The WA sounds like it has a bit more in the lower mids. The Tube Tech sounds more transparent and I think that's what makes it legendary - you don't hear the compression as much.
I can hear differences in the character. I definitely prefer the tube tech sound. It has a bit more richness. Tho the warm audio is a great alternative for budget I’d say they did a great job of trying to emulate this iconic gear
@@manykzdj792 I mean distressor is used in different applications. The clb is known to be used to track vocals and instruments and distressors are used after in a chain to dial in your settings
Ima be honest Brother… Wavy Wayne sold me on this unit with his video on this unit (chain with the WA-8000, WA-73 and WA-1B) but you OVERSOLD me and your knowledge as well as HONEST thoughts on the two units has absolutely got me considering of purchasing. Much love and I appreciate this.
I was just looking for warm audio's version of the tube tech, I didn't realize that it dropped today! The difference is so miniscule it should be a crime. Definitely going on my "to buy" list
Great review, honestly when I think of a CL1B I think “transparent.” I can compress really hard without necessarily saturating the signal. Though the difference is minimal I do hear a bit more saturation from the Warm. The differences are minimal so for most people I think this more then fine and a great value. Personally I’m gonna stick out the waiting list til I can get the Tube-Tech because the percentage that it’s better is worth it for what I want
I felt the same about the sound listening through the tv speakers. They were different enough to be noticeable. Both are good though. Different applications could call for either. I like a more saturated vintage sound so the Warm would be my choice
Generally speaking I find the Tube-Tech more open on every source. I'm thinking the low mid push from the warm might get muddy if several instruments are recorded with it. (Just my gut reaction after listening to this once) Great shootout!
Agreed there seems to be a smear in the sound of the warm. It’s a tough call but the warm is great but the cl1b is more solid open and transparent but like 3-12% on every source when I listen thru headphones. Nothing to drastic. If money is no object it would be between the heritage tubepressor or the tube tech. Good review 👍🏿
I agree. To me they sound very different to me. The Tube-Tech is definitely more detailed and open, dare I say "intimate sounding". Things like this can be subjective depending on what ones A/D and D/A conversion is like. I tend to listen for replay value potential, those little details "add up" as tracks are layered. I believe the average listener will subconciously perceive these nuances as being more "emotionally engaging" or "sincere". That tube tech is legendary for a reason, The warm is probably better than a lot of other things in the price point and a decent start for many, but in my opinion a more detailed sound could be achieved using a clean mic pre and Acustica Audio plug in compressors and a little bit of tweaking. There are ways to get close to that sound on budget.
The warm audio sounds a bit more chocked(or feels as if it's compressing more), the tube tech has a smoother and more even compression feel and more open (or maybe fraction louder?) . But i could be proven wrong in a blind A/B since bias would be eliminated Thank you for comparison video
It’s hard, ignoring your bias for sure. I think there is a difference in the attack, specifically on acoustic guitar. However I think the biggest difference is the tonality of the box having that low mid push. I think it gives the illusion that it is slightly less open. But in my opinion, it’s just a frequency/EQ thing.
I preferred the TubeTech on the vocals (warm audio just seemed to duck a bit too much in very small sections) and the acoustic guitar, and then the warm audio on the bass and the snare.
Finally, Warm Audio did it for the vocals! Thats been some of my biggest hang-ups on some of there products! The CL1A was more open on the instruments, but i believe with the right processing ITB you can achieve the same result with the WA
@manykzdj792 depends on if you're used to using the distressor and know the inner workings...It wouldnt help to buy a product for someone else that you yourself dont know how to use. The only people really hung up over certain gear are other engineers...most fans, who arent audiophiles dont care. As long as they like they song
I think the warm audio has about 3dB more presence in the low mids. Sounded alright on snare but on acoustic guitar it was too much. In my opinion the original has a lot more clarity above 8k which speaks to the far greater quality imho. I’ll pass on this warm like every other warm I’ve heard. Thanks for the comparison man, audio was excellent quality and properly level matched
I did not prefer it on the vocal. But on acoustic and bass, I'd go with either depending the mix. After having so many quality issues with warm (had a remote-rack with 73 pres, 76/2a compressors and a tonebeast and the 412) all of them had failures within 6-12 months of use, and I am not talking bounce around toss the rack in the back of a truck type use. These were pots going bad, VU meters, 48v failires, the sound through one of the 76s because over distorted if the input gain was higher than about 10 oclock. I thought maybe Uli had taken over manufacturing. I fixed them and unloaded them for about 30 cents on the dollar.
@@PlottingTheDownfallthat’s because there’s not a lot of quality control with WA… they’re a consumer based company made entirely for as much profit as possible from board members
The thing not talked about much is not a comparison but getting that smooth tube sound and compression. I bought this because it is an affordable option and best I have heard from warm audio as he described. Tube sound is the hardest to replicate in the box I found. It can make things sound not right if used incorrectly, but when you want or need it having one or two outboard gear to obtain that sound is invaluable and you can eq in the box easily later for instance to remove the low mid if you don’t like that. Just like most outboard gear you don’t use it on everything. Just a tool in the toolbox
Thanks for doing this. Very helpful. I thought the biggest difference was the vocal. Sounded way more present to me on the Tube Tech. Almost just sounded like the vocal track was louder for the Tube Tech on the vocal.
They're very close but the Tube Tech's top end is quite a bit more open to my ears. Knowing that, it could be handled with a different mic choice. Nicely done.
To be fair, a lot of hardware out there won’t compare well using just knob positions, but also, maybe this is a sign that we should just stop 1:1 comparing. After all, there’s not a soul that gives a shit about turning something to a specific number, and I don’t think anybody would try very much to stereo pair a piece of equipment from two different companies. Then again, maybe I’m just bitter because of all of the “hardware vs plug-in” videos where they match the positions, then say “looks like the hardware is better!”
