Do Warm Audio Mics SUCK?? - Warm WA-CX12

[@ColtCapperrune]

Reading these comments is amazing. Some can’t hear the difference, some claimed the difference is worth the $20K! That’s my main goal with these kind of videos is to expose people to things they likely wouldn’t have the opportunity to be exposed to. Hope you all enjoyed it regardless of your opinion!

[@drampadreg1386]

The only reason to buy the original, if you have a studio worth several million that is would be to get customers to think your studio is worth a lot of money by the hour. Some just want to try one, but I think buying 10 of the Warm versions, Barefoot mini stack and some nice Mogami cables is a much better deal! I hear subtle differences in the details at certian frequencies, but nothing that you can get with a tweak with one of the many fine plugin's they have available now. Those are getting so good analog gear manufacturers are probably going to have to lower their cost in the not so distant future. Like the Neve OPX preamps, great deal for the money if you want 8 good preamps and are on a tight budget. Those would make this Warm Audio mic sound fantastic! I hate using Canadian money though, got to add 25% or so to everything then 13% tax...makes me want to grow my income again. Thanks for the review, found you through Present Day Production and they say very nice things about your channel. But for now, I have 2 Antelope Solo mics, and there is the U47 model which suits my rather low voice, clears that boomy mud out of it.

[@mrnelsonius5631]

Could easily spot the difference between the Warm and the vintage. In general the C12 has a thicker creamier midrange, particularly lower mids, the Warm isn’t as creamy but has a more pronounced top end and transient detail. I preferred the Warm on some sources FWIW. Warm sounds more modern to me, the C12 has a *really* “vintage” tone which I could see getting swallowed or murky in modern mixes.

[@WarmAudioOfficial]

Love to see the WA-CX12 get put to the ultimate test! Thanks for the no BS review!

[@aethro]

You're a good sport, also I've got a WA 251 in the mail that I'm beyond hyped for!

[@nyaanekonya]

and i would definitely love if you didn't ship dented mics

[@lmeifrmthcld797]

I'm here because I really want to buy a WA microphone I'm listening to all the tests and I think they sound incredible. But I'm from Uruguay so I'm not sure how I'm going to bring the thing yet

[@Luke-ot6mk]

Warm has a ofícios dealer in Brazil?

[@DeRaNgEdOfficial]

​@aethro 251, my go-to vocal beast. That running through a cl1b gorgeous.

[@TheAmericanWoodcock]

NO, their is not a 24k difference in sound. Enough said. The Warm sounded great and so close to the vintage C12. I personally wouldn't spend that type of money on the original even if I could. Great video Colt.

[@PapawCulberson]

there

[@ramencurry6672]

For an establishment artist, it’s worth it if the person likes that vintage vibe. Perhaps if Bob Dylan or jazz artist Diana Krall wanted an authentic one to be used on a future album, it’s probably fine. For a non famous musician, I would say no.

[@who_is_dis]

The modern C12's sound better imo. A pretty big issue with these clone mics is that the noise floor is very high in comparison.

[@BeauStephenson]

I totally agree. I'd say there's more like a $30k difference.

[@TonyThomas10000]

The biggest difference was on acoustic guitar. The C12 sounded more open and the Warm Audio sounded more compressed. The C12 also has better transient response. The Warm sounded excellent on vocals!

[@EricSauerets]

Agree with you on the Acoustic. I heard a bit of an air and a sparkle in the top end in the vintage C12, where the warm sounded just slightly more upper mid forward.

[@briankruesi6484]

Good ears that was my exact same feeling.

[@kylecoffey6010]

We're reaching a new era where the music is again key. The mystic of the recording art is lifting & production is becoming more about getting "the take" vs this mic, with this pre, with this comp, etc. In the past I've seen some big projects recorded with mostly SM57's on just about everything... vocals, drums (every close mic), guitars, bass & once mixed you'd never listen back & think if only we had used that super rare vintage expensive mic on the vocals it would sound any better. We gear junkies buy into that way too much & lean on that theory to rationalize why our music isn't up to the "standard". I'm just as guilty as anyone for sure. Another excellent video Colt! Do more warm shootouts... those Tone Beast pres & neve clones are BadAss! Would love to see your comparisons!

