Can always trust Vintage King to give us some accurate sound tests, will always be a fan of the originals, but for $1200, this is a great piece to have.
Does it sound as good as a real CL-1b, well not, but comparing it only to the original I never think that is a truly fair assessment, as in that comparison, of course it won't sound as good, its 30% of the price. To me the real question is, does it sound good or not, does it give you something that your plugins won't or another hardware compressor in your studio? They are sending me one to check out so let's see how that goes. FYI, I am excited to try it out as I do hear something special in the first two videos I've watched, but you never know until you hear it in person.
Both sound great! The Warm sounds slightly 'choked' and has more obvious compression characteristics in comparison to how smooth and natural the Tube-Tech inherently sounds. It might just require slightly different attack/release adjustments to get the openness back on the Warm. I hear these differences most on the vocals and acoustic fretted instruments, which I assume is where an engineer would use these compressors most. Thanks for the shootout!
Agreed! I was going to say the Warm version SOUNDED a lot more grabby in these examples. If the reduction levels are truly the same in both, this is a great testament to how transparent the original is.
They sound surprisingly different! The bass especially gets distorted by the Warm Audio unit. The Tube-Tech isn't better, just different, smoother. Depends on what you are after whether that's better.
I did not expect so much difference from them, but man , they sound really different. The WA sounds like it dulls the signal , over compressing it , not natural. I'll wait for STAM to make a clone -
Great comparison vid, straight to the point. The WA-1B sounds good and entirely usable. The compression itself sounds largely transparent. However, lol, the clarity and sheen (most notable on vox for me) is not even close. But then again, neither is the price.
They sound quite different. The TT has a transparent quality with very pleasing air. The WA adds a weighty heft and the compression is quite noticeable, though changing the ratio and attack & release may remedy that. Cosmetically a clone but not the same sounding. Good for the price though!
I bought this with a maag audio eq after it and it is beautiful! No complaints. Normally dislike warm gear, but this was a go for me. Sure buy the original if you are a professional singer, but don’t waste money otherwise
dang.. i really wanted to like the WA1B more. but it sounds warmer and less transparent than the CL1B. and i have some clone gear from Heritage Audio + Audioscape. hopefully someone else tries to remake it and gets it right soon!
Hmm the warm sound very lacking in image wise. 2D (warm) vs 3D(tube tech). I would like Toledo add your review has been the best I’ve heard sound quality wise thanks for this @vintageking.
Tube Tech definitely sounds better to my ears, but you could make a great record with either..... and with outstanding results at that. Warm Audio has a great piece of kit on their hands.... soon to be in mine!
Um, I have the WA76 which I really love. These units thou, soundet really different. And I'm sitting in a world class control room with Genelec Ones calibrated by Genelec staff themselves. I think the warm kind of nailed the charather, but it chocks much much more, feel like it's pumping. Where's the Tube Tech is a bit more headroomy and more open. The Tube Tech removed some of the harshness of the rap vocals, don't know if it's good or bad. The Warm sounded really great, as a compressor, but don't know how close it was tbh.
What are you doing with a WA76 in that ”World Class Controlroom” i wonder … in every world class room i work in have real 1176’s and LA-2-a’s etc and we own one TT CL-1A and a CL-1B and I am pretty sure no one will or would even give one F if we use the WA1B or a TT we have here. And also i doubt i with that kind of comment you would NEVER hear the difference on one of our pro produced songs. I can buy 4 WA for every 1 TT and we have to have a serous thinkig it is worth to keep both when they do sound great both of them. One thing I take offence to is when WA et al says on their website it is a 1;1 clone / recreation etc!! Just say ”inspired by” as that is more truthful. However I really see this selling as it is a great sounding compressor for 1100 USD!
A more pronounced midrange on the Warm Audio WA-1B, and a bit of a push in the low-mids, definitely a smoother top end and overall lush level of compression throughout the spectrum on the CL-1B, still I'd say great clarity on both, it's possibly as close as having two identical pieces of the same model of gear, taking into effect overall years of wear and tear, especially with the tubes. I think people will most like swap out tubes to get the WA-1B even closer or to just go for a more unique vibe, but even if you didn't, this is still an awesome compressor to have in your arsenal especially for the price. You could even purchase two for less then the price of the CL-1B, that's if you could even find and purchase a CL-1B these days.
