Warm Audio WA273-EQ vs UAD 1073 Unison Preamp plugin // Does the hardware sound better?
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- Опубликовано: 28 авг 2024
- Get a Warm Audio 273-eq here:
www.sweetwater...
UAD Plugins: www.uaudio.com...
Table of contents:
00:27 - How I set up the A/B comparison
00:52 - Settings used on the hardware and plugin
01:11 - Microphones I used
02:04 - Audio Comparison
04:59 - My thoughts on how they compare
08:49 - More details and thoughts on the Warm Audio hardware
In this video we compare the Warm Audio 273-EQ with the UAD 1073 Unison preamp. Does the plugin sound as good as the hardware?
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That is a much bigger difference than I was expecting.
Damn. What a difference. Hardware for the win!
The hardware sounded warmer and more open. The UA sounded a little more mid toney/nasally. The high end of the hardware sounded crispier too. Though in a production, I don’t think it would be noticeable, so good job to the modellers!
The Warm Audio felt like there was a little more depth and warmth.
I completely agree.
little ? this is a huf diffrence
@@AdrianCortezOfficial I just about fell out of my seat when he switched over lol
Yep exactly
Still listening but def like the way the Warm Audio sounds for sure! Great vocals as always!
Wow, what a difference! I heard a clear distinction on my Apple Earpods let alone on Headphones!
The hardware wins hand-downs. Particularly with the body of the Acoustic and the dimension in the Vocal especially with the ambience/reverb.
Warm Audio have done a great job!
Definitely on my list now thanks 🙏 to you.
Great performance as well! Thanks mate.
The warm has much more reverb on it. A bit distracting when comparing. Especially since the reverb can be mistaken for "analog depth"
Big difference on the reverbs
Yep thats what I just said...Iguess thats what he got paid for doing...
I think that`s because he didn`t highpass the reverb both of them.
I thought the Warm Audio had more reverb. After listening to it I think that the hardware gain structure is allowing more of the room to get through. I've noticed that a more sensitive preamp will make the mic "hear" things that are farther away, in this case the room walls.
I also wasn't expecting much of a difference but definitely noticed the same differences you pointed out.
Nice comparison, though a little bit unfair. The UAD 1073 tracks are dry while the warm audio tracks have reverb like someone already mentioned.
Both have the same reverb effects applied
@@worshiptutorials Might be but with totally different levels. UAD seems almost dry. Please listen again.
@@hermannpreinfalk9300 Totally agree with you...
Yeah, I just commented about that too! Just scrolling to see if I was going crazy or not.
you guys are hilarious, thats the better mic pre helping the mic to pic up more room sound and body from the guitar!
Holy cow. Unbelievable how much better the Warm sounds. I thought it would be better but didn’t expect that much.
Well you can sort of hear the difference. But, there's reverb only on the WA273 takes. I think you forgot to dial in the reverb send on the UAD. That kind of makes it hard to tell. Thanks for doing this though!
Yeah, the reverb on the Warm takes is wild.
All these people being like "oh yeah, the warm sounds better" are honestly hearing mostly reverb.
Yeah. I noticed that too. Kind of throws off the results.
@@fswingzero
not at all. If you got to that conclusion, you might need better headphones
It’s probably the same reverb on both, only that the UAD cuts the lows so much that maybe the reverb just doesn’t come through
The warmer one was warmer and smoother as you said Brian... Listening through my Samsung Soundbar and could still tell
Warm Audio sounds fuller, alive and separated, UAD sounds flat like all other 1073 plugins; however, I just recently watched a nice video of a real Neve vs the Warm Audio, and the Neve sounded way warmer and fuller.... pure whipped cream!
Sounds like you left reverb on the vocals with the WA and the UAD is dry?
Wow great job man! You sound awesome! I hear a huge difference in my DT 990 Pros. Love the sound of the WA273 and sounded like it has more reverb for some reason. Thanks
Listened in my iPhone 11 and the hardware sounded better for sure, BUT the ease of use and other advantages you get with the software plug-in version really make it stand out to me. Definitely see value in both though.
Yep. I know a lot of engineers use analog hardware when recording/tracking, and then rely more on plugins for mixing once everything is recorded.
Hardware - warmth, body, depth, dimension and really musical.
