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WA-412 is a four channel microphone preamp built on the classic American 312 circuit, with CineMag transformers on every channel. Four channels in one box is what makes it a drum kit preamp rather than a single-source one.
Four channels of American console preamp, for the sources that need more than one.
Classic American Console Preamp Design The WA-412 provides 4 channels of classic American console preamps in a sleek 1RU design. This style of preamp is often referred to as the sound of Rock 'n' Roll for its BIG punchy low end and smooth open top end. The price/performance ratio of the WA-412 is almost unfathomable to the experienced studio engineer who has possibly paid much more for preamps of this style during their career. Featuring fully discrete socketed 6-pin opamps and custom wound Altran USA input and output transformers, the WA-412 leaves nothing to be desired. If you are looking for multiple channels of world class tone in an affordable package, the WA-412 is the right choice for you.
At a Glance
| Brand | Warm Audio |
|---|---|
| Model | WA-412 |
| Product type | Microphone Preamp |
| Warranty | Warm Audio limited warranty |
What Is the 312 Circuit?
The American console preamp design that sat opposite the British 1073 through the 1960s and 1970s. It is punchier and more forward in the upper mids, with a fast transient response that suits drums and electric sources particularly well.
Why Four Channels?
Because the sources that benefit most from this circuit tend to come in groups. Drum overheads and room mics, a stereo pair on an amp, or four inputs of a live tracking session all need matched preamps rather than one good channel and three ordinary ones.
What Do the CineMag Transformers Add?
Transformer coupling on input and output adds harmonic saturation as the signal level rises, which is a large part of the character. CineMag builds to the original specifications rather than substituting a cheaper part.
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.