[@chinmeysway]

Would be cool to do a test where a complete performance was recorded w 57s next to high end mics, then mixed / processed how one would normally do per set of mics. Only difference I can imagine there’d be is ability to capture room ambience w large condenser / fig8 / Omni type options. So maybe if room sound isn’t important (dreadful pop music) then cheap dynamic mics are probably sufficient.

[@kensmechanicalaffair]

I think after developing your ear, and creating your workflow. There are definitely a few pieces of gear that would get you closer to a professional sound, but the G.A.S is for people who don't make shit worth listening to.

[@JTPiano2011]

I should also mention I use the WA273 on almost all my projects so I do appreciate Warm Audio’s approach to affordable gear. 👍

[@tombuck]

This is one of the best made microphone videos I’ve ever seen.

[@ColtCapperrune]

Really appreciate that!

[@RicardoTolbert]

I did prefer the warm audio on vocals just because the vintage sounds like it can’t handle loud signals very well. I have access to a vintage c12 as well and it does the same thing. Idk maybe I’m crazy 😂

[@dandelay8377]

Listened to this in my car pretty loud. Couldn’t really hear a difference. I know we all wanna believe that a mic is somehow magic- it’s just circuits and parts, and capsules. For $1K, I’m going with Warm every time. I own a bunch of their mics, and I dig them all.

[@huberttorzewski]

Warm Audio sounded like a cheaper mic but it sounded really good despite that. It didn't sound 24x cheaper haha. Maybe not as amazing as the real deal but still it's a very good mic to buy in 1k price range. For 1k it's a great mic, no questions. Btw I would like to see the test of all vintage mic clones Warm Audio mics in 500-1k range - I'm curious how they sound when compared.

[@BeauStephenson]

I'm listening to the raw audio tracks right now and have to agree with you. The real C12 transients pop out crisp and clear and the midrange sounds 3D. The only way I can describe it is that the Warm sounds like a really loving facsimile of the C12. Definitely super useful and not at all bad, but the 12 is special for a reason. There aren't many people out there who are making transducers the way they used to because it's an art.

[@rocnroll1715]

Very compelling conclusion to welcome a 1,000.00 Warm Audio WA-CX12 vs the 20,000.00 vintage C12. Well done Warm Audio!!!!!!!

[@cliftonjohnson9776]

That was a tough one Colt. The Warm was very close to the C12, the low-mids sounded spot on, the high-mids sounded a bit brighter on the Warm IMHO. WIth budgets being what they are for smaller operators, the Warm would be a great addition to any mic locker.

[@jpsandberg]

I actually preferred the WA-CX12 for the accoustic test. Both are great sounding and for $1000, it's well worth the money compared to the expensive one they copied! Thanks for putting this comparison together!

[@yona9798]

I preferred the vintage c12 on acoustic guitar because it seems to me that the warm wa-cx12 is just a tad harsher in the upper mids. On vocals I preferred the cx12 for the same reason... That being said I really don't think that that kind of difference, especially on vintage microphones, is worth it for the sound alone. I totally agree, in an a/b test you would have a really hard time telling the difference between the two (unless you have, like, a lot of experience with at least one of them). I can see the 'vibe' point as well, but sometimes I wonder how many actual vocalists are going to even notice, vs. the producers who kind of gush over these kinds of thins all the time... You really have to be in a position where you know you've already made it and anything more is just the last 0.1% to justify this kind of expense IMHO, regardless of the ginormous difference in price; Which is exactly why I love this kind of video, amazing work as always! (Altough, judging from some of the more esoteric comments, a blind a/b test might have also been worth it...)

[@MajorGRecording]

Same here. Couldn't tell much of a difference on the drum overheads, preferred the vintage C12 on the acoustic guitar, and preferred the Warm Audio CX12 on the vocals. Pretty much similar to most of Warm Audio's gear, they get REALLY close to what they are emulating at a very nice price. Great business model!!