@@stevedoesnt in that case, shouldn't companies just make their own compressors instead of marketing them as clones? if it doesn't do 1:1 then its not the same thing, and thats cool, just stop piggy-backing on other people's brilliance to make a ton of money. Warm has basically turned into behringer. I can see making an 1176 clone, but tube-tech is a relatively small company, still in business and I think its whack to take business out of their hands by mass producing their products. look what happened to moog!
Wonderful review! Thanks Colt! Perfect demo of several different sources. Agree with results too, it's pretty darn close...And close enough once in the mix. Love it!
Come on man… I know you get paid by these companies, but really? There is a pretty noticeable difference if you have a good monitoring in a good treated room. The Warm sounds like a way different cheap knock off, not even talking about the EQ part either. The transients, the way way the attack grabs.. THIS IS NOT A CL1B
Tbh they both are solid, the Tt is epic as always but since we don’t listen to music in mono & with a solid preamp and eq it’s not difficult to get a great sound on both. As someone who ones a lot of CL1B’s for most of my career I think the warm is great for a lot of uses over most compressors. At the end of the day these things are used for vocals mainly so I’d say it’s close as heck
This is the first time I’ve seen a 1A in the wild lol. Our studio only has a 1A and thats all I’ve ever used, but damn does that WA stand up to it 🔥 great video man
That Tube Tech is definitely a little more open it sounds like, especially in the guitar. I would have to try the WA-1B with a couple different microphones to see what kind of tone it's doing on vocals (I mainly do vocals). Maybe a 414 or 103 or even c100 may sound interesting with it for vocals. I was able to try the WA-MPX at NAMM and that's been on my list of things to get, but this may just bump it off. Thanks for doing this!
Thanks for the video Colt! I keep returning to your channel for content like this because I 1000% trust your ears and think the comments you make regarding gear and how things sound are of a high caliber. Much appreciated!
I think the WA-1B is a little less transparent due to the faster attack time. Other reviews did the comparisons without taking that into consideration and the transients are really sharper at the same settings in the original version. "Release-wise" they're really similar. Tbh it's a very very good clone (as usual with WA) and a no brainer for 1/3 of the price. I would happily buy one. Great video as always, Colt, keep going!
Wow! this does sound great we have a CL1B recently got in march we love It... would love to get one of these as well Thanks for sharing your thoughts and Time Colt😁Appreciate you..... Mack
Crazy how close in all the comparisons these two units are I really couldn’t hear much of a difference I was hearing warming with the warm just as you said so it’s like splitting hairs if you broke them both down to the frequencies on a graph and I just don’t think the sound is different enough to have to go to that extent great job warm audio wow
The warm specs stipulates the tesponse has a 3 db cut from 5khz to 25, which makes for the tonal characteristics I'd guess. All the warm has that push in the low mid range. I use a transformeless mic TLM 102, a WA73-EQ and a KT76, so adding this baby to my chain could get me back a bit of those low mids and add a sweet saturation as well upfront. As for the low mids, doing a bit of an eq adjustment on the track I bounce out of my daw makes up and balances it out. this sounds great to me
The sound is, I can tell usable, but two topics are not explained: 1) what the owner ow Tube Tech think about it? AND 2) what is the difference between Chines company stilling/coping technology and American company do the same (especially when both production are in China)?
Hey Colt, hello from san Jose, CA ( Bay Area .) ****** Great review, I love your vids!! I started recently at the age of 45 years old started to learn about mixing. Now, I've been around it my whole life but, never did I think I was going to ever do it my self. Now, I have my little home studio. Little by little since New Year's I've been adding gear on my rack just for my music, that's all I want to do. So, I've been doing a lot of research, studying and reading about gear. This video, well it's confirmation for me. I run Presonus Studio One Professional w/ a SweetWater Creation Station 2 unit rack computer, a Presonus 1824c Interface and a Behringer ADA8200 ADAT expansion Interface and I recorded a whole mariachi band for my song. Now, I've never studied or went to school for it so, I'm not a professional but, now I'm taking it a little more seriously and I had professional Recording engineers come in and listen and they said that it sounded great and that was only with stock plug-ins. But, I think this WA 1B will be a huge game changer for sure as I create vocal chain or for bass or kick. But, because with both comps almost have the same sound. I think I'd rather spend less and still have great sounding gear for the fraction of the price. That would not leave me in a debt and I can buy other gear and have them paid off.
The Tube-Tech all around just sounds more transparent which is what I love honestly! The Warm sounds great.. I think for me, it's that transparency on the Tube-Tech. Just how it sounds to my ears.
Bass guitar I can barely hear the difference. Attack seems faster on the snare still, and it’s a little grabbier on the vocal. It seemed to overcompress the low end a little on the acoustic guitar, but that could also be a function of RUclips’s audio compression in tandem with the low-mid bump. All in all, seems like a great piece of kit! What I’d really like to hear is a comparison against the Softube CL-1B plugin, as that’s what I’m currently using.
In this example through my DT1990 Pros & Atom Preamp: - Warm Audio clamps down quicker and applies more compression to the ear, not meter readings. Warm Audio also has a treble reduction, quite noticeable. This makes the TT CL1B sound much more open & unprocessed and WA1B more controlled, especially on the peaks. I prefer the Warm Audio as it pockets the vocal and I can add back clarity & definition (if needed) post comp.
The Bass I actually preferred the sound of the warm. Snare, I couldn't tell a difference. Vocals, I think the tube tech had a slight bit more depth that I preferred. But that acoustic comparison I didn't like the warm at all. I don't know if it's the settings difference or what. But on my monitors it sounded super thin in comparison. But i'm definitely sold on it for bass and drums. All that said, It would be awesome to have heard the uncompressed files to hear exactly what it's doing. But still a nice shootout. thanks.
