The Warm Audio WA251 vs Vintage Telefunken ELAM 251 vs AKG C24 vs Microphone Parts 12-251 SHOOTOUT

[@richardroskell3452]

Peter, I absolutely love your comparisons of vintage gear to modern clones. Those of us who can’t afford vintage are forever in your debt. ❤️

[@richardroskell3452]

It's your PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS of the equipment that makes your reviews so useful, Peter. Most shootout videos only provide audio samples with no commentary, which given all the variables involved in recording, conversion, soundstreaming and playback makes it difficult for the listener to accurately judge. You tell us what you're hearing at the source, and that's really helpful.

[@sunilsinghkushwaha9102]

@@richardroskell3452 Gffgggdgdggdfdgfgggffff episodeff i hindi fulln u

[@DjGoasoul]

I am a mix engineer from Greece. Now you are my teacher. The way you explain without talking the time you make the demo it is just brilliant. God bless you.

[@stephenlepage]

0:00 Unboxing 2:10 components comparison 3:07 history 11:39 Sound comparison setup 13:49 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 15:12 AKG C24 16:34 Micparts 12-251 17:57 Warm Audio WA-251 (reaction when it switched to this) 19:18 review 21:59 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 22:22 AKG C24 22:44 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 23:06 Micparts 12-251 23:28 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 23:56 Warm Audio WA-251 24:30 Vocal comparisons 25:58 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 26:01 AKG C24 27:03 Micparts 12-251 28:07 Warm Audio WA-251 29:12 review 31:00 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 31:19 AKG C24 31:38 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 31:58 Micparts 12-251 32:16 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 32:34 Warm Audio WA-251 32:54 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 33:15 review

[@artysanmobile]

C24 is such a brilliant microphone, by far my fave piano mic. With lid full up, placing the mic halfway between the lid edge and the piano body edge, centered above the strings about 30” distant, is a delicious sound with nothing but a touch of low ratio compression. I used one on a Monte Alexander recording where that non-EQ’d track became my bedrock track, with everything mixed around it. Such a pleasure.

[@JonManness]

Awesome comparison! The ELAM 251 is so crispy and captures every single transient. Personally, I would want to smear it with a tube compressor or tape emulation just to smooth it out a little. The C24 was like butter and naturally softened the transients enough to make it more pleasing to listen to. Micparts and Warm are fine but aren't giving the same vibe of the OG mics. You da man, Peter!

[@michaelasnot3689]

Thank you for letting me test these microphones with you! I’d be happy with either one of the microphones, though to my ear the vintage Telefunken takes the cake.

[@NoCoverCharge]

Dude you killed it ... nice like the song

[@ryanudairam2002]

What is the song you sang on this? It sounds great!

[@droppingknowledge8259]

@@ryanudairam2002 Thanks! It's called 'Old Ford Truck'. It's on my latest album called 'Episodes'. You can find it wherever you stream your music!

[@ryanudairam2002]

@@droppingknowledge8259 I love the production on this. Did Peter Claes handle all the mixing on this? It's really nice! :D

[@roscoenyc]

Excellent video. After trying one I bought a WA 251 over a year ago. I didn't have an ELAM 251 to compare but I really enjoyed singing through the mic. For me it gave a sort of 'focus' that was a positive. So much of this is subjective. If a singer likes what they hear when they are singing sometimes the "best" microphone may not be "the one" to get the best performance out of them. Thanks again.

[@oompapompaa6543]

Valuable input

[@katukavo]

Amazing comparisons The Elam 251 for me is the best one! TY.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi, thanks for the comment! 🙏🙏🙏

[@dwarrenharewood]

Thank you for this comparison. I will never own a $5,000 - 10,000 microphone. I do have two WA-251’s and this comparison provides the knowledge of when, what, where, and how I should use them. I also modified the tube and the capsule. They sound wonderful.

[@radiotvgod]

What tube did you end up using?

[@tracyeaves4847]

you will do just fine with WA mic

[@luccuerrier7452]

Excellent review, and as always I'm impressed with the seriousness of the tests. I love your non-verbal cues when we're listening to the different mics, I totally got what you were saying and I appreciate it!

[@IAMZCOTTIE]

Select the 2 channels and then shift + S to switch between solo channels. 🔥

[@xmusicstudiosLA]

I would like to hear if you phase inverted between the microphones to see what is left of the signal.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Great tip! I’ll do that in a next video!

