Warm Audio WA-14 Large-Diaphragm Condenser
Microphone
By Adam Gallant
W
arm Audio is continuing its
mission to bring vintage-
modeled studio hardware
to our home and project
studios at a comfortable
price point. The team is on a tremendous
roll with its latest batch of microphone
releases based on iconic European designs
that have long been staples of the record-
ing industry. We recently had the chance to
test out a pair of WA-14s, Warm Audio’s take
on the 1970s era of AKG’s C414s.
C414s are a classic studio microphone
designed and built by Austria’s AKG, and the
models produced during the ‘70s are arguably
the most sought-after of all. During this time,
AKG was using all-brass, handmade CK12
capsules, which were eventually re-designed
with some nylon and Teflon parts.
Out of the Box
The WA-14 is true to the classic with an
all-brass capsule. It has been faithfully
designed to match the frequency response
and tonality of the famous CK12 capsule.
The WA-14’s diaphragm is 24 k gold sput-
tered and like all Warm Audio gear, you’ll
find custom CineMag USA transformers
under the hood. Output impedance is rated
at 150 ohms, self-noise at -115dB, and the
frequency response extends from 20 Hz to
20 kHz.
Out of the box, these microphones were
heavier than I was anticipating. The casing is
robust, the screen is strong, and the finish is
a clean, matte black. The microphones come
with a shock mount, rigid mount, leatherette
pouch, and a spare set of suspenders for
the shock mount. The shock mount has a
trustworthy design that couples nicely to the
microphone.
On the microphone side, we see a slight
lip where the XLR connection is made. This lip
provides added contact for the shockmount,
preventing slipping and making for a secure
fit, even when the mic is hung capsule side
down. Much like the AKG version, the shock
mount for this mic is a little on the bulky side.
I often reach for the rigid mount, especially
with an X-Y stereo configuration or when
space is tight.
On the front side of the microphone,
we have a pad switch with positions at
0dB, -10dB, and -20dB. The fully-engaged
pad makes a pair of WA-14s ideal for drum
overheads in rock music as well as tom and
snare top/bottom. For polar patterns, the mi-
crophone can be switched between cardioid,
figure eight, and omnidirectional. A Blumlein
pair would also do nicely as a stereo room
configuration for strings or acoustic guitar.
In Use
During our initial tests, we used the WA-14s
for drum overheads and it’s worth noting
how much volume these microphones will
take. No audible overloading of the micro-
phones was heard d