such a purchase.  from what I can tell Warm is trying to make a nicely spec'ed preamp w/ good components that doesn't want modding - like some are doing to the GaP, replacing transformers.

@

I don't want to hijack the thread but since you guys are talking about warm sounding pres...

I was talking to a friend in Nashville who has the same affinity with classic tones of yesteryear and he mentioned taking an ART PRO MPA and changing out the tubes with Telefunkens.  He's compared the sound side by side with a $5000 unit and said the sound was quite similar and definitely had bang for the buck.  His favorite pres are Telefunken V72s.

Mod Bod


I don't want to hijack the thread but since you guys are talking about warm sounding pres...

I was talking to a friend in Nashville who has the same affinity with classic tones of yesteryear and he mentioned taking an ART PRO MPA and changing out the tubes with Telefunkens.  He's compared the sound side by side with a $5000 unit and said the sound was quite similar and definitely had bang for the buck.  His favorite pres are Telefunken V72s.

The ART Pro Channel is my next planned purchase and I will plan on updating the tubes.  I currently have an ART TPS II and it's really not bad at all.  that's why i'm not in a hurry to buy it.  I'd really like to have a UA LA-610, but that's just way out of my price range and I think the ProChannel might be pretty close to that UA unit.