[@KenLasaine]

Man, that was really informative. I love all the history and detail you go into when you do these reviews and shootouts. Thank you!

[@russmadeira]

Great job on this comparison video Peter! I was just about to get the WA-251 but now I'm looking at the Mic Parts. Thanks!

[@legacyShredder1]

It's still a good mic regardless of how close or different it is compared to the original.

[@mrfurst]

thank you for taking the time to do this comparison. Very informational!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Thanks for watching! Which is your favorite mic in this video?

[@mrfurst]

@@MasterclaesVideos I'd be comfortable working with any of the mics but I prefer the ELAM 251 in this video. I watched your other video comparing U67 to the WA67. I was impressed. I picked up a WA67 and compared it to a 1963 U67. I was very impressed with how close they sounded.

[@daniel_belongs_to_christ]

ELAM 13:50 C24 15:11 MICRO PARTS DIY 16:33 WARM 17:55 SECOND QUICKER COMPARISON BETWEEEN THE ELAM251 ELAM 22:00 C24 22:22 MICRO PART DIY 23:07 WARM 23:55 VOCAL COMPARISON ELAM 24:57 C24 26:00 MICRO PARTS 27:04 WARM 28:07

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Thank you for the time stamps!

[@DMKahn]

Awesome comparison. Would be cool to have a frequency meter going during the comparisons, so we could also get a visual represenation of the frequencies being recorded. Cheers!

[@pdmcrew80]

I did the comparison with my eyes closed and my pockets really liked my taste, Mic Parts won booth guitar and vocals, and W.A second on guitar and third on vocals, so, if I had those mics I´d sell the Elam and the AKG and buy a pair of MP and WA and keep the rest of the money, because the price diference does not come close to justify the sound diference. Keep up the good job.

[@G_handle]

Thank you! Once again Microphone Parts holds its own as "belonging to the family".

[@DCXTV]

I’m wondering how much does the positioning affect it when WA251 was furthest away from strumming and up on the neck of the guitar 🤔

[@MasterclaesVideos]

All mics were 5 feet away from the source. If you took a laser meter from the mic to the source, it would literally measure less than a quarter of an inch difference. Looking at the waveforms it meant only samples. Not enough to make a difference in sound other than the mic itself. Especially because the mic setup was as close as possible. What was your favorite?

[@DCXTV]

@@MasterclaesVideos ahh yes didn't pay attention there were other camera angles of the guitar playing while I was listening on headphones and using another computer 😅 Tried to concentrate on not letting the different part of the take with different power on playing while switching between mics to affect the judgement. I really wanted to like WA251 but it sounded bad, as if spitting with each strum. I remember watching this a year ago but returned to it because of still weighing whether to build an MP or get something else. WA251 didn't sound that bad on vocals, all of the mics would be great on vocals but if I "had" (got) to choose I'd go for Elam or MP as they sounded more exciting than the AKG (may cut through a dance music mix better than AKG too).

[@eugensagel9088]

Hi Peter, finally someone who speaks clear language! There aren't many clones that can get hold of the original! Very good comparison!!!

[@MrKarimsherif84]

Thanks Peter , that was really to the point 👍👍 It would be so nice to see your comparison and opinion about modeling microphones like the townsend sphere L22 , Slate VMS ,Antelope Again thanks for the great effort

[@majamusic14]

Thanks for your comparison of these mics !

[@chuckschaible5410]

amazing Brilliant electrical engineer, perfect, DETAILED DEMO and narrative, explanation, Soo calm AND steady, great Sense of humor, Love him, So MIND BLOWING knowledge...

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Again: Chuck thank you for the comment and great compliments! It is very nice to read all these words and it gives me energy to do even better on the next video’s!

