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WA-2A is an optical tube compressor recreating the LA-2A, the leveling amplifier that has been on more vocal tracks than any other compressor ever built. Optical gain reduction is program dependent, which is why it sounds like it is listening rather than reacting.
The vocal compressor that everything else gets compared to.
'2A Style Optical Compressor No plug-in or other compressor type quite compares to the warm, forgiving, fluid qualities of the classic '2A optical compressor. For decades, the renowned '2A style circuit has become the go-to device for seamlessly handling vocals, bass, and a wide variety of other instruments and program material in an effortlessly smooth way. Releasing the WA-2A would be for nothing if it wasn't affordable. Since the start of Warm Audio, Warm has striven to give an unprecedented value to their customers, but putting high end audio within the reach of more people than ever before. This philosophy drives everything they do, and every product they offer. Premium Components: The WA-2A is a high-voltage, Class-A opto-compressor, utilizing large-core CineMag USA Transformers, four premium vacuum tubes, and the legendary Kenetek opto-cell - considered by many to be the world's finest. A Four Tube Operation The WA-2A operates on four tubes: two 12AX7s, one 12BH7, and one 6aq5 (or 6P1J). We proudly use Tung-Sol and Electro-Harmonix brand tubes in the signal path, which sound very open and LARGE. All four tubes are socketed for easy swapping and replacement.
At a Glance
| Brand | Warm Audio |
|---|---|
| Model | WA-2A |
| Product type | Compressor |
| Warranty | Warm Audio limited warranty |
What Does Optical Compression Do Differently?
The gain reduction element is a light source and a photocell, and the photocell's response depends on how it has been driven recently. That makes the attack and release program dependent rather than fixed, which is why the compression feels natural rather than pumped.
Why Are There Only Two Knobs?
The original design has Peak Reduction and Gain, and nothing else. Attack and release are set by the optical element's behaviour. Fewer decisions is a large part of why it is so widely used on vocals.
Is It Only for Vocals?
No. It is a standard on bass, on acoustic guitar and across a mix bus. But the vocal application is what made its reputation and it is still what most people buy it for.
Why Warm Audio
Warm Audio builds recreations of the classic studio hardware most engineers will never get to own, at a fraction of what the originals cost. The company sources premium components, CineMag and custom transformers, Fairchild-grade capacitors, NOS tubes where the design calls for them, and puts them into circuits copied closely from the originals rather than approximated. It has grown from microphones and preamps into compressors, EQs, direct boxes, guitar pedals and cable.