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THANK YOU!
Thank you for purchasing the Warm Audio WA-47 condenser microphone. We feel this product offers
the best in terms of sound, function, and vibe from the classic era of analog recording. We don’t cut
corners when it comes to what goes into our products, and the WA-47 is no exception. The WA-47 is an
all vacuum tube, large diaphragm, transformer balanced, multi-pattern (9), large condenser microphone,
based on the classic ‘47 that has been used on countless hit records for the last 50+ years. The WA-47
is designed for pro studio, home studio, live, and broadcast applications and sounds great on vocals,
acoustic/electric guitars, acoustic/electric bass, drums, piano, strings, brass/woodwind instruments, and
an array of other sources. The classic ‘47 became extremely popular as a vocal microphone in the
1960’s and is now considered to be one of the greatest microphones ever built. The classic ‘47 mic is still
widely used today in professional recording studios, and has become extremely expensive to acquire. We
at Warm Audio are very excited to bring this all vacuum tube, large diaphragm, transformer balanced,
multi-pattern (9), large condenser microphone to the market at such an affordable price. We’re confident
you will enjoy a lifetime of beautiful recordings with the WA-47.
Bryce Young
President
Warm Audio
Liberty Hill, Texas USA
REGISTER YOUR WA-47!
Before we begin, please take
ensure you receive proper and uninterrupted warranty support for your product, please register your unit
within 14 days from purchase.
the time to visit www.warmaudio.com to register your product. To
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WARRANTY STATEMENT
Warm Audio warranties this product to be free from defect in materials and workmanship for one
year from the date of purchase, for the original purchaser to whom this equipment is registered. This
warranty is non-transferrable.
This warranty is void in the event of damage incurred from unauthorized service to this unit, or from
electrical or mechanical modification to this unit. This warranty does not cover damage resulting
from abuse, accidental damage, misuse, improper electrical conditions such as mis-wiring, incorrect
voltage or frequency, unstable power, disconnection from earth ground (for products requiring a 3
pin, grounded power cable), or from exposure to hostile environmental conditions such as moisture,
humidity, smoke, fire, sand or other debris, and extreme temperatures.
Warm Audio will, at its sole discretion, repair or replace this product in a timely manner. This limited
warranty extends only to products determined to be defective and does not cover incidental costs such
as equipment rental, loss of revenue, etc. Please visit us at www.warmaudio.com for more information
on your warranty, or to request warranty service.
This warranty applies to products sold in the United States of America. For warranty
information in any other country, please refer to your local Warm Audio distributor. This
warranty provides specific legal rights, which may vary from state to state. Depending on the
state in which you live, you may have rights in addition to those covered in this statement.
Please refer to your state laws or see your local Warm Audio retailer for more information.
NON-WARRANTY SERVICE
If you have a defective unit that is outside of our warranty period or conditions; we are still
here for you and can get your unit working again for a modest service fee. Please visit us at
www.warmaudio.com to contact us about setting up a repair or for more information.
With the proper care, your Warm Audio gear should last a lifetime and provide a lifetime of enjoyment.
We believe the best advertisement we can have is a properly working unit being put to great use. Let’s
work together to make it happen.
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NOW LET’S GET STARTED!
INTRODUCTION
The WA-47 was created to offer a classic microphone design to a new generation of recording artists
at an affordable price. We spent a great deal of time listening to different vintage ‘47 microphones to
determine what people liked about them and why, how various components impact the tone, and how
to give our WA-47 microphone a signature that pays homage to the past but also stands out on its own.
The WA-47 is an all vacuum tube, large diaphragm, transformer balanced, multi-pattern (9), large c
ondenser microphone, based on the classic ‘47 that has been used on countless hit records for the last
50+ years. The WA-47 is designed for pro studio, home studio, live, and broadcast applications and
excels on vocals, acoustic/electric guitars, acoustic/electric bass, drums, piano, strings, brass/woodwind instruments, and an array of other sources.
The classic ‘47 became extremely popular as a vocal microphone in the 1960’s and is now considered
to be one of the greatest condenser microphones ever created. The classic ‘47 is still widely used today
in professional recording studios but has become extremely rare and cost prohibitive to acquire.
Designing our WA-47 to sound like the classic ‘47 was no easy task, especially since some of the vintage
components are no longer manufactured or available. We compared and listened to 2 different vintage
‘47 mics and found that they both sounded amazing but also sounded a little different from each other.
These comparison tests became the benchmark for tailoring our WA-47’s sonics to sit right in with these 2
vintage ‘47 mics. We are pleased to release such a gorgeous sounding classic to the market at a price
that’s reachable to more people than ever before. We are also pleased to witness that our WA-47 sounds
legitimately indistinguishable to the vintage ‘47’s we tested it against on several sources.