[@KevinWale]

I guess my 2 cents would be that the Warm is definitely a very fine sounding microphone. It's pretty amazing what can be done for very little money these days. It's one of those, if you can't get a good vocal take with it, the mic isn't your problem, kind of things. That being said, the real 251 is on a different time space continuum. NONE of those mics were in its league really to me. But, would I ever miss it having not heard it, or just not having that much money? No. The point of these things is education, and that's what you do so very well. This is my first time seeing one of your videos, and I learned a lot. I thought I knew about mics, but.... I clearly don't. I appreciate that you mention the aspect that they are really all very usable because people need to make music, not sniff corks. You show that claims of being exact are just marketing talk, but claims of being super nice, are very true. I actually think my Lewitt LTC840 is probably more similar to a 251 than the Warm is. But the Lewitt is also very U47 and U67 like too... It's not any of them, but it's built on the legacy of all 3. I think that's a more interesting way for people to go, because they aren't trying to clone, but they're trying to see what can be done. Can you have the best parts of all 3 mics? I don't know... maybe. Maybe where it's different is just that, different. I'm curious. What do you think of the current run that Telefunken is selling?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi, thank you for your nice feedback! I think Telefunken is doing a great job recreating the originals, I heard stories of users who compared a vintage 251 with a new one and they were impressed. But on the other hand, if you put a few of them together you will hear a different sound on each of them… As you said, the 251 is in a different league, and IMHO every mic that is equiped with an AC701 is in that same league… it is the tube that makes the sound. So as long as nobody uses an AC701, nithing will ever compare…

[@dodgedforgottenn]

Great video! Thank you for doing this. First of all, all of them sounded very nice. The Elam and Mic Parts were really quite close. The Warm Audio was more focused, with a bit more mid range sizzle. The Elam was rounder on the bottom, smoother in the mids and with a nice airiness in the high end.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Again… Thank you! May I ask: Which one is your ultimate choice and why?

[@dodgedforgottenn]

@@MasterclaesVideos Oh, must I choose only one? 😄 For this application (vox and acoustic), the original Elam 251. It was the smoothest, biggest, and sweetest sounding. The AC701 is a special tube. Now, that C24, for other applications, might be my top choice, but that’s for another discussion

[@lazlomattachine8334]

Great reviews- love the in-depth approach and analysis. Cheers from Philadelphia!

[@AndyKingCo]

I love the WA251! It’s the best vocal mic I’ve ever had 🔥

[@AndyKingCo]

@John Joo U87ai, Chandler TG, TLM103, Miktek, AA and the WA-251 sounds amazing. The tube warmth and transformer, it’s just sounds so good on vocals!

[@AndyKingCo]

@John Joo TLM103 works better with Dark vocals so definitely not for me.

[@masque1313]

Fantastic video! This is one of the best videos I’ve seen where it is so unbelievably clear of how superior the original 251 is. All of the mics sounds good and are useable. But man especially in the vocal comparisons the original 251 just gives you so much more. Thanks for doing this.

[@joboiecruiser]

I preferred the Warm Audio mic. Seemed clearer to me. I also plan on buying two of the Warm Audio for my drum overheads.

[@mockingbirdproductions6479]

Thank you for sharing your studio and equipment. Great video as I am looking to purchase...

[@francisgarde]

try to get your hands on a microphone parts v-251 platinum edition for comparison vs the ELAM251

[@MasterclaesVideos]

It is not that easy actually, the MP folks are not that fond of this kind if comparisons because they don’t see their mics as clones, but their take on the original. So they don’t want to send me mics for review, sorry

[@lukebaker123]

Great video! just remember the Mic Parts is actually more based on the C12. They have a V-251 which is their exact 251. You can buy them pre built as well and the 12-251 kit is named the V-12. Beautiful sounding mic!

[@whittymusic]

titles please , would really help. Thanks for the comparison

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Thanks for the comment. I will keep it in mind for the next series of video’s! Which mic was your favorite?

[@MO-fb8oh]

Thanks a lot for that comparison! It would be interesting to also hear the Telefunken TF51 in that comparison

[@andivax]

dat C24!!! God damn! thanx for the comparison!

[@JanTitlbachmusic]

Great to see another improvement of your videos with multiple cameras! I died at 17:58 haha. Good stuff as always mate!

[@a7recordingstudio]

Can't stop laughing... Awesome review BTW...

[@MusicChannel-rf5zz]

You always do a great job on your reviews .Wish you had spoken into those mics though.How does the WA 251 compare with the 67 & 87 R2 pls?

