Warm Audio WA251 for male vocals?

[BoneDigger]

Anybody have experience with the WA251? I realize the WA47 is more common. Right now they are $100 off, so I was just gauging whether it's worth it? Currently I mostly use an SM7b or an Aston Spirit. Both work well. Would the Warm be a step up or just aside step? I sometimes use a TubePre with the SM7b for nice warmth.

Thoughts?

[KevWind]

With Warm Audio products no have not used one or even seen one in person. So I can't offerer any first hand knowledge.
Glennwillow here on AGF has the Warm 47 and like's it ...

But since everything depends the actual design and components used and how close it might or might not come to being similar in sound characteristics to the original ?

So I can only offer some generalized thoughts , on what the original 251 was said to bring to the table in comparison to the other classic tube designs, (i.e the U67 and U47) Which was bit more presence and in the upper mid's and highs and thus slightly more ("intimacy" ,perhaps ?) for lack of a more technical term....

Which is what I found when comparing to specifically the ADK Z Mod 67, 47 and 251 which is why I chose the 251 for my voice .

That said here is a Sound on Sound review of the Warm 251 (which seems to indicate similar characteristics to what I found with ADK)

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/warm-audio-wa-251

[Glennwillow]

As Kevin notes, I do own a Warm Audio WA-47 tube condenser mic and I am very happy with it. I have never used the WA-251. I have listened to some comparisons on YouTube and to me the two mics sound very similar, with the 251 sounding perhaps a little brighter.









In reading the Sound-On-Sound article on the WA-251, the reviewer is critical of the looks. To me, the -251 looks great.

- Glenn

[Glennwillow]

For reference, this is a recording I made with a lot of vocal stuff in it using my Warm Audio WA-47. Two WA-84 SDC mics are on the guitar.



- Glenn

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

In reading the Sound-On-Sound article on the WA-251, the reviewer is critical of the looks. To me, the -251 looks great.
- Glenn

Ya I was wondering about the looks critique also.
But I am guessing he may be comparing the fit and finish the current $11,000 Telefunken Elam 251 , or perhaps some of the $3500 to $5000 clones

[BoneDigger]

Thanks for the information! Do you guys think the Warm would be an upgrade to the SM7B and the Aston Origin?

Todd

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Thanks for the information! Do you guys think the Warm would be an upgrade to the SM7B and the Aston Origin?

In the sub $1K price range you're going to find a lot of mics that are not so great and some gems that hit above their price-point. From everything I've heard about them (I've never owned either), the SM7B and the Origin fit into that latter category. Those mics get a lot of praise for what they are.

As for whether the Warm 251 is going to be an upgrade? ...well, mics are funny things. The more expensive mic isn't always the best mic on a source. The Warm is an upgrade if it sounds better on your voice. If it doesn't, it's not an upgrade. And there's no way to know if it will be better on your voice until you sing through it and compare it to those other two.

Unless we live near enough a store where we can demo gear, when we buy microphones, it's a bit of a crap shoot. We can listen to sound sample and YouTube videos to get some sense of the mic's characteristics but we can never be truly sure of how we'll sound through it until we sing through it. Sometimes we choose well, sometimes the mic doesn't suit our voice ...crap shoot.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Thanks for the information! Do you guys think the Warm would be an upgrade to the SM7B and the Aston Origin?

Todd

I'll offer my "I record a lot, but I don't think I'm an expert" take on this.

Even if we eliminate different tastes or have some sense of how "most people who have objectively compared these mics" would judge them, you have the factors of different voices, different songs calling for different techniques, and different rooms entering into this. I often hear that room treatment is the primary need for improving recordings, and if you haven't addressed that, might that be where your budget should go?

I've not used the Warm Audio mic you're thinking about. I have used the Shure SM7b, but the above fuzzy factors really seem to exist even for my voice, in my rooms, for my needs, aims, and purposes. I particularly like the SM7b for more powerful vocalists and I use it often in a live tracking room. Although EQ can mollify this with other mics, I think it also tends to take a grating edge off some brittle or harsh highs from a vocalist.

