WARM AUDIO WA-84 Small Diaphragm Condenser Microphone User Manual

WARM AUDIO WA-84 Small Diaphragm Condenser Microphone

THANK YOU!

Thank you for purchasing the Warm Audio WA-84 small diaphragm condenser microphone. We feel this product offers the best in terms of sound, function, 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-84 is no exception. The WA-84 is a Class A, fully discrete, small diaphragm, transformer balanced (CineMag USA), cardioid microphone based on classic vintage circuit topology. We at Warm Audio are very excited to bring this classic style of microphone to you at such an affordable price and are confident you will enjoy creating a lifetime of beautiful recordings with the WA-84.

Bryce Young
President
Warm Audio
Liberty Hill, Texas USA

REGISTER YOUR WA-84(S)!

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 free from defect in materials and workmanship for 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 environmental 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. 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!

INTRODUCTION

The WA-84 is a small diaphragm condenser microphone based on classic microphone circuitry. The WA-84 is a fully discrete Class A design that utilizes a CineMag USA transformer, polystyrene and Wima capacitors and a Fairchild FET. The WA-84 is designed for pro studio, home studio, live, and broadcast applications and sounds great on a variety of instruments and sources, such as; acoustic/ electric guitars, acoustic/ electric bass, drums, piano, strings, brass & woodwind instruments, and an array of other sources. The WA-84 has a very LARGE sound for it’s small size and uniquely uses a heavy Nickel CineMag transformer in it’s signal path to warm up and ENLARGE sound sources. Small diaphragm condenser microphones have widely moved to transformer-less technology in recent years for ease of design and a lower- cost manufacturing process. When designing the WA-84 we chose to go the extra mile and tackle a more boutique design known for it’s it’s crystal clear, yet smooth, LARGE sound. We are proud to offer something special to the market- place by using large core transformer technology (CineMag USA) in a small diaphragm condenser microphone package. The result is a circuit that we feel sounds absolutely gorgeous and goes the extra mile in terms of signal integrity and smooth boutique tone.

A LOOK INSIDE THE WA-84

The Capsule
The WA-84 utilizes a custom vintage-style capsule designed to emulate classic componentry and design techniques. The WA-84’s capsule is carefully manufactured by an Australian capsule supplier and is precisely reproduced to vintage specs. We are pleased to offer such a high quality capsule in this microphone which allows us to nail the sonics of the most important component of any microphone.

The Circuit
The WA-84 1s a fully discrete Class A design that utilizes a CineMag USA transformer, polystyrene and Wima capacitors and a Fairchild FfT.

The Transformer
The WA-84 utilizes an American made CineMag USA transformer that contributes to the legendary creamy smooth top-end and the BEEFY mid to bottom-end one would hope to get from an 84-style small diaphragm condenser microphone.

The Capacitors
The WA-84 proudly utilizes Wima, polystyrene and tantalum through-hole capacitors throughout.

FEATURES

1. Contents
   The WA-84 package includes the WA-84 Microphone, Cardioid Capsule, Shock- mount, Mic Clip, Windscreen and Carrying Case.

2. Cardioid Capsule
   The included cardioid capsule comes mounted to the microphone. It is replaceable and can be screwed and unscrewed from the microphone.

3. -10dB Pad Switch
   The -10db pad switch attenuates the incoming signal right after the capsule, but before it reaches the rest of the microphone circuit. The pad switch has a 0dB and -10dB position.

4. XLR Output
   A Gold-Plated 3 pm XLR male connector is located at the base of the WA-84 microphone. The microphone’s signal will exit this connector. Connect this connector to a preamp via a standard 3 pin XLR microphone cable.
   

SPECIFICATIONS

• Small Diaphragm Condenser Microphone
• Directional Pattern: Cardioid
• Utilizes a CineMag USA Transformer
• Fully Discrete, Class A design, utilizing a CineMag USA transformer, Polystyrene and Wima capacitors and a Fairchild FET
• Vintage Capsule Reproduction
• 48V Phantom powered
• Frequency Range: 20Hz – 20kHz
• Sensitivity: -39dB or 11 mV /Pa@ l kHz
• Output Impedance: 200n
• Rated Load Impedance: ≥ l kΩ
• Pad: 0db or -1 0db
• Maximum SPL: 123/133dB@ 1kHz, 0.5% THO, 0/-l0dB
• S/N Ratio: 78dBA (IEC65 l)
• Equivalent Noise: l 6dBA (IEC65 l)
• Dynamic Range: l 07 dB A (IEC65 l )
• Connector: 3-Pin Gold-Plated XLR
• Single Unit Package Includes: Microphone, Cardioid Capsule, Shock mount, Mic Clip, Windscreen, Carrying Case
• Weight: 122g
• Diameter: 22mm
• Length: 132mm

TIPS AND INSTRUCTIONS

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 a desired ratio of original sound source to reflections and acoustic space. The closer to the source, the less space and ambience will be captured. In some cases, this is fully desirable; and ambience 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 WORD 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 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 for 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 ambience 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 RFI 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 (if not past the point of no return) by spraying liberally with a contact cleaner such as DeOxit and worked through several insertions. It is good practice to not use a cable much longer than what is needed for the job at hand; 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 longer or lesser quality cable runs than dynamic and ribbon mics, audio can begin to attenuate or become contaminated beyond a certain threshold.

When recording vocals, it’s a good idea to use the nicest pop filter you can afford. 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 filters can sometimes have a muffling effect on high frequencies.

Microphone placement is as much an art as it is a science, and takes a great deal of patience, attentive listening, and trial and error. 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. It’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 different angles. Begin to move a microphone around very slowly and listen for the changes in sound that you get. Notice how a small change in mic position can make an under-snare microphone go from 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.

ILLUSTRATION

In this diagram, two WA-84’s are used in a spaced pair configuration to record stereo drum overheads.

In this diagram, two WA-84’s are used in a coincident pair, also known as XY configuration, to record stereo drum overheads.

© 2019 Warm Audio™ LLC.
Liberty Hill, Texas USA | www.warmaudio.com

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