[@reread2549]

I found the same thing with a Warm Audio 47jr. I ended up going with microphone-parts sister company Roswell and getting a mini 47 and a mini 87. That was an affordable compromise but of course not much is going to compete with a vintage Telefunken or a Neumann In well-maintained condition. Thank you so much for the video

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Roswell mics are nice, it’s a shame they don’t want to participate in shootouts because they don’t consider them as “clones” but as variations on the design. 😅

[@run3157]

Hi, could you do a comparison between the Sony c800g vs. the WA 8000 ? It would be very interesting, because you are very fair and surgical!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi Run, that’s a great Idea! I just need to figure out where i can find a C800G. I dont own one and they are pretty scarce here in Belgium. Do you have an idea were i can find one?

[@run3157]

@@MasterclaesVideos I‘m sorry I don’t know. I own a Neumann u87 vintage and the WA 8000. But I know that the guys from ZP Microphones Belgium did a test with the real Sony maybe you could ask them ! It would be fantastic. Have a good day !

[@OverdriveMusic]

Best review I've ever seen. Highly knowledgeable, and funny :)

[@petehelme7714]

Thanks for the comparison. Ah the AKG C 24. This and a Kudelski Nagra IV-S were John Shuttleworth's (Meridian) go-to for basically everything: choral, organ, piano and small ensembles in the 1970's & 1980's. Definitely worth seeking out for great examples of what the C 24 could do for on location, single-point, stereo recording. He had a knack for getting the best out of venue (though I wish I had a better idea what patterns he was using).

[@MariJu1ce]

Is there a clone/alternative for the C24 these days? Cant find many stereo mics out there. Telefunken ar70? something else?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi Marius, thanks for the comment! I think avantone has a stereo mic inspired on a C24. Do you know the brand?

[@HoneyWindbutton]

The Elam definitely had that sweet open top end but the c24 just moves me more

[@pHiLKizer]

The Mic Parts 12-251 is the clear winner, even over the Telefunken ELAM 251 itself. There was as top end that was not present in any other mic. It also did not contain the boominess that the Warm Audio WA-251and AKG C24 mics had. For these modern times, the well rounded sound on top of the crisp top end of the MP 12-251 is the way to go, DIY or not.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi Phil, thanks for the comment. If you would have to rate them in a top 4, how would that look?

[@codee-music]

The MicParts 251 was impressively closer to the vintage ELAM and C24 than the WA-251. Excellent shoutout! Thanks Peter!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Many thanks for the positive feedback!! 🙏🙏🙏

[@berkeleybernie]

Was surprised at how thin the WA251 sounded, though a better tube might open it up. But my favorite was the Microphone Parts 12-251. Nice presence without harshness. I can see how the ELAM 251 would be good with a female vocal by taming some of the high end while rounding out the chest voice. But for a male vocal, it's a bit too woofy, would need to apply more EQ than the Mic Parts to get it to shine.

[@Bloor005]

Are there any spectrograms comparing these mics that you've made? Would love to see how the WA compares there tbh, as I couldnt hear what you were describing (might be a language thing)... I got what you said about the '24, that thing is amazing.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

No spectrograms here, sorry… i can’t think of a way to mske those measurements reliable

[@Bloor005]

@@MasterclaesVideos I would do it with a simple speaker, even a hifi one. 2 metres from the mics in a good acoustic environment an whip a simple sine sweep through it. Do it the same for all the mics and you get some respective differences. Many EQs in DAWs show you the curve now, but there is specific software, too. Fricker and Kohle does it it on speaker comparisons.

[@MichielMensingh]

Geweldige video! Veel dank....!! Bizar hoeveel beter de vintage microfoons klinken, dit is de eerste video die ik heb gezien waar dat zo overduidelijk te horen is. Niets ten nadele van MP of WA hoor, goede microfoons voor het geld...

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Dankjewel Michiel! Wat was jouw favoriet?

[@MichielMensingh]

@@MasterclaesVideos Telefunken ELAM 251 was mijn favoriet! Met heel dicht in de buurt de AKG als 2e.... De MicParts vond ik verrassend goed en de Warm Audio een klein beetje een teleurstelling, maar nog steeds een prachtmic voor het geld! Ik zou ze alle 4 wel willen! :-) Succes met het mooie kanaal!!

[@googull271]

I agree with your assessment and reaction to the sound of these mics. The Elam-251 was the fullest and warmest of all of them.

