Warm Audio WA73-EQ pre amp - do I need it?

ijonty

Hi folks

I was in a recording studio recently and the producer was recommending I get this to record high quality guitar at home.

Currently I just run pedals through a Mooer Radar into a Focusrite, so I'm very low tech (with ability to match).

Is this pre amp going to transform my sound, or is it a big boys toy that's wasted on me?

Cheers

J

Winny_Pooh

Money will be much better spent on a quality modeller, used Kemper Axe-FX etc.

If you are a bassist its worth using a decent NEVE style pre as a DI but for a guitarist it's way too subtle.

Cirrus

In the world of big boy's toys, the Warm Audio stuff is considered fairly entry level. It's fine, and it kind of depends what you're doing and what you're looking for as to whether it's worth it to you.

ijonty

Thanks both. I guess it's all relative - I hesitate for months about a £100 pedal so it doesn't take much to push me into the big league.

Doesn't sound like I should go for it though, I imagine I'd probably not notice much difference. I think I'm doing the usual thing of expecting kit to make me sound better with no effort.

The reason I was considering it was that I currently have a project which is quite hip hop influenced, but with occasional guitar lines. I would rather spend the studio time with the producer doing the beats, synths and all that stuff, and I pre-record the guitar at home. But at the moment, my bedroom recording is too amateurish.

menamestom

I can see the point for a mic pre like this with a bit more character and harmonic detail than a basic standard interface, but not really for a guitar DI.  Many different ways to get down a decent DI’d guitar sound without something like this.

octatonic

ijonty said:

Hi folks

I was in a recording studio recently and the producer was recommending I get this to record high quality guitar at home.

Currently I just run pedals through a Mooer Radar into a Focusrite, so I'm very low tech (with ability to match).

Is this pre amp going to transform my sound, or is it a big boys toy that's wasted on me?

Cheers

J

A/B a Warm 73 against a BAE or vintage Neve and you will hear something that sounds kinda like the real thing but also not like the real thing.

I would look at 500 series.
You can get an API 512c for about £500 if you shop around.
Or a Phoenix DRS1R- Studiocare had one for £450 a few days ago.
I picked up a Burl B1 for about the same a while back.
I'd go for one of those before the Warm 73 myself.
You will need an enclosure but you can get one for not much money if you don't need loads of slots.

Warm aren't bad though- they make good products.