the Warm sounds with less highs and it picks much more the transients in the middle being a little too muddy, the oirignal Tube-Tech sounds much more open and natural, deeper and clearer. For a tube/optical comp I prefer the more open sound, not close enough IMO :/
Gonna say nothing beats the original can we all just agree? But if you are on a budget the Warm is amazing, professional sound too. So it’s not a “major” downgrade. Now, the knobs are not doing the exact same thing but if you tweak it, it will get close and it’s not ideal but you can get also the same and close sound if you use an EQ. Done. Lol. The point of buying the original is getting the original sound and tone without any effort and same is true with their mics. But best believe if you know how to use an EQ nobody will tell the difference especially in a fully recorded track. Either spend the money or save the money. Make good music on top of it all. That’s the main goal. Case closed.
$1,200.00 is still too much cash for a clone. $800.00 MAX would be acceptable.. Theres little resale investment on clones, not unless your a high end company like Chandler, Pulse Techniques, Retro.
The new Warm Audio WA-1B sounds loud and full, however to my ears it is much noisier than the Tube-Tech CL 1B. As they say, you get what you pay for. 🤷🏻♂️
the warm audio sounds good however the tube tech sounds phenomenal. You can produce good results from the warm it's nothing to frown upon it's just the tube tech it's on another level. Sounds like a veil is covering the warm while the tube tech is wide open and airy
Warm audio compresses way more ay least on the female vocals i heard, so i can't understand the differences. It still is expensive for warm audio price ranges.
Hands down Tube tech. It is much cleaner and the noise floor sounds lower to me. In the vocals I can hear some low mids present with the WA 1b that i didnt hear with the CL 1B. Overall I find it decent for the price point. I wonder what better tubes and transformers will do for enhancing the sound quality? I may take it for a test drive we'll see. Any way great video!!
Not even remotely close. The Warm sounded harsh and inconsistent with the compression. Wasn’t in the same league as the TT, which is super smooth and has more transparent compression. I get that it’s a fraction of the cost of the TT, but Warm oversold how close this is to the original, which they frankly do with much of their gear.
Would messing with tubes on the Warm get it to clean up and open up? How hard is it to swap the optical bits? Would that do anything? I wonder if a little upgrading of a few things here or there would put the Warm closer. I did thing the actual compression was impressive - it just sounded a little more wooly and I, for one, would want a comp like this mostly for transparency.
The CL1b is so much smoother and more refined... The Warm Audio unit is very nice to have when you want to play "Pretend"... There is a reason why the CL1b costs $3000+... I'll pass on the Warm unit on this one.
Warm is not even close. Way more harsh and there is a noticeable pumping in the compression.... Please, Make also a comparison with the Heritage Tubesessor, that I'm pretty sure that is closer to the original.
The Warm sounds like... noticeably worse in pretty much every context here. Choked, overly thick and cloudy, hits the transients in an unpleasant way. Swing and a miss here.
that smooth top end from the CL-1b is unmatched, almost sounds like the warm has a filter on it lol
The WA1B has a sound and it’s fine. The CL1B has THE sound and it’s magic. Really no comparison.
Can always trust Vintage King to give us some accurate sound tests, will always be a fan of the originals, but for $1200, this is a great piece to have.
They sound very different!
Does it sound as good as a real CL-1b, well not, but comparing it only to the original I never think that is a truly fair assessment, as in that comparison, of course it won't sound as good, its 30% of the price. To me the real question is, does it sound good or not, does it give you something that your plugins won't or another hardware compressor in your studio? They are sending me one to check out so let's see how that goes. FYI, I am excited to try it out as I do hear something special in the first two videos I've watched, but you never know until you hear it in person.
couldn't agree more @barryjohns looking forward to your video 😁
I’m not as Barry is … well let’s just say …. Not a fan!!
Exactly
The snare and drum overhead comparison were most interesting. The CL-1B had more "air" while the WA-1B is kinda flat; almost like it's gated.
Same with the acoustic guitar. The warm sounding more like a dynamic mic compared to the tube-tech
the kick had better sounding sustain with the original, like it was being choked by the WA?
Both sound great! The Warm sounds slightly 'choked' and has more obvious compression characteristics in comparison to how smooth and natural the Tube-Tech inherently sounds. It might just require slightly different attack/release adjustments to get the openness back on the Warm. I hear these differences most on the vocals and acoustic fretted instruments, which I assume is where an engineer would use these compressors most. Thanks for the shootout!
