WARM AUDIO WA-47F Large Diaphragm Fet Condenser Microphone User Manual

WARM AUDIO WA-47F Large Diaphragm Fet Condenser Microphone

THANK YOU
Thank you tor purchasing the Warm Audio WA-47F condenser microphone. Ihe WA- 47F is a faithful recreation of an exceedingly rare, wildly popular transformer-based, large-diaphragm FET condenser mic heralded for its clarity, high-SPL handling, and fast transient response. We teel this product otters the best in terms ot sound, tunction, and vibe from the classic era of analog recording. We don’t cut corners when it comes to what goes into our products, and the WA-47F is no exception. The WA-47F proudly uses a custom reproduction of the vintage K47-style capsule found in classic 47 FET microphone. For the transformer, the WA-47F uses a custom made TAB-Funkenwerk (AMI) USA Output Iranstormer to provide the largest sonic image possible. Pairing the capsule and transformer with premium airchild transistors and boutique capacitors, the WA-47F achieves the same loved sound of the classic 47-style FET mic at an attainable price tog Whether it’s gigantic kick drums, whole kits, guitar amps, or lead vocals, we think the WA-47 F will provide a lifetime of quality recordings and we are honored to have the WA-47F join your mic locker.
Bryce Young President Warm Audio Leander, Texas USA

Register your WA-47F
Before we begin, please take the time to visit www.warmaudio.com to register your product. To ensure you receive proper and uninterrupted warranty support for your product, please register your unit within 14 days from purchase.

WARRANTY STATEMENT

Warm Audio warranties this product to be tree from detect in materials and workmanship tor one year from the date of purchase, for the original purchaser to whom this equipment is registered. This warranty is non-transferrable. This warranty is void in the event of damage incurred from unauthorized service to this unit, or from electrical or mechanical modification to this unit. This warranty does not cover damage resulting from abuse, accidental damage, misuse, improper electrical conditions such as mis-wiring, incorrect voltage or frequency, unstable power, disconnection from earth ground (for products requiring a 3 pin, grounded power cable), or from exposure to hostile environmenfal conditions such as moisture, humidity, smoke, fire, sand or other debris, and extreme temperatures. Warm Audio will, at its sole discretion, repair or replace this product in a timely manner. Ihis limited warranty extends only to products determined to be defective and does not cover incidental costs such as equipment rental, loss of revenue, etc. Please visit us at www.warmaudio.com for more information on your warranty, or to request warranty service. This warranty applies to products sold in the United States ot America. or warranty information in any other country, please refer to your local Warm Audio distributor. This warranty provides specific legal rights, which may vary from state to state. Depending on the state in which you live, you may have rights in addition to those covered in this
statement. Please refer to your state laws or see your local Warm Audio retailer for more information.

NON-WARRANTY SERVICE
If you have a detective unit that is outside of our warranty period or conditions; we are still here for you and can get your unit working again for a modest service fee. Please visit us at www.warmaudio.com to contact us about setting up a repair or for more information. With the proper care, your Warm Audio gear should last a lifetime and provide a lifetime of enjoyment. We believe the best advertisement we can have is a properly working unit being put to great use. Lef’s work together to make it happen.

NOW LET’s GET STARTED

INTRODUCTION
The WA-47F is a faithful recreation of a wildly popular large diaphragm FET microphone known for its ability to handle high sound pressure levels with great accuracy and detail. The original became a secret weapon tor kick drum sounds and vocals across world class studios. The original microphone has been extensively used on drum sounds since the 1970’s by countless engineers and artists with remarkable consistency. The sound profile ot the original is known to be very versatile, handling fast transients and loud sources with ease. Like the original 47 FET style mic, the WA-47F has an uncanny ability to deal with high SPLs with great detail across the frequency chart. Designing our WA-4/F to sound like the classic 4/ FET mic was no easy task, especially since some ot the vintage components are no longer manufactured or available. We are thrilled to release such a gorgeous sounding, reborn classic to the market at a price that finally puts a once unattainable sound within reach.

