UNVEILED: THE HOME RECORDING SECRETS THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW FOR PRO SOUND

Big studios want you to believe pro sound belongs to them—high-end gear, custom rooms, and an unspoken “you’re not welcome” attitude. They flash thousand-dollar mics and million-dollar booths, hinting your home setup can’t measure up. But here’s the reality: you’ve probably got the tools to match them, right in your own space, and they’ve worked hard to keep that quiet. Whether you’re capturing vocals, laying down drums, tracking guitars, or shaping synths, these “hidden” techniques—mic placement, room tweaks, impulse responses, EQ, compression—are yours to claim. No elite membership required. We’re pulling back the curtain, step-by-step, with the convolution software your DAW already includes—Logic, Reaper, Cubase, Pro Tools—and the stock IRs that deliver standout tone. Ready to take control? Let’s get started.

HOW TO GET KILLER GUITAR TONE WITH IMPULSE RESPONSES, EQ AND EMULATION

Every guitarist knows the struggle: you want that jaw-dropping tone—think Clapton’s creamy Strat or Hetfield’s razor-sharp riffage—but your wallet’s not ready for a vintage amp or a studio full of mics. What if you could nail pro-level guitar tone from your bedroom with just a laptop, some plugins, and a few smart tweaks? Enter impulse responses (IRs), EQ, and emulation—the holy trinity of modern tone crafting. In this guide, we’ll break down how these tools work, why they’re game-changers, and how to use them to get killer guitar tone without selling your soul to the gear gods.

ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A PERSONAL RECORDING STUDIO AT HOME

For artists—whether singers, musicians, or songwriters—having a personal recording studio at home can be a game-changer. It’s not just about convenience; it’s about taking control of your creative process and shaping your sound on your terms. Here are five compelling advantages to setting up your own space and why it’s worth the effort

EXPENSIVE VS BOUTIQUE VS BUDGET PRICED: NAVIGATING THE AUDIO GEAR LANDSCAPE

How much do you have to spend?

The recording studio world is a gear lover’s playground, but it’s also a financial minefield. At the budget end, brands like Warm Audio, PreSonus, and Behringer—along with its extended family of Midas, Klark Teknik, and TC Electronic—promise pro-level performance without the pro-level price. At the top, icons like Neve, Manley, and Apogee set the gold standard for sonic excellence. Somewhere in between, mid-tier giants like Universal Audio and boutique upstarts like AudioScape carve out their own niches. Can lower-priced gear truly rival the elite? How do mid-tier and boutique options fit in? And where should you splurge in your personal studio? Let’s unpack it all, including whether your DAW choice affects the sound.

HIGH-END VS. BARGAIN CABLES IN RECORDING STUDIOS: A SONIC SHOWDOWN

Are expensive cables better than inexpensive versions that do the same thing?

When setting up a recording studio, whether it’s a personal project space or a professional facility, the debate over cable quality inevitably arises. On one side, you have high-end, expensive wire and cable brands like Mogami and Monster, touted for their superior construction and supposed sonic clarity. On the other, there are the more affordable, widely available “music store” options like Hosa and ProCo, which promise functionality at a fraction of the cost. This article dives into the comparison between these two camps, explores A-B user comparisons of their sonic qualities, examines the lack of published studies or hit records tied to premium cables, and considers whether investing in high-end wire will truly elevate your personal recording studio—or if you’ll even notice the difference in a fully produced song.

MIXING MUSIC: INSIDE THE BOX, OUTSIDE THE BOX, AND THE HYBRID APPROACH

The art of mixing music has evolved dramatically over the decades, shaped by technological advancements and the creative demands of artists and producers. From the analog glory days of the 1970s to the digital dominance of the 21st century, two primary approaches have emerged: mixing "inside the box" (ITB) using a computer and plugin software signal processing, and mixing "outside the box" (OTB) with external summing and hardware signal processors. Today, a hybrid approach that blends the best of both worlds has become increasingly popular, offering flexibility, character, and precision. Let’s dive into these methods, comparing their workflows, sonic qualities, and practical applications.

HOW TO MAKE BETTER RECORDINGS: A GUIDE TO REFINING YOUR CRAFT

Recording audio is both an art and a science, requiring technical skill, creativity, and a keen sense of sound. Whether you're capturing music, podcasts, or field recordings, the quality of your work hinges on one often-overlooked tool: your hearing. To make better recordings, you need to protect your ears, train them to listen critically, refine your mixes through persistence, and test your creations with others. Here’s how to elevate your recording game step by step.