WOW!!! There is an ENORMOUS difference. I heard the night and day vocal difference on my PHONE. I ran a blind test (still just my phone) and picked out which is which with ease every single time. However, I'm a trained professional with ear training, college, and decades of experience under my belt; so I asked a girl with absolutely zero knowledge about music nor audio. She doesn't even know what the EQ in her car is for. 100% pure "civilian". All she knew is that I was gonna play 2 clips of the same song and I wanted her to listen closely to how it sounds and tell me if there's any difference. I stepped out of her view while I held the phone to her ear so she couldn't pick up any cues from me, didn't make any suggestions to help her find the words, etc; went out of my way not to taint the test. She struggled with finding words but the gist of it is that the CL1B sounds more like a professional song in a new car with a nice stereo and the Warm is a nastier sound like an old car stereo in comparison. My thoughts were that the CL1B sounds like a vocal that's nearly finished and the Warm knockoff sounds like a problem that I'd have to fix; so I completely understand what she was trying to explain. Funny note: She got flustered at one point talking about it telling me "Oh my God. Did you make the bad one? I'm so sorry. I'm an asshole. FML, I just called it bad again." 😂 I told her that it was just run through 2 pieces of studio equipment I was considering, so she'd stop apologizing, and she told me I should get the one that doesn't sound bad lol.😂 You either have the worst ears of anyone that ever pretended to be an engineer, or you just got paid a nice little kickback from Warm Audio.
Big ups for matching the sound rather than matching the settings!!! These idiots set them both the same (in favor of the more expensive gear) I love how you make it fair by EAR !!
Overall, I think Warm audio did a great job on this compressor. I would certainly put one in my rack and put it to work. In my detailed opinion the Tube Tech sounds a little more open than the warm audio in the lower midrange (could be the settings) but sonically they sound roughly the same. In the audio samples I could tell a difference mostly in the vibrato of her voice and the harmonics in the guitar. The Warm audio examples both just sounded slightly constricted in comparison to the CLB1 in the lower mids. Her voice also sounded a bit heavier in the lower mids with the CLB1. The bass and the drums sounded roughly the identical.
It's quite simple, for voice and accoustic guitar you need the Tubetech and for bass and snare you need the Warm Audio ;-) Ok, maybe an equalizer and the Warm Audio might be enough.
Sounds to me like the Warm has a sharper top end. The vocal sounded more sibilant and the acoustic guitar was more percussive. As a result I think the Warm sounded better on the snare. I don't think they quite got the smoothness of the original, it's leaning more into 1176 territory with that transient tone. But that's not a bad thing and it is a banging compressor for the money.
I hear the tone of the low end on the WL as “bigger” but also a bit looser. I figure if you take 140 and below down by 1dB pre-compressor, you might end up with a damn close competitor. It sounds good for the price for sure.
Tube-Tech on vocal and snare Warm Audio on Acoustic Guitar, Bass and snare, I'm not saying that one is better than the other, it's how my ears get it when listening to them on my studio monitors and my headphones for recording and mixing, but I can say you can't go wrong with any of them, they are both excellent products It's just a matter of what your income is and if you don't have the enough money, go with Warm Audio and then make the change with Tube-Tech when you have the money, but really Warm Audio have excellent products and you can save a lot of money, so you can star with that equipment and then save enough, to get the hardware that you always wanted
Great review! They really sound very close to my ears. On vocals and guitar the CL1A sounded just the slightest bit sweeter but I preferred the Warm Audio on bass. This might be my next hardware compressor.
No cap? Who are you, and what have you done to Colt?! Jokes aside, interesting comparison. Warm Audio have upped their hardware game with the WA2-MPX, and it's good that they're keeping it up!
Thank you for taking the time to make these videos. As soon as I hear the warm, I don't like something in the upper mids and highs. Some distortion. As soon as I heard the cl1b, it was creamy and smooth. This is a familiar theme with warm audio. Close but not really.
When did Warm Audio come out with this? I have the Warm audio Bus Comp and the WA76 and they’re both nice. BUT WHOA…..I gotta try this unit out. This sounds so close to each other!
After hearing the 30 seconds of your first vocal sample I immediately stopped it because I have heard everything I needed to know to tell the difference. With the warm audio you hear the compression because it changed the frequency content. If you like it, that's fine. With the Tube-Tech you don't hear the compression. Wow, unbelievable transparent. I am wondering if the peak level is the same. Btw. Has someone experience with the RNC PBC-6A Compressor? I have it and I think he sounds very much like the Tube-Tech: very transparent and you can compress the hell out of it without hearing it.
Always remember: 2 differnt Tube-techs will often sound very different. Some with older components might have a different frequency response, and the warm may be more similar to some origional CL1bs than other CL1bs... but yea, the high end smoothness and bright push is what everybody goes for the CL1-A/B, thats what made it popular. Strange choice to voice the WA version darker, and its not a "quality components" thing, its just a choice IMO.
So considering the 2-10% tolerance variables for every part in those circuits. The fact they are that close means those are essentially the same thing. You'd probably find that little amount of sonic variance in two different cl 1as
its a great version of the clb1 - well done - Warm Audio is a good company and some of their gear is better than others but overall it's very good. For the price it's great. I am a fan of clarity in vintage style gear and CLB 1 is little clearer for me but not enough to reflect the price difference and adjustments could be made while recording to suit individual taste. Id like to hear it in a mix. The Bass response on bass and drums was different on the Warm Audio. Not my fav but Nothing EQ couldn't solve.or engineers/producers with your talent couldn't make sound stellar! I like Audioscape as well in these price ranges. Thanks for Audioscape reverb review. Excellent! I'm a Hazelrigg fan and yes it's pricey but it's a life e investment for recording. Thanks- to each his own. Great channel Colt!
The Tube Tech Is a little cleaner, like transparent or can say its more open sounding? But man warm has been making some real nice stuff at a great price. Cheers Warm!!