[@davidspingler6337]

Truly, this was indeed a surprisingly close series of examples… Good job, Warm Audio 👍

[@supergman312]

On iPhone 11 speakers, the WARM replica seemed to have more high end and detail when it came to the guitar and cymbals. Cymbals almost seemed harsh. Midrange for the male vocal seemed too telephonish for me on the replica. I would buy this mic just to use it on guitar it sounded amazing

[@nikgiengermakesmusic]

This blew me away.. I did a blind listen to see if I could hear the difference between the two and it was almost indistinguishable. And during the female vocals I actually said to myself, “oh yeah this is the c12” then took a quick peak and it was the cx12. Jaw hit the floor. Thanks Colt!

[@nikgiengermakesmusic]

And to add to this, In the context of a mix, no one is going to know.

[@jemarmitchell5555]

Warm audio sound open but i can hear the modern components of warm audio mic which is great for the erra we are in Vintage sound narrow n unique but it has the dept Warm audio mic is great really great i would buy the warm audio any day

[@caspermaster-com]

After downloading tracks and running double blind tests. It was literally 50/50 depending on source which I preferred, and it would be fine which ever one on any source. What you said in the end is very true. Is it worth 25X the price, for a feeling of "the heroes journey" is completed, because that's the only practical difference. Its up to each and everyone to decide!

[@stoneroofstudios4700]

Great video Colt! Both the mics sound really good, I heard subtle differences on different sources however not enough of a difference to justify the price gap! My first experience using a warm audio microphone, I didn't compare it side to side with its comparison but I remember just really liking the sound of it and that was enough for me. After researching further into the company, I love what they do and the products they make. Id recommend them to anyone.

[@SoundForgeStudio]

Im a little late to the party but i got this mic about a month before you posted this video i live just south of you in Murfreesboro. I got this mic for a client's project i had been working on and i wanted to bring something new and different but also nice to the vocal sessions... Hands down i cant afford a 25k mic let alone 5k mic but i got the cx12 with high hopes from word of mouth. and holy $#*T this thing is mind blowing amazing. your video is very spot on for what i discovered as well !! the cx-12 is beyond worth it...CHEERS MY DUDE !!

[@pioferro]

Not surprised.. Warm really makes great stuff. Their WA73 pre is damn good, so is the WA47 tube mic. Great vid!!

[@misterkenova6695]

Warm Audio for the win. Love everything they do. Great video man, Cheers!

[@kumosworkshop]

After being around music all my life, but on the instrument side, I recently started a bachelor's on Music Production at Full Sail University and have been watching your channel nonstop trying to catch up with everyone else in my degree who've been producing for years. I found this video while actually researching other mic's and am absolutely blown away. Thank you for all you videos and all the knowledge you share.

[@miamiheat67]

Yeah those differences are subtle and definitely not a 24k difference. i think if an engineer wants that "wow" factor and can spend the cash on the vintage stuff, that's cool. But if i have a grand to blow and i want something that sounds nuts through a great pre, ill reach for this. Or maybe even a TLM guy if I still want that "oh look that's a Nuemann" reaction. Great video as usual, Colt!

[@danielnuzum8117]

I just purchased a pair of the 312 clones as well as the wa76 and wa73 and I will say, having access to every one of the clones I bought there’s not enough of a difference to drive me to purchase the high end gear, especially in the application that I’m using them for. Great video! Overall I’m incredibly impressed with the warm audio C12, I think that it’s worth it to save your money and buy25k worth of other gear than ONE MIC like what???

[@lucidalebeats]

I recorded a session this weekend with the WA-251 and ran it into the WA-2A compressor and I was absolutely stoked with the sound

[@paulhemstock]

Bought a WA251 and its awesome… Warm Audio hitting the nail on the head with all their products

[@TrappoLone]

Have almost all the warm audio stuff. Bought with my money. Every unit (even the wa47) had been totally comparable to the original. Love their stuff.

[@studiogorilla]

Just used the WA-47 last week on a baritone country vocal... both the artist and I were very happy with the sound!