A quiet-voiced singer, with a mellow or even mumbly timbre? I look to use a condenser mic over the SM7b. In similar to the SM7b large dynamics I also use a ElectroVoice RE20 which I think I'd take over the SM7b for versatility. One value of the RE20 is that I like it when I work close to it, perhaps with a quieter voice than the SM7b. I use it in my untreated home office for vocals, and it minimizes the room effects there to my (perhaps not educated) ear.

I haven't used the Aston Origin, but that's a LDC condenser. If you, yourself, find you much prefer it to the SM7B on your needs, then maybe the Warm might be more/better. I don't know.

Sorry I can't supply the direct "I've used all three mics and here's what I think about them from hours of use" response you desire, but maybe this'll help.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Thanks for the information! Do you guys think the Warm would be an upgrade to the SM7B and the Aston Origin?

Todd

That is really hard to tell are you talking in terms of for vocal or acoustic guitar both ?
I think at the very least you will find that it will be a different flavor. My guess is you will get a slightly better low end, fuller through the mid's, and more air with than with the SM7B.
the Aston I have no clue not familiar with it, other than in general a tube mic may give some more pleasing harmonics

I listened some songs on your website mostly the first three originals and then Amanda you are actually getting pretty good presence on your vocals I and don't know if you are EQ-ing or how much especially the top end BUT

So I would say your not going to notice a big difference but you may indeed notice a subtle difference that you may like

[BoneDigger]

This would be for vocals only. I am presently using my Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina or an SM81 for most of the guitar work.

Thanks for the great input!

[nomey]

I recorded most of my album with one of these and found it great. Its got huge value for money having bi and omni options as well. I found the vocals really smooth with it for males and females. Heres a clip of it in use on one of our singles. Its female lead but there are Male harmonies.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by nomey

I recorded most of my album with one of these and found it great.

One of these, what ? The tall skinny tube lookin' thing
I have to admit I have never seen a mic that looked like that . Must be a super Omni to record her vocal that far off axis

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

... Do you guys think the Warm would be an upgrade to the SM7B and the Aston Origin?

Todd

I think a Warm Audio tube mic like the WA-47 or the WA-251 would be, at best, a subtle improvement over a Shure SM-7B. (I know nothing about the Aston Origin.) You'll get a little more high frequency in the vocal, but whether you will like that, as Jim has noted, who knows... It's a crap shoot. You may or may not get more low frequencies. The SM-7B is pretty good at capturing low frequencies.

Condenser mics are better at capturing fast transients compared to dynamic mics, and they tend to have a little smoother, flatter frequency response, though many LDCs have a rise in the frequency response curve up in the higher frequencies (6-10Khz), as does the WA-251, to add some presence. The frequency response curve is on this site. If you still have good hearing, you can probably hear these differences, but they are still fairly subtle.

The Shure SM-7B is a good microphone, though it's a little colored towards the bass side of the sound spectrum. But that may be a sound you really like on your voice. So you could spend $700 on a WA-251 and realize you like the recorded sound of the SM-7B on your voice better.

I recorded several albums 30 years ago using a Sennheiser MD-421 dynamic microphone and those recordings still sound pretty good to me even though I have gotten used to using large diaphragm condenser mics for vocals in recent years. That's why I comment that the difference in vocal sound will probably be fairly subtle. There are certainly differences with a good LDC, but they are not night-and-day differences.

- Glenn

[nomey]

Originally Posted by KevWind

One of these, what ? The tall skinny tube lookin' thing
I have to admit I have never seen a mic that looked like that . Must be a super Omni to record her vocal that far off axis

Only true studio wizards know the power of a candle for recording . No a wa251.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by nomey

Only true studio wizards know the power of a candle for recording . No a wa251.

Ah yes the precursor to the lava lamp

I figured 251 , it just struck me funny as I watched the vid to see if I could see a mic .