Reading these comments is amazing. Some can’t hear the difference, some claimed the difference is worth the $20K! That’s my main goal with these kind of videos is to expose people to things they likely wouldn’t have the opportunity to be exposed to. Hope you all enjoyed it regardless of your opinion!
The only reason to buy the original, if you have a studio worth several million that is would be to get customers to think your studio is worth a lot of money by the hour. Some just want to try one, but I think buying 10 of the Warm versions, Barefoot mini stack and some nice Mogami cables is a much better deal! I hear subtle differences in the details at certian frequencies, but nothing that you can get with a tweak with one of the many fine plugin's they have available now. Those are getting so good analog gear manufacturers are probably going to have to lower their cost in the not so distant future. Like the Neve OPX preamps, great deal for the money if you want 8 good preamps and are on a tight budget. Those would make this Warm Audio mic sound fantastic! I hate using Canadian money though, got to add 25% or so to everything then 13% tax...makes me want to grow my income again. Thanks for the review, found you through Present Day Production and they say very nice things about your channel. But for now, I have 2 Antelope Solo mics, and there is the U47 model which suits my rather low voice, clears that boomy mud out of it.
Could easily spot the difference between the Warm and the vintage. In general the C12 has a thicker creamier midrange, particularly lower mids, the Warm isn’t as creamy but has a more pronounced top end and transient detail. I preferred the Warm on some sources FWIW. Warm sounds more modern to me, the C12 has a *really* “vintage” tone which I could see getting swallowed or murky in modern mixes.
I'm here because I really want to buy a WA microphone I'm listening to all the tests and I think they sound incredible. But I'm from Uruguay so I'm not sure how I'm going to bring the thing yet
NO, their is not a 24k difference in sound. Enough said. The Warm sounded great and so close to the vintage C12. I personally wouldn't spend that type of money on the original even if I could. Great video Colt.
For an establishment artist, it’s worth it if the person likes that vintage vibe. Perhaps if Bob Dylan or jazz artist Diana Krall wanted an authentic one to be used on a future album, it’s probably fine. For a non famous musician, I would say no.
And then after all... when you actually think you HAVE to use one on your record and you've got your composing bit done and are ready to go to record all of the instruments you want to use it on, then just rent one for a week or two. :) I'd be 100% happy by just buying the Warm clone instead of renting a real AKG C-12 though. The difference is not THÁT big imo and I'd be able to use the Warm whenever I want, even on demos and as we all know, somethimes we record something in "demo mode" which in the end, will end up on the album, because we can't re-create the feel/energy/emotion or whatever from the demo takes. ;) I've got an album ready (almost) and I remember recording the demo guitar solo with my old, crappy Line6 POD and after I tracked all of the guitars for the album that were not recorded yet with my Mesa amp, cab and mics, I re-recorded that POD solo and guess what? I'm using the POD solo on the record. It doesn't sound as good, but there's something about that solo I just can't recreate anymore. Weird, but true. ;) Andy Jackson (Pink Floyd engineer) once told me: "don't worry about the gear, just make music!" He told me that almost 10 years ago and I'll never forget that! :D
We're reaching a new era where the music is again key. The mystic of the recording art is lifting & production is becoming more about getting "the take" vs this mic, with this pre, with this comp, etc. In the past I've seen some big projects recorded with mostly SM57's on just about everything... vocals, drums (every close mic), guitars, bass & once mixed you'd never listen back & think if only we had used that super rare vintage expensive mic on the vocals it would sound any better. We gear junkies buy into that way too much & lean on that theory to rationalize why our music isn't up to the "standard". I'm just as guilty as anyone for sure. Another excellent video Colt! Do more warm shootouts... those Tone Beast pres & neve clones are BadAss! Would love to see your comparisons!
Would be cool to do a test where a complete performance was recorded w 57s next to high end mics, then mixed / processed how one would normally do per set of mics. Only difference I can imagine there’d be is ability to capture room ambience w large condenser / fig8 / Omni type options. So maybe if room sound isn’t important (dreadful pop music) then cheap dynamic mics are probably sufficient.
I think after developing your ear, and creating your workflow. There are definitely a few pieces of gear that would get you closer to a professional sound, but the G.A.S is for people who don't make shit worth listening to.
The biggest difference was on acoustic guitar. The C12 sounded more open and the Warm Audio sounded more compressed. The C12 also has better transient response. The Warm sounded excellent on vocals!
Agree with you on the Acoustic. I heard a bit of an air and a sparkle in the top end in the vintage C12, where the warm sounded just slightly more upper mid forward.
I did prefer the warm audio on vocals just because the vintage sounds like it can’t handle loud signals very well. I have access to a vintage c12 as well and it does the same thing. Idk maybe I’m crazy 😂
That was a tough one Colt. The Warm was very close to the C12, the low-mids sounded spot on, the high-mids sounded a bit brighter on the Warm IMHO. WIth budgets being what they are for smaller operators, the Warm would be a great addition to any mic locker.
I preferred the vintage c12 on acoustic guitar because it seems to me that the warm wa-cx12 is just a tad harsher in the upper mids. On vocals I preferred the cx12 for the same reason... That being said I really don't think that that kind of difference, especially on vintage microphones, is worth it for the sound alone. I totally agree, in an a/b test you would have a really hard time telling the difference between the two (unless you have, like, a lot of experience with at least one of them). I can see the 'vibe' point as well, but sometimes I wonder how many actual vocalists are going to even notice, vs. the producers who kind of gush over these kinds of thins all the time... You really have to be in a position where you know you've already made it and anything more is just the last 0.1% to justify this kind of expense IMHO, regardless of the ginormous difference in price; Which is exactly why I love this kind of video, amazing work as always! (Altough, judging from some of the more esoteric comments, a blind a/b test might have also been worth it...)
Same here. Couldn't tell much of a difference on the drum overheads, preferred the vintage C12 on the acoustic guitar, and preferred the Warm Audio CX12 on the vocals. Pretty much similar to most of Warm Audio's gear, they get REALLY close to what they are emulating at a very nice price. Great business model!!
I actually preferred the WA-CX12 for the accoustic test. Both are great sounding and for $1000, it's well worth the money compared to the expensive one they copied! Thanks for putting this comparison together!
After downloading tracks and running double blind tests. It was literally 50/50 depending on source which I preferred, and it would be fine which ever one on any source. What you said in the end is very true. Is it worth 25X the price, for a feeling of "the heroes journey" is completed, because that's the only practical difference. Its up to each and everyone to decide!
I played now with the audio files, bro they are so close almost identical. i took both takes one hard left one hard right, its sounds like when you duplicate a track, i needed to do a phase to hear it wide, warm audio did a good job here!
This blew me away.. I did a blind listen to see if I could hear the difference between the two and it was almost indistinguishable. And during the female vocals I actually said to myself, “oh yeah this is the c12” then took a quick peak and it was the cx12. Jaw hit the floor. Thanks Colt!
Im a little late to the party but i got this mic about a month before you posted this video i live just south of you in Murfreesboro. I got this mic for a client's project i had been working on and i wanted to bring something new and different but also nice to the vocal sessions... Hands down i cant afford a 25k mic let alone 5k mic but i got the cx12 with high hopes from word of mouth. and holy $#*T this thing is mind blowing amazing. your video is very spot on for what i discovered as well !! the cx-12 is beyond worth it...CHEERS MY DUDE !!
