Warm Audio WA-19 (AKG D-19 clone), mechanical HPF, phase issue?

[kingkorg]

Behringer vs WA vs AKG vs Neve, warm vs cold is so 2023... we are at humans vs machines stage

Music is TikTok backdrop thing now. Kinda what Instagram and mobile phone cameras did to photography... If it even mattered few years back, it's completely irrelevant now. I'm here just becouse i like to solder and turn knobs

 

[jeremynothman]

... And/or how arguably overpriced the real ones are..?

As said, the metal knob ones are where there's magic. I don't hear it on the J Series. Yes, I hear a bit more low-mid girth, but it's not what makes me hunger for a 33609.

 

[emrr]

WA is SLIGHTLY larger.

After doing some tests w piano, I wouldnt be able to tell which is which without a reference. Its not a night and day difference. Same kinda vibe.

The WA is obviously higher output. (Significantly higher). The rca sounds a little more wooly (if thats even an adjective for this) in the bottom end. Top end on both are pretty comparable.

I just had an RCA and Warm side by side. With this pair if there's gain difference, it's very slight. This RCA is darker on top, which gives it that mid-centric focus we like in many Neumann. The Warm is more open up top, which de-emphasizes the nice mid push of the RCA. I didn't hear anything with any low bass to comment on that. Proximity effect felt the same. Agreed, same kinda vibe. My audition was through a late 40's Gates SA series preamp, then same again through an RCA SS BA-33B. No noted changes from the preamp swap.

 

[jeremynothman]

I just had an RCA and Warm side by side. With this pair if there's gain difference, it's very slight. This RCA is darker on top, which gives it that mid-centric focus we like in many Neumann. The Warm is more open up top, which de-emphasizes the nice mid push of the RCA. I didn't hear anything with any low bass to comment on that. Proximity effect felt the same. Agreed, same kinda vibe. My audition was through a late 40's Gates SA series preamp, then same again through an RCA SS BA-33B. No noted changes from the preamp swap.

I was a bit confused at first, because I thought this thread was about the AKG copy, but the 44 copy also looks interesting.

If anyone happens to put one side by side with a Melodium 42B, that would also be interesting, given you mention the more extended top end, which is the hallmark difference between the Melodium and the RCA

 

[amplexus]

I just had an RCA and Warm side by side. With this pair if there's gain difference, it's very slight. This RCA is darker on top, which gives it that mid-centric focus we like in many Neumann. The Warm is more open up top, which de-emphasizes the nice mid push of the RCA. I didn't hear anything with any low bass to comment on that. Proximity effect felt the same. Agreed, same kinda vibe. My audition was through a late 40's Gates SA series preamp, then same again through an RCA SS BA-33B. No noted changes from the preamp swap.

This doesn’t surprise me much. Ribbons are probably the easiest thing to “clone” and get within a hair’s breadth of the original. There’s so few ingredients it’s still shocking to me that companies are charging multiple thousands for passive single ribbon mics.

 

[emrr]

Sure, and you could re-ribbon both and get a slightly different result.

 

[amplexus]

Yup, esp if they're being hand tensioned by a real human.