Recording - December 2020 - 50

REVIEW

Warm Audio WA-87 R2
FET Condenser Microphone
A warm new take on an old friend
REVIEW BY ALEX HAWLEY

arm Audio released the WA-87 in 2016
as the company's first venture into the
world of microphones. It quickly earned
a reputation for its sound and affordability. Building
on its knowledge and success in the years following,
Warm Audio has revamped the original design with
the recently released WA-87 R2, which introduces
a range of component upgrades, physical modifications, and an improved output transformer, all while
managing to maintain its affordable price point.

A Bit of Background

It may not come as a shock to learn
that the WA-87 is inspired by the iconic
Neumann U 87, a studio staple that's
been in production since 1967. It's one
of the world's most recognized studio
workhorse mics, known and loved for
sounding suitable on nearly any source.
The Neumann U 87 was designed
as a solid state version of the U 67, replacing its tube amplifier with a FET/
transformer design. The original U 87
(produced through 1985) used a K87
capsule or a slightly modified version
of the U 67 capsule (K67, also known
as K870). The K87 capsule's dual backplates were electrically insulated from
each other and therefore connected to
the amp circuit via four wires instead of
three. Outside of this, the K87 and K67
are said to be acoustically identical.
The Neumann U 87 Ai revision came
out in 1986 and is still in production
today. It added a DC-DC converter to
produce a 60v power supply for the
capsule, which enabled the swap back
to the original U 67 capsule. This resulted in an improved S/N ratio, more dy50 RECORDING December 2020

namic range, and a hotter output. While
the revision was not intended to alter the
microphone's character, many believe
that it did rather significantly. Vintage
U 87 mics in good working condition
have also become harder to come by,
and that scarcity is reflected with a steep
price tag that puts it well out of reach for
most working musicians and engineers.

Overview

The WA-87 R2 is inspired by the
vintage 1967-1985 era U 87, not the
Ai version currently in production. It's
a large diaphragm FET condenser microphone with a transformer-coupled
output. The nickel-plated brass body features three switches: polarity (cardioid,
figure-eight, and omni), a -10dB pad,
and an 80Hz highpass filter. While the
design is easily identifiable, the body
itself is a bit more substantial than that
of a U 87, and with a flashier finish.
Singers will surely be impressed, but it
can also be a bit more cumbersome to
work with due to its size. It ships with
a wooden box case, shock mount, and
mic clip.

Revisions

The WA-87 R2 introduces a range of
component modifications from Warm
Audio's first design, including a NOS
Fairchild transistor and high-bandwidth
polystyrene and film capacitors from
WIMA and Nichicon. The custom-wound
Cinemag USA output transformer has
also been upgraded (CM-13113 vs.
CM-2480 in the original), which yields
an increased output level and improved
frequency response.
In addition to the component changes,
the head basket and body have also
been updated. The head basket is larger and more rounded in shape, which
adds additional space around the capsule; the body is larger, heavier, and
stronger (the nickel-plated brass is also
new in this edition).
The capsule (WA-87-B-50V) remains
unaltered. Inspired by the classic K87
design, it's a four-wire terminated, dual-diaphragm, and dual-backplate capsule. The diaphragm is 6-micron thick
with a gold-sputtered membrane and
NOS mylar, sourced from a high-end
supplier in Australia.

Recording - December 2020

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