WARM AUDIO WA-8000 Tube Condenser Microphone User Manual

: June 6, 2024
: WARM AUDIO

Table of Contents

WARM AUDIO WA-8000 Tube Condenser Microphone
FEATURES
SPECIFICATIONS
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

WARM AUDIO WA-8000 Tube Condenser Microphone

THANK YOU!
Thanks for purchasing the Warm Audio WA-8000 condenser microphone! All Warm Audio products are known for their quality, value and attention to detail, and this mic is no exception. Inspired by one of the most sought-after and revered designs of the early 1990s – a design that continues to foster die-hard fans to this day – the WA-8000 is a true large diaphragm, transformer balanced, dual-pattern tube condenser microphone. Featuring the same custom K67-inspired capsule and internal circuit design as the original ‘800 mic, the same NOS 6AU6 vacuum tube, a custom tube-cooling system that helps lower self-noise and a custom Gotham GAC-7 7-pin cable, the WA-8000 combines ultra-high sensitivity with silky-smooth high frequency response and a large soundstage. This new microphone has all of the magic and mojo of the original, and we feel confident in saying that this may become your go-to mic for everything you record.

Bryce Young President
Warm Audio Austin, Texas USA

REGISTER YOUR WA-8000
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 of purchase.

WARRANTY STATEMENT
Warm Audio warranties this product to be free from defect in materials and workmanship for one year from date of purchase, for the original purchaser to whom this equipment is registered. This warranty is non-transferable.
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 environmental conditions such as moisture, humidity, smoke, fire, sand or other debris, and extreme temperatures.
Warm Audio will, at it’s sole discretion, repair or replace this product in a timely manner. This 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 of America. For 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 defective 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. Let’s work together to make it happen.
Now let’s get started!

A LOOK INSIDE

THE CAPSULE
The original ‘800 microphone employed a capsule that is very similar to the early K67 assemblies that Neumann made in the late sixties and early seventies, but it differs in a few ways. We recreated the original’s custom dual-diaphragm, center-terminated capsule down to the smallest detail, to ensure that the frequency response and performance of the WA-8000 matches the original mic as closely as possible.

THE TUBE
The 6AU6 vacuum tube used in the WA-8000 is a 7-pin miniature sharp-cutoff pentode that was originally designed in the 1940s for high-frequency wideband applications. Over the years it became popular in amplifiers, microphones, and other high-performance audio components, known for its power and efficiency when running within its optimal operating temperature range.

THE COOLING SYSTEM
The WA-8000 is equipped with a unique cooling assembly that helps to maintain optimal operating temperature for the 6AU6 tube by allowing it to be mounted outside of the main mic body, and by allowing the heat from the tube to dissipate via the fins surrounding the protruding tube assembly. By maintaining a consistent operating temperature, the WA-8000 can deliver maximum efficiency and smooth, flawless performance every time you use it.

THE CABLE
One component of a tube microphone that is often overlooked is the 7-pin cable that connects the microphone to its power supply. We traditionally partner with Gotham Audio in Switzerland to use their boutique 7-pin GAC-7 cable for all of our high-end tube mics, because it’s quite simply the best tube mic cable in the world. Using this cable preserves the presence and the overall size of the recorded image by reducing phase shift and the parasitic effect often experienced in poorly built cables. Gotham Audio cabling is very expensive and boutique in nature and shouldn’t be considered a small addition to the WA-8000 package.

FEATURES

CONTENTS
Your WA-8000 package includes the WA-8000 microphone itself, external power supply, IEC power cable, shock mount, Gotham GAC-7 cable, and custom hard case.
POWER SWITCH
The power switch is located on the power supply. Always turn the power supply off before connecting or disconnecting cables.
We recommend turning the power supply on at least 30 minutes before using the mic. This will enable the tube and components to reach optimal operating temperature and deliver the best performance.
IEC POWER INLET
The IEC power inlet is located on the rear side of the power supply and allows a standard IEC coble to connect the power supply to your wall power outlet.
110V /230V VOLTAGE SELECTOR SWITCH
A protected voltage selector switch is located near the IEC inlet on the power supply, which allows you to set the appropriate operating voltage for the country where you use the microphone. The voltage selector switch will be pre- set to reflect the operating voltage of the country where the product was purchased and should not be changed, unless the mic is physically moved to another country or region of the world where the voltages are different.
7-PIN MICROPHONE CABLE CONNECTOR (FEMALE)
A 7-pin female microphone cable connector is located on the power supply. The Gotham GAC-7 cable is connected to this connector on one end and to the WA-8000 microphone on the other.
XLR OUTPUT
A standard 3-pin XLR male connector is located on the power supply. The microphone’s signal will exit via this connector, so attach a high-quality preamp here via a standard
3-pin XLR microphone cable.
POLAR PATTERN SELECT SWITCH
The polar-pattern selection switch is located on the front of the microphone, and it allows you to select between omni-directional and cardioid patterns.
Reference images on following page.

USING THE WA-8000
The WA-8000 is a side-address microphone, which means the mic should be positioned so that the sound source is facing the side of the grille, rather than the top of the microphone. When operating the WA-8000 in cardioid mode, speak into the front of the mic, above the pattern selector switch. In omnidirectional mode the entire surface of the grille will pick up sound.

