GEAR REVIEW
WARM AUDIO WA – 251 TUBE CONDENSER MICROPHONE | Michael Hodge
KEY FEATURES
• Faithful Recreation of an ELA M 251
• Solid Brass Vintage CK12-Style Capsule
• Cinemag Output Transformer
• JJ Slovak 12AY7 Vacuum Tube
• 3 Polar Patterns Cardioid , Omni , Figure 8
• Wima , Solen French , and Polystyrene Capacitors
Austin , Texas-based Warm Audio has gained a trusted reputation for making high-quality , affordable replicas of highly sought-after studio gear , microphones , and even guitar pedals .
The WA-251 is a faithful replica of the famed Telefunken ELA M 251 , known for silky vocals , lush strings , beautiful acoustic , electric guitars , and pianos . The classic 251 is considered one of the most outstanding condenser microphones of the ‘ 60s and is highly revered today . Warm Audio has done its best to make this microphone affordable yet still retaining the high-quality features of the original .
OUT OF THE BOX
The WA – 251 comes in a sturdy cardboard box with thick rubber foam protecting it for shipping . Inside you ’ ll find the microphone in a beautiful wooden case like you ’ d expect with an expensive vintage microphone with plush velvet inside .
There ’ s a sturdy metal-cased power supply with a black rubber handle . The power supply has a 3-way pattern selector for Cardioid , Omni , or Figure Eight . There ’ s a power switch with a blue indicator light , a 115v / 230 voltage selector , XLR out , and a universal IEC AC jack .
Included is a black metal shock mount with two clips to lock the mic in .
The microphone comes with a high-quality 5-meter Swiss-made Gotham Audio 7-pin GAC-7 cable running from the microphone to
the power supply .
The mic body is finished in a classic creamy yellow 251-like enamel coating with shiny chrome trim . It weighs in at about 1.5 LBS .
Inside is a custom WA-12-B-60-volt allbrass vintage CK12-style capsule . The Large Diaphragm is 24k Gold sputtered 6-micron on New-Old-Stock mylar film . The Tube is a high-quality premium 12AY7 vacuum tube . A CineMag USA Transformer brings the classic 251 bottom and open top end . For capacitors , you have Polystyrene Coupling capacitors , Wima film capacitors , and a Solen French capacitor on the output . They have done a good job incorporating high-quality components .
IN USE
The WA-251 looks fantastic . It feels like a highend studio mic and makes you want to be careful . I like the feel of the Gotham cable , and the connectors are sturdy . The shock mount is lightweight and has 2 clips to firmly hold
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