I can hear a big difference. The plugin sounds narrower, mid-forward with more presence. The Warm sounds bigger, wider and more evenly EQ'ed with a more refined presence. I actually think your voice sounded better (EQ) & more focused through the plugin, and the guitar wider and fuller through the hardware.
Warm for the win all day! big difference, listening on Yamaha hs7s through a Audient id44..
The warm audio really rounded out the vocal beautifully and took away any harshness! There was definitely more depth to the Warm Audio, however I feel that the UAD plug-in did better for the acoustic, but that is just what I prefer for acoustic sound. Amazing video, love that it is short, sweet, and to the point!
I agree. The WA was brighter and clear, but I though the UAD had a nice warmth for the acoustic guitar, did not compete with the vocal as much. I suppose it depends on what you are going for... for a solo ac git track, or solo, I'd use the WA. For sitting in a vibey track, I'd use the UAD. And you could probably roll off some high end on the WA
It would be awesome to see WT get into this side of the audio realm. Loved the video.
I would love to make more stuff like this
The W273 is much more rich. Was not expecting that much of a difference! Thank you for this video. Much appreciated
I just listened on crappy stock speakers in my 2001 Camry and I can hear the magic of the hardware.
Why is there reverb on the Warm 273 EQ and the UA 1073 is bone dry with no verb? That makes a huge difference in the sound. This would be a great shoot out if not for that, but that being the case it is totally misleading.
I'm really surprised at how 2D the plugin sounded in comparison! Thanks very much for this, very helpful : )
Thank you so much for putting this up here.
I didn't notice at first because I really impressed by the vibe. He has a really nice nice voice, Mercy Me all day. What I did realize is the warm filter like affect from the Warm Audio similar to what i here on a mastered mix vs. a cleaner sound on the UAD version.
Listening through akg studio headphones. Spot on with description of difference. I was thinking of describing it as a space. The warm audio seemed to open up as the uad seemed to squash.
Very nicely done, thank you! Quite a large difference but I really like that you point out that they both sound great. This is definitely what I would consider a difference in "Character". The high mids/highs were more prominent in the UAD emulation and the overall blend of the frequencies in the hardware was much more "Bell-shaped" as opposed to the jaggedness of the emulation. All in my opinion of course.
There is reverb on the warm audio vocal and de uad vocal is dry (listen good).. Give both the same reverb and they sound closer.
They both have the exact same reverb settings.
@@worshiptutorials NO THEY DO NOT !!!!!!
4:07 onward you can really tell lol, might not have changed much but dry vocals can sound not as good as with reverb
@@worshiptutorials Dude the Guitar Track is may stabil in verb lvl. but ur Vocals got much more verb on vocal track while the warm audio is shown ;) heard it through the laptop^^
Thanks much. To me that is one of the rare useful comparisons. Exactly what I was looking for being at the fork of either extending my UA Apollo x interfaces or investing in to some decent external Pres/comps (in addition to my Apollo). Not yet decided since pure audio quality is not the only factor to consider but your demo kind of pushed me towards the external hardward ... 🤔
Thanks again, really useful test AND a great performance, indeed!!
The hardware is better. I'm going out and buy WA73eq tomorrow. Thanks!
Yep...on studio monitors the difference is pretty huge. Same vibe, but the plugin has a little sizzle on the top end, but not in a good way.
More warmth and clarity in the Warm Audio version. Thanks for the vid! I’m patiently awaiting the arrival of my WA73-EQ so I’m living through videos like yours. I really like how both vocals and guitar sounded. Can you share your settings from the WA73-EQ?
Just bought my second 273 love them
i'm pretty much right there... not sure which option, but i listen through my headphones absolutely true to its name..warm audio...i think its a keeper..
You have a real feel with that gibson J50 that sounds awesome. I have a J45 and I believe that they really shine in this type of song with soft strumming. Great vocals as well. You nailed it when it comes to the important stuff. Now on to the not so important stuff.... I don't have much to say in terms of which sounds better. I am an electrical engineer and wanted to chime in on how this test is setup. There are two different types of splitter circuits for splitting the mic signal so that you can use 2 preamps. 1) Transformer (likely in this splitter) 2) op amp buffer. Both of these could have an impact on the sound due to how the splitter changes the input and output impedance relationship between the microphone and the preamp. If it is an op amp buffer circuit, the input impedance to the splitter is typically very high, and the output impedance of the splitter is typically very low. When it is a transformer, you end up with saturation/filtering characteristics depending on how hard the transformer is driven. Both types will alter the overall output impedance of the microphone that both preamps "see". The UA unison pres are advertised to be slightly better emulation compared to plugins in your daw primarily due to their ability to adjust the input impedance of the hardware in the preamp based on what preamp it is emulating. It could alter the overall sound. I can't really say how much of a difference it would make to the comparison. I would like to try this type of testing myself. Also, doing two different takes can make it tough to compare so its kind of a catch 22. With two different takes, at least you would be using the actual real world signal path.