USE IN CARDIOID (UNIDIRECTIONAL) MODE
With the front-panel switch set to cardioid/unidirectional mode, the WA-8000’s pickup pattern will favor the front of the microphone. This means the signal pickup will gradually drop off as you move away from the front, picking up the least amount of audio information at the rear of the mic. The cardioid pattern is the most common configuration for most microphones (in general, if a mic doesn’t say what pattern it uses on the mic body, it’s using cardioid), and it’s ideal for use on vocals, instruments, and almost any directional sound source.

The cardioid pattern (so named because a plot of the pattern looks much like a human heart) also strongly exhibits something known as the “proximity effect”, which is an increase in low frequency response as the source gets closer to the mic. This can be used to great effect to aid in creating the classic FM radio “DJ Voice” sort of sound on a voiceover,
but it can also present problems when the source in question creates a lot of low-end information naturally. As such, use your ears to determine the best position for the WA-8000.

USE IN OMNIDIRECTIONAL MODE
With the pattern switch set to omnidirectional mode, the microphone’s sensitivity is equal from all sides. That means sound is picked up with equal gain from every angle. This can be useful for miking multiple players in the same room, recording multiple vocalists at the same time on the same mic and capturing the sound of the room in addition to the direct or “close-up” sound. Omnidirectional microphones also exhibit greatly reduced proximity effect, tending to deliver consistent response from every angle.

TIPS AND INSTRUCTIONS
MICROPHONE PLACEMENT

Microphone placement is more than just a technical function – it’s an art in itself. Entire books and courses have been written on the subject, and every use case is different – different vocalists, different instruments, different sound sources, different acoustic spaces, different conditions, and of course, different types of music all call for different techniques. Mic placement for a powerhouse rock singer doing a paint-peeling lead vocal may be different from what works for a quiet female narration or a classical guitar recording.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Generally speaking, the closer you place the mic to the source the more direct signal you’ll hear. That means less room noise, and fewer reflections from walls and other hard surfaces (commonly referred to as ambience). While ambience can be useful in some cases (a great sounding room can add a lot to a drum kit, for example), it’s usually a good idea to get your mic close to the source to achieve as direct a sound as possible, as these days it’s far easier to add ambience at the mix stage than it is to remove it. THAT BEING SAID, do what is best for the track and the mix, and don’t worry about what some person writing a manual says about the tune you’re working on. Make it sound good for you.

When miking a vocalist, you can start by positioning the singer about 8-14 inches from the mic. If needed, a pop filter or windscreen can help reduce plosives (sometimes referred to as “p pops”) by minimizing the gusts of air that cause the mic to react to them. You might also consider a good quality vocal shield if your room isn’t well-treated, as they can minimize the effect that reflections from walls and other surrounding surfaces have on the final take. The same logic holds true when miking instruments: try to get as close to the source as possible to reduce or eliminate ambient and reflected sound. This thought process explains why common studio practice separates multiple sources being recorded in the same room by using gobos or plexiglass partitions. Of course, these are all generalizations. Every recording engineer and producer has their own favorite techniques, and there are countless resources out there for the curious. Don’t be afraid to learn the rules, and then mercilessly break them.

WHAT DOES IT REALLY SOUND LIKE?
Every veteran recording engineer knows the phrase, “garbage in, garbage out.” Getting the best-sounding take at the recording stage is infinitely preferable to trying to fix it later on with EQ, reverb, or lots of grueling edits. Whether it’s a vocalist, acoustic guitar, piano or any other instrument, your goal should be to try and get your recording to sound as close as possible to what you’re hearing in person, and what you hope will fit in perfectly in the final mix. It’s important to note that a microphone will generally not “hear” the same way your

ears do. After all, your ears are hearing in stereo, and are hearing not just the source but the reflections and ambience of the room. As mentioned earlier, while this is sometimes desirable, generally it’s best to capture as little of the room as possible. To get a better sense of what the mic hears, try getting closer to your source and sticking a finger in the ear facing away from the source (so that you’ll be hearing in mono, just like the microphone). Note the difference between standing ten feet in front of an acoustic guitarist versus putting your ear a few inches from the sound hole while they play. Then move
your ear closer to the fretboard while noting the changes in tone and timbre that happen along the way. When you’re back using the microphone instead of your ear, experiment with moving it around, turning it a few degrees back and forth, raising or lowering it, and critically listening to the sound you’re recording the entire time to understand how the movement and placement affect what you’re hearing. The more confident you are that you know what to expect when moving the mic to a new position, the faster you’ll get to the sound you’re hearing in your head.
Similarly, when miking an amp or speaker cabinet, experiment with moving the mic closer or further away, and experiment with changing the angle of address as well. Note the difference in tone as you move the mic from the center of the speaker cone toward the edge, or as you turn it slightly off-axis.

To sum up, microphone placement is an art form in itself. While there are certainly some best practices and some things to avoid, there really are very few “wrong” ways to mic something. Ultimately, if it sounds good in the context of the music you’re recording, that’s what really matters.