Warm Audio WA12 MKII Discrete Mic Pre W/DI Black

$352.79

GTIN: 850016400611 SKU: 850016400611 Category: Tags: , ,

Description

A lot of preamps on the market do a good job of raising the volume of microphones and instruments, but many pres today are doing only that: raising the volume. These “super clean” designs often leave the signal exiting the preamp sounding much the same as it did entering it, which ends up requiring a lot of work in post-production to get instruments to wake up and sound big in a mix.

If you’re looking for a preamp to actually improve and shape your signal instead, you will most definitely love the WA12 MKII Black. This preamp is designed to transform the tone of plain instruments and vocals into exciting sounds that can stand on their own – so if your mixes lack depth, struggle to sound alive, or are just missing that professional touch you’ve always wanted, the the WA12 MKII Black is the affordable answer.

The WA12 MKII Black is a completely discrete, high voltage, dual-transformer microphone preamplifier design with high gain (+71dB), high headroom, low noise, and exciting sonic performance – which makes it an ideal choice for all types of recording applications. A high-quality mic preamp is one of the most critical pieces needed to achieve that elusive ‘larger than life’ sound, and the WA12 MKII Black delivers on that promise every single time.

The WA12 MKII Black is based around the X731 discrete op-amp, which is our own reproduction of the classic Melcor 1731 – considered by some to be the warmer predecessor to the modern 2520-style op-amp. The X731 can achieve vibrant, clean and lifelike tones, but it can also be driven into mild saturation at much higher gain levels. While the effects of that saturation can range from subtle to obvious, they always remain very pleasing to the ear, and because it was designed around the X731 the WA12 MKII Black can accept any discrete op-amp on the market that conforms to the +/-16v, 2520 pinout standard.

Our ears played a big part in the process of designing the WA12 MKII Black, and we didn’t stop tweaking until anything we ran through it sounded better. Using CineMag USA transformers and an all-discrete signal path, we ensured that this preamp would have the building blocks to compete with the best-sounding preamps on the market, and we’re very proud to offer such a robust and professional design in a small and affordable package.

  • UTILIZES PREMIUM-GRADE INPUT AND OUTPUT TRANSFORMERS FROM CINEMAG USA
  • FULLY DISCRETE DESIGN WITH A ROBUST 71DB OF GAIN
  • UTILIZES A DISCRETE 6-PIN SOCKETED 1731-STYLE OPAMP, WHICH CAN BE SWAPPED WITH OTHER DESIGNS THAT CONFORM TO THE 6-PIN, 2520 FOOTPRINT +/- 16VDC STANDARD FOR VARYING TONE AND FLAVOR
  • 20DB PAD.
  • TONE BUTTON – SWITCHES THE INPUT IMPEDANCE FROM 150 TO 600 OHMS AND CHANGES THE TONE OF BOTH THE MIC AND HI-Z INPUTS
  • MIC LEVEL BALANCED INPUT: XLR
  • 2 MEGOHM TRUE HI-Z INPUT ON THE FRONT PANEL WHICH SENDS THE SIGNAL THROUGH THE ENTIRE CIRCUIT, INCLUDING BOTH CINEMAG TRANSFORMERS AND THE X731 OPAMP – GREAT FOR GUITARS, BASS, KEYS, KEYBOARDS AND ANY INSTRUMENT WITH A 1/4” OUTPUT JACK
  • BALANCED OUTPUTS: XLR AND 1/4″/TRS
  • 48 VOLT PHANTOM POWER
  • LED METER GAIN INDICATION
  • OUTPUT ATTENUATION CONTROL (POSITIONED AFTER THE CINEMAG OUTPUT TRANSFORMER) ALLOWS FOR DRIVING THE PREAMP AND TRANSFORMERS INTO SATURATION
  • SWITCHABLE 115/230 VOLT IEC POWER INLET

