Warm Audio—a company famous for its high-quality, price-conscious recreations of famous gear—has done it again, this time tackling one of the most sought-after microphones on the modern market: If you’ve ever wanted an 800G-style mic but couldn’t decide between the original or ten months of rent, the Warm Audio WA-8000 is perfect for you. This mic gives you all of the crispness, all of the sweetness, and all of that tube-driven purity for a fraction of the original’s price.
The WA-8000 utilizes a large-diaphragm condenser capsule to secure its iconic sound. Nowhere does the mic sound better than on an RnB, hip-hop, or soul vocal performance; luminaries such as Brian McKnight, Toni Braxton, Rihanna, and others achieved a powerful, yet intimate sound using the original, scoring hits that have endured for years upon years.
In recreating this timeless sound, Warm Audio spared no expense when it came to sourcing the components and piecing them together. The all-brass K67-style capsule is further enhanced by a custom Lundahl transformer, as well as a NOS 6AU6 tube, both of which aid in the pursuit of that silky, smooth tone. All components utilized in the design have been selected and crafted to match the critical specifications of the original microphone.
Consider the extraneous items, which Warm Audio certainly wouldn’t call extraneous: The external tube mount and the heat sink have been laid out in a manner that secures a lower degree of self-noise, all while helping to protect the microphone from overheating. The result is classic tone, nearly noise-free performance, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’ll be able to use this mic for years to come.
Even the cable has been well thought out: The WA-8000 includes a 7-pin GAC-7 cable made by Gotham Switzerland to the utmost standard, both in terms of signal-to-noise performance and shielding from extraneous noise along the cable run. When it’s time to stow or transport your mic, you can do so in style, thanks to a hard shell carrying case crafted to ensure safety in transport for the mic and its components.
Truly, if you have a voice whose top end demands the silky-smooth intimacy of an 800G-style mic, this is a serious contender for your consideration. Alongside Warm Audio’s regarded U47-style mics, 73-style preamps, and British-style compressors, the WA-8000 is all but assured to become more than a feather in the company’s cap: it’ll be a boon for scrappy audio engineers everywhere.
What excites you most about this mic? Let us know in the Comments section!
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