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A LOOK INSIDE THE WA-47
The Capsule
The WA-47 utilizes a custom reproduction of the vintage 47-style (K47) capsule that was used in
the classic ‘47 microphone - designed with the same hole pattern and frequency response. Our
version of this capsule (model# WA-47-B-80v) is carefully manufactured by an Australian capsule
supplier and is precisely reproduced to the vintage specs. We are pleased to offer a legitimate
47-style capsule re-incarnation because it allows us to nail the sonics of the most important piece
of the classic ‘47 formula.
The Tube
A Slovak Republic JJ 5751 vacuum tube is a low gain, low noise tube that forces much of
the sonics of the capsule and transformer in the WA-47 to be heard more significantly than
high gain tubes might allow. The transformer and capsule in the vintage ‘47 mics are very
critical to the classic tone and we found this particular tube to really allow these 2
components to be accentuated. We auditioned 4 different tube brands and fell in love with the
JJ 5751. The frequency response of the JJ tube, and the way it contributes to the circuit is smooth
and vintage in nature. We found this tube gave us the essence of the vintage ‘47 tube circuit
without electrically mirroring the original VF14 steel tube that is no longer available.
The Transformer
The WA-47 utilizes an American made TAB-Funkenwerk (AMI) USA transformer with large core
imported German laminations. This transformer helps provide the creamy smooth top end and
the LARGER THAN LIFE bottom end one would expect from a 47-style microphone.
The Cable
One component of a tube microphone that is often overlooked is the 7 pin cable that connects the
microphone to its power supply. When auditioning the WA-47 and other tube microphones we
learned quite a bit about 7 pin cables and how the shielding and wire gauge size can change
the sonics. We have partnered with Gotham Audio in Switzerland to use their very carefully built
high-end 7 pin “GAC-7 cable”. Using this cable increases top end presence and the overall size
of the recorded image in the stereo field by reducing phase shift and the parasitic effect often
experienced in poorly built cables. Gotham Audio Cabling is very expensive and boutique in
nature and shouldn’t be considered a small addition to the WA-47 package.
The Capacitors
The WA-47 proudly uses a polystyrene coupling capacitor, wima film capacitors throughout, and
an imported Solen French capacitor on its output.
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FEATURES
1. Contents
Your WA-47 package includes; the WA-47 microphone, power supply, IEC power cable, shockmount,
7 pin Gotham Audio cable, and wood storage box.
2. Power Switch
The power switch is located on the power supply.
3. IEC Power Inlet
The IEC power inlet is located on the rear side of the power supply and allows for a standard IEC cable
to connect the power supply to your wall power outlet.
4. 115v/230v Voltage Selector Switch
A voltage selector switch is located near the IEC inlet on the power supply and allows for the user to
set the appropriate voltage for the country they are located. We advise to be careful with this switch
because plugging in the unit at the wrong voltage setting will likely damage the WA-47 and its power
supply. Plugging in the WA-47 power supply at the incorrect voltage could even cause injury or death.
Typically the voltage selector switch will be pre-set to the proper voltage of the country where the product was purchased and should not be changed.
5. Polar Pattern Select Switch
The polar-pattern selection switch is located on the power supply and provides 9 different pattern options. Patterns are: Cardioid, Omni, Figure-of-eight and 6 additional “in-between” patterns.
6. 7 pin microphone cable connector (female)
A 7 pin female microphone cable connector is located on the power supply. The 7 pin Gotham branded cable included in the WA-47 box is connected to this connector on one end and to the WA-47
microphone on the other.
7. XLR Output
A standard 3 pin XLR male connector is located on the power supply. The microphone’s signal will
exit this connector. Connect this connector to a preamp via a standard 3 pin XLR microphone cable.
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SPECIFICATIONS
Cardioid at 1kHz
Omni at 1kHz
Figure - 8 at 1kHz
• Custom true 47-style capsule - WA-47-B-80v
• TAB-Funkenwerk (AMI) USA output transformer
• JJ Slovak 5751 vacuum tube
• Gotham 5 meter GAC-7, 7-pin tube microphone cable
• Total Weight (Mic, PSU, shockmount, cables) - 9 lbs.
• Mic Diameter: 90mm, Mic Length: 254mm
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TIPS AND INSTRUCTIONS
GENERAL USES IN CARDIOID MODE
The classic ‘47-style microphone is known first and foremost as a lead and backing v
ocal microphone. It has been used to capture powerful vocal performances in rock, country,
hip-hop, gospel, blues, metal, voiceover/spoken word, and just about every other genre out
there. Two ‘47-style microphones for drum overhead recording, either in an X-Y configuration,
or as a spaced pair, is a classic choice. Likewise, a pair of ‘47-style microphones in an
X-Y configuration is a great way to achieve a big acoustic guitar sound. A single ‘47-style
microphone is a good choice for capturing many guitar amps, either alone or in
conjunction with additional dynamic or ribbon microphones. Since the pioneering days of
Joe Meek, ‘close mic’ing’ a sound source has become the norm in most genres outside of
classical music. This has made near cardioid pattern-only recording a fairly common practice. The
downside to this technique is an exaggerated proximity effect and lack of perceived space to an
instrument, the advantage is much greater isolation and control of individual instruments in a mix. Close
cardioid mic’ing’ also tends to capture less reflections and other unwanted information.