[@petrkorinek9559]

I'm glad you made this video. I can clearly hear the difference. The vintage is definitely more dynamic, more 3D, there is just more depth in the sound. The frequency response of the Warm is incredibly close, but there is just some distortion going on that's not letting all the sound through

[@ProVoiceBH]

Would love to see a similar video on WA-251 🤩

[@ColtCapperrune]

As do I.

[@Joelfrancis]

I just bought me A WA-47 and I’m in love with it OMG so much quality for $949 it’s My first tube mic and I absolutely love it. I’m glad I bought it. Thanks warm audio

[@YuvProd]

I played now with the audio files, bro they are so close almost identical. i took both takes one hard left one hard right, its sounds like when you duplicate a track, i needed to do a phase to hear it wide, warm audio did a good job here!

[@stevenewtube]

Hi Colt. Great video and a good comparison. What I heard was that the c12 and the WA are very close indeed but the WA was, as its name says, warmer. The c12 sounds very natural and clear, almost confronting, where the WA less so, various distortions that we call warmth, though only very very slightly. The quality of the hardware is very impressive for sure. I’m in Australia so I’ll try to track one down for a tryout. Thanks man!

[@spikeafrican8797]

The telefunken really shone on the acoustic, but the rest was a toss up for me. The warm c12 is a real acheivement.

[@user-jx3jp3gb4x]

this comment is precisely how I feel,

[@ChrstnSmrvllMsc]

OMGsh, that acoustic sound!!!

[@damiancafarella4086]

Yes! Totally concur!

[@kurtpeter6047]

A great comparison test - very infomatic and great job. Also in our experience the CX-12 (in our opinion the only one from Warm Audio - and only in cardioid) stands up to comparison with the original C12 and have found the following: Almost the last percentage points of difference (though almost not on vocals, but on acoustic guitars) could be gained by swapping the EH 12AY7 for a TAD 12AY7 (high grade premium selected): This gives the (somewhat missed) top end sheen with the same smoothness and a tad more of the creamy low mids as the original. It's a little bit like a curtain opening. At the same time, the self noise is reduced by about 1 dB in the noise frequencies around 2 Khz.👍

[@DanBires]

One thing I noticed. The way the mics were positioned there will be a difference in sound based off the singers. So the warm was lower and would capture the voice but also the singers voice box meaning it will grab more lows verse the original that was placed higher that would capture the voice but also the nose area which is less low and more nasally. I go through this all the time when I mic singers. That type of positioning can make an over all difference. When it comes to these mic shootouts it’s tough because depending on the singer one might be better to use than the other and let’s face it. No clone will sound the same. No 2 mics really sound the same and that’s what makes them pair together well.

[@hillie47]

Warm included extra shockmount strings with their $249/$299 WA-47jr as well. Ultimately it's less than a buck worth of extra stuff that really helps out in times of crisis (because the cord will always snap right as you have everything ready to go for that all important session 🙂). The mics are so close, that I'd only keep something vintage around if it's the difference that'll attract a client.

[@dashradio1]

I was blow away how they sound almost identical..great review

[@chuckaguilar]

I'm blown away. Super interesting though, with the acoustic guitar, I hear exactly the same. And with female vocals, there is practically no difference. Thanks for the video!

[@BuddyQuaid]

Great video! Warm's mics are awesome. Definitely can't tell a $20k+ difference!

[@georgemickel6608]

Thanks Cole for the video and the Dropbox files.. can't wait to check them out. Kind regards, George

[@Ynotyecslart]

First, thank you so much for creating this video and the fantastic demonstration of these microphones side-by-side! After downloading the audio files, I ordered the WA CX12. I find it very interesting to read all the others' comments about the high-end differences, but what my ears hear consistently throughout is a very slightly thinner sound with the CX12. I hear a bit more low-end in the vintage C12, but ever so slight that it's not worth the money. Again, thank you for this excellent review!

