Warm Audio Announces WA-1B

Warm Audio, best-selling manufacturer of classic-inspired professional recording products, microphones, and guitar pedals, today announces the WA-1B, an all-tube, transformer-balanced optical compressor that accurately recreates one of the most legendary compression styles of all time. Delivering that revered “forgiving” musical compression with the added speed and control functionality, the WA-1B excels on highly dynamic sources that demand analog warmth. Hand-wired to authentically recreate the sound of a renowned circuit, the WA-1B uses premium components for ultra-fast and accurate operation without sacrificing the authentic sonic signature of the original.

“The WA-1B has been on our wishlist for quite some time and we are very excited to accurately deliver one of music’s most sought-after styles of compression. The sound of this compressor has been a key part in shaping so many hits over the years and we are beyond thrilled to release such an incredible design affordably,”

said Bryce Young, founder and CEO of Warm Audio. “This type of product has been one of the most requested pieces of analog gear from our customers & fans and we knew we had to nail the tone, character, and functionality. To accomplish this, we rely on the Warm Formula to bring together elite components and sonically accurate circuitry to achieve such legendary analog tone.”

The WA-1B features a 270v circuit with handwired through-hole circuitry and 100% discrete analog signal path. The custom large-core transformers from Lundahl Sweden bring the full Scandinavian-style analog tone of the WA-1B circuit to life. The WA-1B is built with high-powered vacuum tubes that deliver the compressed signal to the output of the compressor in a gentle yet accurate way. Combining this with the high-precision optical element applies sweet analog warmth to audio signals with unrivaled accuracy.

To deliver extended dynamics processing, the WA-1B features all of the classic controls of its original inspiration including variable threshold and infinite 2:1 - 10:1 ratios to achieve soft musical dynamic control all the way to hard-smashing compression. Additionally, the WA-1B features a three-setting meter switch with input, compression, and output levels, and an on/bypass switch to activate or bypass the compressor.

The Attack/Release controls on the WA-1B are unique in that the attack/release operations can be switched from a fixed setting, manual (variable) setting, or a combined setting. In the “fixed” mode, the WA-1B delivers the natural attack & release time of the optical element. The combined setting in particular creates the opportunity for a more nuanced release-time curve. This dueling time-constant circuit operation is a special feature of the WA-1B and its original inspiration.   

Following the Warm Formula of true-to-original tone combined with premium components - all carefully hand-inspected at Warm Audio Headquarters in Austin, Texas- the WA-1B accurately delivers smooth tube-optical warmth combined with speed and control more closely associated with modern dynamics processing.