FEATURES

Contents
Your WA-47f package includes; the WA-47f microphone with the attached hard mount and ultra-durable carrying case.

K47-Style Capsulee
The WA-47F uses a premium reproduction ot the vintage K47-style capsule found in the original micro-phone for ultra-wide frequency response and detail.

Custom TAB-Funkenwerk USA Output Transformer
Large-core imported German laminations drive the punchy, powerful sound captured by the capsule.

Exceptional High-SPL Handling
Amazing for drums, horns, and cranked amps, the WA-47F easily handles high SPLs up to 137dB and 147dB with 10dB pad engaged.

-10dB Pad Switch
The WA-47F has a switch on the back adding a -10dB pad allowing the mic to handle higher SPLs, up to 149dB.

140 Hz Low Cut Filter
On the back of the WA-47F, you will find a switch that engages a low-cut filter at approximately 140 Hz to remove potentially unwanted low-end rumble.

Integrated Hardmount
Like the original, the WA-47F has an integrated, low-profile hardmount making it easy to position the mic when space is limited.

Premium Components
The WA-47F has elite build quality with boutique components including premium Fairchild transistors for a no-compromise addition to your professional mic locker.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Gold Sputtered, Large Diaphragm, Single Backplate, K47 Style Capsule
• Custom TAB-Funkenwerk (AMI) USA Output Transformer
• Premium Fairchild Transistors
• Wima and Polystyrene Capacitors
• Polar Pattern: Cardioid
• Max SPL: 137dB, 147dB with 10dB pad engaged
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-19kHz
• Output Impedance: 150 ohms
• Rated Load Impedance: >1kOhms
• Pads and Filters: -10dB pad, 140 Hz low-cut flter
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio (+ weighted): 69 dB, 76 dB-A
• EIN/Self-noise (+ weightedl): 25dB, 18 d8-A
• Total Weight: 3.5lbs, Mic only: 21bs
• Mic Dimensions: 8″ x 2.75″ (20.3cm x 7cm)

TIPS AND INSTRUCTIONS

GENERAL USES FOR THE WA-47F
The WA-47F is a cardioid microphone with a ton of utility in a studio setting. The classic ’47-style FET-based micro phone has several popular uses, many of which relate to the microphone’s ability to handle high sound pressure levels. Naturally, this means the 47F is a fantastic choice when dealing with louder sound sources where a high level of detail is required in the recording process. The 47F will no-doubt sound great on many sources including acoustic guitar, horns, electric guitar amps to name a few. Two applications that particularly highlight the strengths of the 47F are vocals and kick drums.

The WA-47F as a Vocal Mic:
When it comes to the WA-47F as a vocal mic, it’s a bit of a chameleon. Excellent SPL handling means the mic can tolerate screamers, shouters, and those about to rock. The tast transient response also makes the 47F an excellent choice to capture vocal performances with varying dynamics where a polished high end is desirable.

How might it sound? What am I listening for?
Compared to tube microphones for vocals, the WA-47F may not “smooth” or round out the top end as much as a classic valve mic. Vocalists with a naturally smooth top end and falsetto work are just wo examples of great appli- cations to try out the 47F vs. a tube mic.

The WA-47F as a Kick Drum Mic:
Many engineers, producers, and drummers swear by the “huge” sound that the original 47-style FET mic can bring to kick drums. Try using the 47F as an outer mic at the front of the kick, and you’l be replacing those dynamic “bun- dle” kick drum mics in a heartbeat.

How might it sound? What am I listening for?
Compared to typical dynamic choices on the outside of the kick, the VWA-47F should catch more “body” and decay of the kick drum. If you want to get away from hyper-focused, thin mallet sounds, the WA-47F will provide some good times.