REVIEW WARM AUDIO WA-251 VS FLEA M-251, BEDROOM SHOWDOWN

Aight, yo, let’s dive into this mic showdown—Warm Audio WA-251 vs. Flea M-251. These joints are tryna flex that classic Telefunken ELA M 251 vibe, but one’s a budget banger and the other’s a high-roller flex. I’m breakin’ it down for the bedroom producers out there—quality, performance, specs, and how deep they hit your wallet from Sweetwater and Vintage King. Let’s get it poppin’, fam!

REVIEW BEHRINGER LM DRUM

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

LM DRUM on the kitchen table

Like all the gear reviewed here on HoT I purchased this machine and paid the full retail price ($399+ Florida sales tax) for the privilege of being an early adopter. But does it live up to the originals best feature?

REVIEW BEHRINGER SYSTEM 15 EURORACK MODULAR SYNTHESIZER

Early Moog™ Modular Prototype, click to enlarge

Bob Moog was one of my heroes, he was a little bit disheveled, definitely quirky and a man on his own mission. Not many inventors get to leave such a HUGE mark on music history but Dr. Moog’s creations changed everything. When I first saw those modular synthesizers on the cover of “Switched On Bach” I wanted them; I wanted to patch things in strange ways and make weird sounds. Alas, back then all I could afford was a cheap used synthesizer kit; I had to repair it before I could play it. In the late 70’s the music store I ran took on a lot of Moog™ products and I got to meet Dr. Moog at two different NAMM trade shows. 

Fast forwarding to our modern era: Love them or hate them, Behringer has done the impossible, they created scaled down Eurorack copies of the classic Moog modular analog synthesizer systems. As part of my descent into Eurorack technology I bought the least complex Behringer System 15 replica to experiment with. Is it good?

REVIEW 52 HP EURORACK BEHRINGER RS-9 RHYTHM SEQUENCER DRUM BRAIN

Getting Ready To Install My New RS-9 Rhythm Sequencer

Sequencers for Eurorack are very popular and one of the largest European players has flexed their manufacturing muscle to create a programmable percussion powerhouse for a stunning low price, but is it good?

OUR TOP 20 RECORDING, SOUND AND GEAR REVIEWS FOR 2024

FIRST EVER H.o.T. TOP 20

These are the most popular, most read articles and reviews, ranked according to their total number of views in 2024 on High on Technology. Let the surprises begin:

INTRODUCTION TO EURORACK, TOP STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW

 INTRODUCTION TO EURORACK

I’ve been attracted to analog synthesizers since the 1960’s when Bob Moog began shaking the world with voltage controlled oscillators, filters and amplifiers. I saw Keith Emerson in concert five times in the 70’s and was always mesmerized by his talent, showmanship and walls of Moog mahogany boxes filled with custom modules and patch cables. So it is with great reverence for all this technological history that I present the HoT introduction to Eurorack modular synthesizers.

THE DEATH OF THUNDERBOLT-2

Left: Thunderbolt-2 Cable (tiny Thunderbolt on plug), Right: Mini Display Port 

Have you tried to order a Thunderbolt-2 cable?

I've been in the technology game for a long time but I've rarely witnessed the rapid demise of a connection-standard like what seems to have happened with Thunderbolt-2 and the cables that make it work.

If you picked up a MacPro Cylinder computer for a bargain price you're in for a shock when you go to buy Thunderbolt-2 cables to connect it. 

REVIEW AUDIOSCAPE V-COMP+ 6386 DELUXE EDITION, WHAT IS GATES STA-LEVEL?

Original 1950s Gates Sta-Level

The Gates Sta-Level was a vacuum tube compressor/limiter designed in the early 1950’s (like me :-). It used a variable-mu tube to achieve gain reduction (the same remote-cutoff tube type as used in the famous Fairchild compressors).

Now AudioScape in Daytona, Florida has brought the original circuits back to life, complete with “Sonic Truth”, vacuum tube power supply and the all important, “6386”, remote cutoff, variable-mu tube that does all the gain control. I started on this review over a year ago, there were some BIG surprises along the way.

REVIEW WARM AUDIO PEDAL76 ANALOG FET COMPRESSOR PEDAL FOR GUITAR

IT'S BIG, IT'S HEAVY AND

IT'S AWESOME! 

