New Mic Pre day: warm 1073 clone, WOW what a difference!

V

VESmedic

Well-known member
I got a warm WA73 pretty cheap used that just showed up. No eq model, I have no need for a neve style eq on guitars, too broad for my taste. But I must say I was immensely surprised at how much this guy added to my sound. Everything they say about these preamps is true, but to me they give your tone a much more “finished” tone right out of the box. The biggest surprise was how well my guitar tracks sit in a mix without any effort whatsoever, it was almost laughable compared to going straight into my interface. The highs are much more pleasant, everything is much more smooth and detailed, rounding off all the “bad” stuff it seems, with this nice warm low end and low mid girth. Girth and organic, all good descriptions of what these adVery very impressed, can only imagine how great the higher end stuff is like BAE 1073 clones. Best 300 bucks I’ve spent in a long time. To those who don’t have experience with mic pres, this is not like buying a new amp or a new guitar, it’s not drastic like the differences in amps, but it is drastic in a different way in how the tracks sit and the “finished” sound they tend to produce. Anyways here’s a clip:

OG setup:

peavey 5150
Maxon od808
Unidyne sm57
Mesa OS cab
Tonez.

enjoy!

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/Whd6rL9ewy8Xxqh79
 
Agreed. I have their API-clone pre (the WA12), which is also very nice. For 1073-flavour, I have the GAP PRE-73 (mkI), that I upgraded with the correct Motorola part.

What you describe btw, the whole 'sits better in the mix and sounds finished', there's at least two more outboard units and two mics that have this too in my home-studio.
Back in the day, I wanted a nice, tube channelstrip. Heard good things about the affordable ART Voice Channel, got one and while it was nice, it was kinda meh...kinda vanilla. No wow-factor. Used it for a while, sold it and got an SPL Channel One.
Of course, apples and oranges, since the SPL is about 3 times more expensive, but since I got it used in Europe, the difference was actually quite small.
Combined with my new (at the time) Audio Technica AT-4047SV mic, that combo had the wow-factor. Smooth as butter, yet it seemed to have more resolution, for a lack of a better word.
Later on, I got another nice vintage mic, the Beyerdynamic M88, which also imparts that 'works instantly and sounds huge' on guitar cabs.

Further later on, I got an SSL G-Series Bus compressor-clone (Radioman), and when I tried out that thing, I understood why the SSL's must be so coveted. If you have a mix that sounds kinda 'demo', run it through the bus comp and suddenly (with the right settings of course) it can sound more cohesive and less 'demo'. It imparts a sort of sonic glue, that makes a mix sound more mature, finished.
 
Speeddemon said:
Agreed. I have their API-clone pre (the WA12), which is also very nice. For 1073-flavour, I have the GAP PRE-73 (mkI), that I upgraded with the correct Motorola part.

What you describe btw, the whole 'sits better in the mix and sounds finished', there's at least two more outboard units and two mics that have this too in my home-studio.
Back in the day, I wanted a nice, tube channelstrip. Heard good things about the affordable ART Voice Channel, got one and while it was nice, it was kinda meh...kinda vanilla. No wow-factor. Used it for a while, sold it and got an SPL Channel One.
Of course, apples and oranges, since the SPL is about 3 times more expensive, but since I got it used in Europe, the difference was actually quite small.
Combined with my new (at the time) Audio Technica AT-4047SV mic, that combo had the wow-factor. Smooth as butter, yet it seemed to have more resolution, for a lack of a better word.
Later on, I got another nice vintage mic, the Beyerdynamic M88, which also imparts that 'works instantly and sounds huge' on guitar cabs.

Further later on, I got an SSL G-Series Bus compressor-clone (Radioman), and when I tried out that thing, I understood why the SSL's must be so coveted. If you have a mix that sounds kinda 'demo', run it through the bus comp and suddenly (with the right settings of course) it can sound more cohesive and less 'demo'. It imparts a sort of sonic glue, that makes a mix sound more mature, finished.
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cool story for sure! And yes, the ssl G Is hard to beat on the 2 bus. I use the native plugin on every mix including this one which of course is great, but the real thing would be great to have. Warm makes an SSL g comp clone, and it’s so stupid cheap I don’t think I can’t NOT pick it up at that price. It may not be as good as an SSL, but I don’t have the ear yet really for the different nuances in compressors like I do with guitar amps and mic placement etc.
 
i have one of these and it's amazing
we put a stereo drum mix thru them for fun with a touch of eq [but 80% flat) and the warm /tone button "on" and it was indeed a lot better than just using all the pro tools plugs in and crap across the stereo mix.
I am awaiting a Neumann TLM 103 to complete my guitar recording chain
 