[@EthosAtheos]

Thank you for taking the time to put this video together. My 2 cents, worth less than 1 cent are. The WA and the Mic parts both sound better to me for the guitar. The Mic parts sounds the best by far on the guitar. The WA is over bright but that can be fixed in post. I am spoiled by a very quiet hifi and the noise floor of the other 2. Was like listening to a 60s radio show. There was so much noise that even my tube setup is quieter than the mic noise floor. The ELAM also had a boom or honking in the lower end. That made the instrument sound cheap and artificial. The Mic parts sounds so much cleaner than the AKG or the ELAM. In the silence gaps you can hear the guitar playback clear and clean on the Mic Parts. To me the Mic Parts just crushed all the others. In accuracy, sensitivity and representation of picked up sound. The WA is to bright and silibent it just fell apart with the sizzle of the essssss. You might be able to process it but it isn't what I would reach for it if I had the Mic parts mic. Both the AKG and the ELAM sounded like a classic mic. But that isn't a good thing to me. The AKG was less boomy with the vocals. The ELAM sounded better on the guitar than the AKG. But they both didn't have a tight sound. I get if you want to use the mic as an instrument and get a "classic sound" of the mic, I totally understand. However compared to the Mic parts mic they both sounded old and imprecise. The ELAM's big resonance hump in the lower range of his voice, that you seem to love. Sounds tubby and unnatural on all my gear. Guess my next mic will be a DIY one :/ ug.. Please keep making these awesome videos. They are very illuminating.

[@karvn1148]

great video. would love to see an 1176 comparison with analog vs other plugin companies!! :D

[@maldonadocorrea]

Excelente video . Podrías comparar el u47 con el wa47 a ver qué tan parecidos son? Gracias

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hello, that is a video I definitely want to make! Give me some time, when my new studio is ready I will make it! Any other suggestions?

[@MaybeDavid]

Excellent review. Thank you! Love how you set everything up so well here, including a great singer and guitarist.

[@splifmandidi]

Right on time!! Thank you

[@matthew_b_golden]

17:58 LOL I hear you, man. Kind of night and day when switching between them. That said, the Warm Audio doesn't sound bad, per se, just doesn't measure up against the rest. I have a MIc Parts V-251 kit, waiting to be built. This video is encouraging, to say the least. Thanks for the great video and insight!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Indeed, the warm does not sound bad, but a bit disappointing compared to the rest! Enjoy your V-251! What other shootout would you like to see?

[@rone4165]

The WA 251 sounds more monophonic than the comparison mics. As far as mix ready, I can surmise it is because of the attenuation level that prevails in a low and high (near subliminal) frequency range that adds crispness to the closer proximity of the 'in your face' sound level. EQing down those hot spots should have it blend better with my personal mixing. However, it might add some work to sound close to a C24.

[@ThePdeHav]

Hi Peter, hitting g you up to say how much I enjoyed this comparison review very much. Your innate ability to bring just enough levity to what I’d often a dry and boring subject is refreshing. Gonna check out the 251. 15 years ago tbd tech at Metropolis Studio, London offered me a matched pair of C12s for £2500 since one of the mics was constantly needing repair. This is why I didn’t purchase them. This predated Nashville’s insatiable hunger for the damn. I’ve been on sessions where 4 pairs were used. There’s good news though. In the past 18 months the C12 has depreciated in value. Down from a median pride of $33,000 to a mere $28000! Yet I don’t hear a stampede of folks rushing to stock up on a pile of them. Wonder why?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Thank you for the praising words! I think that comes from passing on my knowledge for the past 30 years through my masterclaes program. Man i wish i had known that tech! I’m still looking for a c12 but not at 28k…. What mic was your favorite?

[@armpiano]

Great video ! Thank you very much. Do you plan to make a video on WA84 ?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Yes! A km84 shootout!

[@armpiano]

@@MasterclaesVideos I'm really looking forward to it. Would be curious to see a test of WA-87 R2 and to know how you feel about that new version.

[@AndredeBruinSoundengineer]

Thank you for all your reviews, Peter. In my humble opinion the AKG C24 sounds the best, less colours, better mixable.

Thanks a lot for great comparison videos. Is there any chance that you can share the sessions with us down here. Thanks again

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi Ahmet, due to artistic rights, i cannot do that, sorry 😞

@@MasterclaesVideos I totally understand that, just tried 😊 thanks again and best regards 🙋🏻‍♂️

[@gracefaith3772]

Hi, can you do Alctron T190 tube mic comparison? Thx.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi, i could do that comparing C12’s! But they don’t have a distributor in Europe. Can you help?