MICROPHONE PLACEMENT & SPACING
When it comes to distancing a microphone from its sound source, one may think of this process, among other things, as choosing the desired ratio of the original sound source to reflections and acoustic space. The closer to the source, the less space and ambiance will be captured. In some cases, this is fully desirable; and ambiance will be added in later via the magic of digital delay and reverb. In other cases, natural acoustics are critical. A great illustration of this is the recording of a gunshot or cannon fire: at very close range, the sound is surprisingly thin; however, at a distance, the sound becomes more full and explosive. This is a great reference to keep in mind; because to some degree, this phenomenon holds true with anything where natural acoustics is an important part of the sound, most notably with percussion. Beware that all processes do have boundaries and microphones do have a maximum SPL level they can be subjected to without distortion. Both microphones and preamps have a signal-to-noise ratio that tends to get poor in cases where more gain is required to make up for a distant signal. It’s generally good advice to place a microphone about 12 inches from a source and to fine-tune it from there until you have exactly what you are looking for.

A BRIEF WwORD ON ROOM TREATMENT
Room acoustics can be just as important as the microphone you choose. Even the best microphone won’t sound great if you are picking up unwanted reflections that can smear or comb-filter the sound you are recording. Just because a microphone is set to the cardioid pattern, does not mean that it is not picking up unwanted room reflections or outside noises such as street traffic, footsteps, or air conditioning vents. Though a walk-in vocal booth is hardly necessary tor most situations; a good quality ‘vocal shield” type product can make an enormous difference, often making the difference between a demo quality and a professional quality recording. Likewise, when recording combo amps and other instruments, using gobos or other acoustic isolation products can be hugely beneficial. Getting proper isolation, and just the right amount, but not too much room ambiance is one thing that really cannot be effectively corrected later in the process. It is of the utmost importance to put in the extra time to set things up well in the beginning.

SIGNAL INTEGRITY
In professional audio, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. When it comes to microphone cabling, a quality cable can make a big difference. Though not as critical as with instruments or dynamic microphones, a thin, poor quality, or worn XLR cable can affect the sound of a microphone. With extreme age or wear, gaps can form in the foil or spiral shield of a microphone cable, allowing RFl and EMI to leak through, or shield wiring can begin to make intermittent contact with the signal wire. XLR pins can corrode after many years of exposure, or solder joints break at the stress points inside an XLR barrel. Occasional cable testing and maintenance is good practice, and worn XLR pins can often be given new life (pending they are still salvageable) by spraying liberally with a contact cleaner such as DeOxit and worked thoroughly for several iterations. Generally speaking, it’s best to stick to the minimum cable length required for your recording application. For example, if a 20 ft. cable will work, little good can come from using a 35 ft. cable. Though condenser microphones are far better equipped to survive longeror lesser quality cable runs than dynamic and ribbon mics, audio can begin to attenuate (perceived as lower volume/weakened signal) or become contaminated beyond a certain threshold.

When recording vocals, it’s a good idea to use the highest quality pop filter you can acquire. This not only protects the microphone; it protects the recorded tracks by keeping plosives (a clipping that occurs from sudden air pressure on the capsule) to a minimum. Pop filters can also be creatively used in other situations where sudden air pressure changes can occur, which include large loudspeaker movement, the sound hole of a kick drum, or the gap between the two brass pieces of a hi-hat cymbal. As a general rule, a higher quality pop filter will have less audible impact on the sounds passing through them; while less expensive, improvised, or foam windscreen type flters can sometimes have a mulling ettect on high frequencies.

Microphone placement is as much an art as it is a science. Placement takes a great deal of patience, attentive lis- tening, and of course – experimentation. The more music you record, the greater instinct you will have for knowing which microphones to first try for given situations, and how to place them. One thing to keep in mind is that what a microphone “hears” will often be radically different from what a casual observer hears when standing several feet back from where a microphone is. I’s good practice to get down and put one’s ear close to a speaker cabinet or right in front of a bass drum’s resonator head, and hear what that microphone is hearing from its position. Get a sense for how different your source sounds close up, farther back, and from ditterent angles. Begin to move a microphone around very slowly and listen tor the changes in sound that you get. Notice how a small change in mic position can make an under-snare microphone go trom bad to good. Notice how moving a guitar cabinet mic further to the side of the center cone, or further off axis will affect the sound.

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