Listened to this in my car pretty loud. Couldn’t really hear a difference. I know we all wanna believe that a mic is somehow magic- it’s just circuits and parts, and capsules. For $1K, I’m going with Warm every time. I own a bunch of their mics, and I dig them all.
After being around music all my life, but on the instrument side, I recently started a bachelor's on Music Production at Full Sail University and have been watching your channel nonstop trying to catch up with everyone else in my degree who've been producing for years. I found this video while actually researching other mic's and am absolutely blown away. Thank you for all you videos and all the knowledge you share.
I just purchased a pair of the 312 clones as well as the wa76 and wa73 and I will say, having access to every one of the clones I bought there’s not enough of a difference to drive me to purchase the high end gear, especially in the application that I’m using them for. Great video! Overall I’m incredibly impressed with the warm audio C12, I think that it’s worth it to save your money and buy25k worth of other gear than ONE MIC like what???
Great video Colt! Both the mics sound really good, I heard subtle differences on different sources however not enough of a difference to justify the price gap! My first experience using a warm audio microphone, I didn't compare it side to side with its comparison but I remember just really liking the sound of it and that was enough for me. After researching further into the company, I love what they do and the products they make. Id recommend them to anyone.
I'm blown away. Super interesting though, with the acoustic guitar, I hear exactly the same. And with female vocals, there is practically no difference. Thanks for the video!
One thing I noticed. The way the mics were positioned there will be a difference in sound based off the singers. So the warm was lower and would capture the voice but also the singers voice box meaning it will grab more lows verse the original that was placed higher that would capture the voice but also the nose area which is less low and more nasally. I go through this all the time when I mic singers. That type of positioning can make an over all difference. When it comes to these mic shootouts it’s tough because depending on the singer one might be better to use than the other and let’s face it. No clone will sound the same. No 2 mics really sound the same and that’s what makes them pair together well.
Warm Audio sounded like a cheaper mic but it sounded really good despite that. It didn't sound 24x cheaper haha. Maybe not as amazing as the real deal but still it's a very good mic to buy in 1k price range. For 1k it's a great mic, no questions. Btw I would like to see the test of all vintage mic clones Warm Audio mics in 500-1k range - I'm curious how they sound when compared.
I'm listening to the raw audio tracks right now and have to agree with you. The real C12 transients pop out crisp and clear and the midrange sounds 3D. The only way I can describe it is that the Warm sounds like a really loving facsimile of the C12. Definitely super useful and not at all bad, but the 12 is special for a reason. There aren't many people out there who are making transducers the way they used to because it's an art.
Hi Colt. Great video and a good comparison. What I heard was that the c12 and the WA are very close indeed but the WA was, as its name says, warmer. The c12 sounds very natural and clear, almost confronting, where the WA less so, various distortions that we call warmth, though only very very slightly. The quality of the hardware is very impressive for sure. I’m in Australia so I’ll try to track one down for a tryout. Thanks man!
On iPhone 11 speakers, the WARM replica seemed to have more high end and detail when it came to the guitar and cymbals. Cymbals almost seemed harsh. Midrange for the male vocal seemed too telephonish for me on the replica. I would buy this mic just to use it on guitar it sounded amazing
Yeah those differences are subtle and definitely not a 24k difference. i think if an engineer wants that "wow" factor and can spend the cash on the vintage stuff, that's cool. But if i have a grand to blow and i want something that sounds nuts through a great pre, ill reach for this. Or maybe even a TLM guy if I still want that "oh look that's a Nuemann" reaction. Great video as usual, Colt!
I'm glad you made this video. I can clearly hear the difference. The vintage is definitely more dynamic, more 3D, there is just more depth in the sound. The frequency response of the Warm is incredibly close, but there is just some distortion going on that's not letting all the sound through
I just bought me A WA-47 and I’m in love with it OMG so much quality for $949 it’s My first tube mic and I absolutely love it. I’m glad I bought it. Thanks warm audio
First, thank you so much for creating this video and the fantastic demonstration of these microphones side-by-side! After downloading the audio files, I ordered the WA CX12. I find it very interesting to read all the others' comments about the high-end differences, but what my ears hear consistently throughout is a very slightly thinner sound with the CX12. I hear a bit more low-end in the vintage C12, but ever so slight that it's not worth the money. Again, thank you for this excellent review!
Warm audio sound open but i can hear the modern components of warm audio mic which is great for the erra we are in Vintage sound narrow n unique but it has the dept Warm audio mic is great really great i would buy the warm audio any day
Those Male Vocals on the Warm Audio!! SHEESH! 🔥🔥🔥 I've noticed Warm Audio keeps their Mid to High-Mids freq. in their mics. Even remakes. Which makes it seem like the vintage one is diff. But why not just do some slight EQing? Subbed 👍
Warm Audio is the SHIZZNITZ fo'real!!!!!!! Very little difference between the two! If I had $26K to use for audio gear... I'd grab that WA-CX12 and use the rest to pretty much outfit a nice home studio set up! (THIS VIDEO has me sold to get the WA-8000!! NO NEED to spend $10k or more on a Sony 800G). Excellent video sir👊🏾!!
A great comparison test - very infomatic and great job. Also in our experience the CX-12 (in our opinion the only one from Warm Audio - and only in cardioid) stands up to comparison with the original C12 and have found the following: Almost the last percentage points of difference (though almost not on vocals, but on acoustic guitars) could be gained by swapping the EH 12AY7 for a TAD 12AY7 (high grade premium selected): This gives the (somewhat missed) top end sheen with the same smoothness and a tad more of the creamy low mids as the original. It's a little bit like a curtain opening. At the same time, the self noise is reduced by about 1 dB in the noise frequencies around 2 Khz.👍
felt to me like the vintage c12 had kind of an upper mid presence, adding a little beef to offset the harshness of those high-highs. especially on female vox, that crispy spot around 12-15k felt thinner with the warm cx12. that said, not something that would be a problem in the context of a mix, especially with some light EQ, and ESPECIALLY for the price difference. great insight about that emotional response, I think you hit it on the head. just picked up a cx12 for around 500 used and am really excited to put it to work!
Warm included extra shockmount strings with their $249/$299 WA-47jr as well. Ultimately it's less than a buck worth of extra stuff that really helps out in times of crisis (because the cord will always snap right as you have everything ready to go for that all important session 🙂). The mics are so close, that I'd only keep something vintage around if it's the difference that'll attract a client.
Great video Colt. Always unbiased info. I’m excited to see what Warm release in future. Especially hardware. There’s so many products that I think home studios are screaming out for.
I definitely hear more highs on the Warm vs the c 12. The male vocal test is the trickiest to hear, but the rest have a noticeable difference in tonal balance.
The comparison I can't wait to hear is between the WA-CX12 and the Avantone/Black Lion Audio CV12! Relatively similar price points, and... I dunno, maybe I'm Midwest biased, but is there anything BLA *doesn't* do extraordinarily well?? lol
The warm audio looks more attractive to the eye than the vintage as you said, the sound was almost identical with a couple of nuances that you can easily achieve with EQ to my ears. The warm audio will be the smarter choice in my opinion. I would use the remaining $20,000 on more gear that will be more beneficial in the studio.
The difference is so minimal, i preferred the WA on the female vocal, it sounded awesome if you ask me. I would happily buy a WA if i needed one. Amazing video man great work.