[@RockmannMusic]

I think you are very likable presenter and you've also made very tasteful decisions over the years when looking at your studio equipment. It would be great being able to see more of those switched-on and in action. Maybe it makes sense to give each significant piece of gear from your studio it's own episode. Something like, here we have the Lexicon 224, followed by a bit of history, how does it work and how does it sound, where does it has its place in context with musical styles, instruments, vocals etc. Its current place today compared with plug-ins, which one would come close . . Just an idea and it is probably a lot of work : )

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Thanks! Yes I know what you mean, and that is something I will include in my upcoming video courses. The 224 is featured in my FX Masterclaes course!

[@eugeniosantiago5292]

hi how are things? thanks for your content. could you upload a comparison of warm audio wa-cx12 vs akg c12 or telefunken c12

[@MasterclaesVideos]

I just need to find time! But i will definately review the mic!

[@eugeniosantiago5292]

@@MasterclaesVideos OK thank you very much

[@lance134679]

I found it easier to compare the vocals, and in that shootout, the Elam-251 was my favourite - so pleasant. The Warm audio was actually the least warm, ironically, but perfectly useable. Thanks for the comparison.

[@delmixedit]

WOW WOW WOW!!!!! The Mic Parts held up, fairly nice, but the ELAM is OUTSTANDING!!!! Would love to see how well some digital emulation mics stand up to the ELAM.

[@billesposito2112]

Nobody does better comparisons than you your subtle humor makes these so much more enjoyable to watch. 😄 I listened again with my headphones sounds a lot different than on my monitors and I have the Arc system from IK Multimedia on my monitors. Listened on my Focals, the ELAM is definitely the winner the C24 next and I like the MP the WA sounds a bit harsh but with a little EQ I think it would work. I didnt like it on the acoustic but I really think if the WA was positioned closer to the body it would be better. Again I think with eq it could be a good sounding mic. We are talking roughly an 11 thousand dollar difference .You convinced me to buy the WA67 for my vocals. They got a LOT closer with that one. But I agree, why so shiny? I'd love to hear some of your finished projects. Your have some beautiful hardware my friend. . Thanks for the info.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Thank you for the kind words! More cintent coming next year… my work is mainly live at the moment. You can have a look at this video and hear a bit of my work 😀 kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2m5lHpsf9qtsLcsi=U9OXnSADNDMcyf8v

[@Jonathanedillon]

Please do a Shootout of the TF51 VS the WA251!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

It takes more than a week to make a video like this and I’m not getting any money for it… and the 251 already had a lot of attention, sorry…. 😢

[@ontogeny6474]

Excellent demo and most appreciated!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Sorry for the late reply. Thank you for the comment! Which one would you choose to use?

[@sq6182]

Hey :) @Masterclaes I will be getting one of those Mic Parts 251s very soon! Do you think I need a colored preamp and will the default one of my UAD Apollo x8 be fine?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hey sorry for the late reply: you are fine with the uad, because you can always add colour later

[@richlodato6679]

Great in depth comparison! Clearly, the Elam 251 is chief. The 24 was brilliant as well. MP was ok and the warm did a little better w the vocal than guitar. Ty for the exceptional video.

[@lkjkj5035]

I like the unbiased honesty, and mentioning you really want the classic to blow the clonecopy away ....but they dont as much as one would think per the cost.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

It is not about the cost, it is the honest quality that needs to be defined. If Warm says you can buy a 251 for 1k, are you getting the 251 quality? That’s what i’m trying to reveal

[@royalfred6588]

It was always my dream to do what Alan Sides did. Travel the world and collect vintage mics. I once had a chance to buy 2 Elam 251's from a church in San Diego in 1978 for $800 for the pair. I begged people to loan me the money but they just didn't understand. I have 2 Chinese C12 copies that I paid 500 each for in 2009. They are passable but would never live up to a real mint AKG C12. Even the re-issue Telefunkin 251 fell short of the originals. I worked at Soundelux for awhile as a mixer / editor and their mic division made better copies than most. Thanks for your video. I subscribed