USES IN OMNIDIRECTIONAL MODE
Omnidirectional pattern is most often associated with room mic recording, be it a room mic on a
drum kit or an ambience mic placed farther out from a guitar or bass cabinet, or other instrument.
Omnidirectional stereo recording is also sometimes associated with ‘live’ recording techniques and
classical recording. Additionally, an omnidirectional mic can be one ingredient, along with a figure-of-eight
microphone, in creating a Mid/Side stereo recording array. It is also worth noting that most
condenser microphone capsules are, by nature, designed to be omnidirectional devices. For this reason,
omnidirectional patterns tends to yield the most linear frequency response and suffer the least from
proximity effect.
USES IN FIGURE-OF-EIGHT MODE
Figure of eight pattern recording is often used with pairs of the same microphone for advanced
recording techniques such as the Blumlein Pair array; but has several more common practical
applications as well, some of which only require a single microphone. One figure-of-eight application is
to record a ‘duet’ or group vocal with a single microphone. Two or even four vocalists can stand on either
side of the microphone, each getting the full attention of one side of the mic capsule. A variant of the duet
application is when someone plays an instrument, such as acoustic guitar, into one side of the
microphone while a partner sings into the other side.
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TIPS AND INSTRUCTIONS
MICROPHONE PLACEMENT & SPACING
When it comes to distancing a microphone from its sound source, one may think of this process,
among other things, as choosing a desired ratio of original sound source to reflections and acoustic
space. The closer to the source, the less space and ambience will be captured. In some cases, this
is fully desirable; and ambience will be added in later via the magic of digital delay and reverb. In
other cases, natural acoustics are critical. A great illustration of this is the recording of a gunshot or
cannon fire: at very close range, the sound is surprisingly thin; however, at a distance, the sound
becomes more full and explosive. This is a great reference to keep in mind; because to some degree, this
phenomenon holds true with anything where natural acoustics is an important part of the sound, most
notably with percussion. Beware that all processes do have boundaries and microphones do have a
maximum SPL level they can be subjected to without distortion. Both microphones and preamps have
a signal to noise ratio that tends to get poor in cases where more gain is required to make up for a
distant signal. It’s generally good advice to place a microphone about 12 inches from a source, and to
fine-tune it from there until you have exactly what you are looking for.
A BRIEF WORD ON ROOM TREATMENT
Room acoustics can be just as important as the microphone you choose. Even the best
microphone won’t sound great if you are picking up unwanted reflections that can smear or comb-filter
the sound you are recording. Just because a microphone is set to cardioid pattern will not always
mean that it is not picking up unwanted room reflections or outside noises such as street traffic,
footsteps, or air condition vents. Though a walk-in vocal booth is hardly necessary for most situations;
a good quality ‘vocal shield’ type of product can make an enormous difference, often making the
difference between a demo quality and a professional quality recording. Likewise, when recording
combo amps and other instruments, using gobos or other acoustic isolation products can be hugely
beneficial. Getting proper isolation and just the right amount but not too much room ambience
is one thing that really cannot be effectively corrected later in the process. It is of the utmost importance
to put in the extra time to set things up well in the beginning.
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TIPS AND INSTRUCTIONS
SIGNAL INTEGRITY
When recording vocals, it’s a good idea to use the niest pop filter you can afford. This not only protects
the microphone; it protects the recorded tracks by keeping plosives (a clipping that occurs from sudden
air pressure on the capsule) to a minimum. Pop filters can also be creatively used in other situations
where sudden air pressure changes can occur, which include large loudspeaker movement, the sound
hole of a kick drum, or the gap between the two brass pieces of a hi-hat cymbal. As a general rule, a
higher quality pop filter will have less audible impact on the sounds passing through them; while less
expensive, improvised, or foam windscreen type filters can sometimes have a muffling effect on high
frequencies.
Microphone placement is as much an art as it is a science, and takes a great deal of patience,
attentive listening, and trial and error. The more music you record the greater instinct you will
have for knowing which microphones to first try for given situations, and how to place them.
One thing to keep in mind is that what a microphone hears will often be radically different from
what a casual observer hears when standing several feet back from where a microphone is. It’s
good practice to get down and put one’s ear close to a speaker cabinet or right in front of a bass
drum’s resonator head, and hear what that microphone is hearing from its position. Get a sense
for how different your source sounds close up, farther back, and from different angles. Begin to
move a microphone around very slowly and listen for the changes in sound that you get. Notice
how a small change in mic position can make an under-snare microphone go from bad to good.
Notice how moving a guitar cabinet mic further to the side of the center cone, or further off
axis will affect the sound.
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