[@jcpuga]

Those Male Vocals on the Warm Audio!! SHEESH! 🔥🔥🔥 I've noticed Warm Audio keeps their Mid to High-Mids freq. in their mics. Even remakes. Which makes it seem like the vintage one is diff. But why not just do some slight EQing? Subbed 👍

[@nkingofficial]

I've been pretty impressed with a lot of warm audio stuff, from their mics, to their rack gear/eq, compressors, preamp etc. Definitely think they're a good brand for people wanting a decent studio set up but don't have the wallets for the price tags of a lot of high end gear

[@ColtCapperrune]

Agree

[@JedWunderli]

I concur - I have a few pieced of rack gear and a couple of their mics and I think they all do a great job/sound fantastic. They also seam really well built for the price.

[@RaveSongRecords]

Nice ! Even with my earbuds, I agree with your assessment!

[@biggsoft6910]

On overheads Warm Audio sounded more relaxed to my ears which I think is a good thing after all the compression, saturation etc on drumbus and further down the line. Compared to the vintage C12 I did like the vintage one more, felt slightly more present. Not night and day though

[@garyshirinian]

Thx for sharing. I do own the tube WA47 and very pleased with it. Now My next aim is on the 12. Thx again

[@AARVMUSIC]

I definitely hear more highs on the Warm vs the c 12. The male vocal test is the trickiest to hear, but the rest have a noticeable difference in tonal balance.

[@Ibantar]

Warm Audio is the SHIZZNITZ fo'real!!!!!!! Very little difference between the two! If I had $26K to use for audio gear... I'd grab that WA-CX12 and use the rest to pretty much outfit a nice home studio set up! (THIS VIDEO has me sold to get the WA-8000!! NO NEED to spend $10k or more on a Sony 800G). Excellent video sir👊🏾!!

[@aubyoung1218]

We appreciate your support! -WA wife. 😘

[@chrisdover8507]

Great video Colt. Always unbiased info. I’m excited to see what Warm release in future. Especially hardware. There’s so many products that I think home studios are screaming out for.

[@polyphonicgroove]

I have the WA-87 and it is freaking awesome!! It has elevated my vocal recordings exponentially!!! I'm sorry, but the Vintage C-12 does NOT sound 25x better than the WA-CX12...not even 2x better. Warm Audio makes amazing products for 1/3 of the cost in its weight class. Try adding one of their mic-pres then run it through their Bus-Comp....pure heaven!! My next purchase is the WA-251 and then the WA-47 and finally I have my eyes on this WA-CX12. After that, no need to EVER buy another vocal mic.

[@AndyKingCo]

I love the WA251!

[@MADIXOMAHA]

I put a Tab Funkenwerk T13 transformer in my WA-87 and it's even better than warm's stock cinemag transformer!! Something to think about :D

[@EstudioDurango]

the warm sounds a bit harsh in the highs , right?

[@PorterhouseMusic]

Seems like a fair comparison. Thanks for putting this together.

[@brendanlister883]

The difference is so minimal, i preferred the WA on the female vocal, it sounded awesome if you ask me. I would happily buy a WA if i needed one. Amazing video man great work.

[@lightafluident.9950]

I own the WA12 MK2 (black) mic preamp. I pair it with my LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs and they are a true diamond in my setup. Warm has great stuff.

[@deryckroche]

The last country (male) singer is where you really heard the difference because he had an upper mid range voice that to me broke up on the original C12 but shined on the CX12. For the drums I liked both but the C12 had nicer top end but the CX12 still sounded great. CX12 for me all day long especially for $1000 USD!

[@JTPiano2011]

You nailed it Deryck. His upper mids were a bit more aggressive on the C12. The CX12 seemed to tame them a bit. I've read it was a favorite mic among engineers for female singers. Now I kinda get it, cheers. Having said that, if I were rich man...

[@kurtpeter6047]

A great comparison test - very infomatic and great job. Also in our experience the CX-12 (in our opinion the only one from Warm Audio - and only in cardioid) stands up to comparison with the original C12. We’ve found the following: Almost the last percentage points of difference (though almost not on vocals, but on acoustic guitars) could be gained by swapping the EH 12AY7 for a TAD 12AY7 (high grade premium selected): This gives the (somewhat missed) top end sheen with the same smoothness and a tad more of the creamy low mids as the original. It's a little bit like a curtain opening. At the same time, the self noise is reduced by about 1 dB in the noise frequencies around 2 Khz.