Agreed! I was going to say the Warm version SOUNDED a lot more grabby in these examples. If the reduction levels are truly the same in both, this is a great testament to how transparent the original is.
They sound surprisingly different! The bass especially gets distorted by the Warm Audio unit. The Tube-Tech isn't better, just different, smoother. Depends on what you are after whether that's better.
I did not expect so much difference from them, but man , they sound really different. The WA sounds like it dulls the signal , over compressing it , not natural. I'll wait for STAM to make a clone -
Have fun waiting on stam, and news flash, none of their units sound 100% like the units they clone
Great comparison vid, straight to the point. The WA-1B sounds good and entirely usable. The compression itself sounds largely transparent. However, lol, the clarity and sheen (most notable on vox for me) is not even close. But then again, neither is the price.
Yup
Tubetech sounds like it deals with the hi mids better and brings em out more
They sound very different
They sound quite different. The TT has a transparent quality with very pleasing air. The WA adds a weighty heft and the compression is quite noticeable, though changing the ratio and attack & release may remedy that. Cosmetically a clone but not the same sounding. Good for the price though!
I agree
I bought this with a maag audio eq after it and it is beautiful! No complaints. Normally dislike warm gear, but this was a go for me. Sure buy the original if you are a professional singer, but don’t waste money otherwise
dang.. i really wanted to like the WA1B more. but it sounds warmer and less transparent than the CL1B. and i have some clone gear from Heritage Audio + Audioscape. hopefully someone else tries to remake it and gets it right soon!
Cl1B sounds shockingly better. Wow. The Warm unit sounds cloudy in comparison.
they sound different but not enough to matter just pick one and get to work lol use that money you saved for a cl1b to get this.and the wa8000
Hmm the warm sound very lacking in image wise. 2D (warm) vs 3D(tube tech). I would like Toledo add your review has been the best I’ve heard sound quality wise thanks for this @vintageking.
Tube Tech definitely sounds better to my ears, but you could make a great record with either..... and with outstanding results at that. Warm Audio has a great piece of kit on their hands.... soon to be in mine!
IMHO the Tube Tech has better low- and high-end. What I hear from the Warm, some plugins can do.
Um, I have the WA76 which I really love. These units thou, soundet really different. And I'm sitting in a world class control room with Genelec Ones calibrated by Genelec staff themselves. I think the warm kind of nailed the charather, but it chocks much much more, feel like it's pumping. Where's the Tube Tech is a bit more headroomy and more open. The Tube Tech removed some of the harshness of the rap vocals, don't know if it's good or bad. The Warm sounded really great, as a compressor, but don't know how close it was tbh.
If you want the sound of the original, then buy the original.. and world class control room is hella subjective dude
What are you doing with a WA76 in that ”World Class Controlroom” i wonder … in every world class room i work in have real 1176’s and LA-2-a’s etc and we own one TT CL-1A and a CL-1B and I am pretty sure no one will or would even give one F if we use the WA1B or a TT we have here. And also i doubt i with that kind of comment you would NEVER hear the difference on one of our pro produced songs. I can buy 4 WA for every 1 TT and we have to have a serous thinkig it is worth to keep both when they do sound great both of them.
One thing I take offence to is when WA et al says on their website it is a 1;1 clone / recreation etc!! Just say ”inspired by” as that is more truthful.
However I really see this selling as it is a great sounding compressor for 1100 USD!
I think it's like "bleh", nothing new. I wish it had had some new features.
A more pronounced midrange on the Warm Audio WA-1B, and a bit of a push in the low-mids, definitely a smoother top end and overall lush level of compression throughout the spectrum on the CL-1B, still I'd say great clarity on both, it's possibly as close as having two identical pieces of the same model of gear, taking into effect overall years of wear and tear, especially with the tubes. I think people will most like swap out tubes to get the WA-1B even closer or to just go for a more unique vibe, but even if you didn't, this is still an awesome compressor to have in your arsenal especially for the price. You could even purchase two for less then the price of the CL-1B, that's if you could even find and purchase a CL-1B these days.
the Warm sounds with less highs and it picks much more the transients in the middle being a little too muddy, the oirignal Tube-Tech sounds much more open and natural, deeper and clearer.
For a tube/optical comp I prefer the more open sound, not close enough IMO :/
I Agree
Tube Tech is leagues beyond the WM in overall sonics. But the WM could definitely be put to work on certain sources at that price point.
