A Dual Channel '73 for the Rest of Us

If there's one style of preamp that professional engineers would unanimously agree has defined the tone of pop/rock records for decades, it would most definitely be the venerable '73-style of mic pre. '73-style preamps have been massively used in recording and live applications for many years and are still considered to be the Holy Grail of preamp choices today. The Warm Audio WA73 Family consists of single and dual channel '73-style amps (with and without EQ), that each pay careful homage to British audio history.

The WA273-EQ is a Desert Island boutique preamp, but it can also be classified as a studio and live work-horse. Classic '73-style preamps are known for being versatile tools that work with all kinds of microphones from Condenser, to Dynamic, to Ribbon. The WA273-EQ equally shines on all types of microphones and sources including; vocals, acoustic/electric guitars, bass, drums, percussion, orchestras, keyboards, and even as a tone shaping tool to run partial or complete mixes through. With 80dB of gain and a fully discrete Carnhill Transformer balanced signal path, there's no recording, mixing, or engineering task that the WA273-EQ can't handle.

The Warm Audio WA273-EQ is a dual-channel, Class-A microphone preamp and equalizer designed to provide up to 80 dB of gain and 3-band EQ for engineers, producers, musicians, and vocalists in mobile-recording rigs and home, project, and commercial studios. It features custom Carnhill transformers and is wired and assembled by hand to deliver the sound and functionality of classic British '73-style preamps.

Its inputs include balanced XLR and 1/4" TRS jacks and two front-panel 1/4" TS instrument inputs. Input impedance, polarity, ground lift, and phantom power are switchable. Connect an outboard compressor or equalizer via the 1/4" TS insert send and return jacks. Balanced XLR and 1/4" outputs are fed by output level controls and allow compatibility with most audio interfaces and mixing consoles. The selectable high-pass filter can be set to 50 Hz, 80 Hz, 160 Hz, or 300 Hz for management of unruly bass frequencies.

The inductor-based EQ boasts selectable frequencies and Blore Edwards dual-concentric potentiometers. The WA273-EQ is rack-mountable and occupies 2 RU.

• Occupies 2 RU
• Dual-channel, Class-A mic preamp and 3-band equalizer wired and assembled by hand
• Created through years of R&D, careful reverse-engineering, and countless hours of auditioning
• Designed to function and sound like a classic '73-style preamp
• Fully discrete, transformer-balanced signal path
• Custom Carnhill transformers saturate sweetly when pushed
• Tantalum and polystyrene capacitors in the signal path and an output transistor choice that is smooth in high-gain settings
• Stepped mic pre gain
• Selectable low-frequency boost or cut at 35 Hz, 60 Hz, 110 Hz, or 220 Hz
• Selectable mid-frequency boost or cut at 360 Hz, 700 Hz, 1.6 kHz, 3.2 kHz, 4.8 kHz, or 7.2 kHz
• Selectable high-frequency boost or cut at 10 kHz, 12 kHz, or 16 kHz
• Inductor-based EQ and high-pass filter
• Blore Edwards dual-concentric EQ switching potentiometers
• Balanced XLR and 1/4" inputs and outputs
• Front-panel 1/4" TS instrument inputs
• 1/4" TS insert sends and returns
• Output controls with 5-segment LED meters

UPC: 713541493148