[@Chaz_r]

Colt pretty please do a comparison of the U 87 and UT Twin 87

[@thumbody1]

I agree with your assessment. On drums the AKG had a more pronounced and rounded sound around 120Hz. It was apparent when he played the toms. The midrange and top end were very close. There was just a little more clarity above 12kHz on the AKG. On both male and female vocals, with the singers you used, I really couldn't hear a measurable difference except for that extreme top end extension. The 200Hz thing you said about the AKG was most apparent on the acoustic guitar. I can see a WA-CX12 in my future. I already have a WA47 tube from them and the mid to upper mid, midrange depth and clarity is killer on it. The top end is a little subdued but there is a place for that in my mic locker. No microphone sounds good on everything and everyone. Choices must be made to fit the source element in order to get the best out of it. For me, it's not as much about if it actually compares to the real McCoy, it's about if it is a great sounding mic in its own right. The WA-CX12 sounds really good. If I had the disposable funds to buy a real C12 I wouldn't be watching this. Great job on the video.

[@dreamsandvisionschannel861]

I just bought a warm audio CW 12 for $600 on Reverb and had it modified for $400 at signal arts electronics in Joshua tree California now it sounds like a C12!

[@Sleemzz]

Both mics sound great. If I received something recorded with either mic to mix I'd be happy.

[@NoQualmsTheArtist]

Both sides are both correct. In the mix replicas can even sound better. If money is no option then the feeling is definitely worth it. A cheap car will get you to work, an expensive car you will have an experience driving to work. There is a place for each, the only difference is money and if you can afford it.

[@ianmorris7686]

I could definitely pick out the difference blind, but it did sound good at least. 😊

[@northparkstudios2]

The cx12 had an inherent upper midrange harsh tinny sound with less 3d quality to the mic. I think it’s a good starter mic. The c12 is expensive for a reason.

[@theworkshopstudio2069]

Love the comparison vid! Listening to it on youtube with a set of AKG K240 Sextett MPs on a run-o-the-mill m-audio interface... (The sextetts {70's/80's} are known for their soundstage and quick, full range response compared to all the other K240's they've made... worth checking out!) For me there was a lot more of the tom resonance with the C12's, along with a deeper room dimension... overall I found the C12's to sound a little fuller from around 200 down, faster, and generally more responsive... it felt more like you were in the room with the source. The warm for me had a bit of a resonance around 300, and maybe a roll off up top... I dug the Warm more on the male vocal because of it. That said, they all sounded great! This is subtle stuff, and with a little dynamic EQ I don't think it would take much to get similar results out of the warm, while saving enough to buy a van. I hear $1000 of difference I guess... From here, the originals seem to sound like the warms with an expander or exciter applied.

[@deerislandmedium]

I thought the C12 had some harshness on drums in the top end that the warm didn’t have, on guitar I way preferred the richness of the C12, on vocals i couldn’t even tell the difference. love my warm mics

[@p.m-audio]

the original c12 on acoustic, has the bite what i expected, and i missed the maybe 2000 Hz 3000 Hz bite on warm a little bit. the c12 transient was very clear ....on Vocals its sounds really the same for me too. Great Video Colt

[@FransJCMartins]

Proud owner of a Warm 251 and a stereo pair 84’s. These things rock!

[@sebastiandior1315]

The vintage seems to self compress, that is very interesting.

[@Crowbar11115]

Warm Audio Mics are killer!! I'm a full-time Voice Actor and my main mic is a Warm Audio WA47-jr. That mic has been heard by Millions of people for a couple of big Video Game Ad campaigns. That mic sounds so good on deep gravelly Male voices. It's replaced my Sennheiser MKH416. A $299 mic sounds better than a $1000 industry standard mic. Warm makes such good gear that Brent Allen Hagel (the VO guy for Discovery Channel/TLC/Hulu) said the WA 47 is broadcast ready as is. He did a review a few days ago and was extremely impressed. He was also reviewing the Warm C800G when he got a rush gig from Fox. He didn't even switch mics. Fox used the promo from the C800G that Brent had just set up. Warm has the potential to literally change the industry and get super high quality mics into people's Studios for 1/10th of the price. They'd be wise to do a MKH416 style mic next since so many people are already familiar with that model.

