The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > RECORD

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 01-03-2019, 09:40 AM
KevWind's Avatar
KevWind KevWind is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edge of Wilderness Wyoming
Posts: 19,887
Default PSA Warm Audio WA 251 affordable classic inspired tube mic

Disclosure I have not tried this mic , That said:

Warm Audio is a USA based company that has a reputation for bringing classic design based hardware and mic's to the market, at affordable prices. They design and spec the products and have them manufactured overseas (in China) I believe, to what they claim are exacting standards .

Perhaps anyone who has one of their products can offer perspective.

For those that may not be aware the Classic Telefunken ELAM 251 is one of handful of classic mic designs U67 ,, U47,, C-12 ,, that have survived the test of time and are still considered to part of recording legend.
There are numerous modern mics based on and trying to reproduce these classic mic sounds in all price categories .

Interestingly enough early this fall I decided to finally get a good tube mic.
I had pretty much decided to get a good U47 or U67 inspired mic and had budgeted about $3k . And ADK came to my attention.. In a studio audition side by side comparison (my to surprise ) I chose the 251 based mic as the best sounding on my voice .

So back to OP:

IF this Warm Audio offering is even 70 - 80 percent there, at 1/3 to 1/4 the price of my ADK, and over 1/10 th the price of the current Telefunken 251 price, it could well be an excellent value in mic choice .

https://warmaudio.com/wa-251/

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...ser-microphone
__________________
Enjoy the Journey.... Kev...

KevWind at Soundcloud

KevWind at YouYube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD

System :
Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1

Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Ventura 12.2.1
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-04-2019, 07:24 PM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Coastal Washington State
Posts: 44,927
Default

Hi Kev,

I have no experience with the Warm Audio WA-251, but I do have experience with the Warm Audio WA-47. I started a thread on this subject HERE.

I talked to my Sweetwater sales guy about the WA-47 before I bought it and he said that the studio guys had very good things to say about this mic. I have tried this mic on several videos already since I bought it and I like the sound of it.

Sweetwater seems to like the Warm Audio gear and gives the products high praise across their line of equipment. The reviews on the WA-47 mic tend to be good, suggesting that the mic is well worth the cost even if it's not an exact duplicate of the revered Neumann U-47.

- Glenn
__________________
My You Tube Channel
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-05-2019, 07:15 AM
MikeMcKee MikeMcKee is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,228
Default

Not a mic, but I purchased the Warm Audio WA-273-EQ Preamp in 2018. Researched a lot and tried several others until I came upon this one...it had just been released. Exactly what I was looking for, and totally pleased with it.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-05-2019, 08:37 AM
KevWind's Avatar
KevWind KevWind is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edge of Wilderness Wyoming
Posts: 19,887
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeMcKee View Post
Not a mic, but I purchased the Warm Audio WA-273-EQ Preamp in 2018. Researched a lot and tried several others until I came upon this one...it had just been released. Exactly what I was looking for, and totally pleased with it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Glennwillow View Post
Hi Kev,

I have no experience with the Warm Audio WA-251, but I do have experience with the Warm Audio WA-47. I started a thread on this subject HERE.

I talked to my Sweetwater sales guy about the WA-47 before I bought it and he said that the studio guys had very good things to say about this mic. I have tried this mic on several videos already since I bought it and I like the sound of it.

Sweetwater seems to like the Warm Audio gear and gives the products high praise across their line of equipment. The reviews on the WA-47 mic tend to be good, suggesting that the mic is well worth the cost even if it's not an exact duplicate of the revered Neumann U-47.

- Glenn
Great input guys , I thought some people here had experience with Warm Audio but could not specifically remember who .

While I do not have any Warm Audio products, I know they very popular and highly regarded as a good value/quality to cost, option, in between the low and high end gear. And the mics are highly regarded in the sub $1k price range

If the WA 251 does indeed follow the sound characteristics of the Original ELAM 251 in comparison to other vintage mic design/sound , then it will likely have a slight bit more high end detail than say the 47 sound, but the 47 will likely be a bit "warmer" (no pun intended) and perhaps forgiving, throughout the entire frequency range ( At least that was my impression when auditioning the ADK offerings).

Glenn I agree I do not think exact replication is really the meaningful standard. I think that while following the basic design theories of the different mics the characteristics will follow suit in the general sense and the resulting modern mics with arguably better more consistent and probably more reliable components , will be excellent mics in and of themselves, if not complete exact replica's sound wise.


The history of the 251 is kind of interesting in that basically in the 50's Telefunken had the distribution rights for Neumann microphones But when Telefunken stopped production of the The VF-14 tube in 1958 (used by Neumann in his U47 mic). That distribution contract also ended . Telefunken then decided to bring a new mic to market and partnered with AKG and based this mic on the AKG C-12 capsule and the ELAM 251 was born .
__________________
Enjoy the Journey.... Kev...