Click to enlarge

I've owned a lot of compressor-pedals and a lot of studio-compressors in my 60+ years of playing guitar and recording. I'm really not a fan of most pedal compressors because they usually result in smaller sound (I like a nice tube amp, doing some work, moving some air with a naturally compressed "tube" sound). Has Warm Audio finally delivered a compressor pedal that I like? 

REVIEW: BEHRINGER 1273 COMPARED TO NEVE 1073SPX AND WARM AUDIO WA-73

Are you ready for the Behringer 1273-KT clone of the classic Neve 1073 in a smackdown comparison to a real Neve 1073SPX? Just for good measure we’ll also compare the Behringer to the Warm Audio clone of the classic Neve 1073. Along the way I hope to answer that question which is burning a hole in your brain; Is the Behringer 1273 good? You may think you know but there are some big surprises awaiting. Let's dig in!

The Behringer 1273 features two full channel strips of 73-style preamps

GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE, DEAD, LONG LIVE THE INTERNET-ONLY VERSION Sept 27, 2024

 I just received the news, after 50 years of looking at Guitar Player Magazine, they notified me they are ceasing their print version. They're going to send me a couple of issues of Guitar World Magazine instead to fulfill my subscription. After that Guitar Player will be an online only publication. Tell me how many of those you've seen that don't suck? For anyone who's been subscribed for the last year the handwriting was on the wall, the magazine is down to a mere pamphlet. 

Good bye Guitar Player, I won't follow you to your new online home. Good luck....me, waiving goodbye.

Randall Smith, the father of Mesa Boogie has left the company

MIXED EMOTIONS - Randall Smith has left Mesa/Boogie

I have been a fan of Randall Smith since the late 1970's. He sold out his company (Mesa Boogie) to the Gibson Family of Brands back in 2021and today, 8/20/24 it was confirmed that he has left the company. 

REVIEW LINE 6 POD EXPRESS MINIATURE GUITAR AMP WORKSTATION, IS IT GOOD?

POD EXPRESS GUITAR WORKSTATION

For the last few weeks I've been noodling around with the Pod Express, a newer pedal release by Line 6. It runs on batteries or power supply, it's got a stereo headphone/line output with analog master volume, it has  lots of core effects like Reverb, Chorus and Distortion plus it has seven amp models. Priced at under $200, all this power is packed into a compact space age-plastic stomp box little bigger than an old MXR Phase 100, but is it good?

REVEIW, BARGAIN, AFFORDABLE APPLE MAC DAW, BUT HURRY, WON'T LAST LONG AT THESE PRICES

APPLE MAC PRO

Apple Computers declared the small shiny wastebasket Mac Pro (often referred to as 'Late 2013'), End-Of-Life back in 2017. These computers were still being manufactured as late as 2017 and the year of manufacture can be determined by the serial number. 

These Mac Pro models were powered by Intel multi-core processors which came in four, six, eight and 12-core models. The computers were built in an assembly facility in Texas with the four core model selling for around $3100 in 2016; I know because I bought a new one in April of 2016 and it has been my main DAW up until April of 2023 when I replaced it with a Mac Studio.

Since these Mac Pro models are powered by Intel processors there will be very limited software for them in the future because Apple has shifted all their design focus to their Native, in-house processor designs. While the new Apple Silicon models offer a great deal of power they don't come cheap. Musicians are notoriously tight with their money which makes these older, discontinued Mac Pro models a veritable bargain. 

WHY AN OLD MAC PRO?

The answer is, LOW total purchase cost for a powerful, stable DAW that will provide several years of use. We'll examine complete system purchase price later in this review. 

REVIEW SSL 2+ DIGITAL AUDIO INTERFACE, IT'S COMPACT, IT'S BUDGET PRICED, IS IT GOOD?

There are lots of two-channel digital audio interfaces to choose from for your personal studio needs. UK based SSL (Solid State Logic) is one of the oldest pro-recording brand names with roots stretching back to 1969; they are best known for their big, mega-expensive, studio mixing consoles which dominated pop music throughout the 1980's. Several of those big, heat producing beasts are still making hit records by producers like Chris Lord-Alge and Vance Powell. 

So when a company like SSL decides to release a comparatively inexpensive 2-channel digital audio interface, we've got to know, is it any good?

KEEPING OLD MAC COMPUTERS ALIVE, LEGACY PATCHER

This post is for a piece of software that purports to keep older Mac computers running, even after Apple drops support for them. Use it and explore it at your own risk.