The CL1B sounds a lot more open on top, but with this setting they don't sound transparent at all to me, you can hear the release pumping (too fast) and the attack is too slow so it grabs the sound in a unnatural way
I think the Tube-Tech is more well rounded and the sources can stand alone loud in a mix sounding calm/soft/pleasing... The WA-1B have sharp frequencies and sounds thinner...
great shoot out man, the sonic differences are so small that like you said it can easily be made up with small tweaks although I thought the upper mids on the tube tech just did something special to that bass guitar, that growl just put it over the top for me, but nowhere near a deal breaker. If you have some deep pockets and really, really need the tube tech by all means get it but I feel for the money the WA is an awesome compressor and no one will ever know LOL. Rock on Colt
I spent a few hours yesterday comparing my Neve 1064 EQ to my Rupert Neve Designs Portico II channel’s EQ and the RND 5033 eq. They were so close to each other I was surprised but all three were made by THE MAN. i guess my point is, I would feel better having something original.
Many people forget that the ultimate in TRANSPARENT slamming compression is the Atomic Squeezebox. They’re expensive machines but no more than the CL1B, and easier to procure. Stunning. Would take that over this Warm unit (its almost like they try to make all of the warm units sound “warm”- which is a huge handicap to their clones…1B isnt supposed to be “warm”). Id go with either an atomic squeezebox or wait for Stam Audios clone
On my end, the original was better for vocals and acoustic guitar. However, the bass and snare were good on the copy as well. Thank you for this review. Great channel too 🤟
In the first vocal example, the CL1b seemed to be less gritty and have more dimension to it, that could be the extra warmth you picked up on, but it made me feel like the warm was just upfront completely, whereas the CL1b seems to sit back a bit more. Really talking fine detail here, overall they were close!
After spending some time, listening after this shootout, I think I actually prefer the warm on bass guitar. I would happily take either on vocal, but I pretty much agree with your sentiment here!
I loved the CL-1A a lot!! I always loved the Tube Tech better. It was more Open and Transparent sounding. It sounded more "Expensive". But that's The Point!. The Warm does an amazing job being 1/3rd the price. I could handle using a Warm Comp for 1/3rd the price. In my opinion the Warm did an excellent job - but The Tube Tech just sounded more Open and More Expensive.
i can hear the difference on iPhone 14 speakers. the Warm is way grabbier, but i feel like the fact it’s against a CL1A skews this even further. this is one of those things where when doing shootouts with clones, close enough isn’t good enough with the models (even though the CL1A is the rarer and more sought after unit) , it’s just not an accurate or fair comparison. i’m not trying to shill for Warm, i don’t own any of their gear but i want accurate tests before i spend my money
Excellent comparison bro! I definitely heard the WA's lower-mid bump and the TT's upper-mid bump. And the TT did seem to have a little more "natural" attack. But when thrown in a full mix how much of that will be noticeable? I dont know. But I highly doubt its a 1/3 of the price difference.
tube tech sounds more musical and expensive. But WA1b still sounds like a decent compressor. Worthwhile investment as a first compressor for studio work imo
The warm tames the audio better and aids the mids in a nice way, the 300 to 450 k would sound almost perfect with a little eq. I wonder if they put just a 1 or two db eq nob on problem area's how it would sound.but it should be optional because it sounds good already.
The WA sounds like it has a bit more in the lower mids. The Tube Tech sounds more transparent and I think that's what makes it legendary - you don't hear the compression as much.
I can hear differences in the character. I definitely prefer the tube tech sound. It has a bit more richness. Tho the warm audio is a great alternative for budget I’d say they did a great job of trying to emulate this iconic gear
I agree. There seems to be a tiny bit of brittleness to the WA-1b that isn't there in the CL1a
Isn't distressor would be better opinion then WA?
@@manykzdj792 I mean distressor is used in different applications. The clb is known to be used to track vocals and instruments and distressors are used after in a chain to dial in your settings
Thanks for saving me the trouble of trying this thing out and sending it back. :)
Love that you matched it to ear and compression instead of just putting the setting in the same spot and running it . Great review !!!!
Ima be honest Brother… Wavy Wayne sold me on this unit with his video on this unit (chain with the WA-8000, WA-73 and WA-1B) but you OVERSOLD me and your knowledge as well as HONEST thoughts on the two units has absolutely got me considering of purchasing. Much love and I appreciate this.
that wavy wayne vid was DOPE!
Isn't distressor would be better opinion then WA?
@@manykzdj792yeah tbh or UA 1176 hardware version
Warm Audio is basically the 'upscale' Behringer of classic hardware at this point.
I was just looking for warm audio's version of the tube tech, I didn't realize that it dropped today! The difference is so miniscule it should be a crime. Definitely going on my "to buy" list
Isn't distressor would be better opinion then WA?
Great review, honestly when I think of a CL1B I think “transparent.” I can compress really hard without necessarily saturating the signal. Though the difference is minimal I do hear a bit more saturation from the Warm. The differences are minimal so for most people I think this more then fine and a great value. Personally I’m gonna stick out the waiting list til I can get the Tube-Tech because the percentage that it’s better is worth it for what I want
I felt the same about the sound listening through the tv speakers. They were different enough to be noticeable. Both are good though. Different applications could call for either. I like a more saturated vintage sound so the Warm would be my choice
I've always felt like the CL1b was too clean. It's never my go to compressor for vocals
The CL1A puts a SMILE ON MY FACE...! Can't be replicated..!
man the way the transients of the acoustic guitar sound on the Cl1a is amazing. It sounds freaking expensive
Generally speaking I find the Tube-Tech more open on every source. I'm thinking the low mid push from the warm might get muddy if several instruments are recorded with it. (Just my gut reaction after listening to this once) Great shootout!
