Corry BanksIn advance of the NAMM Tec Awards Arturia has been nominated in the category of Outstanding Technical Achievement for Microphone Preamplifiers at the 33rd Annual NAMM Technical Excellent & Creativity Awards (NAMM TEC Awards). The awards ceremony will be held Saturday, January 27, 2017 in Anaheim, CA during The NAMM Show, and tickets can be purchased site or in advance here.
As answered by Bryce Young for Warm Audio.
Is the WA12 MKii based on a vintage mic pre or is it a new design?
“The WA12 MKii is a faithful replica of the vintage API 312 preamps that were infamously used in the API consoles throughout the 1970’s. These preamps were known for their transformer weighted sound and discrete 6-pin opamps. Warm Audio uses CineMag transformers (who also supply current API preamp production) and a discrete 6 pin opamp. We chose to use the 1731 style opamp designed in the late 60’s by API founding engineers.”
Tell us about the Tone button. How’s it work in a nutshell and why was it important to include a
Feature like this?
“The Tone button is an input transformer impedance switch. When engaged it increases the input gain by 6db but also provides a “warmer” more “full-bodied” sound. We suggest to try both settings (Tone on and Tone off) with any microphone or instrument to see what you like best for a particular recording. Both sound great.”
What was the overarching goal when developing WA12 MKii?
“Simple, to create a fully professional grade preamp that any engineer, novice or professional, would consider to be stellar for any instrument or source, AND at an affordable price. We at Warm Audio are seeking to change the industry by providing more value/quality per dollar spent. We are changing the way people think when buying boutique outboard gear. We want to exceed their expectations, and we believe we have been very successful in doing just that.”