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SettingsWarm Audio WA12 MKII Discrete Mic Pre W/DI Black removeBlack Lion Audio PG-X Rackmount Power Conditioner removeRupert Neve Designs Portico 517: 500 Series Mic Pre / DI / Comp Standard removeRadial J-ISO Stereo Isolator removeBlack Lion Augio PG-P Portable Power Conditioner removeVermona Retroverb Lancet Spring Reverb Desktop Module remove
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Description
ContentA lot of preamps on the market do a good job of raising the volume of microphones and instruments, but many pres today are doing only that: raising the volume. These “super clean” designs often leave the signal exiting the preamp sounding much the same as it did entering it, which ends up requiring a lot of work in post-production to get instruments to wake up and sound big in a mix. If you’re looking for a preamp to actually improve and shape your signal instead, you will most definitely love the WA12 MKII Black. This preamp is designed to transform the tone of plain instruments and vocals into exciting sounds that can stand on their own - so if your mixes lack depth, struggle to sound alive, or are just missing that professional touch you’ve always wanted, the the WA12 MKII Black is the affordable answer. The WA12 MKII Black is a completely discrete, high voltage, dual-transformer microphone preamplifier design with high gain (+71dB), high headroom, low noise, and exciting sonic performance – which makes it an ideal choice for all types of recording applications. A high-quality mic preamp is one of the most critical pieces needed to achieve that elusive ‘larger than life’ sound, and the WA12 MKII Black delivers on that promise every single time. The WA12 MKII Black is based around the X731 discrete op-amp, which is our own reproduction of the classic Melcor 1731 - considered by some to be the warmer predecessor to the modern 2520-style op-amp. The X731 can achieve vibrant, clean and lifelike tones, but it can also be driven into mild saturation at much higher gain levels. While the effects of that saturation can range from subtle to obvious, they always remain very pleasing to the ear, and because it was designed around the X731 the WA12 MKII Black can accept any discrete op-amp on the market that conforms to the +/-16v, 2520 pinout standard. Our ears played a big part in the process of designing the WA12 MKII Black, and we didn’t stop tweaking until anything we ran through it sounded better. Using CineMag USA transformers and an all-discrete signal path, we ensured that this preamp would have the building blocks to compete with the best-sounding preamps on the market, and we’re very proud to offer such a robust and professional design in a small and affordable package.
  • UTILIZES PREMIUM-GRADE INPUT AND OUTPUT TRANSFORMERS FROM CINEMAG USA
  • FULLY DISCRETE DESIGN WITH A ROBUST 71DB OF GAIN
  • UTILIZES A DISCRETE 6-PIN SOCKETED 1731-STYLE OPAMP, WHICH CAN BE SWAPPED WITH OTHER DESIGNS THAT CONFORM TO THE 6-PIN, 2520 FOOTPRINT +/- 16VDC STANDARD FOR VARYING TONE AND FLAVOR
  • 20DB PAD.
  • TONE BUTTON - SWITCHES THE INPUT IMPEDANCE FROM 150 TO 600 OHMS AND CHANGES THE TONE OF BOTH THE MIC AND HI-Z INPUTS
  • MIC LEVEL BALANCED INPUT: XLR
  • 2 MEGOHM TRUE HI-Z INPUT ON THE FRONT PANEL WHICH SENDS THE SIGNAL THROUGH THE ENTIRE CIRCUIT, INCLUDING BOTH CINEMAG TRANSFORMERS AND THE X731 OPAMP - GREAT FOR GUITARS, BASS, KEYS, KEYBOARDS AND ANY INSTRUMENT WITH A 1/4” OUTPUT JACK
  • BALANCED OUTPUTS: XLR AND 1/4″/TRS
  • 48 VOLT PHANTOM POWER
  • LED METER GAIN INDICATION
  • OUTPUT ATTENUATION CONTROL (POSITIONED AFTER THE CINEMAG OUTPUT TRANSFORMER) ALLOWS FOR DRIVING THE PREAMP AND TRANSFORMERS INTO SATURATION
  • SWITCHABLE 115/230 VOLT IEC POWER INLET
Rackmount PG-X Power Conditioner with PG-90 Filtering Technology, Panasonic and Wima capacitors, eight rear switched, filtered and surge protected outlets, one front-panel switched convenience outlet and USB port for device charging. Your gear deserves the best power, and we took great care in making sure the PG-X delivers just that — thanks to PG-90 Filtering Technology. In testing, this has provided an average of 90% of noise filtering, as opposed to the typical average of 76% found in other power conditioners at the same price point. Confidence Inspiring Power There’s nothing worse than scoring that “must-have” piece of gear, only to find that it’s noiser than should be expected, missing high frequency detail, or even worse — having it fried by power surges! Black Lion Audio has been trusted for years for modifying the best gear and making it even better, and that’s what it took to create the PG-X: taking industry-standard designs, and improving them to the point of peak performance. After creating the original PG-1, Black Lion Audio knew that plenty of professionals on a smaller budget felt left out, as some features might not be as important as an economy price-point. The PG-X was built with this in mind, while still providing best-of-class power conditioning! High-end Filtering Your gear deserves the best power, and we took great care in making sure the PG-X delivers just that — thanks to PG-90 Filtering Technology. In testing, this has provided an average of 90% of noise filtering, as opposed to the typical average of 76% found in other power conditioners at the same price point. Professional Power The PG-X features a bank of eight switched, filtered and surge protected outlets on the back panel. On the front panel, the PG-X sports one unswitched convenience outlet and a USB port for device charging. It takes more than a few rack-mounted outlets to inspire true confidence in your power conditioner, and that’s where the PG-X delivers: best-of-class power filtering!
  • Protects your gear from power-spike damage
  • Provides clean, well-regulated power for optimum performance
  • Features PG-90 Filtering Technology
  • Top-drawer components and design for superior power and noise filtering
  • Built with premium Panasonic and Wima capacitors
  • Rugged 1U rackmount chassis
  • 8 switched, filtered, and surge-protected outlets on rear panel
  • 1 filtered convenience outlet on front panel
  • USB port on front panel
Type: Rackmount Number of Outlets: 1 x Front, 8 x Rear Output Current: 15A USB: 1 x Type A Features: High frequency noise filter Rackmountable: Yes Power Source: Fixed AC cable Height: 1.7″ Width: 19″ Depth: 9.8″ Weight: 3 lbs.