Dang the C12's sound great. I could rent them from Blackbird for 10 sessions for the money spent on the WA...just sayin. Blackbird is one of the best things about living in Nashville, especially their special discounts.
I agree with your assessment. On drums the AKG had a more pronounced and rounded sound around 120Hz. It was apparent when he played the toms. The midrange and top end were very close. There was just a little more clarity above 12kHz on the AKG. On both male and female vocals, with the singers you used, I really couldn't hear a measurable difference except for that extreme top end extension. The 200Hz thing you said about the AKG was most apparent on the acoustic guitar. I can see a WA-CX12 in my future. I already have a WA47 tube from them and the mid to upper mid, midrange depth and clarity is killer on it. The top end is a little subdued but there is a place for that in my mic locker. No microphone sounds good on everything and everyone. Choices must be made to fit the source element in order to get the best out of it. For me, it's not as much about if it actually compares to the real McCoy, it's about if it is a great sounding mic in its own right. The WA-CX12 sounds really good. If I had the disposable funds to buy a real C12 I wouldn't be watching this. Great job on the video.
Cool video. I'm just at the first comparison on the drum overheads but I'm finding that I have to turn up my speakers to really hear what's going on. Then, when you voice comes in, wow. Way louder. BTW, I'm listening on my Kali LP6s and my Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones in my little home studio. I really want to know how this mic sounds. I think the Warm Audio mic sounds great.Good enough to justify the cost which is minimal compared to the other mic. It's about the law of diminishing returns. The expensive mic doesn't sound $20,000 better. I thin, in a mix, you'd never know.
A great comparison test - very infomatic and great job. Also in our experience the CX-12 (in our opinion the only one from Warm Audio - and only in cardioid) stands up to comparison with the original C12. We’ve found the following: Almost the last percentage points of difference (though almost not on vocals, but on acoustic guitars) could be gained by swapping the EH 12AY7 for a TAD 12AY7 (high grade premium selected): This gives the (somewhat missed) top end sheen with the same smoothness and a tad more of the creamy low mids as the original. It's a little bit like a curtain opening. At the same time, the self noise is reduced by about 1 dB in the noise frequencies around 2 Khz.
Both sides are both correct. In the mix replicas can even sound better. If money is no option then the feeling is definitely worth it. A cheap car will get you to work, an expensive car you will have an experience driving to work. There is a place for each, the only difference is money and if you can afford it.
Love the comparison vid! Listening to it on youtube with a set of AKG K240 Sextett MPs on a run-o-the-mill m-audio interface... (The sextetts {70's/80's} are known for their soundstage and quick, full range response compared to all the other K240's they've made... worth checking out!) For me there was a lot more of the tom resonance with the C12's, along with a deeper room dimension... overall I found the C12's to sound a little fuller from around 200 down, faster, and generally more responsive... it felt more like you were in the room with the source. The warm for me had a bit of a resonance around 300, and maybe a roll off up top... I dug the Warm more on the male vocal because of it. That said, they all sounded great! This is subtle stuff, and with a little dynamic EQ I don't think it would take much to get similar results out of the warm, while saving enough to buy a van. I hear $1000 of difference I guess... From here, the originals seem to sound like the warms with an expander or exciter applied.
the original c12 on acoustic, has the bite what i expected, and i missed the maybe 2000 Hz 3000 Hz bite on warm a little bit. the c12 transient was very clear ....on Vocals its sounds really the same for me too. Great Video Colt
To my ear, the Warm is 90% of the sound at 1/20th the price but that last 10% of sound is what money will buy be it a mic, a guitar, etc... Great Video and nice mics!
I feel like the Warm has a bit more high mids, but they are DAMN close! Especially for the money! Have you messed with Mojave mics at all Colt? I'm wanting to get the MA-1000. I'd love if you did a shootout like this with that up against a ELAM251.
I have a Mojave 301 FET and they are the nuts! Great on certain vocal types, bass. Beautiful clear top end with a voluptuous backside. I know not the same as you mentioned above but my point being that Mojave make some sensational mics.
Mojave MA200 here an is so nice. It’s sounds like a U67 but a bit more modern. Perfekt. And a Golden Age 251 mk2. But the warm is a beast too. Warm is great. WA -2a is a great comp.
Maybe this has been said, but it would have been awesome to see your thoughts of the two microphones in a mix. I'm willing to bet that they would be almost identical after mixing.
Sounded pretty much identical on everything but the acoustic guitar where on my speakers it had just a tiny teeny bit less "boom", but then again... in a mix... who cares. And you get 2 and a half modern mics for the price of one vintage one. Vintage gear is cool... it does bring the vibe you mention... but it's just a mind game. I'd get the Warm... I'm actually considering their Neve and API pre replicas to upgrade my preamp game, and I already have a 610mkII and a JoeMeek Twin Q... But you know... gear... :) Great videos Colt, keep up the good work. :)
@@owlmega-101 All the more reason not to get one... But even if you consider the Telefunken version, my answer still stands. :) 25 grand ? Not in this lifetime. lol
@@ChrisMartinsMusician Yes, and a decent room is much much more important than the mic. Even considering an ultimate vocal mic, I think a price range between $1000 - 3000 would just be more than enough.
Good shootout. I could hear the difference. It's like the real C12 had nearly 2dB of variation at a couple of frequencies. I bet if I had a CX12 and a mild EQ, I could make them indistinguishable.
I've been pretty impressed with a lot of warm audio stuff, from their mics, to their rack gear/eq, compressors, preamp etc. Definitely think they're a good brand for people wanting a decent studio set up but don't have the wallets for the price tags of a lot of high end gear
I concur - I have a few pieced of rack gear and a couple of their mics and I think they all do a great job/sound fantastic. They also seam really well built for the price.
On overheads Warm Audio sounded more relaxed to my ears which I think is a good thing after all the compression, saturation etc on drumbus and further down the line. Compared to the vintage C12 I did like the vintage one more, felt slightly more present. Not night and day though
I have the WA-87 and it is freaking awesome!! It has elevated my vocal recordings exponentially!!! I'm sorry, but the Vintage C-12 does NOT sound 25x better than the WA-CX12...not even 2x better. Warm Audio makes amazing products for 1/3 of the cost in its weight class. Try adding one of their mic-pres then run it through their Bus-Comp....pure heaven!! My next purchase is the WA-251 and then the WA-47 and finally I have my eyes on this WA-CX12. After that, no need to EVER buy another vocal mic.
Warm Audio Mics are killer!! I'm a full-time Voice Actor and my main mic is a Warm Audio WA47-jr. That mic has been heard by Millions of people for a couple of big Video Game Ad campaigns. That mic sounds so good on deep gravelly Male voices. It's replaced my Sennheiser MKH416. A $299 mic sounds better than a $1000 industry standard mic. Warm makes such good gear that Brent Allen Hagel (the VO guy for Discovery Channel/TLC/Hulu) said the WA 47 is broadcast ready as is. He did a review a few days ago and was extremely impressed. He was also reviewing the Warm C800G when he got a rush gig from Fox. He didn't even switch mics. Fox used the promo from the C800G that Brent had just set up. Warm has the potential to literally change the industry and get super high quality mics into people's Studios for 1/10th of the price. They'd be wise to do a MKH416 style mic next since so many people are already familiar with that model.