Legacy-Patcher

I have read good things about this software and may set up an old Mac to test it out. I'll report if I get around to it. Check it out if you've got an old Mac you want to keep alive using newer OS versions.

Good Music and Happy Computing To You!

REVIEW OWC THUNDERBOLT-3 DOCK, EXPAND OR ADD NEW LIFE TO YOUR MAC

THUNDERBOLT AND THE DOCK ON MAC

These days laptop computers come with very few hardware ports on them. Manufacturer's and designers think wireless connections are better but sometimes you've got gadgets that must connect with wired hardware connections; things like multiport audio interfaces, legacy midi hardware, drum machines and keyboards all depend on hardware connections with physical connectors and wire. The Doc to the rescue!

REVIEW MAC OS, THUNDERBOLT-2 AND THUNDERBOLT-3 CONNECTIONS

KEEP YOUR DAW AND OLD COMPUTER WORKING

 GET YOUR CABLE CONNECTIONS CORRECT

2013 Apple MacPro features six Thunderbolt-2 Ports click to enlarge

The Mac Pro (Late 2013) cylinder shaped computer, in spite of its compact, “waste basket” form factor, is still a surprisingly capable computer in 2024. This older computer design was still actively manufactured in 2019. If you've got one you might wish to connect with a newer USB C shaped Thunderbolt-3 audio interface or SSD storage: Or you may have a Thunderbolt-2 audio interface like  the Apogee Thunderbolt-2 Symphony model, and wish to connect to a newer Apple Silicon based computer which has USB-C-shaped Thunderbolt-3 (or Thunderbolt-4) ports. 

In this article we'll explore some of the connection options that can keep your gear recording as the technology universe evolves around us. 

REVIEW LOCOMOTIVE AUDIO 14B VARI-MU VACUUM TUBE COMPRESSOR, MODERN VINTAGE DESIGN WITH HUGE TONE

Locomotive Audio is a boutique audio equipment builder in St Louis, Missouri (my old home town :-). Their products are hand made in very small numbers so they can deliver old-school quality, beauty and ultra-high performance.

The 14B Vari-Mu by Locomotive Audio

The 14B is a 2U, vacuum tube powered vari-mu compressor which incorporates original design features with vintage design elements. If you mix outside the box, you'd better put seat belts on your ears because this compressor inserted on the lead vocal track will blow your mind. 

FINDING BOWIE AKA CHRISTIAN WHITMORE AKA PRO AUDIO TUBES

The Legend, the Man and the Tubes. The TUBES? What?

REVIEW WARM AUDIO WA-MPX TUBE PREAMPLIFIER, IS IT GOOD?

 

CLICK TO ENLARGE

I was dead wrong about this piece of gear. When I first saw pictures of the Warm Audio WA-MPX preamplifier I was put off by some of the obvious marketing moves. In this review we'll be looking at the single channel model of this vacuum tube powered microphone and instrument preamplifier.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

The big VU meter on the front is actually the same budget meter they use in the WA-76 compressor with a black plastic shroud to make it look like an ancient Ampex component. It has a switch controlled function called “Tape Saturation” but no recording tape is involved (so why call it tape?). 

If these things bothered you at all, the only thing I have to say after buying and trying the WA-MPX is put any preconceived ideas away because this piece of hardware rocks!

QUANTASYLUM QA403 MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH ADAPTORS AND CABLES

Click to Enlarge

The QuantAsylum QA403 Audio Analyzer features eight female BNC panel mount connectors which provide excellent shielding out to 4GHz (plenty high enough for even the highest frequency digital audio recording). The generator outputs are on the left and the analyzer inputs are on the right. 

The BNC connector is not typically used for audio connections in recording studios so how do you connect this box for testing your audio components which might have RCA-Phono, TRS male or female or XLR audio inputs and outputs?

REVIEW QUANTASYLUM RACK MOUNT KIT

Racking Up QuantAsylum Test Equipment

New QuantAsylum rack shelf on SKB 19" rack

I wanted to pull my QuantAsylum test pieces together into a solid kit that I can transport, plug-in and use conveniently. It took me three tries but I finally got it put together in a nice test kit configuration that sets up fast, has all the connections accessible and protects the equipment during transport. The new QuantAsylum rack mount accessory brought two QA test gear components together to form a sturdy package. 

