....thanks guys , this is great

re: using it carefully.....i hear that!

i don't want to ignite aN ITB/hardware debate but this box is a v. different ballgame to ITB eq'ing obviously.

I've used the Schepps 73, Waves V Comp series EQs (1081 + 1073) and the MC DSp plugs for a long time and i know Andrew SChepps talks about putting in the
50HZ Low cut for his kick and snare on the 73 and then boosting c. 7.2 Khz on the snare for bite and c.220Hz for body

and with the kick, a boost about c. 30/60 w/ 50HHZ Low cut ......

...and ive found this interesting with the software...but simply transposing this out the box onto this


....its funny how software is so tame IMO (and works smoothly in degrees ) whereas this thing is v dramatic ......and totally different creatively ....where its 2 shelves and a bell, rather than the multi-shapes in Pro q/F6/Isotope etc ......

i can't wait to get a good sense of the EQ and start using it to track vocals.

Any vocal settings anyone likes particularly?


Thanks again

The 1073 style eq is really for vibe. It’s not going to get surgical, precise, or obliterate problem frequencies.

Anyway, here’s where I start for drums.
Kicks - hpf does some nice things at 50. Also, try hpf at 80 and boost the lows a tad at 35 or 60 depending on room and drum. You could boost at 10k or 12k for snap/punch and hi cut in your DAW. The mids starting at 360 on a traditional 1073 style eq is one of its drawbacks on kick as I usually prefer to cut between 150 and 270 depending on the Q. This is one reason I went with a modified 73 style eq

Snare - usually cutting somewhere in mids and hpf with a boost at 10k. Sometimes I’ll boost in the mids depending on the drum and cut with the hi. If I boost highs on the 1073, I’ll hi cut in the DAW and whatever other surgical cuts might be needed.

OH - depends a lot on room, drummer, and kit. I like hpf at 80 and cut a tad 360. Top can cut or boost to taste depending on room and mic and blah blah blah

I've wondered for a long time now how this pre and EQ compares to plugins, like the Arturia Pre73. Anyone have any firsthand experience with that?

That’s magic mate thanks for this

I’m defo trying this

Really great tips man thanks

I’m gonna try and find out from warm audio what the q curve for the mid eq looks like and really get deeper into the eqs

Anyone noticed different behaviour of hi-pass filter depending on the EQ button on/off setting?

With EQ button OFF, I have a nice resonant bump with hi-pass filter engaged (depending on the hi-pass freq selected).
With EQ button set to ON, but all three settings set to OFF (low, mid and high), the hi-pass filter behaves just like normal hi-pass, without resonant bump.

Is it a bug or a feature? I consider it more like a feature

Is it like this also with original 1073 and other clones?

I actually spent ten minutes today messing about trying to find why my drums were so tinny suddenly and discovered that the hi pass filter I put in for a vocal session yesterday stays active even with the eq switched out ! Who knew ?

I’ve not noticed the he different filter character with the eq in or out yet but this box defo has loads of character I like it

So many combos between the eqs the filter and the impedance switching


I did find some more tips/ideas on the eq , it’s for the bae (so doesn’t have the choice on hi shelf frequencies we have with the warm )

But it Still has some handy ideas for bass and guitar frequencies

Warren huart on the 73 style eq

https://youtu.be/dgLclpw6n5M

It seems that I am not the only one.

So this is normal with EQ version to have 2 different hi-pass "options"? With and without resonance bump?

Thats not my experince. I borrowed a brand new wa73 from my local store to hear whats up and compare against my BAE1028. They are not close at all to my ears.

WA73 sounds nice but BAE sounds amazing. Noticable more detailed, bigger and smoother.


It makes sense to me. You get what you pay for.

So then why did the clipalator and soundpure shootouts sound so identical?

No offense, but I would have to call in to question how you tested these two pieces of gear.

Confirmation bias is very real.

The test I conducted is 100% blind.

I had both the warm wa273 (no eq) and several BAE units. The warm is really great and not just for the money, but there is absolutely a difference in sound.

There is a difference in both sources. Listen to drum samples in clipilator in the eq sections for wa73 eq and the bae 1073D. Keep in mind, the clipilator is prerecorded material run through different modules, so you aren’t recording and stacking tracks in it. As to sound pure, I find vocal shootouts are the worst source to shootout preamps. Something like drums or piano have a much broader frequency range and are much more revealing.

Thai was a pretty real test, but not blind. I do t always find blind important

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F-N_vG...ature=youtu.be

There is no substitute for getting gear into your own hands and using it in the real world.

Online clips and shootouts are useful, but almost never definitive.