The cx12 had an inherent upper midrange harsh tinny sound with less 3d quality to the mic. I think it’s a good starter mic. The c12 is expensive for a reason.
For me the sound is close but somehow a bit more muffled with the Warm mic. Subtle but still there. Still a really good A+B test and much appreciated! Should add that I got the CX-12 :)
I own the WA12 MK2 (black) mic preamp. I pair it with my LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs and they are a true diamond in my setup. Warm has great stuff.
I just bought a warm audio CW 12 for $600 on Reverb and had it modified for $400 at signal arts electronics in Joshua tree California now it sounds like a C12!
I think I'm hearing that the Telefunken is a touch more brilliant on the crash. But, for producers, writers, home/project studios, these are a godsend. The other thing about these clones (true of Neve 1073, API, 1176, LA-2A clones too) is that, they allow people who are coming up to hone their recording skills on equipment that is plenty close enough to the real thing. So that if they then go to other studios, or upgrade their own, they are intimately familiar with the 'house' sound of these mics. It might be that some Warm Audio mics are better than others. I don't love their U87. But, some I do like, are the CX12, U47 (FET or Tube) and KM84. A pair of each of those, along with some dynamic mics of choice is plenty to kit out a project studio well. For 6k, if you add dynamic mics, an SM7b, Beta52a/D116, 57s, RE20, MD421s and maybe a good versatile ribbon pair (Beyerdynamic M160).
Great Video Colt! Maybe worth it in Nashville or other big session cities where people know gear and appreciate it, if it brings you 10 extra clients a year then it’ll pay itself off pretty soon, but for most modern genres I don’t think the name on the gear means much to the Artist, sometimes they won’t even know the difference between a preamp and an EQ. If I tell a client who doesn’t know gear too well that I have a StamChild and it’s the best thing ever, and their mix comes out better than ever, they’ll probably go around talking to their other musician friends about this crazy compressor I got and won’t care wether it’s a clone or not! Depends on the clients and if you’re mentally strong enough 😂
Man, Warm audio hit it right on the nose with this one! I just downloaded the files and Listened with my eyes closed and its spot on for the most part. I own the warm audio 8000 Great mic. But honestly, I think I like the Warm C12 Just as much if not more! It's a no brainer to get one of these for the studio! I see that Manley Reference in the back that's the microphone I really want for my go to Mic for my studio. but great video!
I've been trying to find someone with that c800 clone for the longest, how does it stand up? What do you like about it, don't like? I have an sm7b and U87 but need to round out the collection with something for instant pop vocals
@@MrArtVein The 8000 is a dope mic! It has that modern sound But it’s not for every vocalist. I honestly feel like the warm audio C12 will fit more vocalist if you record a lot of vocals!
Spot on take away. Recording studios can easily justify purchases rarified items when clients will pay expecting originals, regardless of the differences.
Like you said towards the end. I work at a studio with 4 Vintage C12's. Each sounds slightly different. None of them sound bad. In fact they all sound good. There are 2 that are close enough to do a stereo pair. So they get used on drum overheads from time to time. In your examples I thought the mics sounded similar in many ways. I thought the vintage were better on overheads, and acoustic guitar. I also like the vintage on female vocals but feel I would have EQ it a bit. The Warm Audio on female vocals sounded good and I would have to EQ that also, but at different frequencies. So to me that is a wash. I did not care for either mic on Male vocal. Both were usable but not the best mic for that artist. Like you said is the difference worth 24k? Absolutely not! It is definitely minor between each example. All can be remedied with slight mic movement or small amounts of EQ to make the Warm sound like the vintage. Plus I am assuming the consistency would be better with the Warm mic so having a stereo pair or even LCR would be feasible and still save 22K from the purchase of the one vintage.
I thought the C12 had some harshness on drums in the top end that the warm didn’t have, on guitar I way preferred the richness of the C12, on vocals i couldn’t even tell the difference. love my warm mics
The vintage has more body and open sound. But the Warm is still really good. It's like buying a TV. Once you get it home, you won't be comparing OLED vs QLED, or in this case how it sounds against another.
everyone listening should remember the vintage c12 has a few decades of capsule dust, spit, and just gunk that can't be cleaned all the way off. Also the tubes are the same type, but not the same manufacturer and that makes a difference. These things are subtle but do add mojo and magic to the C12.
Something that I noticed when is that the CX12 is able to take reverb more naturally. I listened to the tracks on the CX12 and C12 back to back, and the C12, when adding reverb, sounded unnatural. This was the case for both the guitar and vocals in my experience. Edit: Sorry! I forgot to thanks you guys for this great comparison. This was the exact video that I needed to finally pull the trigger on getting the CX12. Thank you!
The last country (male) singer is where you really heard the difference because he had an upper mid range voice that to me broke up on the original C12 but shined on the CX12. For the drums I liked both but the C12 had nicer top end but the CX12 still sounded great. CX12 for me all day long especially for $1000 USD!
You nailed it Deryck. His upper mids were a bit more aggressive on the C12. The CX12 seemed to tame them a bit. I've read it was a favorite mic among engineers for female singers. Now I kinda get it, cheers. Having said that, if I were rich man...
I think it's about the right tool for the job and the budget. If building a small home studio Warm certainly seems like a great option. If building full blown commercial studio in a market like L.A. where top flight gear is expected and you have a budget to spend $250000 on a mic locker... its another story
Reading these comments is amazing. Some can’t hear the difference, some claimed the difference is worth the $20K! That’s my main goal with these kind of videos is to expose people to things they likely wouldn’t have the opportunity to be exposed to. Hope you all enjoyed it regardless of your opinion!
The only reason to buy the original, if you have a studio worth several million that is would be to get customers to think your studio is worth a lot of money by the hour. Some just want to try one, but I think buying 10 of the Warm versions, Barefoot mini stack and some nice Mogami cables is a much better deal! I hear subtle differences in the details at certian frequencies, but nothing that you can get with a tweak with one of the many fine plugin's they have available now. Those are getting so good analog gear manufacturers are probably going to have to lower their cost in the not so distant future. Like the Neve OPX preamps, great deal for the money if you want 8 good preamps and are on a tight budget. Those would make this Warm Audio mic sound fantastic! I hate using Canadian money though, got to add 25% or so to everything then 13% tax...makes me want to grow my income again.
Thanks for the review, found you through Present Day Production and they say very nice things about your channel.
But for now, I have 2 Antelope Solo mics, and there is the U47 model which suits my rather low voice, clears that boomy mud out of it.
Could easily spot the difference between the Warm and the vintage. In general the C12 has a thicker creamier midrange, particularly lower mids, the Warm isn’t as creamy but has a more pronounced top end and transient detail. I preferred the Warm on some sources FWIW. Warm sounds more modern to me, the C12 has a *really* “vintage” tone which I could see getting swallowed or murky in modern mixes.
Love to see the WA-CX12 get put to the ultimate test! Thanks for the no BS review!
You're a good sport, also I've got a WA 251 in the mail that I'm beyond hyped for!
and i would definitely love if you didn't ship dented mics
I'm here because I really want to buy a WA microphone I'm listening to all the tests and I think they sound incredible.
But I'm from Uruguay so I'm not sure how I'm going to bring the thing yet
Warm has a ofícios dealer in Brazil?
@aethro 251, my go-to vocal beast. That running through a cl1b gorgeous.
