Warm Audio WA12 MKII Black Discrete Microphone Preamp w/ PDB Passive DI Box

Manufacturer's Description

Warm Audio WA12 MKII Black Discrete Microphone Preamp, Cinemag Transformers

Raising The Volume

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.

Packed With Performance

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.

Premium Components

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.

Warm Audio PDB Passive DI Direct Box for Guitar Bass Keyboards, Rugged Aluminum

circuit options

Whether you play guitar, bass, keyboards or another stringed instrument, you'll need a direct box that won't diminish your instrument's tone, like the Direct Box Passive from Warm Audio. Built around world-famous CineMag USA Transformer topology and engineering, like no other DI Boxes in the world. Constructed with top-tier discrete components housed in rugged aluminum chassis' that include switches, knobs and connectors that are all designed to withstand heavy abuse on the road or in the studio.

Made with USA Custom CineMag Transformers

Every aspect of our direct boxes are designed for maximum sonic integrity, from the custom-wound CineMag USA transformer to the rugged metal knob and switches. You can expect warm, rich tone even after long cable runs, and the extruded aluminum enclosure ensures a long life span. When you need to convert an instrument-level signal to mic-level, with sonic quality as your top priority, you'll be well-served with the Direct Box Passive from Warm Audio.

New DI Box Experience

Warm Audio DI boxes offer the rare versatility of having an onboard variable pad knob which attenuates your input signal all the way from -3dB to -30dB, which will easily tame any instrument input source.

Both of our Direct Boxes offer a Thru-put jack that is jumpered to the input jack. It is a convenience jack allowing you to send your instrument's signal to a second place in addition to the live mixer or recording device. Our Direct Boxes can also take a recorded signal at line level and send it to another line input while simultaneously sending signal out of the XLR mic level output of the Direct Box.

Typical Applications for a DI box

Connecting electronic instruments such as guitar, bass, keyboard, or drum machines directly to a PA or recording system. Simply put, a DI box converts the high impedance, unbalanced output signals to low impedance, balanced output signals. By doing so, the instrument signals are now converted to the proper voltage level for the PA or recording system - which greatly reduces and/or eliminates connections which could cause tonal shifts and distortion.

Specifications

Warm Audio WA12 MKII Black Discrete Microphone Preamp, Cinemag Transformers

• 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
  

Warm Audio PDB Passive DI Direct Box for Guitar Bass Keyboards, Rugged Aluminum

• Custom-wound CineMag USA output transformer
• Converts instruments to mic-level signals without signal degradation
• Ideal solution for plugging your instrument direct into any mic pre
• Top-quality class A components with gold-plated traces on circuit board
• Rugged aluminum construction
• Pad: Variable from -3dB to -30dB
• Balanced Outputs: 600 ohms, mic level
• Input Impedance: 1 Meg Ohms
• THD: .01% from 20Hz to 100Hz. Less than .004% from 100Hz to 20kHz
• Frequency Response: 20Hz to 70kHz +/- 0.5dB