Agreed there seems to be a smear in the sound of the warm. It’s a tough call but the warm is great but the cl1b is more solid open and transparent but like 3-12% on every source when I listen thru headphones. Nothing to drastic. If money is no object it would be between the heritage tubepressor or the tube tech. Good review 👍🏿
I agree. To me they sound very different to me. The Tube-Tech is definitely more detailed and open, dare I say "intimate sounding". Things like this can be subjective depending on what ones A/D and D/A conversion is like. I tend to listen for replay value potential, those little details "add up" as tracks are layered. I believe the average listener will subconciously perceive these nuances as being more "emotionally engaging" or "sincere". That tube tech is legendary for a reason, The warm is probably better than a lot of other things in the price point and a decent start for many, but in my opinion a more detailed sound could be achieved using a clean mic pre and Acustica Audio plug in compressors and a little bit of tweaking. There are ways to get close to that sound on budget.
I love Warm Audio hardware and mics. Glad to see a new compressor on the market. I use the plugin all the time on vocals.
The warm audio sounds a bit more chocked(or feels as if it's compressing more), the tube tech has a smoother and more even compression feel and more open (or maybe fraction louder?) . But i could be proven wrong in a blind A/B since bias would be eliminated
Thank you for comparison video
It’s hard, ignoring your bias for sure. I think there is a difference in the attack, specifically on acoustic guitar. However I think the biggest difference is the tonality of the box having that low mid push. I think it gives the illusion that it is slightly less open. But in my opinion, it’s just a frequency/EQ thing.
@@ColtCapperrune What eq setting would you do on the WA-1B?
I preferred the TubeTech on the vocals (warm audio just seemed to duck a bit too much in very small sections) and the acoustic guitar, and then the warm audio on the bass and the snare.
Im actually really surprised how good this one sounds! Wow.
Finally, Warm Audio did it for the vocals! Thats been some of my biggest hang-ups on some of there products! The CL1A was more open on the instruments, but i believe with the right processing ITB you can achieve the same result with the WA
Na if that was how knock offs worked no one would invest over a 1k on compression only broke people hype warm audio
Isn't distressor would be better opinion then WA?
@manykzdj792 depends on if you're used to using the distressor and know the inner workings...It wouldnt help to buy a product for someone else that you yourself dont know how to use.
The only people really hung up over certain gear are other engineers...most fans, who arent audiophiles dont care. As long as they like they song
@@LilArt2k6 thanks for opinion
I think the warm audio has about 3dB more presence in the low mids. Sounded alright on snare but on acoustic guitar it was too much. In my opinion the original has a lot more clarity above 8k which speaks to the far greater quality imho. I’ll pass on this warm like every other warm I’ve heard. Thanks for the comparison man, audio was excellent quality and properly level matched
I did not prefer it on the vocal. But on acoustic and bass, I'd go with either depending the mix.
After having so many quality issues with warm (had a remote-rack with 73 pres, 76/2a compressors and a tonebeast and the 412) all of them had failures within 6-12 months of use, and I am not talking bounce around toss the rack in the back of a truck type use. These were pots going bad, VU meters, 48v failires, the sound through one of the 76s because over distorted if the input gain was higher than about 10 oclock. I thought maybe Uli had taken over manufacturing. I fixed them and unloaded them for about 30 cents on the dollar.
@@PlottingTheDownfallthat’s because there’s not a lot of quality control with WA… they’re a consumer based company made entirely for as much profit as possible from board members
The thing not talked about much is not a comparison but getting that smooth tube sound and compression. I bought this because it is an affordable option and best I have heard from warm audio as he described. Tube sound is the hardest to replicate in the box I found. It can make things sound not right if used incorrectly, but when you want or need it having one or two outboard gear to obtain that sound is invaluable and you can eq in the box easily later for instance to remove the low mid if you don’t like that. Just like most outboard gear you don’t use it on everything. Just a tool in the toolbox
Your sound samples are always top notch which is really helpful to actually understand the potential of a piece of gear.
Really really appreciate that, it’s something I strive hard for as I agree. Most of the audio examples on RUclips videos are pretty subpar.
Marvelous review Colt! I am very excited for this WA version, but I honestly hear a big tone different between both.
Thanks for doing this. Very helpful. I thought the biggest difference was the vocal. Sounded way more present to me on the Tube Tech. Almost just sounded like the vocal track was louder for the Tube Tech on the vocal.
same as I heard...but still the tube tech was unreal
That WA-1B is fire 🔥 Adding to my list of gear to get. My pocket and my ears are happy with this. This is my most favorite compressor of all time!!
They're very close but the Tube Tech's top end is quite a bit more open to my ears. Knowing that, it could be handled with a different mic choice. Nicely done.
I'm working on my WA-1B content. Its annoying comparing hardware to clones or plugins because you can never set them to the same settings
To be fair, a lot of hardware out there won’t compare well using just knob positions, but also, maybe this is a sign that we should just stop 1:1 comparing. After all, there’s not a soul that gives a shit about turning something to a specific number, and I don’t think anybody would try very much to stereo pair a piece of equipment from two different companies.
Then again, maybe I’m just bitter because of all of the “hardware vs plug-in” videos where they match the positions, then say “looks like the hardware is better!”
Good luck bro I'm not disappointed because it's warm audio but I'm not impressed because it's warm audio
@@stevedoesnt in that case, shouldn't companies just make their own compressors instead of marketing them as clones? if it doesn't do 1:1 then its not the same thing, and thats cool, just stop piggy-backing on other people's brilliance to make a ton of money. Warm has basically turned into behringer. I can see making an 1176 clone, but tube-tech is a relatively small company, still in business and I think its whack to take business out of their hands by mass producing their products. look what happened to moog!
Warm must pay a license to clone so the cloned company actually receives a new revenue stream from customer who could not afford their products.
Wonderful review! Thanks Colt! Perfect demo of several different sources. Agree with results too, it's pretty darn close...And close enough once in the mix. Love it!
Come on man… I know you get paid by these companies, but really? There is a pretty noticeable difference if you have a good monitoring in a good treated room. The Warm sounds like a way different cheap knock off, not even talking about the EQ part either. The transients, the way way the attack grabs.. THIS IS NOT A CL1B
Thank you! It's all wrong. Doesn't sound like a CL1B at all.