NO, their is not a 24k difference in sound. Enough said. The Warm sounded great and so close to the vintage C12. I personally wouldn't spend that type of money on the original even if I could. Great video Colt.
there
For an establishment artist, it’s worth it if the person likes that vintage vibe. Perhaps if Bob Dylan or jazz artist Diana Krall wanted an authentic one to be used on a future album, it’s probably fine. For a non famous musician, I would say no.
The modern C12's sound better imo. A pretty big issue with these clone mics is that the noise floor is very high in comparison.
I totally agree. I'd say there's more like a $30k difference.
And then after all... when you actually think you HAVE to use one on your record and you've got your composing bit done and are ready to go to record all of the instruments you want to use it on, then just rent one for a week or two. :) I'd be 100% happy by just buying the Warm clone instead of renting a real AKG C-12 though. The difference is not THÁT big imo and I'd be able to use the Warm whenever I want, even on demos and as we all know, somethimes we record something in "demo mode" which in the end, will end up on the album, because we can't re-create the feel/energy/emotion or whatever from the demo takes. ;)
I've got an album ready (almost) and I remember recording the demo guitar solo with my old, crappy Line6 POD and after I tracked all of the guitars for the album that were not recorded yet with my Mesa amp, cab and mics, I re-recorded that POD solo and guess what? I'm using the POD solo on the record. It doesn't sound as good, but there's something about that solo I just can't recreate anymore. Weird, but true. ;) Andy Jackson (Pink Floyd engineer) once told me: "don't worry about the gear, just make music!" He told me that almost 10 years ago and I'll never forget that! :D
We're reaching a new era where the music is again key. The mystic of the recording art is lifting & production is becoming more about getting "the take" vs this mic, with this pre, with this comp, etc. In the past I've seen some big projects recorded with mostly SM57's on just about everything... vocals, drums (every close mic), guitars, bass & once mixed you'd never listen back & think if only we had used that super rare vintage expensive mic on the vocals it would sound any better. We gear junkies buy into that way too much & lean on that theory to rationalize why our music isn't up to the "standard". I'm just as guilty as anyone for sure. Another excellent video Colt! Do more warm shootouts... those Tone Beast pres & neve clones are BadAss! Would love to see your comparisons!
Would be cool to do a test where a complete performance was recorded w 57s next to high end mics, then mixed / processed how one would normally do per set of mics. Only difference I can imagine there’d be is ability to capture room ambience w large condenser / fig8 / Omni type options. So maybe if room sound isn’t important (dreadful pop music) then cheap dynamic mics are probably sufficient.
I think after developing your ear, and creating your workflow. There are definitely a few pieces of gear that would get you closer to a professional sound, but the G.A.S is for people who don't make shit worth listening to.
The biggest difference was on acoustic guitar. The C12 sounded more open and the Warm Audio sounded more compressed. The C12 also has better transient response. The Warm sounded excellent on vocals!
Agree with you on the Acoustic. I heard a bit of an air and a sparkle in the top end in the vintage C12, where the warm sounded just slightly more upper mid forward.
Good ears that was my exact same feeling.
Agreed but take a tad bit of base off and return it back to volume and it will be even harder to tell the difference.
This is one of the best made microphone videos I’ve ever seen.
Really appreciate that!
I should also mention I use the WA273 on almost all my projects so I do appreciate Warm Audio’s approach to affordable gear. 👍
I did prefer the warm audio on vocals just because the vintage sounds like it can’t handle loud signals very well. I have access to a vintage c12 as well and it does the same thing. Idk maybe I’m crazy 😂
That was a tough one Colt. The Warm was very close to the C12, the low-mids sounded spot on, the high-mids sounded a bit brighter on the Warm IMHO. WIth budgets being what they are for smaller operators, the Warm would be a great addition to any mic locker.
Truly, this was indeed a surprisingly close series of examples… Good job, Warm Audio 👍
Very compelling conclusion to welcome a 1,000.00 Warm Audio WA-CX12 vs the 20,000.00 vintage C12. Well done Warm Audio!!!!!!!
I preferred the vintage c12 on acoustic guitar because it seems to me that the warm wa-cx12 is just a tad harsher in the upper mids. On vocals I preferred the cx12 for the same reason... That being said I really don't think that that kind of difference, especially on vintage microphones, is worth it for the sound alone. I totally agree, in an a/b test you would have a really hard time telling the difference between the two (unless you have, like, a lot of experience with at least one of them). I can see the 'vibe' point as well, but sometimes I wonder how many actual vocalists are going to even notice, vs. the producers who kind of gush over these kinds of thins all the time... You really have to be in a position where you know you've already made it and anything more is just the last 0.1% to justify this kind of expense IMHO, regardless of the ginormous difference in price; Which is exactly why I love this kind of video, amazing work as always! (Altough, judging from some of the more esoteric comments, a blind a/b test might have also been worth it...)
Same here. Couldn't tell much of a difference on the drum overheads, preferred the vintage C12 on the acoustic guitar, and preferred the Warm Audio CX12 on the vocals. Pretty much similar to most of Warm Audio's gear, they get REALLY close to what they are emulating at a very nice price. Great business model!!
I actually preferred the WA-CX12 for the accoustic test. Both are great sounding and for $1000, it's well worth the money compared to the expensive one they copied!
Thanks for putting this comparison together!
After downloading tracks and running double blind tests. It was literally 50/50 depending on source which I preferred, and it would be fine which ever one on any source. What you said in the end is very true. Is it worth 25X the price, for a feeling of "the heroes journey" is completed, because that's the only practical difference. Its up to each and everyone to decide!
I played now with the audio files, bro they are so close almost identical. i took both takes one hard left one hard right, its sounds like when you duplicate a track, i needed to do a phase to hear it wide, warm audio did a good job here!
This blew me away.. I did a blind listen to see if I could hear the difference between the two and it was almost indistinguishable. And during the female vocals I actually said to myself, “oh yeah this is the c12” then took a quick peak and it was the cx12. Jaw hit the floor. Thanks Colt!
And to add to this, In the context of a mix, no one is going to know.
Im a little late to the party but i got this mic about a month before you posted this video i live just south of you in Murfreesboro. I got this mic for a client's project i had been working on and i wanted to bring something new and different but also nice to the vocal sessions... Hands down i cant afford a 25k mic let alone 5k mic but i got the cx12 with high hopes from word of mouth. and holy $#*T this thing is mind blowing amazing. your video is very spot on for what i discovered as well !! the cx-12 is beyond worth it...CHEERS MY DUDE !!
Listened to this in my car pretty loud. Couldn’t really hear a difference. I know we all wanna believe that a mic is somehow magic- it’s just circuits and parts, and capsules. For $1K, I’m going with Warm every time. I own a bunch of their mics, and I dig them all.
After being around music all my life, but on the instrument side, I recently started a bachelor's on Music Production at Full Sail University and have been watching your channel nonstop trying to catch up with everyone else in my degree who've been producing for years. I found this video while actually researching other mic's and am absolutely blown away. Thank you for all you videos and all the knowledge you share.
I just purchased a pair of the 312 clones as well as the wa76 and wa73 and I will say, having access to every one of the clones I bought there’s not enough of a difference to drive me to purchase the high end gear, especially in the application that I’m using them for. Great video! Overall I’m incredibly impressed with the warm audio C12, I think that it’s worth it to save your money and buy25k worth of other gear than ONE MIC like what???
