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Warm Audio WA-8000 Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone

Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone with 2 Polar Patterns, External PSU, and External Heat Sink Assembly
$1,199.00

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Warm Audio WA-8000 Large-diaphragm Tube Condenser Microphone
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Gives Your Recordings a Radio-ready Sheen

Based on a legendary tube microphone with an iconic design, the Warm Audio WA-8000 large-diaphragm condenser delivers a wide-open, up-front tone that imbues vocals with a radio-ready sheen. To emulate the spirit of the WA-8000’s inspiration, Warm Audio’s design team developed a bespoke K67-style capsule and turned to new-old stock 6AU6 tubes and custom Lundahl transformers. Like the original, the WA-8000 sits in a custom-designed external heat sink assembly that draws heat away from the microphone’s tube and electronics to optimize performance. Warm Audio has stunned engineers at Sweetwater with their incredible attention to detail, which includes outfitting the WA-8000 with a premium GAC-7 cable from industry-leading cable manufacturers Gotham Audio in Switzerland. For pop, hip-hop, R&B, and other genres where vocals take center stage, the WA-8000 large-diaphragm condenser microphone from Warm Audio is a knockout choice!

Precision-made K67-style capsule accurately captures any source

The inspiration behind the WA-8000 used a K67-style capsule, a multipattern-capable microphone capsule found in several of the world’s most renowned tube microphones. Warm Audio meticulously reverse engineered the original design, fine-tuning the frequency response and machining the capsule out of solid brass. The result is a responsive, highly detailed microphone that accurately captures the nuances of any source. While the WA-8000 is destined to become your go-to vocal mic, it also excels on acoustic guitars, pianos, and other full-spectrum instruments.

Custom-designed heat sink optimizes performance

Sure, it looks awesome, but the custom-designed external heat sink assembly on the WA-8000 does a lot more than just up your vocal booth’s prestige level. Engineered to draw heat away from the tube and microphone’s electronics, the heat sink helps maintain an ideal operating temperature, which lowers the noise floor for the cleanest possible recordings. Not only that, but it also makes tube swaps a snap, so your sessions won’t grind to a halt if a tube goes down.

Carefully selected new-old stock tubes and Lundahl transformers

Once again striving for authenticity, Warm Audio went back to the source in selecting the tube for the WA-8000. After testing numerous 6AU6 tubes from a variety of manufacturers, they settled on new-old stock tubes to give the WA-8000 its open tone and distinctive midrange. A custom-designed Lundahl transformer marries the tube to the capsule in a tried-and-true circuit design that has graced countless hit records.

Warm Audio WA-8000 Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Features:

  • Based on a legendary large-diaphragm condenser mic featured on countless hit records
  • Custom all-brass K67-style capsule
  • Custom Lundahl transformer
  • NOS 6AU6 tube
  • Gotham Audio 5-meter GAC-7 7-pin tube microphone cable
  • 2 polar patterns: cardioid and omnidirectional
  • Maximum SPL: 131dB (cardioid); 134dB (omni)
  • Sensitivity: -34dB (cardioid); -37dB (omni)
  • Frequency range: 20Hz–20kHz
  • Output impedance: 100 ohms
  • S/N ratio: 76dB (cardioid); 73dB (omni)
  • External IEC grounded PSU

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Tech Specs

  • Microphone Type: Tube Condenser
  • Mono/Stereo: Mono
  • Polar Pattern: Cardioid, Omnidirectional
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz
  • Max SPL: 131dB (cardioid), 134dB (omnidirectional)
  • Output Impedance: 100 ohms
  • Signal to Noise Ratio: 76dB (cardioid), 73dB (omnidirectional)
  • Sensitivity: -34dB (cardioid), -37dB (omnidrectional)
  • Self Noise: 15dB (cardioid), 17dB (omni)
  • Tube: New Old Stock 6AU6
  • Features: External Heat Sink
  • Color: Black
  • Power Source: 7-pin External Power Supply (included)
  • Connector: XLR
  • Dimensions: 7.5" x 2.5"
  • Weight: 13.3 lbs
  • Included Accessories: Hardshell Case, Shockmount, 16.4' GAC-7 Cable
  • Manufacturer Part Number: WA8000

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Customer Reviews

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Rated 5/5

Unbelievable

I used to record independent label bands back in the 00's and could have only dreamed of gear like this back then. I'm not a gear person, I think you can make it happen with the cheapest gear if you're talented enough but there's just some things you learn you can't do. In my experience if you have to apply anymore than the slightest EQ to your vocal tracks it's never going to come out great. I was on the right track with this back in the day, with cheap cardioid condensers I would have artists stand at least 2ft away from the mic in my treated booth to help negate the proximity effect but you're still fighting a losing battle tonally. There are other bright mics but in my opinion most of them the brightness sounds like it's in the wrong spot to me. They're too bright too high and it doesn't help anyone trying to fight from keeping their project from sounding too digital. This mic in cardioid is OK, it's got kind of a boxy low end still but the real magic comes when you flip it to OMNI directional (acoustically treated space required). With the right dynamic processing, this microphone in OMNI sounds exactly like every pop/rap record for the last 15 years. You can get right up on it in OMNI and it's exactly what you want. Like any bright mic the top end is dynamically brutal, even though on this one it's much smoother than the rest you still need to know how to process it dynamically otherwise your record will still sound amateur. Use a multi-band compressor to crush the top end only. The way the tone from this mic sits and cuts through a mix, the perceived loudness of that tone is insane. You can't just shelf off the low end on other mics and have it work like this, it's not the same thing. Once you start shaping your mix around the tone of this mic it will clean the whole thing up. I'm not saying this mic will work on EVERY vocalist but dang I would sure try it and probably like it on every vocalist. Obviously I am thrilled with this mic, warm audio hit it out of the park. Send me a t-shirt for the glowing review.
Music background: Engineer
Rated 5/5

Presence

This mic is an obvious keeper. Have you ever recorded a vocal part and thought about not EQing it? That's how I feel with this one. The part cuts through the mix effortlessly with so much presence. I don't want to compare it to the Chandler Limited mic that I love but perhaps I should. Thank you Sweetwater as usual!
Music background: Mixing Engineer
Rated 5/5

Don’t have it? GET IT!

Okay so as soon as I got this microphone this last Sunday (Christmas week so deliveries on Sunday YAY) I did a shootout between this and my two other most expensive mics. My Mojave MA-300 and my Neumann TLM-102. The 300 is typically a little dark sounding in general while the Neumann sounds a tad bit too bright, but the openness of this WA-8000 is something else entirely. The clarity, the soundstage, everything about it is gorgeous sounding! I ran all 3 mics directly into my Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen interface all using the same cables, level matched them as best as I possibly could and the difference is absolutely astounding.
Music background: Audio Engineer and Music Producer. Owner of Studio 7-22 LLC
Rated 5/5

The One!

This mic is special! Veryyyy surprised and happy for this purchase! Sounds veeery close to the sony c800g! Dead on! Put my 103 to shame and im kind of upset about that lol. Decided to keep both!
Music background: Producer/songwriter
Rated 5/5

Outstanding

Sounds Great. The only question is for how long. Time will tell.
Music background: Mix Engineer and Producer
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