[@marklholloway]

Mic sounds great. In a mix you’d never know the difference. This is true with a lot of clones. Last few minutes summed it up accurately. Only reason to own vintage is for high budget clients having high expectations on what gear is used during their $2,500/day studio sessions

[@jeremythornton433]

Cool video. I'm just at the first comparison on the drum overheads but I'm finding that I have to turn up my speakers to really hear what's going on. Then, when you voice comes in, wow. Way louder. BTW, I'm listening on my Kali LP6s and my Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones in my little home studio. I really want to know how this mic sounds. I think the Warm Audio mic sounds great.Good enough to justify the cost which is minimal compared to the other mic. It's about the law of diminishing returns. The expensive mic doesn't sound $20,000 better. I thin, in a mix, you'd never know.

[@iAmWorldsDestroyerOfDeath]

Spot on take away. Recording studios can easily justify purchases rarified items when clients will pay expecting originals, regardless of the differences.

[@robgracia509]

killer video colt thank you for doing this

[@CAngel-gq8cm]

To my ear, the Warm is 90% of the sound at 1/20th the price but that last 10% of sound is what money will buy be it a mic, a guitar, etc... Great Video and nice mics!

[@Gooden_Eye]

the male vocals had more power (gut singing) than most of the review videos for this mic...that helps for what I'm needing 🤘

[@truckguy3]

DANGGG I thought that was my boy Ben killer, sounding great homie!

[@mixedbygip8938]

Man, Warm audio hit it right on the nose with this one! I just downloaded the files and Listened with my eyes closed and its spot on for the most part. I own the warm audio 8000 Great mic. But honestly, I think I like the Warm C12 Just as much if not more! It's a no brainer to get one of these for the studio! I see that Manley Reference in the back that's the microphone I really want for my go to Mic for my studio. but great video!

[@MrArtVein]

I've been trying to find someone with that c800 clone for the longest, how does it stand up? What do you like about it, don't like? I have an sm7b and U87 but need to round out the collection with something for instant pop vocals

[@mixedbygip8938]

@@MrArtVein The 8000 is a dope mic! It has that modern sound But it’s not for every vocalist. I honestly feel like the warm audio C12 will fit more vocalist if you record a lot of vocals!

[@charliekey2979]

The warm audio looks more attractive to the eye than the vintage as you said, the sound was almost identical with a couple of nuances that you can easily achieve with EQ to my ears. The warm audio will be the smarter choice in my opinion. I would use the remaining $20,000 on more gear that will be more beneficial in the studio.

[@GarrettRatliff96]

I like the sound of the WA better. What people forget is that their room is the biggest reason their productions sound awful, not their gear. You can get broadcast quality productions with cheapo mics as long as your room is treated, and it doesn't cost that much to fix. Most of your acoustic treatment can be done DIY for pennies using reclaimed lumber and rockwool. The sacred cows of gear can be perfectly recreated with robotics and reverse engineering. Another thing people forget is that the old gear was really inconsistent in quality since a lot of it was hand crafted vs now and the famous gear that you've heard on records is often locked away in studios that can afford this stuff. There's a reason this stuff is rare. Take the nostalgia glasses off and save your money. Only splurge on equipment once you've mastered your craft. If you can't get a good production using only shure mics, you need to fix other issues and ear train before you even look at your gear.

[@willowlacrosse3728]

The vintage C12 is for collectors at that price point. Insane!

[@questionableidentity1]

I have a WA-251 and I love what it can do. Sounds premium enough to me. Seems like the same applies to this model

[@shades8030]

Something that I noticed when is that the CX12 is able to take reverb more naturally. I listened to the tracks on the CX12 and C12 back to back, and the C12, when adding reverb, sounded unnatural. This was the case for both the guitar and vocals in my experience. Edit: Sorry! I forgot to thanks you guys for this great comparison. This was the exact video that I needed to finally pull the trigger on getting the CX12. Thank you!