Not surprised.. Warm really makes great stuff. Their WA73 pre is damn good, so is the WA47 tube mic. Great vid!!
Great video Colt! Both the mics sound really good, I heard subtle differences on different sources however not enough of a difference to justify the price gap! My first experience using a warm audio microphone, I didn't compare it side to side with its comparison but I remember just really liking the sound of it and that was enough for me. After researching further into the company, I love what they do and the products they make. Id recommend them to anyone.
I'm blown away. Super interesting though, with the acoustic guitar, I hear exactly the same. And with female vocals, there is practically no difference. Thanks for the video!
Warm Audio for the win. Love everything they do. Great video man, Cheers!
One thing I noticed. The way the mics were positioned there will be a difference in sound based off the singers. So the warm was lower and would capture the voice but also the singers voice box meaning it will grab more lows verse the original that was placed higher that would capture the voice but also the nose area which is less low and more nasally. I go through this all the time when I mic singers. That type of positioning can make an over all difference. When it comes to these mic shootouts it’s tough because depending on the singer one might be better to use than the other and let’s face it. No clone will sound the same. No 2 mics really sound the same and that’s what makes them pair together well.
Warm Audio sounded like a cheaper mic but it sounded really good despite that. It didn't sound 24x cheaper haha. Maybe not as amazing as the real deal but still it's a very good mic to buy in 1k price range. For 1k it's a great mic, no questions. Btw I would like to see the test of all vintage mic clones Warm Audio mics in 500-1k range - I'm curious how they sound when compared.
I'm listening to the raw audio tracks right now and have to agree with you. The real C12 transients pop out crisp and clear and the midrange sounds 3D. The only way I can describe it is that the Warm sounds like a really loving facsimile of the C12. Definitely super useful and not at all bad, but the 12 is special for a reason. There aren't many people out there who are making transducers the way they used to because it's an art.
Just used the WA-47 last week on a baritone country vocal... both the artist and I were very happy with the sound!
Hi Colt. Great video and a good comparison. What I heard was that the c12 and the WA are very close indeed but the WA was, as its name says, warmer. The c12 sounds very natural and clear, almost confronting, where the WA less so, various distortions that we call warmth, though only very very slightly. The quality of the hardware is very impressive for sure. I’m in Australia so I’ll try to track one down for a tryout. Thanks man!
Bought a WA251 and its awesome… Warm Audio hitting the nail on the head with all their products
I recorded a session this weekend with the WA-251 and ran it into the WA-2A compressor and I was absolutely stoked with the sound
On iPhone 11 speakers, the WARM replica seemed to have more high end and detail when it came to the guitar and cymbals.
Cymbals almost seemed harsh. Midrange for the male vocal seemed too telephonish for me on the replica. I would buy this mic just to use it on guitar it sounded amazing
Yeah those differences are subtle and definitely not a 24k difference. i think if an engineer wants that "wow" factor and can spend the cash on the vintage stuff, that's cool. But if i have a grand to blow and i want something that sounds nuts through a great pre, ill reach for this. Or maybe even a TLM guy if I still want that "oh look that's a Nuemann" reaction. Great video as usual, Colt!
I'm glad you made this video. I can clearly hear the difference. The vintage is definitely more dynamic, more 3D, there is just more depth in the sound. The frequency response of the Warm is incredibly close, but there is just some distortion going on that's not letting all the sound through
I just bought me A WA-47 and I’m in love with it OMG so much quality for $949 it’s
My first tube mic and I absolutely love it. I’m glad I bought it. Thanks warm audio
Thanks Cole for the video and the Dropbox files.. can't wait to check them out.
Kind regards,
George
First, thank you so much for creating this video and the fantastic demonstration of these microphones side-by-side! After downloading the audio files, I ordered the WA CX12. I find it very interesting to read all the others' comments about the high-end differences, but what my ears hear consistently throughout is a very slightly thinner sound with the CX12. I hear a bit more low-end in the vintage C12, but ever so slight that it's not worth the money. Again, thank you for this excellent review!
Warm audio sound open but i can hear the modern components of warm audio mic which is great for the erra we are in
Vintage sound narrow n unique but it has the dept
Warm audio mic is great really great i would buy the warm audio any day
Those Male Vocals on the Warm Audio!! SHEESH! 🔥🔥🔥
I've noticed Warm Audio keeps their Mid to High-Mids freq. in their mics. Even remakes. Which makes it seem like the vintage one is diff. But why not just do some slight EQing?
Subbed 👍
I was blow away how they sound almost identical..great review
Warm Audio make high quality gear at an affordable price, stop sleeping on them. Good ass video man 🔥🔥🔥
Warm Audio is the SHIZZNITZ fo'real!!!!!!! Very little difference between the two! If I had $26K to use for audio gear... I'd grab that WA-CX12 and use the rest to pretty much outfit a nice home studio set up! (THIS VIDEO has me sold to get the WA-8000!! NO NEED to spend $10k or more on a Sony 800G). Excellent video sir👊🏾!!
We appreciate your support! -WA wife. 😘
A great comparison test - very infomatic and great job. Also in our experience the CX-12 (in our opinion the only one from Warm Audio - and only in cardioid) stands up to comparison with the original C12 and have found the following: Almost the last percentage points of difference (though almost not on vocals, but on acoustic guitars) could be gained by swapping the EH 12AY7 for a TAD 12AY7 (high grade premium selected): This gives the (somewhat missed) top end sheen with the same smoothness and a tad more of the creamy low mids as the original. It's a little bit like a curtain opening. At the same time, the self noise is reduced by about 1 dB in the noise frequencies around 2 Khz.👍
Have almost all the warm audio stuff. Bought with my money. Every unit (even the wa47) had been totally comparable to the original. Love their stuff.
felt to me like the vintage c12 had kind of an upper mid presence, adding a little beef to offset the harshness of those high-highs. especially on female vox, that crispy spot around 12-15k felt thinner with the warm cx12. that said, not something that would be a problem in the context of a mix, especially with some light EQ, and ESPECIALLY for the price difference. great insight about that emotional response, I think you hit it on the head. just picked up a cx12 for around 500 used and am really excited to put it to work!
Would love to see a similar video on WA-251 🤩
As do I.
Great video! Warm's mics are awesome. Definitely can't tell a $20k+ difference!
Warm included extra shockmount strings with their $249/$299 WA-47jr as well. Ultimately it's less than a buck worth of extra stuff that really helps out in times of crisis (because the cord will always snap right as you have everything ready to go for that all important session 🙂).
The mics are so close, that I'd only keep something vintage around if it's the difference that'll attract a client.
DANGGG I thought that was my boy Ben killer, sounding great homie!
Great video Colt. Always unbiased info. I’m excited to see what Warm release in future. Especially hardware. There’s so many products that I think home studios are screaming out for.
I definitely hear more highs on the Warm vs the c 12. The male vocal test is the trickiest to hear, but the rest have a noticeable difference in tonal balance.
The comparison I can't wait to hear is between the WA-CX12 and the Avantone/Black Lion Audio CV12! Relatively similar price points, and... I dunno, maybe I'm Midwest biased, but is there anything BLA *doesn't* do extraordinarily well?? lol
The warm audio looks more attractive to the eye than the vintage as you said, the sound was almost identical with a couple of nuances that you can easily achieve with EQ to my ears. The warm audio will be the smarter choice in my opinion. I would use the remaining $20,000 on more gear that will be more beneficial in the studio.