Agreed. I bought a Warm 73, wanted to love it, and compared it directly to my BAE on re-amped guitars. Also used it on a bunch of other stuff for an indirect comparison. The Warm is a good value, but I found the BAE to have a more detailed and richer sound. I ended up returning the Warm and got a Heritage Elite. The Heritage didn’t compare favorably to the BAE either. I was hoping one of the two would sound as good as the BAE but they just don’t. They all have Carnhills but all sound pretty different from each other. I guess there’s more to a preamp than just the transformer. YMMV.

Ive also previously used Clipator and found it usefull. But in my humble opinion i dont think it cant substitute having the gear at hand testing it in your own way and setting and on your own source/material.

I dont know how Clipator tested it but to my ears the difference becomes more obvious when engaging the eq.

I probably should always blindtest but in some cases the difference is noticable enough that i feel there is no need for it. And if its just splitting hairs i think maby its not worth buying.

Decision dilemma : Warm Audio 73 with no eq is almost third the price of Wa 273 eq around here.
Wa 73 eq hasnt arrived to the shops yet. at least 3 months later it may they said.
So ; which version should i get?
Is the eq part of the Wa necessary or useable or agreable? Or many ppl use the eq rarely while tracking?

I rarely track something that isn’t improved by the eq. Broad strokes, sure, but bending the contour towards what you eventually want helps the mixing side enormously.

I think that EQ is a huge plus on the WA-73! I use it a lot when tracking!

I have a different 1073 type unit and I agree the eq is worth having for tracking. Obviously, also for mixing OTB. If it’s an option for you, get the warm 73eq.

FWIW, I used a lot of 1073 clone preamps with no eq, though some had hpf, for a few years. I really wish I had gotten a full pre/eq first. Don’t underestimate what a decent eq can do on the way in and during mixing.

Is buying used off reverb or eBay an option for you? I’ve seen decent prices for a used wa 73eq on those sites

I’ve just started to use the eq and it’s awesome


I don’t use it to track vocals as I track through an ssl eq but I use it as the last step in my vocal bus chain when I’m summing the vocal drums and bass and music buses in analog

The vocal goes through the 73 eq and then summed with the other buses in my folcrom and ssl six

Just a half db here and there in the mids and tops adds some sauce you just can’t find itb
IMO

Defo recommend the eq version

There’s something about analogue eqs

What is the best gain setting for Acoustic guitar strummed through a condenser?
and for soft acoustic guitar arpeggios for mixing with drums and bass n vocals?
And the best settings for vocals?
on wa 73 eq
ps : seems like leavin the Eq ON, makes the signal better n hotter. What do u think?

for acoustic guitar settings and the 73 style eq , this is v helpful

warren huart on the 73 eq

https://youtu.be/dgLclpw6n5M

my current vocal settings is for male vocal

HPF
c. 1db [email protected] 220hz shelf
c.1 db at 7khz and
1db at 16khz shelf


....this really opens it up IMO.

obviously depends on the vocal recording though and thats all POST ITB processing ....when im coming back out of the DAW into the WA73 and then the mixer for summing.



re: leaving eq in...i only put it in for vocals actually....

but i do leave the Tone button in constantly....and my main set and forget use for my box is to run my Kick and Bass Bus separately through it on its way to summing with my other DAW buses in the analogue mixer .

I noticed many engineers talking about how they'd bypass SSL pre-amps for low end and always go through a neve , so i mimicked it.

Sounds amazing.

Slightly overdrive it (no eq) , tone button in....and the low end shakes the foundations

Does the TONE button have an impact on non-Mic'd sources? I feel like this is a really dumb question, but I just sat here for 10 minutes playing an electric guitar through an AC30 into a Torpedo Captor load box into the WA73. I kept pushing the button in and out and just totally lost perspective. I did the same thing with a P bass last night straight into the instrument input and had the same experience. Yesterday, when I mic'd up an acoustic guitar the difference was as clear as day. This tells me the tone button only has an impact on microphones, but I figured I'd post this here as a sanity check.

Cheers

Hey everyone. Is the non-eq version still great? I will be using this for my synth and guitar, both of which I have pretty dialed tone wise. Also, the line level is balanced and my OB6 is unbalanced: what should I do? Finally, can I have both my guitar mics plugged in and my synth at the same time? Does this mess things up at all? Obviously won't be recording them at the same time. Thanks!

Bump, only because I'm about to pull the trigger and can't decide if eq is worth it.

I really like the eq and I am glad I paid extra for it.

Hope that helps!

+1

Thanks all. Is it okay to have both the back xlr’s and the line inputs plugged in at the same time? One would be for my guitar mics, other for my synth. Also, my synth is unbalanced (ob6) but noticed the line inputs are balanced. Thoughts?

Ok to have it all plugged in but the front mic input takes precedence over the rear one, I think and the 1/4” input has a switch. You’ll need to unplug the front mic to use the back one. Wouldn’t sweat the balanced inputs.

Are you sure about the precedence thing?
Because I seem to recall Warm Audio suggesting not to have stuff connected to both XLR inputs simultaneously