[@christurbiville]

everyone listening should remember the vintage c12 has a few decades of capsule dust, spit, and just gunk that can't be cleaned all the way off. Also the tubes are the same type, but not the same manufacturer and that makes a difference. These things are subtle but do add mojo and magic to the C12.

[@stevesrecordingtips7247]

Good shootout. I could hear the difference. It's like the real C12 had nearly 2dB of variation at a couple of frequencies. I bet if I had a CX12 and a mild EQ, I could make them indistinguishable.

[@AnthonyAorua]

Listening through my ATC's and A17M's. The WA-CX12, Sounds Impressive:

[@KyleSince1986]

Damnnnnn close. More top end out of that warm I feel like though.

[@johnwave2827]

Yes! the Warm has indeed more top end. (Edit: I think actually high mids..) On the vocals of the male singer (Ben Miller) I think the Warm was a better match. (less muddy compared to the vintage) I think the focus of the midrange is also a bit higher on the warm version.

[@nkingofficial]

Ya I just bought the WA87 R2, waiting for it to come in. I love Warm Audio stuff 🤷‍♂️

[@gatorbullproductions6246]

Warm Audio make high quality gear at an affordable price, stop sleeping on them. Good ass video man 🔥🔥🔥

[@ghostakablackpanther]

I would say the warm sounds better no cap colt am getting this microphone

[@TomasBodin]

For me the sound is close but somehow a bit more muffled with the Warm mic. Subtle but still there. Still a really good A+B test and much appreciated! Should add that I got the CX-12 :)

[@buhlir]

the only big dif I hear is the top end is a little sharper on the Warm. and that will probably chill out with time. Its so good. They do a great job.

[@902hertz]

wow.....Judging by KZbin, I think it is the closest among the products that have been reproduced so far.

[@soulSaysHi]

Man, that c12 blows the Warm away. No wonder they’re 20k. Time to start saving up!

[@claytonmurrayguitar]

Woo go Ben! As far as the mics, just through AirPods, for the drums and acoustic, the vintage one kind of sounded more.. natural maybe? I feel like it really brought out how something is supposed to sound, where as the Warm almost sounded a touch sterile compared to it. Didn’t hear that as much on vocals. Not saying it sounded sterile or bad at all, it’s like 99% there! Great demo!

[@SundayMorningBreakfastClub]

Listening on airpods as well, to me all the sources sounded comparable other than the acoustic guitar. For the acoustic, the vintage unit sounded much fuller, less brittle so I guess maybe more low end? I was kind of surprised considering (to me) the overheads comparison was so similar.

[@guidopellegrino6029]

Love to see you do the rest of the line up !!!!

[@ChrisMartinsMusician]

Sounded pretty much identical on everything but the acoustic guitar where on my speakers it had just a tiny teeny bit less "boom", but then again... in a mix... who cares. And you get 2 and a half modern mics for the price of one vintage one. Vintage gear is cool... it does bring the vibe you mention... but it's just a mind game. I'd get the Warm... I'm actually considering their Neve and API pre replicas to upgrade my preamp game, and I already have a 610mkII and a JoeMeek Twin Q... But you know... gear... :) Great videos Colt, keep up the good work. :)

[@owlmega-101]

The vintage C12 is around $25,000. So you can get 25 modern ones for that price lol.

[@ChrisMartinsMusician]

@@owlmega-101 All the more reason not to get one... But even if you consider the Telefunken version, my answer still stands. :) 25 grand ? Not in this lifetime. lol

[@owlmega-101]

@@ChrisMartinsMusician Yes, and a decent room is much much more important than the mic. Even considering an ultimate vocal mic, I think a price range between $1000 - 3000 would just be more than enough.

[@ChrisMartinsMusician]

@@owlmega-101 Absolutely. The performance, the room, the mic, the preamp.... in that order. :)

[@markgueren9633]

I’ve got the 47jr it’s a great mic… I think Warm audio is putting high end gear in the hands of someone who may not be able to afford it!! Kudos to them!!

[@robgracia509]

got the same mic works great on vocals