Seems like a fair comparison. Thanks for putting this together.
The difference is so minimal, i preferred the WA on the female vocal, it sounded awesome if you ask me. I would happily buy a WA if i needed one. Amazing video man great work.
Dang the C12's sound great. I could rent them from Blackbird for 10 sessions for the money spent on the WA...just sayin. Blackbird is one of the best things about living in Nashville, especially their special discounts.
I agree with your assessment. On drums the AKG had a more pronounced and rounded sound around 120Hz. It was apparent when he played the toms. The midrange and top end were very close. There was just a little more clarity above 12kHz on the AKG. On both male and female vocals, with the singers you used, I really couldn't hear a measurable difference except for that extreme top end extension. The 200Hz thing you said about the AKG was most apparent on the acoustic guitar. I can see a WA-CX12 in my future. I already have a WA47 tube from them and the mid to upper mid, midrange depth and clarity is killer on it. The top end is a little subdued but there is a place for that in my mic locker. No microphone sounds good on everything and everyone. Choices must be made to fit the source element in order to get the best out of it.
For me, it's not as much about if it actually compares to the real McCoy, it's about if it is a great sounding mic in its own right. The WA-CX12 sounds really good. If I had the disposable funds to buy a real C12 I wouldn't be watching this. Great job on the video.
Thx for sharing. I do own the tube WA47 and very pleased with it. Now My next aim is on the 12. Thx again
Cool video. I'm just at the first comparison on the drum overheads but I'm finding that I have to turn up my speakers to really hear what's going on. Then, when you voice comes in, wow. Way louder. BTW, I'm listening on my Kali LP6s and my Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones in my little home studio. I really want to know how this mic sounds. I think the Warm Audio mic sounds great.Good enough to justify the cost which is minimal compared to the other mic. It's about the law of diminishing returns. The expensive mic doesn't sound $20,000 better. I thin, in a mix, you'd never know.
A great comparison test - very infomatic and great job. Also in our experience the CX-12 (in our opinion the only one from Warm Audio - and only in cardioid) stands up to comparison with the original C12. We’ve found the following: Almost the last percentage points of difference (though almost not on vocals, but on acoustic guitars) could be gained by swapping the EH 12AY7 for a TAD 12AY7 (high grade premium selected): This gives the (somewhat missed) top end sheen with the same smoothness and a tad more of the creamy low mids as the original. It's a little bit like a curtain opening. At the same time, the self noise is reduced by about 1 dB in the noise frequencies around 2 Khz.
The tuning of that drumset is soo good
killer video colt thank you for doing this
Love to see you do the rest of the line up !!!!
Both sides are both correct. In the mix replicas can even sound better. If money is no option then the feeling is definitely worth it. A cheap car will get you to work, an expensive car you will have an experience driving to work. There is a place for each, the only difference is money and if you can afford it.
Nice ! Even with my earbuds, I agree with your assessment!
Love the comparison vid! Listening to it on youtube with a set of AKG K240 Sextett MPs on a run-o-the-mill m-audio interface...
(The sextetts {70's/80's} are known for their soundstage and quick, full range response compared to all the other K240's they've made... worth checking out!)
For me there was a lot more of the tom resonance with the C12's, along with a deeper room dimension... overall I found the C12's to sound a little fuller from around 200 down, faster, and generally more responsive... it felt more like you were in the room with the source. The warm for me had a bit of a resonance around 300, and maybe a roll off up top... I dug the Warm more on the male vocal because of it.
That said, they all sounded great! This is subtle stuff, and with a little dynamic EQ I don't think it would take much to get similar results out of the warm, while saving enough to buy a van. I hear $1000 of difference I guess... From here, the originals seem to sound like the warms with an expander or exciter applied.
The telefunken really shone on the acoustic, but the rest was a toss up for me. The warm c12 is a real acheivement.
this comment is precisely how I feel,
OMGsh, that acoustic sound!!!
Yes! Totally concur!
the original c12 on acoustic, has the bite what i expected, and i missed the maybe 2000 Hz 3000 Hz bite on warm a little bit. the c12 transient was very clear ....on Vocals its sounds really the same for me too. Great Video Colt
To my ear, the Warm is 90% of the sound at 1/20th the price but that last 10% of sound is what money will buy be it a mic, a guitar, etc... Great Video and nice mics!
I feel like the Warm has a bit more high mids, but they are DAMN close! Especially for the money! Have you messed with Mojave mics at all Colt? I'm wanting to get the MA-1000. I'd love if you did a shootout like this with that up against a ELAM251.
I have a Mojave 301 FET and they are the nuts! Great on certain vocal types, bass. Beautiful clear top end with a voluptuous backside. I know not the same as you mentioned above but my point being that Mojave make some sensational mics.
@@timball8429 Nice! I would love to get my hands on a few of those Mojave mics. Everything I hear recorded through them sounds great!
Mojave MA200 here an is so nice. It’s sounds like a U67 but a bit more modern. Perfekt.
And a Golden Age 251 mk2.
But the warm is a beast too.
Warm is great.
WA -2a is a great comp.
I thought the same especially on vocals and overheads :))
@@mistermusicenterprise3148 it really is! I own a WA2A and it’s fantastic, again especially for the price.
Maybe this has been said, but it would have been awesome to see your thoughts of the two microphones in a mix. I'm willing to bet that they would be almost identical after mixing.
Sounded pretty much identical on everything but the acoustic guitar where on my speakers it had just a tiny teeny bit less "boom", but then again... in a mix... who cares. And you get 2 and a half modern mics for the price of one vintage one. Vintage gear is cool... it does bring the vibe you mention... but it's just a mind game. I'd get the Warm... I'm actually considering their Neve and API pre replicas to upgrade my preamp game, and I already have a 610mkII and a JoeMeek Twin Q... But you know... gear... :) Great videos Colt, keep up the good work. :)
The vintage C12 is around $25,000. So you can get 25 modern ones for that price lol.
@@owlmega-101 All the more reason not to get one... But even if you consider the Telefunken version, my answer still stands. :) 25 grand ? Not in this lifetime. lol
@@ChrisMartinsMusician Yes, and a decent room is much much more important than the mic. Even considering an ultimate vocal mic, I think a price range between $1000 - 3000 would just be more than enough.
@@owlmega-101 Absolutely. The performance, the room, the mic, the preamp.... in that order. :)
Good shootout. I could hear the difference. It's like the real C12 had nearly 2dB of variation at a couple of frequencies. I bet if I had a CX12 and a mild EQ, I could make them indistinguishable.
Colt pretty please do a comparison of the U 87 and UT Twin 87
I've been pretty impressed with a lot of warm audio stuff, from their mics, to their rack gear/eq, compressors, preamp etc. Definitely think they're a good brand for people wanting a decent studio set up but don't have the wallets for the price tags of a lot of high end gear
Agree
I concur - I have a few pieced of rack gear and a couple of their mics and I think they all do a great job/sound fantastic. They also seam really well built for the price.
On overheads Warm Audio sounded more relaxed to my ears which I think is a good thing after all the compression, saturation etc on drumbus and further down the line. Compared to the vintage C12 I did like the vintage one more, felt slightly more present. Not night and day though
I have the WA-87 and it is freaking awesome!! It has elevated my vocal recordings exponentially!!! I'm sorry, but the Vintage C-12 does NOT sound 25x better than the WA-CX12...not even 2x better. Warm Audio makes amazing products for 1/3 of the cost in its weight class. Try adding one of their mic-pres then run it through their Bus-Comp....pure heaven!! My next purchase is the WA-251 and then the WA-47 and finally I have my eyes on this WA-CX12. After that, no need to EVER buy another vocal mic.