The assembled system - Click to enlarge

When the system is deployed the laptop sits on top of the rack and all the cables connect easily. One (white) extension cord connects the rack to AC wall power. 

REVIEW QUANTASYLUM QA472 ULTRA LOW NOISE PREAMP FOR PRECISION EQUIPMENT TESTING

Click to Enlarge

The recently released QA472 low noise preamplifier provides a reliable way to increase small signals for testing purposes. You can learn more about QuantAsylum by reading the HoT review for the QA403 audio analyzer here. 

What's new in this latest version of the preamp?

REVIEW QUANTASYLUM QA403 AUDIO ANALYZER

Click To Enlarge

What is going on inside your audio equipment? We talk about frequency response, noise floor and dynamic range but where do these numbers come from? They come from the manufacturers of the equipment; but how do you know if these things are true?

QuantAsylum manufactures a range of affordable test equipment. The products are designed and built in the USA. 

The following comes directly from the QuantAsylum website:

“QuantAsylum is a portmanteau of the words quantify (to measure) and asylum (protection, shelter, refuge). Since 2010, QuantAsylum has been developing and offering unique products for embedded hardware and software developers.”

I became aware of QA in the final quarter of 2023. I was looking into buying a much more expensive Audio Precision test system to do advanced performance analysis on audio equipment for High on Technology. Is the QA403 a replacement for a modern AudioPrecision system?

REVIEW NUX MOD CORE, IS IT GOOD?

 IT'S NU-X (like "New X")

Click to enlarge

The Mod Core from Nu>X is a powerhouse of good sounding modulation effects and features.

REVIEW CRY BABY JUNIOR WAH PEDAL BY DUNLOP

NOTHING JUNIOR ABOUT THE SOUND

Click to enlarge

Dunlop makes a Cry Baby Wah-Wah pedal for every player and style of music. The Cry Baby Junior is a slightly smaller version of the classic Cry Baby wah pedal. Designed in collaboration with Pedal Train, is this the best wah pedal Dunlop has ever built?

REVIEW PRESONUS ERIS SUB 8 COMPACT STUDIO SUBWOOFER

Eris 8 Subwoofer - click to enlarge

Need to put a little boom in your room? This little subwoofer is up to the task so long as you don't need to play too loud.

REVIEW PRESONUS ERIS 3.5 POWERED STUDIO MONITORS, ARE THEY GOOD?

Are you tired of mixing on headphones?

DOES YOUR STUDIO NEED SOME GOOD SPEAKERS, CHEAP?

Presonus offers a small set of powered speakers which sell for $99 almost everywhere, are they any good?

REVIEW JBL 308P AND 305P III SERIES MK II POWERED STUDIO MONITORS

Does your DAW setup need some new speakers?

JBL III SERIES, GREAT SPEAKERS, BARGAIN PRICES

The III Series Mk II powered studio monitors prove that you don't need to spend a small fortune to get great sounding speakers for mixing music. 

In my control room I run five different monitor speaker pairs and use a Coleman speaker switcher to direct which pair is active. In late 2022 when one of my trusty Mackie HR824 (purchased new in 1998) finally died I replaced both with a new pair of JBL 305P. What an improvement!

HOW TO FIGURE OUT THE KEY OF A SONG, SET THE RIGHT KEY IN AUTOTUNE™ STYLE SOFTWARE, SET HARMONIZER™

Confused about the Key of a song?

What key is your song written in? Why does it matter?

Some excellent reasons to know the “key” of the song:

Setting the key in AutoTune™-style software sounds more natural than chromatic scale

Knowing the key helps you choose notes for guitar solos

Setting guitar harmonizers correctly so they produce good sounding harmony

So how do you figure all this out without years of boring music theory?

WHAT IS LATENCY IN A DAW? WHY DOES IT MATTER? IS A LITTLE LATENCY OK?

Confused by latency?

Latency in a DAW can ruin a song creation by throwing off your timing; how bad things get depends on the amount of latency in the system you're using. Let's examine a topic that all too often gets swept under the rug or buried in a myriad of less important specifications. 

ARTURIA V COLLECTION X RELEASED

 NEW SOFTWARE SYNTHESIZERS FROM ARTURIA

Click to enlarge

Arturia has released the latest in their mega pack of software synthesizers, V Collection X. In addition to all the synthesizers in V Collection 9 the new release adds:

REVIEW GFORCE OFFICIAL OBERHEIM OB-X SOFTWARE SYNTHESIZER

Click to Enlarge

Another software synthesizer from GForce has landed, it's the officially endorsed Oberheim OB-X. It runs native on Apple Silicon Mac and it requires MacOS 10.13. For full compatibility details see gforcesoftware.com.