KevWind at Soundcloud

KevWind at YouYube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD

System :
Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1

Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Ventura 12.2.1

Last edited by KevWind; 01-05-2019 at 09:15 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-05-2019, 10:37 AM
Brent Hahn Brent Hahn is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 3,066
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by KevWind View Post
... when Telefunken stopped production of the The VF-14 tube in 1958 (used by Neumann in his U47 mic). That distribution contract also ended .
Interesting that Neumann would stop making their flagship mic because one component dried up. And that specific tube has since been shown not to be all that crucial.

Compare and contrast with AKG -- when the brass capsule in the their 414 started being a problem, they first swapped in a Teflon one which sounded radically different. And they've since gone on to change capsules and circuits pretty much willy-nilly and even removed the transformer, yet they still call the thing a 414.
__________________
Originals

Couch Standards
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-05-2019, 12:48 PM
KevWind's Avatar
KevWind KevWind is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edge of Wilderness Wyoming
Posts: 19,887
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brent Hahn View Post
Interesting that Neumann would stop making their flagship mic because one component dried up. And that specific tube has since been shown not to be all that crucial.
Oh I don't think Neumann stopped making the U47 right then but they did not continue the distribution contract with Telefunken.

Here is an excerpt from Telefunkens web site

"When U47 designer Georg Neumann decided to not renew his distribution contract with TELEFUNKEN, the U47 was pulled from distribution. TELEFUNKEN sought to replace it with a microphone of equal caliber, and contracted AKG to develop a new series of microphones for their product line. Of these great microphones, one of them became a legend: the ELA M 251. The design stemmed from AKG's already in-production C12, with the CK12 capsule at the heart of the design. In 1959 the ELA M 251/251E was introduced to the world."


Now according to some things I read it was Telefunkens decision to stop production of the VF-14M tube that prompted Neumann to not renew the distribution deal, which was 1958 . According to wikipedia the U7 47 continued to be made until 1965
__________________
Enjoy the Journey.... Kev...

KevWind at Soundcloud

KevWind at YouYube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD

System :
Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1

Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Ventura 12.2.1
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 01-16-2019, 05:04 PM
gwlee7 gwlee7 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Lewisville, TX
Posts: 408
Default

I have preordered one of the WA 251s and will report back when it arrives. Also, my sweetwater guy recommended a WA 87 as well and that will be here Friday. I am finding that the recording rabbit hole is deep.
__________________
‘97 Taylor 555 12 string
‘17 Martin HD 28
‘19 Martin CEO 9
‘20 Gibson 1960 Hummingbird reissue
‘16 Gibson Hummingbird Avant Guard (gigging guitar)

Note to self: Never play a guitar you aren’t willing to buy.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 01-16-2019, 05:34 PM
KevWind's Avatar
KevWind KevWind is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Edge of Wilderness Wyoming
Posts: 19,887
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by gwlee7 View Post
I have preordered one of the WA 251s and will report back when it arrives. Also, my sweetwater guy recommended a WA 87 as well and that will be here Friday. I am finding that the recording rabbit hole is deep.
And wide, better get a pair of those 251's

Seriously looking forward to your thoughts and post a sample, would be very interesting
__________________
Enjoy the Journey.... Kev...

KevWind at Soundcloud

KevWind at YouYube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...EZxkPKyieOTgRD

System :
Studio system Avid Carbon interface , PT Ultimate 2023.12 -Mid 2020 iMac 27" 3.8GHz 8-core i7 10th Gen ,, Ventura 13.2.1

Mobile MBP M1 Pro , PT Ultimate 2023.12 Ventura 12.2.1
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 01-23-2019, 01:11 PM
gwlee7 gwlee7 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Lewisville, TX
Posts: 408
Default

Mic is shipping today. Should have It Friday.
__________________
‘97 Taylor 555 12 string
‘17 Martin HD 28
‘19 Martin CEO 9
‘20 Gibson 1960 Hummingbird reissue
‘16 Gibson Hummingbird Avant Guard (gigging guitar)

Note to self: Never play a guitar you aren’t willing to buy.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 01-23-2019, 02:43 PM
Woodstock School Of Music Woodstock School Of Music is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Woodstock Illinois
Posts: 1,229
Default

I don't know how their mics are but I've owned a Warm Audio WA76 for a while and it sounds great. Especially for the price
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 01-23-2019, 03:47 PM
rockabilly69 rockabilly69 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Ogden, Utah
Posts: 4,062
Default

I went through a lot of U47/U67 style mics before I found that a 251 style mic, the Lawson L251, worked better for my voice and how it sits in a mix. Let us know how your Warm works out.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > RECORD

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 09:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=