There is a LOT of money to be made selling this knock off stuff! Silly though, ain't it? 😂
I thought it was just me… just can’t reproduce the milk and honey from an original.
No serious A/B shows the actual units…… blind test …… period….
I have plug-ins that sound better than that Warm unit
Tbh they both are solid, the Tt is epic as always but since we don’t listen to music in mono & with a solid preamp and eq it’s not difficult to get a great sound on both. As someone who ones a lot of CL1B’s for most of my career I think the warm is great for a lot of uses over most compressors. At the end of the day these things are used for vocals mainly so I’d say it’s close as heck
They both super clean n clear.. I want one
Isn't distressor would be better opinion then WA?
This is the first time I’ve seen a 1A in the wild lol. Our studio only has a 1A and thats all I’ve ever used, but damn does that WA stand up to it 🔥 great video man
That Tube Tech is definitely a little more open it sounds like, especially in the guitar. I would have to try the WA-1B with a couple different microphones to see what kind of tone it's doing on vocals (I mainly do vocals). Maybe a 414 or 103 or even c100 may sound interesting with it for vocals.
I was able to try the WA-MPX at NAMM and that's been on my list of things to get, but this may just bump it off. Thanks for doing this!
I haven't even watched the whole video yet I know this is going to be awesome!
Heard from people who’ve used it, apparently it’s the best thing Warm Audio’s done.
Ok Warm Audio. You wanna just start replacing all my vintage stuff.
Killer video man
Testing out the HA Tubesessor right now and it’s really dope. Would love to see a comparison of those
I already have it, a three-way shoot out will be coming soon
@@ColtCapperrune My Man!! Can't wait.
I think it goes cl1b tubesessor then wa1b
I’m working getting myself and another engineer to do a shootout between the two as well
Thanks for the video Colt! I keep returning to your channel for content like this because I 1000% trust your ears and think the comments you make regarding gear and how things sound are of a high caliber. Much appreciated!
I think it’s sounds good which is what I want more than it just sounding exactly like the original unit.
🎉❤
Can’t wait to pick this one up!
Isn't distressor would be better opinion then WA?
I think the WA-1B is a little less transparent due to the faster attack time. Other reviews did the comparisons without taking that into consideration and the transients are really sharper at the same settings in the original version. "Release-wise" they're really similar. Tbh it's a very very good clone (as usual with WA) and a no brainer for 1/3 of the price. I would happily buy one.
Great video as always, Colt, keep going!
🙌🙏🙌
They’re within 95% of each other sonically, and for $3K in my pocket… I can just knock down the low mids on the EQ by 2dB!
Wow! this does sound great we have a CL1B recently got in march we love It... would love to get one of these as well Thanks for sharing your thoughts and Time Colt😁Appreciate you..... Mack
Lol, why?
god damn that tube tech sounds amazing! warm audio does a fantastic job doing a budget version, a hair less rich sounding but great none the less
Phenomenal test Colt. I thank you my pockets don’t LOL appreciate the detail
Crazy how close in all the comparisons these two units are I really couldn’t hear much of a difference I was hearing warming with the warm just as you said so it’s like splitting hairs if you broke them both down to the frequencies on a graph and I just don’t think the sound is different enough to have to go to that extent great job warm audio wow
The warm audio still sounds much faster, really slamming down the transients ... I definitely feel a difference, the tubetech just breaths.
you can just slower the attack knob
The warm specs stipulates the tesponse has a 3 db cut from 5khz to 25, which makes for the tonal characteristics I'd guess. All the warm has that push in the low mid range. I use a transformeless mic TLM 102, a WA73-EQ and a KT76, so adding this baby to my chain could get me back a bit of those low mids and add a sweet saturation as well upfront. As for the low mids, doing a bit of an eq adjustment on the track I bounce out of my daw makes up and balances it out. this sounds great to me
The sound is, I can tell usable, but two topics are not explained: 1) what the owner ow Tube Tech think about it? AND 2) what is the difference between Chines company stilling/coping technology and American company do the same (especially when both production are in China)?
Hey Colt, hello from san Jose, CA ( Bay Area .) ******
Great review, I love your vids!! I started recently at the age of 45 years old started to learn about mixing. Now, I've been around it my whole life but, never did I think I was going to ever do it my self. Now, I have my little home studio. Little by little since New Year's I've been adding gear on my rack just for my music, that's all I want to do. So, I've been doing a lot of research, studying and reading about gear. This video, well it's confirmation for me. I run Presonus Studio One Professional w/ a SweetWater Creation Station 2 unit rack computer, a Presonus 1824c Interface and a Behringer ADA8200 ADAT expansion Interface and I recorded a whole mariachi band for my song. Now, I've never studied or went to school for it so, I'm not a professional but, now I'm taking it a little more seriously and I had professional Recording engineers come in and listen and they said that it sounded great and that was only with stock plug-ins. But, I think this WA 1B will be a huge game changer for sure as I create vocal chain or for bass or kick. But, because with both comps almost have the same sound. I think I'd rather spend less and still have great sounding gear for the fraction of the price. That would not leave me in a debt and I can buy other gear and have them paid off.
The Tube-Tech all around just sounds more transparent which is what I love honestly! The Warm sounds great.. I think for me, it's that transparency on the Tube-Tech. Just how it sounds to my ears.
Bass guitar I can barely hear the difference. Attack seems faster on the snare still, and it’s a little grabbier on the vocal. It seemed to overcompress the low end a little on the acoustic guitar, but that could also be a function of RUclips’s audio compression in tandem with the low-mid bump. All in all, seems like a great piece of kit! What I’d really like to hear is a comparison against the Softube CL-1B plugin, as that’s what I’m currently using.
In this example through my DT1990 Pros & Atom Preamp: - Warm Audio clamps down quicker and applies more compression to the ear, not meter readings. Warm Audio also has a treble reduction, quite noticeable. This makes the TT CL1B sound much more open & unprocessed and WA1B more controlled, especially on the peaks. I prefer the Warm Audio as it pockets the vocal and I can add back clarity & definition (if needed) post comp.
