[Product Review] Warm Audio WA-C1 by ryo sugimoto

WARM AUDIO / WA-C1

Since I normally apply effects to acoustic piano for improvisation and ambient music, I will focus this review on using it for that.

You can adjust the input level with the LEVEL knob, and there are depth and rate knobs for both the chorus and vibrato sections.

■ WARM AUDIO WA-C1 CHORUS Piano by ryo sugimoto

■ WARM AUDIO WA-C1 VIBRATO Piano by ryo sugimoto

Because it includes a preamp, it is possible to produce a body‑rich tone before the chorus or vibrato stage, making it less prone to sounding thin and more enjoyable to play.

With keyboard piano patches, the original tone is often more digital and piano‑like, and when you add effects on top of that, it tends to lose strength since it often fails to excite the player or blend well in an ensemble, let alone making it work in a solo context, which is even more difficult. Therefore, being able to add modulation in this way to a real piano feels fresh and effective.

On stage, there will always be the acoustic piano’s unprocessed sound, so it may be hard to use 100% effect sound alone. But in production, I feel it’s useful for recording with 100% wet signal or processing already recorded data.

■ WARM AUDIO WA-C1 CHORUS Felt Piano by ryo sugimoto

■ WARM AUDIO WA-C1 VIBRATO Felt Piano by ryo sugimoto

Especially with felt piano tones, both chorus and vibrato work well and enhance the warmth in a pleasant tone.

Since I had the chance, I also tried it on classic electric piano sounds. I used it on the Rhodes and Wurlitzer tones of the YAMAHA YC73.

■ WARM AUDIO WA-C1 CHORUS Rhodes by ryo sugimoto

■ WARM AUDIO WA-C1 CHORUS Rhodes Low&HighDepth

■ WARM AUDIO WA-C1 VIBRATO Wurlitzer Comping by ryo sugimoto

Applying chorus to Rhodes-type tones brings a pleasant modulation and warmth, while vibrato adds motion to comping on Wurlitzer-type tones. Being able to quickly shape the desired sound in the moment using the Rate and Depth knobs gives a sense of control similar to playing a real Rhodes, which heightens the excitement. The tone itself inspires the performance, making you think, "With this sound, maybe I'll go with this kind of phrase or comping."

With an affordable price and thoughtful features like a built-in preamp, this effect unit feels capable of both assertive sound shaping and subtle textural enhancement.

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