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi, thanks for the comment! Do you also have some Soundelux mic’s in your arsenal? I have a U195 and i love it! Bit heavy though…

[@johnnyangel504]

Very good mic sound comparison.... But...For the MAJORITY of us musicians/ singers.. The WA-251 tube condenser mic is the CLEAR winner...price point is ALWAYS a determining factor...let's face facts...the everyday music consumer won't know..OR CARE what the specs are for each mic...but..it's fun for us sound geeks to enjoy your comparison videos...thanx for your time and effort in producing this one..😊

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Thank god I’m not going for majority, otherwise my comparisons would be not that detailed. Thanks for the comment! What was your favorite by the way?

[@johnnyangel504]

​@@MasterclaesVideos ...well..the Vintage Telefunken...of course..! What a sound...

[@allensteen8883]

Have you tried the wa251 with a good nos RCA or Millard 12ay7. JJs are ok but not really in the same league. I would bet you would find it a much smoother mic. I've got a few spares if you need one

[@nkozi]

This actually helped me decided to set aside money for the WA 251. It doesn't sound /as good/ raw (especially on acoustic) in these examples, but it doesn't sound /bad/ in any way compared to the things in its price range that've been available to ppl on a budget historically. In fact I think it's admirable that it punches so far above and actually has similarities to these super expensive vintage mics et al. For less than a grand, having this mic in your locker and in a mix isn't going to offend you or any clients.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi, thanks for the message, did uou buy the WA?

[@erickjovan]

@@MasterclaesVideos because of your video, I just bought it.

[@TylerMarletteNY]

anyone know if this would give me smoother better top end then the slate vms? worth the upgrade? I always use the 251 emulation anyways

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Imho if you need a smooth top end go for a c414B-uls

[@KordTaylor]

Wow! I love this video! So exacting. 👏🏻❤️👏🏻

[@crimsonmorrow700]

quick tip: if you want your camera to focus on what you are showing it up close - hide your face with your other hand or with what you showing it, that way its gonna stop focusing on your face and will switch over to whats up close to it.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

At that time it was all new to me 😅

[@crimsonmorrow700]

@@MasterclaesVideos nah, u goood. Thank u for such a great comparison! Awesomr vid! 😊💜

[@nerobarrera9406]

Very good video!! Have you tried Peluso 22 251? what is your opinion of him?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

I’m not a big fan of peluso because he sold me capsules i could not use. Asked him to get a solution or a refund. Never heard back from him…

[@nerobarrera9406]

Oh! How horrible, sorry to read that! i just have a person who sells me a Peluso 22.251 but I don't have any reference... I thought you could have tried it! Thank you very much for your answer

[@AMetalheadsJourney]

I am trying to place your accent. German or Austrian?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

I am from Belgium

[@JeraCravoMyself]

Wow! Great video! Peter is very knowledgeable! Amazing watch

[@henrycheng542]

Okay I was inspired by this video and built my own MP mic. I noticed on this video, there is an optional capacitor that was not installed on board B (back side). According to support at MP, without the supplied cap the mic sounds like the C12, with the supplied cap it will sound more like the ELAM 251. The cap is basically a gentle low pass that will give the mic more body due to slightly attenuated top end. It would be awesome if this test can be performed again where we can compare the ELAM with MP with 150pF cap installed at C10 on board B. I would like to get the ELAM sound without spending the 10K HAHA!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Sure! Can you Paypal me 500€ so I can pay the musician? And that does not include the 3 days of editing... HAHAHA!!!

[@henrycheng542]

@@MasterclaesVideos AHHHH HHAAHAHA! No... I'd build another microphone for that instead. Thanks for the video Peter!

[@galaballi]

what a beautiful review what is the best clone in your opinion Flea? Golden age? any other? Thanks you

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Well since I only tested the mics in the video, i can only say that the micparts comes closest. What do you think?

[@AdamGotheridge]

Peter, great video, really well done. One suggestion with the audio comparisons, I think it would be helpful to have quicker transitions, like one 3 word phrase compared, then maybe another small phrase, maybe in a different performance register or even mic proximity. Cheers!

[@carljohnson9096]

Yes!!! We dont like sitting around for 40 minutes waiting for a verdict

[@MasterclaesVideos]

That's why I included the quicker transitions, maybe you missed them??