I prefer the Warm Audio on the bass guitar. The other examples were close enough to offset with EQ as you pointed out.
The Bass I actually preferred the sound of the warm. Snare, I couldn't tell a difference. Vocals, I think the tube tech had a slight bit more depth that I preferred. But that acoustic comparison I didn't like the warm at all. I don't know if it's the settings difference or what. But on my monitors it sounded super thin in comparison. But i'm definitely sold on it for bass and drums. All that said, It would be awesome to have heard the uncompressed files to hear exactly what it's doing. But still a nice shootout. thanks.
WOW!!! There is an ENORMOUS difference. I heard the night and day vocal difference on my PHONE. I ran a blind test (still just my phone) and picked out which is which with ease every single time.
However, I'm a trained professional with ear training, college, and decades of experience under my belt; so I asked a girl with absolutely zero knowledge about music nor audio. She doesn't even know what the EQ in her car is for. 100% pure "civilian".
All she knew is that I was gonna play 2 clips of the same song and I wanted her to listen closely to how it sounds and tell me if there's any difference. I stepped out of her view while I held the phone to her ear so she couldn't pick up any cues from me, didn't make any suggestions to help her find the words, etc; went out of my way not to taint the test.
She struggled with finding words but the gist of it is that the CL1B sounds more like a professional song in a new car with a nice stereo and the Warm is a nastier sound like an old car stereo in comparison.
My thoughts were that the CL1B sounds like a vocal that's nearly finished and the Warm knockoff sounds like a problem that I'd have to fix; so I completely understand what she was trying to explain.
Funny note: She got flustered at one point talking about it telling me "Oh my God. Did you make the bad one? I'm so sorry. I'm an asshole. FML, I just called it bad again." 😂
I told her that it was just run through 2 pieces of studio equipment I was considering, so she'd stop apologizing, and she told me I should get the one that doesn't sound bad lol.😂
You either have the worst ears of anyone that ever pretended to be an engineer, or you just got paid a nice little kickback from Warm Audio.
Aside from a slightly different EQ curve, they sound ALMOST identical to me.
finally a producer with common sense
That Tube-Tech just sounds epic
Big ups for matching the sound rather than matching the settings!!! These idiots set them both the same (in favor of the more expensive gear) I love how you make it fair by EAR !!
PREACH!
I start smiling with CL1A and I don't even know why. What a masterpiece.
Overall, I think Warm audio did a great job on this compressor. I would certainly put one in my rack and put it to work. In my detailed opinion the Tube Tech sounds a little more open than the warm audio in the lower midrange (could be the settings) but sonically they sound roughly the same. In the audio samples I could tell a difference mostly in the vibrato of her voice and the harmonics in the guitar. The Warm audio examples both just sounded slightly constricted in comparison to the CLB1 in the lower mids. Her voice also sounded a bit heavier in the lower mids with the CLB1. The bass and the drums sounded roughly the identical.
Is it possible for you to upload the tracks so we could down load them because comparing stuff soundwise via RUclips is impossible?
Good video.
It's quite simple, for voice and accoustic guitar you need the Tubetech and for bass and snare you need the Warm Audio ;-) Ok, maybe an equalizer and the Warm Audio might be enough.
I can def hear a difference. Cl1a is more open. Been waiting for my cl1b for almost a year now. Can’t wait to add it to my rack!
Just saw that they will be restocking the world this November
Sounds to me like the Warm has a sharper top end.
The vocal sounded more sibilant and the acoustic guitar was more percussive.
As a result I think the Warm sounded better on the snare.
I don't think they quite got the smoothness of the original, it's leaning more into 1176 territory with that transient tone.
But that's not a bad thing and it is a banging compressor for the money.
This is really impressive! Would love to add a WA-1B to my studio one day
Bro, I thought the exact same thing with the warm audio sounding a bit warmer on her vocals!! Great review bro!!
My wife who can’t tell any difference ever could hear it in my phone. We both thought the Warm audio sounded kinda gritty and early distortion
I hear the tone of the low end on the WL as “bigger” but also a bit looser. I figure if you take 140 and below down by 1dB pre-compressor, you might end up with a damn close competitor. It sounds good for the price for sure.
Just Grabbed Mine
Awesome!
Tube-Tech on vocal and snare Warm Audio on Acoustic Guitar, Bass and snare, I'm not saying that one is better than the other, it's how my ears get it when listening to them on my studio monitors and my headphones for recording and mixing, but I can say you can't go wrong with any of them, they are both excellent products
It's just a matter of what your income is and if you don't have the enough money, go with Warm Audio and then make the change with Tube-Tech when you have the money, but really Warm Audio have excellent products and you can save a lot of money, so you can star with that equipment and then save enough, to get the hardware that you always wanted
Great review! They really sound very close to my ears. On vocals and guitar the CL1A sounded just the slightest bit sweeter but I preferred the Warm Audio on bass. This might be my next hardware compressor.
No cap? Who are you, and what have you done to Colt?!
Jokes aside, interesting comparison. Warm Audio have upped their hardware game with the WA2-MPX, and it's good that they're keeping it up!
The vocal sibilance on the CL1b was definitely smoother. It was a bit more harsh on the warm audio unit
Thank you for taking the time to make these videos. As soon as I hear the warm, I don't like something in the upper mids and highs. Some distortion. As soon as I heard the cl1b, it was creamy and smooth. This is a familiar theme with warm audio. Close but not really.
When did Warm Audio come out with this? I have the Warm audio Bus Comp and the WA76 and they’re both nice. BUT WHOA…..I gotta try this unit out. This sounds so close to each other!
Today
Warm has way too obvious compression, almost pumping on pretty much every source.
Thank you for the great video!
After hearing the 30 seconds of your first vocal sample I immediately stopped it because I have heard everything I needed to know to tell the difference. With the warm audio you hear the compression because it changed the frequency content. If you like it, that's fine. With the Tube-Tech you don't hear the compression. Wow, unbelievable transparent. I am wondering if the peak level is the same.