The most important question has finally been answered, how does it sound?

HOW TO WRITE AND RECORD YOUR BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC

This is going to sound like an over-simplification but think about it.....

First, there is the music you play and jam with your friends. Cover tunes? Blues? Country? Rock? Jazz? Bluegrass? Metal?

Why do you play these songs? 

• They’re fun? 
• Your friends tell you “you sound great”? 
• You get money from bars and restaurants for playing these songs? 
• Strangers tell you you’re great and want to have sex with you? 
• They're songs you all know so they allow you to play together?

But what is YOUR music? Where is it? What does it even sound like? Have you ever experienced it? Do you care? 

REVIEW AUDIOSCAPE, AFFORDABLE BOUTIQUE AUDIO, HAND MADE IN DAYTONA FLORIDA USA

1950's Gates Sta Level Clone

AudioScape is changing the way many hardware aficionados purchase boutique audio processors. 

WHO IS AUDIOSCAPE?

You can answer the question, "who is AudioScape?" by visiting the company web site. While there you can check out the latest group photo of all the human beings who design, assemble, tweak, pack and ship your AudioScape product(s). 

STARLINK INSTALLATION AND REVIEW, EXCELLENT SYSTEM FOR MEDIA CREATORS

STARLINK ROUTER, AC POWER AND ANTENNA CONNECTIONS ARE ON BOTTOM

UPDATE 10-23-23, 05-17-24 Scroll to the end of the article to see updates for wifi, mesh, app, solar flares and more.

Who here remembers dial-up internet service through the phone company? It was very slow and so boring watching a single jpg image download over the course of a minute in a series of bars and squares. Cable networks finally broke through with something resembling modern internet distribution speed, then DSL from the phone company gave us another path to higher speed access. For years we've been held hostage by the wire needed to get fast internet into the home. Now, Starlink, high speed, bidirectional, direct satellite access is here and it's fast! How fast?

R.I.P. Glenn Coleman

 LOST A FAMILY MEMBER, RIP Glenn Coleman

I've seen him many times at trade shows. I was in communication with him back in June of 2023 when I was doing reviews of some of his switching and mastering products. He confided to me that he had liver cancer. He sounded strong and on a path to health. Today I was saddened to learn he has lost the fight and left us. 

Glenn was a nice guy, old school, a man of his word. He worked hard to make sure his gadgets worked right. His TC-4 Transfer Console is one of a kind and I'm so glad I have one. 

Pro Audio lost a warrior. R.I.P. Glenn.

REVIEW GFORCE SOFTWARE GOES APPLE NATIVE, ODDITY AND MTRON UPDATES

TWO OF MY FAVORITES BY GFORCE SOFTWARE RECEIVE GREAT UPDATES

GForce software in the UK has a long history of producing software versions of hardware instruments. 

Their popular and beautiful sounding Mellotron-style instrument is updated to the M-Tron Pro IV, with lots of useful new features and sounds, plus it is now native for Apple processors.

MTron Pro IV

The Oddity 3 is the updated Apple processor version of the GForce emulation of the vintage ARP Odyssey analog synthesizer. Everything about this synth sounds great, new inbuilt effects, new preset browsing and some of the best sounding filters I've ever heard, including hardware and software. 

Oddity 3 from GForce Software

My only complaint about GForce instruments is that they can be extremely processor intensive. How did they perform on the new 20-core Mac Studio?

REVIEW WARM AUDIO WA-73 VS LOCOMOTIVE AUDIO WT-72, OUTSIDE THE BOX

SOLID STATE VS TUBE, MASS PRODUCED VS BOUTIQUE

Weight Tank WT-72 single channel preamplifier with minimalist features

The WT-72 is one sweet sounding tube mic preamp. It is designed and built in St. Louis, Missouri by Locomotive Audio.

The WA-273 is a two channel version of the WA-73. This solid state preamplifier was designed with the Neve 1073 as a guide for the appearance, controls and sonics. 

One channel of Warm Audio WA-73 preamplifier

In this review I'll be comparing the sound of a single channel of the WA-273 to the single channel Weight Tank 72-style tube preamp. Can the budget-reproduction of the classic Neve design keep up with the tubular bliss of the Weight Tank 72?