Warm Audio gives a fresh take on two classics

American studio equipment manufacturer Warm Audio has added two new models to its portfolio of classic recording recreations. The WA-CX12 is described as a faithful recreation of “the most natural and balanced tube mic of all time”, the AKG C12, while the WA-47F re-re-envisions the high SPL, low-noise classic ’47-style FET mic.

The original AKG C12 was produced in Austria from 1953 to 1963 and is the definitive version of the 12-style mic, lauded for its organic tone and pleasing top end. Warm’s WA-CX12 sound profile and circuit design are inspired by that original production run of only 2,500 mics, which have become highly coveted for their ability to capture the natural beauty of vocal performances, room sounds and other far miking techniques. The WA-CX12 is a large-diaphragm tube microphone with premium components hand-inspected in Austin, Texas. Like the original, the WA-CX12 tone is mostly flat until a slight dip at 2kHz with a gradual boost between 5–10kHz. At the beginning of the chain, the CX12 has an edge-terminated, all-brass CK12-style capsule, that remains true to the frequency response of the original-run 12-style microphones. This capsule allows the WA-CX12 to have nine polar patterns, including the typical cardioid, omni, and figure-of-eight, in addition to six intermediate patterns. Moving down from the capsule, the WA-CX12 uses a premium 12AY7 vacuum tube for added warmth. At the end of the circuit, it uses a custom TAB-Funkenwerk (AMI) USA Output Transformer, which reportedly gives the mic a very full, wide and open sound, getting the most out of the capsule and additional circuit components.

The WA-47F is a recreation of '47-style FET orginally released in 1969, which gained massive popularity inside studios for its ability to handle fast transients with exceptional detail. The WA-47F shares the same sonic profile as that original microphone. Like the originals, it takes takes the sound of the WA-47 tube mic and swaps the valve for solid-state FETs, meaning there’s no compromise between capturing rich midrange, detailed bass and handling very loud sources. At its core, the WA-47F uses a reproduction of the vintage K47-style capsule found in the original microphone for ultra-wide frequency response and detail, and is driven by a custom TAB-Funkenwerk USA Output Transformer. The WA-47F pairs premium Fairchild FETs with polystyrene and Wima capacitors and the AMI output transformer. The -10dB pad gives extra headroom for loud sources that need to be keep loud. To eliminate unwanted bass frequencies on sources like lead vocals or electric guitar cabs, the included 140 Hz low-cut filter can be engaged to save from unnecessary post-EQ.