Btw. Has someone experience with the RNC PBC-6A Compressor? I have it and I think he sounds very much like the Tube-Tech: very transparent and you can compress the hell out of it without hearing it.
Always remember: 2 differnt Tube-techs will often sound very different. Some with older components might have a different frequency response, and the warm may be more similar to some origional CL1bs than other CL1bs... but yea, the high end smoothness and bright push is what everybody goes for the CL1-A/B, thats what made it popular. Strange choice to voice the WA version darker, and its not a "quality components" thing, its just a choice IMO.
So considering the 2-10% tolerance variables for every part in those circuits. The fact they are that close means those are essentially the same thing. You'd probably find that little amount of sonic variance in two different cl 1as
its a great version of the clb1 - well done - Warm Audio is a good company and some of their gear is better than others but overall it's very good. For the price it's great. I am a fan of clarity in vintage style gear and CLB 1 is little clearer for me but not enough to reflect the price difference and adjustments could be made while recording to suit individual taste. Id like to hear it in a mix. The Bass response on bass and drums was different on the Warm Audio. Not my fav but Nothing EQ couldn't solve.or engineers/producers with your talent couldn't make sound stellar! I like Audioscape as well in these price ranges. Thanks for Audioscape reverb review. Excellent! I'm a Hazelrigg fan and yes it's pricey but it's a life e investment for recording. Thanks- to each his own. Great channel Colt!
The Tube Tech Is a little cleaner, like transparent or can say its more open sounding? But man warm has been making some real nice stuff at a great price. Cheers Warm!!
It's all in the low end.... The Warm doesn't compete
Great job Colt. I agree - sounds fabulous!
I’m impressed. Two questions: How’s the build quality? How solid are the dials?
The CL1B sounds a lot more open on top, but with this setting they don't sound transparent at all to me, you can hear the release pumping (too fast) and the attack is too slow so it grabs the sound in a unnatural way
I think the Tube-Tech is more well rounded and the sources can stand alone loud in a mix sounding calm/soft/pleasing... The WA-1B have sharp frequencies and sounds thinner...
Love the WA1b on snare tho
great shoot out man, the sonic differences are so small that like you said it can easily be made up with small tweaks although I thought the upper mids on the tube tech just did something special to that bass guitar, that growl just put it over the top for me, but nowhere near a deal breaker. If you have some deep pockets and really, really need the tube tech by all means get it but I feel for the money the WA is an awesome compressor and no one will ever know LOL. Rock on Colt
I spent a few hours yesterday comparing my Neve 1064 EQ to my Rupert Neve Designs Portico II channel’s EQ and the RND 5033 eq. They were so close to each other I was surprised but all three were made by THE MAN. i guess my point is, I would feel better having something original.
The Heritage Tubesessor eats it alive!!
Three-way shootout has already been filmed… Stay tuned…
Many people forget that the ultimate in TRANSPARENT slamming compression is the Atomic Squeezebox. They’re expensive machines but no more than the CL1B, and easier to procure. Stunning. Would take that over this Warm unit (its almost like they try to make all of the warm units sound “warm”- which is a huge handicap to their clones…1B isnt supposed to be “warm”). Id go with either an atomic squeezebox or wait for Stam Audios clone
On my end, the original was better for vocals and acoustic guitar. However, the bass and snare were good on the copy as well. Thank you for this review. Great channel too 🤟
In the first vocal example, the CL1b seemed to be less gritty and have more dimension to it, that could be the extra warmth you picked up on, but it made me feel like the warm was just upfront completely, whereas the CL1b seems to sit back a bit more. Really talking fine detail here, overall they were close!
On acoustic, I felt the tube tech was more delicate. I preferred it over the warm.
On bass the tube tech seemed to extend more in the lower end and it sat better with the kick, but again, very close!
Snare was the hardest to distinguish for me, they were too close to my ears.
After spending some time, listening after this shootout, I think I actually prefer the warm on bass guitar. I would happily take either on vocal, but I pretty much agree with your sentiment here!
I would happily take the Warm and lose no sleep over it. They’ve knocked it out the park with this I think.
I loved the CL-1A a lot!! I always loved the Tube Tech better. It was more Open and Transparent sounding. It sounded more "Expensive". But that's The Point!. The Warm does an amazing job being 1/3rd the price. I could handle using a Warm Comp for 1/3rd the price. In my opinion the Warm did an excellent job - but The Tube Tech just sounded more Open and More Expensive.
i can hear the difference on iPhone 14 speakers. the Warm is way grabbier, but i feel like the fact it’s against a CL1A skews this even further. this is one of those things where when doing shootouts with clones, close enough isn’t good enough with the models (even though the CL1A is the rarer and more sought after unit) , it’s just not an accurate or fair comparison. i’m not trying to shill for Warm, i don’t own any of their gear but i want accurate tests before i spend my money
Never disappointed with warmaudio. I use the 2bus comp tracking vocals and its sweet, i can smash it and still sounds good
Bit of history here… both of these units are actually based off of a plug-in from a company called Universal Audio
Tell me more ?
Excellent comparison bro! I definitely heard the WA's lower-mid bump and the TT's upper-mid bump. And the TT did seem to have a little more "natural" attack. But when thrown in a full mix how much of that will be noticeable? I dont know. But I highly doubt its a 1/3 of the price difference.
tube tech sounds more musical and expensive. But WA1b still sounds like a decent compressor. Worthwhile investment as a first compressor for studio work imo
The warm tames the audio better and aids the mids in a nice way, the 300 to 450 k would sound almost perfect with a little eq. I wonder if they put just a 1 or two db eq nob on problem area's how it would sound.but it should be optional because it sounds good already.
I couldn't find anything about licensing from Tube Tech... May be I just cant find it, but for sure
Colt Capperrune
have checked it.