I love the WA251!
I put a Tab Funkenwerk T13 transformer in my WA-87 and it's even better than warm's stock cinemag transformer!! Something to think about :D
Warm Audio Mics are killer!! I'm a full-time Voice Actor and my main mic is a Warm Audio WA47-jr. That mic has been heard by Millions of people for a couple of big Video Game Ad campaigns. That mic sounds so good on deep gravelly Male voices. It's replaced my Sennheiser MKH416. A $299 mic sounds better than a $1000 industry standard mic.
Warm makes such good gear that Brent Allen Hagel (the VO guy for Discovery Channel/TLC/Hulu) said the WA 47 is broadcast ready as is. He did a review a few days ago and was extremely impressed. He was also reviewing the Warm C800G when he got a rush gig from Fox. He didn't even switch mics. Fox used the promo from the C800G that Brent had just set up.
Warm has the potential to literally change the industry and get super high quality mics into people's Studios for 1/10th of the price. They'd be wise to do a MKH416 style mic next since so many people are already familiar with that model.
Awesome video as always colt.
The cx12 had an inherent upper midrange harsh tinny sound with less 3d quality to the mic. I think it’s a good starter mic. The c12 is expensive for a reason.
For me the sound is close but somehow a bit more muffled with the Warm mic. Subtle but still there. Still a really good A+B test and much appreciated! Should add that I got the CX-12 :)
Just got the cx12 & was surprised how thin it was sounding compared to the WA 67 & 8000!
I own the WA12 MK2 (black) mic preamp. I pair it with my LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs and they are a true diamond in my setup. Warm has great stuff.
I just bought a warm audio CW 12 for $600 on Reverb and had it modified for $400 at signal arts electronics in Joshua tree California now it sounds like a C12!
the male vocals had more power (gut singing) than most of the review videos for this mic...that helps for what I'm needing 🤘
I think I'm hearing that the Telefunken is a touch more brilliant on the crash. But, for producers, writers, home/project studios, these are a godsend. The other thing about these clones (true of Neve 1073, API, 1176, LA-2A clones too) is that, they allow people who are coming up to hone their recording skills on equipment that is plenty close enough to the real thing. So that if they then go to other studios, or upgrade their own, they are intimately familiar with the 'house' sound of these mics. It might be that some Warm Audio mics are better than others. I don't love their U87. But, some I do like, are the CX12, U47 (FET or Tube) and KM84. A pair of each of those, along with some dynamic mics of choice is plenty to kit out a project studio well. For 6k, if you add dynamic mics, an SM7b, Beta52a/D116, 57s, RE20, MD421s and maybe a good versatile ribbon pair (Beyerdynamic M160).
Great Video Colt! Maybe worth it in Nashville or other big session cities where people know gear and appreciate it, if it brings you 10 extra clients a year then it’ll pay itself off pretty soon, but for most modern genres I don’t think the name on the gear means much to the Artist, sometimes they won’t even know the difference between a preamp and an EQ. If I tell a client who doesn’t know gear too well that I have a StamChild and it’s the best thing ever, and their mix comes out better than ever, they’ll probably go around talking to their other musician friends about this crazy compressor I got and won’t care wether it’s a clone or not! Depends on the clients and if you’re mentally strong enough 😂
Man, Warm audio hit it right on the nose with this one! I just downloaded the files and Listened with my eyes closed and its spot on for the most part. I own the warm audio 8000 Great mic. But honestly, I think I like the Warm C12 Just as much if not more! It's a no brainer to get one of these for the studio! I see that Manley Reference in the back that's the microphone I really want for my go to Mic for my studio. but great video!
I've been trying to find someone with that c800 clone for the longest, how does it stand up? What do you like about it, don't like? I have an sm7b and U87 but need to round out the collection with something for instant pop vocals
@@MrArtVein The 8000 is a dope mic! It has that modern sound But it’s not for every vocalist. I honestly feel like the warm audio C12 will fit more vocalist if you record a lot of vocals!
Ya I just bought the WA87 R2, waiting for it to come in. I love Warm Audio stuff 🤷♂️
Would love to see this with the c800!!
Spot on take away. Recording studios can easily justify purchases rarified items when clients will pay expecting originals, regardless of the differences.
Very fair. Agreed this Warm is a masterpiece in the modern/ vintage world. ✌🏼😎❤️
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the only big dif I hear is the top end is a little sharper on the Warm. and that will probably chill out with time. Its so good. They do a great job.
Like you said towards the end. I work at a studio with 4 Vintage C12's. Each sounds slightly different. None of them sound bad. In fact they all sound good. There are 2 that are close enough to do a stereo pair. So they get used on drum overheads from time to time.
In your examples I thought the mics sounded similar in many ways. I thought the vintage were better on overheads, and acoustic guitar. I also like the vintage on female vocals but feel I would have EQ it a bit. The Warm Audio on female vocals sounded good and I would have to EQ that also, but at different frequencies. So to me that is a wash. I did not care for either mic on Male vocal. Both were usable but not the best mic for that artist.
Like you said is the difference worth 24k? Absolutely not! It is definitely minor between each example. All can be remedied with slight mic movement or small amounts of EQ to make the Warm sound like the vintage. Plus I am assuming the consistency would be better with the Warm mic so having a stereo pair or even LCR would be feasible and still save 22K from the purchase of the one vintage.
I thought the C12 had some harshness on drums in the top end that the warm didn’t have, on guitar I way preferred the richness of the C12, on vocals i couldn’t even tell the difference. love my warm mics
The vintage has more body and open sound. But the Warm is still really good. It's like buying a TV. Once you get it home, you won't be comparing OLED vs QLED, or in this case how it sounds against another.
everyone listening should remember the vintage c12 has a few decades of capsule dust, spit, and just gunk that can't be cleaned all the way off. Also the tubes are the same type, but not the same manufacturer and that makes a difference. These things are subtle but do add mojo and magic to the C12.
the warm sounds a bit harsh in the highs , right?
Something that I noticed when is that the CX12 is able to take reverb more naturally. I listened to the tracks on the CX12 and C12 back to back, and the C12, when adding reverb, sounded unnatural. This was the case for both the guitar and vocals in my experience.
Edit: Sorry! I forgot to thanks you guys for this great comparison. This was the exact video that I needed to finally pull the trigger on getting the CX12. Thank you!
The last country (male) singer is where you really heard the difference because he had an upper mid range voice that to me broke up on the original C12 but shined on the CX12. For the drums I liked both but the C12 had nicer top end but the CX12 still sounded great. CX12 for me all day long especially for $1000 USD!
You nailed it Deryck.
His upper mids were a bit more aggressive on the C12. The CX12 seemed to tame them a bit.
I've read it was a favorite mic among engineers for female singers.
Now I kinda get it, cheers.
Having said that, if I were rich man...
I think it's about the right tool for the job and the budget. If building a small home studio Warm certainly seems like a great option. If building full blown commercial studio in a market like L.A. where top flight gear is expected and you have a budget to spend $250000 on a mic locker... its another story