FEATURES

  • World-class, transformer-coupled preamp, compressor, and DI
  • Gain: 0 - 66dB in 6dB increments
  • Compressor: Single-knob opto-coupler compressor with 2:1 ratio
  • Blend: Determines balance of mic and DI inputs
  • Instrument gain: 0 - 30dB on instrument input
  • 48V phantom power
  • Silk: Adds nostalgic warmth and presence when engaged
  • Instrument input: Front-panel TRS input and passive-through for Hi-Z sources
  • Polarity reverse
  • Threshold: When signals exceed threshold level, gain is reduced at a controlled 2:1 ratio with fixed attack and release time constants
  • Indicators: Signal presence and clipping on both mic and DI signals, as well as compressor activation.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Rupert Neve Designs Portico 517: 500 Series Mic Pre / DI / Comp
  • Frequency Response: Main Output, no load, -0.2dB @ 10Hz -3dB @ 160kHz
  • Noise measured at main output, unweighted, 22Hz - 22kHz, terminated 150 ohm: Gain at unity: better than -100dBu; gain at 66dB: better than -62dBu Equivalent Input Noise: better than -128dBu, noise factor 1.5dB
  • Maximum output level from 20Hz to 40kHz: +23dBu
  • Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise: @ 1kHz, +20 dBu output: Main Output: Better than 0.001% @ 20Hz, +20 dBu output: Main Output: Better than 0.002% Silk Engaged: Better than 0.2% Second harmonic
  • Crosstalk: Measured channel to channel: Better than -90dB @ 15kHz.
  • Phantom Power: +48 Volts DC +/- 1%
Condition: Item is subject to minor cosmetic imperfections. Packaging may be in poor shape. The item displayed in the images may not be the actual item you receive.
  • Converts balanced line level signals to unbalanced
  • Stereo signal path with set & forget level control
  • Transformer isolated to eliminate hum & buzz
  • J-Iso features Jensen™ transformers for optimal signal path
  The Radial J-Iso and Pro-Iso are stereo line isolators designed to convert a professional +4dB line level balanced signal to an unbalanced -10dB consumer level device. This enables you to take the balanced output of a mixer and feed a consumer level recorder or audio input on a computer. J-Iso Part # R800-1025: The J-Iso employs a premium Jensen transformer for optimal signal transfer to minimize distortion and artefact. Full bandwidth performance makes the J-Iso ideal for music production.     The passive design begins with 100% discrete components throughout. A set & forget level control lets you attenuate the input signal to prevent it from overloading the destination device. Output connections include a stereo pair of ¼" connectors, a set of RCAs and a mini 3.5mm (1/8") for interfacing to a mini recorder or lap-top computer. Transformer isolation helps eliminate hum and buzz caused by ground loops while eliminating stray DC currents from flowing. Construction begins with 14 gauge steel throughout utilizing Radial's unique bookend construction. This creates a protective zone around the connectors and controls for added durability. The steel construction also assists by shielding the transformers from outside magnetic fields. Inside, the J-Iso features an innovative I-beam skeletal insert that makes it virtually impossible to torque the PC board. This reduces potential stress which could cause premature solder joint failure. Designed for full range applications, the J-Iso combines exceptional signal handling with the type of durability that has made Radial famous. Signal Processors
