Warm Audio WA73-EQ 1 Channel British Mic Pre & EQ

If there’s one preamp-eq that professional engineers would unanimously agree has defined the tone of pop/rock records for the last 50+ years, it would most definitely be the venerable 1073.  The 1073 has been massively used in recording and live applications for decades and is still considered to be the “Holy Grail” of preamp-eq’s today.  The Warm Audio “WA73 Family” provides single and dual channel re-creations of this classic British preamp (with & w/out EQ), that each pay careful and humble homage to the original circuit.

FEATURES

The WA73-EQ is a “Desert Island” boutique preamp-eq, but it can also be classified as a studio and live work-horse.  The classic 1073 was known for being a versatile tool that worked well with all kinds of microphones from Condenser, to Dynamic, to Ribbon.  The WA73-EQ equally shines on all types of microphones and sources including; vocals, acoustic/electric guitars, bass, drums, percussion, orchestras, keyboards, and even as a tone shaping tool to run partial or complete mixes through.  With 80dB of gain, a fully discrete Carnhill Transformer balanced signal path, and versatile 3 band inductor EQ, there’s no recording, mixing or engineering task the WA73-EQ can’t handle.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Single Channel, Class A, 1073-style British Microphone Preamp with EQ

• UK made Carnhill Transformers

• UK made - Blore Edwards EQ dual-concentric switch potentiometers

• Hand Wired, hand assembled

• 80dB of gain - resistor stepped gain switch

• Fully discrete

• TONE button - Changes input transformer impedance for varying tone

• Polarity switch

• 48v phantom power

• Inductor based 3 band EQ

• Low Band Boost/Cut - 35, 60, 110, 220 Hz

• Mid Band Boost/Cut - 360, 700, 1600, 3200, 4800, 7200 Hz

• High Band Boost/Cut - 10, 12, 16 kHz

• Additional high band frequency EQ points added (compared to vintage 1073)

• 4 position inductor based hipass filter - 50, 80, 160, 300 Hz

• XLR mic inputs (front & back)

• Line level TRS input

• TS Send/Receive insert jacks

• XLR & TRS line level outputs

• Direct In, instrument input

• Output control

• Led level indication

• Freq response 20Hz - 20kHz +/-.5 dB

• 19" rackable

• Internal IEC 115v/230v power inlet