Came back to this video to mention that I had this in a sweetwater list for a little bit of time. Its now in the rack next to my desk........
The UAD was dry while the WA had reverb which kinda throws it off, but the hardware did sound more full and open.
Awesome!! More hardware vs plug-in comparisons, thanks!
I really didn't think there would be a noticeable difference, but I stand corrected. Definitely a difference. Liked the hardware more. BTW killer guitar man.
PS More of these videos, don't send it back, and do that LA 610 comparison. Please and Thank You!
Super voice man i really like when you sing!!! I think the hardware open the stereo image and sounds more live
Agreed, the low end had a tad more clarity, also i noticed a slight natural saturation on the WA one. Sounded great Brian!
I liked the Warm better. It was amazing how the reverb was affected by the hardware. The vocal reverb was so much more present through the hardware.
Totally agree, I much preferred the sound of your acoustic through the hardware. Thought the lows and miss were clearer and felt better to my ear. The Plugin in still sounded great, but obviously not as good as the hardware. I could not hear it much in the vocals, but definitely in the guitar.
In to 3:05 of the video. With eyes closed i can tell when you switch. Warm audio is "deeper" not just low end, i mean has a depth to it that the plug in does not. The other is good, but your new hardware beats it hands down, to my ears anyway. Thanks!
(Now to listen to the rest of the video - hope I don't have to edit my response - lol]
I would keep it!
It doesn’t matter what pre you use, voice is butter! Great song brother! 🔥
Hardware sounded a lot better for sure. More full and rich. I definitely thought they would be closer in tone
Have a Neve 1073 dxp in the mail, only found a few 1073 review videos, thanks for showcasing it!
How do you like it? I'm really thinking of ordering one.
@@the_vesssoul the hype is real. The low end on Bass DI is amazing (no need for my radial DI box with Jensen transformers) and on guitar a simple SM57 gave me incredible full bodied tone (don't even need the Royer ribbon mic). I could not recommend it more.
$150 Plug-in Vs $1,500 Unit , and the difference can’t be heard by a normal listener.
I’ll take the plug-in
Smart man :).
Exactly my thoughts. My Brauner Mic through Warm 73 printed to "tape" sounds much better than just the Apollo w/unison Neve1073.
273 sounds nice. Your vocal and playing is solid.
Well, it looks like I know what my next purchase will be.
😂
Hi, I to use the Slate mics, are you running the ML-1 with the Slate pre amp (the VMS1) and then into the WA273 or straight in it it? Those ML2's are great mics, love them on the drum kit.
Cheers
Paul
Both sounded fantastic. You have a beautiful timbre
I don't do UAD as I don't have the hardware, but both sound good. I will be getting me the Warm Audio unit soon. Hopefully it will make my acoustic guitar sound better. Thanks for the video!
Wow, that's it for me, this sealed the deal. The Warm Audio unit is the way to go. Not because it sounds better, but because I can afford it.
Thanks, You've answered my question! My UAD Apollo is great for mixing, but I'm missing that professional sound by hooking my mic directly into the Apollo.
The warm unit does have a substantially noticeable warmth and character to it, which is indicative to being able to add processing without unwanted artifacts.. its well built and uses authentic Carnhill transformers .
I have the single-channel WA73EQ, and the WA76 compressor. These units sound great, but fair warning: they have been unreliable, and the WA73 has been in for repairs twice already, and the WA76 twice as well. Only one of those times under warranty. So the real cost of getting these units repaired all the time (with very light and gentle use) is more than the initial purchase price, and then you are without your unit for long stretches of time. On the other hand, you can't beat the sound for the price, especially the 73. Just my experience, maybe other people have been luckier than me and gotten better built units. The WA12 has been rock solid since I got it when the first came out, but the WA73EQ and WA76 have been a burden to deal with the repairs.
absolutely agreed with your Thoughts!
