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| A look inside the amazing Warm Audio WA-44 |
Warm Audio has once again delivered a piece of gear that punches well above its weight class with the WA-44, a ribbon microphone that pays homage to the legendary RCA ribbon mics of yesteryear. You might be able to do better if you spend a whole lot more. Let's see why this studio weapon is so sweet!
This mic is a beast—big, heavy, and dripping with vintage-inspired mojo. It’s built with the same ethos as those classic RCA designs: massive, powerful magnets paired with a pure aluminum ribbon, all housed in a rugged, no-nonsense body that screams retro cool. Designed and inspected at Warm Audio’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, and featuring a custom Cinemag output transformer from California, the WA-44 brings a lot to the table for its $999 street price—half the cost of its nearest competitor and a fraction of what you’d pay for boutique ribbon mics from California’s high-end builders.
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| The Beast, click to enlarge |
Let’s dive into what makes this mic tick. The WA-44 boasts a deep frequency response that seems to go on forever, pulling out low-end richness that can make bass cabinets sound like tectonic plates shifting—assuming you’re brave enough to mic one up (spoiler: you should be). Yet, it’s not just a one-trick pony for low-end lovers. Step back at least 18 inches, and this mic reveals a surprisingly full-range character that enhances vocals with a natural warmth and depth. If your room is quiet enough, try singing from 3 feet away—the proximity effect mellows out, and you’re left with a beautifully balanced tone that feels effortless. It’s also versatile enough to handle guitar speakers (keep some distance and flick on the high-pass filter) or even capture an entire vocal group in one go, thanks to its wide, forgiving pickup pattern.
A nice perk is the cloth bag Warm Audio provides with the WA-44, it has a drawstring which lets you mount this beast on an overhead boom stand and leave it in place, you use the included bag to protect the microphone from dust and small metal particles.
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| WA-44 on desktop base covered in cloth bag, click to enlarge |
This mic isn’t without its quirks. That massive proximity effect can be a double-edged sword—get too close, and your vocals drown in a muddy, boomy mess, losing all clarity. And while it’s built tough, the delicate aluminum ribbon inside means this isn’t a mic you’d toss in a gig bag for live shows. Blow into it, and you might as well say goodbye to that ribbon—it’s as fragile as it is fine. Still, for studio use, the WA-44 shines as a character piece that brings vintage vibe and modern reliability together in a package that’s hard to beat at this price.
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| Vintage Design Flair combines with Unique Classic Tone, click to enlarge |
Likes:
- Incredible value at $999—half the price of its closest competitor, a quarter of boutique options.
- Deep, rich frequency response—perfect for bass-heavy sources or warm, intimate tones.
- Surprisingly full-range sound when used at a distance (18” or more).
- Vintage-inspired build quality—big magnets, pure aluminum ribbon, and a Cinemag transformer.
- Versatile applications—great on vocals, guitar cabs, bass cabs, or even group recordings.
- Enhances singers’ voices with a natural, flattering warmth when positioned right.
- Designed and inspected in Austin, TX—Warm Audio’s attention to detail shines through.
Dislikes:
- Massive proximity effect—get too close, and clarity vanishes in a boomy haze.
- Fragile ribbon—not a mic for rough handling or live gigs; don’t even think about blowing into it.
- Big and heavy—not the most portable option for mobile recording setups.
- Requires a quiet room—distant miking only works if your space is dead silent.
- Likely not built in the USA—a minor nitpick given the price, but worth noting.
- Needs a lot of Gain — lights up through a Neve 1073 preamp in a beautiful way (high pass set to 50 Hz, add a little 3.2 kHz boost)
In the kitchen studio on desktop stand, click to enlarge
EPILOGUE
The WA-44 isn’t just a tool—it’s a statement. It’s got soul, it’s got heft, and it’s got a sound that can go from thunderous lows to surprisingly nuanced highs with a little care and attention. For guitar cabs, keep it back a bit and engage that high-pass filter to tame the rumble—it’ll still deliver a thick, satisfying tone. Mic a bass cab, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without this level of girth. Vocals? Stay disciplined with your distance, and you’ll be rewarded with a texture that’s hard to find elsewhere.
At $999, this mic is a steal for anyone chasing that vintage ribbon sound without breaking the bank. It’s easily one of my personal favorite new microphones—a studio gem that’s as inspiring as it is affordable. Just treat it with respect, and it’ll treat your recordings even better.
Thanks for reading High on Technology, Good Music To You!
©March 2025 by Mark King, It’s not ok to copy or quote without written permission from the author
Afternoon sun shining through that beautiful ribbon motor, click to enlarge
I've been experimenting with the WA-44 for podcasting, this 6+ pound monster is too heavy for almost any podcast mic mounting arm. I wanted to use a desktop stand but they were all too tall for the already high center of gravity the WA-44 has. Fortunately the mic came with one of those annoying little adaptors which go between small hole stands and 5/8" normal mic stand mount (like we've used in the USA for years).
I took a regular desk stand, unscrewed the 4"-long, center mounting tube (which attaches with the same 5/8" thread size), then screwed that little adaptor into the base about 1/4". This left a little stump with about half an inch of threads sticking out, I threaded the mic onto that. Voila, desktop base directly attached to the threads on the 44 mic mount. The mic feels very stable on this base with the lower center of gravity. It also positions the mic better for voice pickup; for my tests I had a slight upward facing angle which worked best from about 12-14 inches away to avoid too much proximity effect.
I'm looking for a better piece of threaded tubing than the little stand adaptor, it would be nice to find a piece of threaded pipe about 1.5" long so it could thread deeper into the mic stand base and deeper into the base of the microphone. As long as I am careful moving the mic and stand around I have had no problem with the base unscrewing and falling off. If the mic just sat on my desk for a podcast it would be no problem. If you try this desktop stand mounting just be sure to keep an eye on the base and make sure it's not coming unscrewed; I can tell you from experience that one of these desktop stands dropped on your food hurts a lot (you've been warned ;-)
