[Product Review] Warm Audio WA-44+WARM LIFTER by Haruki Ishida

A modern version ribbon microphone that faithfully recreates the RCA 44BX.
This product features a vintage warm sound with rich lows and mids, and soft highs in a figure-8 polar pattern. I’d like to try it out.

WARM AUDIO / WA-44

WARM AUDIO / WARM LIFTER

Its stylish appearance and substantial weight stand out.

Since this is my first ribbon mic, I was worried about handling it, but it’s reportedly safe to use with preamps supplying 48V phantom power. Because it’s sensitive to wind, you need to keep the included cover on when storing it to avoid air conditioning drafts.
Due to its weight, I recommend using a sturdy mic stand.

Saxophone

First, I recorded the saxophone.
Because the gain is low, I used the Warm Lifter to add a high boost.
This makes the saxophone’s outline clearer than the original WA-44 tone.

The midrange sounds sweet and very pleasant.
There are no harsh tones, and the overtones when using vibrato are especially comfortable to the ear.

The proximity effect is strong, so you can adjust the tone by changing the mic position if you have a target sound in mind.

Grand Piano

This was recorded as piano ambiance.

I aimed for a spot where the sound reflects off the backboard.
Since the piano is old, it sounds powerful, but the midrange is captured softly, so it works well when combined with a stereo mic.

Percussion

Sounds that tend to be harsh when recorded with condensers come through with a more natural, well-balanced tone.
Perhaps placing the mic about 10 cm further away might have improved things even more.

Drums

Since the gain seemed quite high here, I didn’t use the Warm Lifter.

The sound from the kick drum head and the swirling resonance of the cymbals were captured well.

I also like miking from above the kick towards the snare, but since the low end of the ride cymbal bled more than expected, I’m not including the example here. However, this setup seems very suitable for a slightly crunchy tone, like in hip-hop production.

Honestly, I didn’t have strong preferences for the mic used for overheads, but when mixed in, the WA-44 immediately added a studio atmosphere to the overall sound. I feel this product can really bring out the unique color of my own studio.

As someone who loves the vibe of studios like Scary Pockets and Vulfpeck, this is a product I want to show all of you as soon as possible!

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