Wow the Warm Audio was bigger in every way, thats how far great plug ins are from hardware, this only lets me thinking on the differemce between the Warm Audio and a higher end brand or Neve itself
The Warm definitely had a touch more low end girth. Sounds like around 120-150hz. It also had a slightly tamed top end compared to the UAD. Honest to god im not sure i prefer one over the other. But i def heard the difference.
Great vocals and a great song wow
Brian, great stuff as always. However, (And I really hate to be *that* guy), that microphone splitter does not have transformer isolated outputs, meaning that the results are not the same as if you plugged the microphone straight into the preamps. It has to do with how the microphone's impedance will interact with the impedance of the preamp. In short, the results of this test are colored by that splitter, and the way the preamps are actually interacting with the microphone AND eachother.
You really need a splitter with isolated transformers (www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RMAS1--switchcraft-rmas1) ...
Or ideally, to record the track twice, with the microphones plugged directly into the preamps. It's more work, but would give the most accurate apples to apples comparison.
See this article for more info ... www.microphone-data.com/media/filestore/articles/Mic%20impedance-10.pdf
Again, I love all your stuff and sorry to be *that* raving guy on the internet.
Thanks for the info! I was actually curious if/how the splitter might affect things. Before setting up the recording, I did record some samples with the splitter and then without and I couldn't hear a difference, so I figured it would work well for the comparison. Doing the song twice (separate takes through each channel) wouldn't be too bad at all - just 10 minutes or so extra work, but I wanted the performance to be the same. In hindsight, the way I switched wasn't really showing the same exact phrase of music through each, so that probably wouldn't have been a factor.
Great performance but the execution of this test is flawed. Without having a transformer in that splitter, you're basically loading the preamps to each other. Never mind the absent reverb on the UAD versions, which has clearly left an impression on listeners in the comment section commenting on "depth" of the Warm unit. The excessive low end resonance of the WA273 is probably something I'd lighten on the guitar and entirely remove from the vocal but that could entirely be from the load issues created by the poor choice in splitter. Hard to know.
The UAD is cleaner and more sterile. The Warm audio is richer. With better harmonic content. I’m impressed with the Slate microphones. That ML-2 was cool.
I feel like the reverb setting was different because I lost reverb on the plug-in takes! great little demo though!
How do u like the slate ml2 with external preamps or unison modeling? Dont you find it weird to apply the mic modeling after already colored preamp? Does it still work as it is supposed to?
Gret and video!
I use it with my Apollo preamps. The unison tech models different preamps while the Slate modeling does microphone modeling, so I find they work well together - much like running the mics that the Slate models with the preamps that UAD models.
Cool test. The low-end definitely sounds bigger with the Warm stuff. I liked both sets of top end, though they were slightly different, the Warm stuff sounding perhaps less compressed somehow. I think that Warm Audio wins this one. But the plug ins don't sound bad. Just not as big.
I have a golden age project preamp. ( Same ball park price wise ) there is a definite difference in quality. As most people experience, there is a certain 3D quality to the sound that makes it come across more life like. Hardware is still better, however if you are happy with ITB then that will get the job done. UAD are great but you can’t expect modelling to be as good as hardware. It’s down to physics really.
To me the UAD sounds with little bit more rounded bottom end, and less hards in the high end, BUT, both sounds awesome!!
HUGE glaring difference... I'll take the Warm Audio every single day of the week!
It sounds like there is reverb on the hardware vocal, but not on the UAD vocal
The WA273-EQ unit captured the low end louder and the high end softer. I cranked my monitors so it was pretty easy to hear. It almost sounds like you lose the bass freq in your voice when you're switching back and forth. I have an Apollo x6 and a WA-73EQ. I sometimes wonder myself if it's worth keeping around. I could have an extra $800.00 in my pocket or I could have slightly better audio quality. I guess it comes down to what matters more to you. :-)
Going to listen again but I think I prefer the UAD on the vocals and WA273 on guitar.
Sounded like the Warm Audio had more 100-150 and the UA was a lot more mid-range-y, maybe 800-2kish. Both sounded great, but the Warm Audio was... uh... warmer. Without being muffled. Very smooth.