There’s no doubt that when it comes to power, musicians have it bad. Whether it’s modern modeling amplifiers, or vintage synthesizers, bad power is gonna be heard throughout your signal. And it’s everywhere — in homes, on stages, and especially in many rehearsal rooms. Black Lion Audio has been trusted for years for modifying the best gear and making it even better, and that’s what it took to create the PG-P: taking industry-standard designs, and improving them to the point of peak performance. After creating an entire lineup of industry-best power conditioners, Black Lion Audio felt it was time to give the world proper portable power. The PG-P might look like a run-of-the-mill surge protector, but in reality it’s a studio-class power conditioner — PG-P doesn’t just provide more noise filtering than other portable conditioners, it provides the same noise filtering found in the majority of the world’s rack-mount power conditioners! Your gear deserves the best power, and Black Lion Audio took great care in making sure the PG-P delivers just that — thanks to it’s PG-P Filtering Technology. The PG-P is built using premium Panasonic capacitors, due to their superior execution in eliminating high frequency noise that robs equipment of its peak performance. In testing, this has provided an average of 3x the noise filtering of other portable power conditioners at the same price point. Six wall-wart spaced outlets provide studio-grade power on the go; perfect for any musician’s rig!
  • PG-P Filtering Technology for an average of 3x the noise reduction of other portable power conditioners
  • The same noise filtering found in the majority of rack-mount power conditioners
  • 6 wall-wart spaced outlet power conditioner
  • Status LEDs for quick power analysis
  • High-end Panasonic capacitors to filter out performance-robbing high-frequency noise
  • Tour-grade 9ft power cable
  • Proper safeguard protection with a power absorption rating of 540 joules
  • Recessed feet keep the PG-P from sliding, while still providing mounting options (screw mount, velcro, etc.)
  • Rounded corners make for a gentle surface area for smaller power cords.
Effective against boredom, supporting creative sound design A unique team play of spring reverberation, analogue multimode filtering, distortion and VCA, modulated by an ultra fast LFO and an envelope that can be triggered in flexible ways – Retroverb Lancet offers a comprehensive arsenal of many-sided effects for different applications. The spectrum by far surpasses classic reverberation, filter sweeps or overdrive because you are able to tweak and bend any parameter fast and intuitively to your liking. Retroverb Lancet will change the way you work with effects. It becomes part of your sound engine, fires it up and will end up as essential part of your sonic signature. Source of effectiveness We designed Retroverb Lancet in a way that it can perfectly handle signals of any kind: Guitars, basses, synthesizers, organs or microphones. On top of that, Retroverb Lancet allows you to create percussive sounds using its crash function. Retroverb Lancet is a real jack of all trades with character, suited for adventurous sound designers and tinkerers. Audio Input
  • max. input sensitivity: –32 dBu
  • impedance: 1 MΩ
Output
  • max. output level: 20 dBu
  • impedance: 600 Ω
Trigger- and CV-inputs
  • audio trigger
    • max. input sensitivity: –32 dBu
    • impedance: 1 MΩ
  • gate & CRASH
    • min. voltage: + 4 V
  • external cv
    • voltage: ± 10 V
Signal-to-Noise Ratio
  • direct: > 80 dB
  • effect (filter completely open, no reverb): > 75 dB
Spring Tank
  • number of springs: 3
  • reverbration decay: between 2.75 db and 4.00 s
Filter
  • modes: 24-db-lowpass, 24-db-highpass, 12-db-bandpass
  • modulations sources: envelope generator, envelope follower, external CV, LFO
LFO
  • frequency range: 0.05 Hz … 300 Hz
  • waveforms: ramp up, ramp down, square, sine, S&H, envelope generator
Envelope Generator
  • modes: AD, ASR
  • attack: 1 ms … 10 s
  • decay/release: 1 ms … 15 s
Miscellaneous
  • power supply: external DC-adapter with 12 V/1000 mA
  • dimensions: 26 cm x 14.5 cm x 8 cm (width x depth x height)
  • weight: 0.75 kg
Accessories
  • wooden side panels
Weight
DimensionsN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Additional information