[@AdamGotheridge]

@@MasterclaesVideos Perhaps. I watched pretty closely though. Again though, fantastic job on this and your other videos too. Really respect and appreciate your knowledge and insight. Thanks!

[@insidedastudio7539]

Nice VDO. Thank you. Would love to hear your thoughts on your GML 8200. I have one and find that it's quite noisy (hiss). What do you use it on most?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

I love my gml, very clean, no hiss... have a tech look at it, i use it right after my SSL Fusion on my Master Buss

[@djboriginal]

Sorry guys, I just don't hear $10,000+ worth of difference between the ELAM 251 and the other mics. They all sound great to my ears.

[@ericgiordana6697]

Hi Peter! I love your videos! The 251 is my dream microphone. What do you think of the current Telefunken 251 E version? How does it compare to the vintage ones? Thank you!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi Eric, It will probably sound like the C24, same capsule, same tube, I am sure the new telefunken is a fantastic mic!

[@ericgiordana6697]

@@MasterclaesVideos Thank you Peter! Looking forward to your future videos!

[@steveg219]

Great comparison. The Warm 251 doesn’t sound great but I wonder if it was not in part blocked by the mic it was next too, or perhaps there was some reflections coming into it from adjacent microphone?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi Steve, then the MP should have suffered from that symptom too, and the Telefunken even worse, being in the middle, no? When I first tested the WA mic in my studio, it had the same character. I am not ruling out reflections, but all 4 capsules were placed in a diamond shape for equality.

[@stephenoconnor6756]

@@MasterclaesVideos warm audio with a Maiku capsule £150 wonder how close that would get ;)

[@steveg219]

@@MasterclaesVideos Thanks for your response, clearly you did everything possible to control for this. I’ve just seen some weird situations with things like studio monitors right next to each other reflecting in ways you wouldn’t expect.

[@MasterclaesVideos]

@@steveg219 oh, but with monitors i know there is “sympathetic resonance” that cancels the low end if you put too much speakers next to each other, that’s true!

[@indransubramaniam763]

This could pass for a great documentary...' i hear the horses coming'😄😄great line man..hilarious..i enjoyed the video thoroughly...thanks man..

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hey thanks for the great reaction! I will post more video’s soon!

[@WideMixSoundworx2626]

God, I love this channel, hope you'll make more videos :)

[@kmurph360]

Question Peter, do you know if the Microphone Parts V-251 tested was a basic build or the "Platinum Edition"? Any info would be greatly appreciated. 👍Great video btw!!!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

As far as I know: it was the basic build. Thanks for liking the video!

[@RobHurd]

Hi. Fantastic videos. Any chance you could do a review/comparison of the Warm Audio WA14?

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Hi Rob, thanks! I have a 414 shootout planned, but since we can have concerts since the beginning of summer here in Belgium, I haven’t had the time. But it is coming!!

[@RobHurd]

@@MasterclaesVideos Your frank and honest opinions are most valuable so I will keep an eye out for the next video. :)

[@davidchavez657]

Considering cost, the lower priced ones could be said to have a way bigger value to cost. The Warm was poorest with the guitar but considering a used one goes for $700 USD with power supply... I think I could make it work.

[@joemoores1847]

This is a good comparison! What is the song being sung at 24:58?

[@studiodebras]

Thanks Peter, excellent job as always! As a reminder to those who may have missed this insignificant little detail; we are a comparing a $10.000 microphone to one that sells for just under $900.- With that in mind I think it's remarkable just how close Warm got with this one. I have never had the good fortune to work with an ELA M251 but I'm perfectly happy with my WA251. (And my Tegeler Audio Manufaktur VTRC ha ha!)

[@frubo_ssg]

Same here: WA-251 plus Tegeler VTRC - I love this couple.

[@natura808]

25:40 - ELAM 251 26:43 - C24 27:46 - MP 251 28:49 - WA251

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Thanks!

[@Lakshane]

you're a legend Peter!

[@johnseals4862]

Thanks Peter. I think I'll take the MP.

[@TheWi32ard]

To my ear, the vintage one takes it. Though I really liked the C24, seems like it would be very mouldable come mix-time. Great shootout as always, Peter. Top notch. Gut gemacht!

[@MasterclaesVideos]

Goed gedaan as we say here in Belgium!