WARM AUDIO / WA73

This is a single-channel version of a microphone preamplifier developed to target the sound of the legendary vintage microphone preamplifier, the ""1073."" It achieves excellent cost performance while employing carefully selected parts such as custom Carnhill transformers and hand-wired construction. This is a highly recommended microphone preamplifier that delivers superior sound quality with any microphone or source.

■Microphone Preamp - Mono

The ""1073"" microphone preamp, which has captivated many engineers and defined the sound of pop/rock records for the past 50 years, remains renowned today as the ultimate microphone preamp. WARM AUDIO's WA73 series meticulously reconstructs this classic British preamp, paying homage to the original circuit design, in a variety of single/dual/EQ versions.

The WA73 is designed with respect to the history of British consoles in both design and performance. Its vintage tone and sweet sound character are both distinctive and familiar. Driven by WARM AUDIO's desire to release an accurate replica, the WA73 was born after years of R&D, careful reverse engineering, and countless auditions.

The original 1073 was known as a versatile tool compatible with a wide range of microphones, including condenser, dynamic, and ribbon microphones. Similarly, this unit can be used with all types of microphones and sources. With 80dB of gain and a fully discrete Carnhill transformer-balanced signal path, there is no recording/mixing/engineering task that the WA73 cannot handle.

-Hand-Wired

Like the original 1073, the WA73 is hand-wired and hand-assembled. Some argue that the 1073's classic tone is due to the hand-wired construction.

-Custom British-Made Carnhill Transformers

A common topic of discussion among 1073 enthusiasts is its classic circuit design. Vintage 1073s have used various versions of transformers over the years. Among them, the early version from Marinair Radar was what we at WARM AUDIO most desired. Marinair Radar transformers, with their smooth and natural characteristics, are considered the most ideal choice for the 1073. The sweetly saturated sound when the tone is pushed is enough to impress engineers. WARM AUDIO worked closely with Carnhill Transformers in Cambridgeshire, England, to create a faithful replica of the original transformer, the most ideal version they had envisioned. Of all the 1073-style preamps currently on the market, I have never heard anything that comes so close to the sound of this original transformer.

-Capacitors and Signal Path

While not frequently discussed, a crucial part of classic British circuitry is the difference in the style of capacitors and output transistors. Using tantalum and polystyrene capacitors in the signal path, and employing output transistors that provide smoother performance at high gain settings than those found in current 1073-style preamps, proved essential for achieving complete consistency with the original 1073.

◎Overseas Review

""The WA73 is the best. Powerful, punchy, smooth, silky, and delivers rich sound. On top of that, it's a beautifully hand-wired, tank-like design. Well done, WARM AUDIO, fantastic!"" 』

-Dante Lattanzi

(HBO, MTV, CNN, Universal Music, Dr. John, Shemekia Copeland)

""It makes the sound big and impressive, just like the original. I'll mount a few of these on my rack."" 』

-Joe Carrell

(Thousand Foot Krutch, Tasji Bachman, Sanctus Real, Pauline Reese)

■Specifications

・Single-channel, Class A, 1073-style British microphone preamp

・Equipped with British-made Carnhill transformers

・Hand-wired, hand-assembled

・80dB gain resistor-staged gain switch

・Fully discrete

・TONE button - Allows changing the impedance of the input transformer to alter the tone

・Polarity switch

・48V phantom power

・4-position high-pass filter 50, 80, 160, 300 Hz

・XLR microphone input

・TRL line input

・Send/Receive TS insert jack

・XLR & TRS line-level output

・DI instrument input

・Output control

・LED level meter

・19"" rack size

* Maximum Input: +26dBu (common to all inputs)

* Output Impedance: 75Ω@1kHz (at 600Ω load)

* Maximum Output Level: +26dBu (at 600Ω load)

* Transformer Balanced Output

Dimensions: 445mm x 182mm x 45mm (excluding protrusions)

Dimensions: 482mm x 210mm x 45mm (including protrusions)

Weight: 3.56kg

*This product is 100V specification.