Facts
Gonna say nothing beats the original can we all just agree? But if you are on a budget the Warm is amazing, professional sound too. So it’s not a “major” downgrade. Now, the knobs are not doing the exact same thing but if you tweak it, it will get close and it’s not ideal but you can get also the same and close sound if you use an EQ. Done. Lol. The point of buying the original is getting the original sound and tone without any effort and same is true with their mics. But best believe if you know how to use an EQ nobody will tell the difference especially in a fully recorded track. Either spend the money or save the money. Make good music on top of it all. That’s the main goal. Case closed.
CL-1b has more low end body and the highs are more solid/controlled. WA-1B is dope when not compared to it. At 1/3 of the cost this isn't a bad thing.
$1,200.00 is still too much cash for a clone. $800.00 MAX would be acceptable.. Theres little resale investment on clones, not unless your a high end company like Chandler, Pulse Techniques, Retro.
TT smoked that warm like exotic weed in southern cali
😆
CL-1b is King… But don’t act like that WA-1b is bad… WA-1b would be perfect for home studios..
I heard more punch on the CL-1B. Maybe the WA had a slightly faster attack? either way, I like both.
It’s lacking body but overall good imitation
Sincerely, any compressor would sound good through these recordings!
The warm has too much low mids
I said the same thing
Much more weight on the Tube Tech
I CAN BUY MYSELF COMPRESSORSSSS 🎵6:51
Hmmm, they sound quite different. I’d now like to see a video where someone eq matches them to see how close they can get.
The new Warm Audio WA-1B sounds loud and full, however to my ears it is much noisier than the Tube-Tech CL 1B. As they say, you get what you pay for. 🤷🏻♂️
the warm audio sounds good however the tube tech sounds phenomenal. You can produce good results from the warm it's nothing to frown upon it's just the tube tech it's on another level. Sounds like a veil is covering the warm while the tube tech is wide open and airy
Warm audio compresses way more ay least on the female vocals i heard, so i can't understand the differences. It still is expensive for warm audio price ranges.
Hands down Tube tech. It is much cleaner and the noise floor sounds lower to me. In the vocals I can hear some low mids present with the WA 1b that i didnt hear with the CL 1B. Overall I find it decent for the price point. I wonder what better tubes and transformers will do for enhancing the sound quality? I may take it for a test drive we'll see. Any way great video!!
Not even remotely close. The Warm sounded harsh and inconsistent with the compression. Wasn’t in the same league as the TT, which is super smooth and has more transparent compression. I get that it’s a fraction of the cost of the TT, but Warm oversold how close this is to the original, which they frankly do with much of their gear.
The difference is clear CL-1B is much more open and bright with a greater soundstage.
It’s sounds different not like the CL1b, glad it doesn’t sound the same would be nice to run both
The warm sounds better on vocals .
dbx 160x compressor +warm 1b + two compressor
1173. Nice sound
wow, thats not even the same sport. the tube tech sounds phenomenal.
Would messing with tubes on the Warm get it to clean up and open up? How hard is it to swap the optical bits? Would that do anything? I wonder if a little upgrading of a few things here or there would put the Warm closer. I did thing the actual compression was impressive - it just sounded a little more wooly and I, for one, would want a comp like this mostly for transparency.
Power supply upgrade would give you headroom your looking for
The CL1B edged it for me. More transparent.
You can make any one of these units sound like the other.
Not bad but I believe you can hear that creamy magic difference from the original
The CL1b is so much smoother and more refined... The Warm Audio unit is very nice to have when you want to play "Pretend"... There is a reason why the CL1b costs $3000+... I'll pass on the Warm unit on this one.
the warm audio wa-1b super nice for that price too
Warm is not even close. Way more harsh and there is a noticeable pumping in the compression.... Please, Make also a comparison with the Heritage Tubesessor, that I'm pretty sure that is closer to the original.
the tube tube sound crisp thats the only difference
close
No where near close
warm audio thicker
Great video
Two original units sound different.. most of you cookie cutter so called engineers couldn’t mix cake mix let along a song..so stop it
😂😂😂
Warm audio is the behringer of recording gear
Not sure why Lyncraft isn suing the bejesus out of Warm Audi. All this company does is d do cheap rip offs of other companies. Disgusting
The Warm sounds like... noticeably worse in pretty much every context here. Choked, overly thick and cloudy, hits the transients in an unpleasant way. Swing and a miss here.
These don’t sound alike at all