Just picked up my Warm WA73 today😎 I run the Apogee Symphony Desktop I use it as a insert in my playback chain to re-record Apogee Warm Audio can’t go wrong UA Twin is a lot of hype I’ve owned the Twin you can’t bypass the Pres on the Twin series only the rack series I like UA as a company but there eco is pushing plugins just think 800$ EQ price of New UA Twin X Quad Great video but hardware has more Juice.
Brian thanks for this fantastic demo. I think I like the Neve preamp better. It would've been cool to hear you compare them with the Slate FG-73 simulation. You got a license when you registered your ML-1.
Plugin rattly resonance in higher frequencies. Hardware in this comparison has same frequencies yet the representation of them has less harshness. I sold my Apollo after purchasing the hardware versions of the plugins I had purchased. I had both for a bit and the interesting thing about the UAD system is that it sounds great and you can't hear the digital artefacts so much until you track a vocal or instrument and then the difference is enough that if you reallllly like your music, it makes sense to not have to worry about the compromise no matter how small. Its either something you love or you you are willing to have a lesser sound to save (how much? when you will keep buying plugins and replacing them every time there is a better emulation that still is not quite as good as a general clone). The plugins are not cheap either. It just means that you need to plan a bit better/ commit to track through hardware vs having 10 tracks that run at the same time through something. Plugins are great for a lot of things but Pre amps and compressors in hardware still allow for much greater range of motion without artefacts and pumping etc. Plugins are great for fx. funny thing about that is that there are many amazing guitar pedal fx that cost less than some of the plugins! In the end of the day, the best use of plugins is for mobile use.
That guitar sounds good! J50? What year is it? Great video, very helpful! thx
For your voice definitely the Warm Audio 👌🏽
Every time you hit the warm Audio, there is a very small ambient reverb, Which is absent on the UAD.
Beautiful song. Like you said, both sound great. But the Warm Audio sounded so much fuller. Lots more body and life.
What an incredible performance. You have a gift from our Almighty FatherGOD Brother!!!! What is the processing chain? Did you go Mic -> warm audio -> Interface -> Daw and then Mic EMulation? Did you use the slate vms one at all in this? I'm very curious!
I have the warm audio WA73 EQ too, nice piece of gear. I am just curious, do you have any experience wit StamAudio and AudioScape? Which one would you buy in case you have to choose only one?
Btw, I am in the proces to make my final decision to buy the Slate mic. Would you recommend it?
Great job on this video. Both do sound really good. The WA to me had a bit more, roundness / smoothness or glue for a lack of a better term to my ears over the plugin. Hardware gets the nod more times than not for me. I love UAD-2 Plugins as (Analog Classic Plus bundle) I also have the single channel version of the WA73 EQ in an outboard analog chain with WA76 and EQP-WA. All great stuff...would like to their 2A clone and stereo bus compressor.
Did you happen to record with EQ being used on the PRe or was it just the Pre?
Beautiful song ☘️❤️☘️
Worship Tutorials can you please explain why there is reverb on the WA 273 EQ and no reverb on the UA 1073? This completely skews the results.
great test approach. thx a bunch. I agree with most comments and your findings. Hardware has that dimensional width and space that adds a pinch more magic. What type of in ear monitors are you using?
Not to discredit an awesome performance or really cool review, but did anyone else hear an abundance of reverb on the wa73 parts and less on the uad parts? I cant help but feel this psycho-acoustically had a rather great impact on the wa73 feeling" Bigger" and warmer than the uad.
WA hands down! Thx for the video.
Warm Audio sounds good. The plugin sounds a bit thin in comparison. Very nice song and great singing 👍
Hello, I don't mean to sound rude but it is completely impossible to have an opinion because the (273 hardware) clearly has reverb on it where the UAD does not. I'm not sure if that was a mistake?. But You should fix that because it's pretty misleading.. I am sorry I don't mean to sound rude I did like the video and the song, and the content was also very good.... Thank You.
Great video!💯
That was a big diff even on tablet speakers
Boy is that ever a noticeable difference. The Warm Audio has the proper name, that was significantly more peasant sounding in every aspect than the others. The swap over to the modulator was an instant downgrade in quality. Also, I think Mic tests and reviews would be sweet! Try the Neumann kms 105. I’m dying to hear your voice in it.