I don’t know much about recording yet, but when we used my amps for my friend’s re-amp a few weeks ago he showed me the differences of various preamps he had and what it sounds like with them on and off and they do help a lot. I liked his 1073 best (will have to ask if his is BAE or AMS. It’s one of those 2), but his Burl and Camden also sounded great. I honestly hated his API and he agreed, but he said it’s good for other instruments. For classical guitar we liked the Camden best. The Millenia and focus right also seemed pretty good, but the 1073 and Camden stood out as best to me. He had also some tube pre-amps, but for my taste they were a bit dark, murky and lo-fi sounding
 
braintheory said:
I don’t know much about recording yet, but when we used my amps for my friend’s re-amp a few weeks ago he showed me the differences of various preamps he had and what it sounds like with them on and off and they do help a lot. I liked his 1073 best (will have to ask if his is BAE or AMS. It’s one of those 2), but his Burl and Camden also sounded great. I honestly hated his API and he agreed, but he said it’s good for other instruments. For classical guitar we liked the Camden best. The Millenia and focus right also seemed pretty good, but the 1073 and Camden stood out as best to me. He had also some tube pre-amps, but for my taste they were a bit dark, murky and lo-fi sounding
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You’ve got a good ear... I can almost guarantee you I would’ve agreed completely with you on every thing you said... API’s are cool and sound huge, but they add a lot of extra “stuff” that you don’t need on guitars, If that makes sense. If you heard it and were listening critically you know exactly what I mean. They just are too big and, not “finished” sounding like the neves on guitar. Sure they are fast etc but you don’t need all that on guitars. They are staples on toms for a reason. They sound big and add a lot of snap and attack.

I have no need for a tube preamp, not what I am after in the least, but I’m sure they sound great on tons of stuff : just not for rock and metal guitars.

And yes they do make a big difference, but I always say this with anything when it comes to recording guitars: mic up and amp, double track it and pan them wide: THATS when you really hear what these things are adding. Quite an experience. I remember years ago someone mentioning that in mono on one track if you don’t have a good ear or an untrained ear you may not hear really what it’s doing ( I do for sure now ), bur start stacking tracks that were ran through great preamps, and the difference becomes glaring and apparent: and you won’t ever go back that’s for sure.
 
300$! Stupid deal, even if i weren't interested that would be hard to pass up. Next to a BAE though, the difference is def. audible. I have noticed that a preamp is in fact worth it if you want a purer more detailed sound but lots of on board preamps are plenty clean and with some plugins can sound pretty good too. Preamps really, just look damn cool sitting in the rack too.
 
Well I have a Stam sa73 with a sowter output transformer on the way, supposedly they are a tad darker and low mid heavy than the carnhills. Hopefully this adds just that little bit of something I feel like I’m missing
 
RaceU4her said:
Well I have a Stam sa73 with a sowter output transformer on the way, supposedly they are a tad darker and low mid heavy than the carnhills. Hopefully this adds just that little bit of something I feel like I’m missing
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I think you’ll dig it if it’s anything like mine. I’ve heard the Stam stuff is great no doubt. I’ve since sold the warm audio, and have 2 BAE 1073s which are just amazing. They are worth every penny. Can’t even begin to describe what it’s done for my guitar tracks. Just stupid thick, great transient response and never harsh even with extreme micing or settings. Definitely a worth while investment.
 
Yep once you get deep into recording it's a whole new rabbit hole of fun gear. The BAE stuff is fucking killer, with the price tag to match. I sold all my Neve gear years ago and the BAE is the closest for sure. A more budget option that actually sounds great is this:

https://heritageaudio.net/catalogue/ha73eqx2-elite/

Excellent value for money if you require the EQ. Didn't have much luck with the Warm line though.
 
I really want the 1073opx interface but I figured for $600 this was worth a shot first, people say the stam stuff is right there with the bae/heritage stuff so we’ll see. It is a crazy rabbit hole though
 
RaceU4her said:
I really want the 1073opx interface but I figured for $600 this was worth a shot first, people say the stam stuff is right there with the bae/heritage stuff so we’ll see. It is a crazy rabbit hole though
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Save your money… while the new 73 sounds cool and has killer features I’ll be the first to admit, it’s a bit overkill for most people… plus, most people seem to agree that AMS neve is simply not making products that sound nearly as good as RND, or the clones, specifically BAE and AML… for me, from a guitar player point of view, this is very much a “buy it once, and never again” type of purchase. I bought what I believe and many others as well, are the best neve clones on the planet, and it ends there. I know most of my favorite tones are done with neve style preamps in the rock and metal world, I personally have no desire to do what we all do here with amps and guitars etc. these are the sound for me, no doubt about it . AP doesn’t interest me in the least, or other super transparent high end preamps… for guitar anyways ;). Now compressors and eq’s etc, that’s a bit of a different story, but for my guitar recording chain, these and a killer high end interface are it for me.

and I have no doubts the Stam stuff is right there with BAE/heritage etc: at this level it’s super nuance small stuff, and of course, take into consideration than no neve 1073 from
The 70s sounds exactly the same anyways. Also remember that this stuff in my experience doesn’t give you the “wow” factor until you start stacking tracks, and panning them etc… that’s when the smiles come. Don’t get me wrong, plugging my mics straight into them with my amp mic’d is for sure a new experience, the thick low end( seriously, it’s nuts) and sheen on the top is a drastic change from plugging mics straight into my interface, but the real gravy is in the mix.
 
aside said:
Yep once you get deep into recording it's a whole new rabbit hole of fun gear. The BAE stuff is fucking killer, with the price tag to match. I sold all my Neve gear years ago and the BAE is the closest for sure. A more budget option that actually sounds great is this:

https://heritageaudio.net/catalogue/ha73eqx2-elite/

Excellent value for money if you require the EQ. Didn't have much luck with the Warm line though.
Click to expand...

I personally opted for no EQ. I got my second 1073 from Sweetwater “new “ ( demo) for 869 out the door… they are really an incredible deal if you don’t need the eq I think… and I have no use for it really, neve style eq’s are great I think, but not at all what I want for guitars. Far far too broad for me. If you need that powerful of an eq and that wide of bands to fix it or make it sound better, you need to look at your mic placement I think!
 
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