Warm Audio WA273-EQ Dual Channel 73-style Class A Microphone Preamp/EQ

Description

Up for sale is a pristine and mint Warm 273 that was used 2 or 3 times. I have 3 of these units and this was a “spare’ that was purchased and only used on a couple of sessions. The studio has an overstock of mic pres that aren’t being used so I’m cutting loose of a few of them. If you’re looking for a Warm 273 EQ that only has a few hours on it and is in pristine condition then this is a good opportunity to save a couple of hundred dollars. This unit is in perfect condition both cosmetically and functionally. Comes in original factory box with paperwork.
This item is for sale within the continental United States and does not ship to Hawaii, Alaska or Puerto Rico
Handcrafted with top-quality parts
Boasting weapons-grade build quality with discrete, handwired Class A circuits and top-drawer parts such as UK-made Carnhill transformers and Blore Edwards mil-spec, dual-concentric switch pots, the WA273-EQ has 80dB of gain on tap so you can capture subdued sources with your favorite ribbon mic. Your ribbons and condensers will sound heavenly; you'll even be gobsmacked when you hear how authoritative your dynamic mics sound. Cranking the input stage and backing off the output gain enhances your tracks with tasty vintage-style coloration. Topping off the feature set is per-channel instrument jacks, polarity reverse, 48V phantom power, and switchable impedance for tonal variation and to optimally match a variety of microphones.
Optimize every source — and microphone
There is no source that doesn't sound amazing through the Warm Audio WA273-EQ. With judicious mic selection and placement, drums are larger-than-life; DI bass and keyboards sound massive and synths become trance-inducing; electric guitars soar; vocals rule. Pianos and acoustic guitars are resplendent. Orchestral instruments — strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion — achieve ineffable lushness and dimension. You can even use the WA273-EQ as a tone-shaping tool to run stems or complete mixes through. Hear what the WA273-EQ can do for your own recordings. It's transformative.
Definitive British EQ
The EQ sections of the WA273-EQ adhere to the classic 1073 circuit topology. The vintage 1073 is the holy grail of EQ, and the WA273-EQ nails its sonics and behavior (complete with its fabled harmonic distortion). It's a three-band affair, with HF shelving at 10, 12, and 16kHz; midband peaking with selectable center frequencies at 360Hz, 700Hz, 1.6kHz, 3.2kHz, 4.8kHz, and 7.2kHz; and LF shelving, selectable at 35Hz, 60Hz, 110Hz, and 220Hz. A highpass filter, selectable at 50Hz, 80Hz, 160Hz, and 300Hz, lets you trim your signals of unwanted low end. If you've never worked with a 1073-style EQ before, all we can say is: you're in for a serious treat. It's worth noting that the original 1073 offered only a fixed 10kHz shelf, and the additional high-frequency flexibility afforded by the WA273-EQ is most welcome.
UK Custom Carnhill transformers
1073-loving engineers at Sweetwater perk up when the conversation turns to the component history of these classic circuits, and signal transformers are a frequent topic of discussion. Vintage 1073s used different transformer variants throughout their production run; but the most coveted were the very first ones made by Marinair Radar, due to their fluid and forgiving nature that saturates sweetly when pushed. They have been known to bring engineers to tears when they hear how gorgeous their mixes sound through them! Warm Audio turned to Carnhill Transformers of Cambridgeshire, UK, to design meticulous replicas of these most desirable early 1073 transformers. The results are stunning, and — to our ears — tantalizingly close to early vintage 1073s.
Warm Audio WA273-EQ 2-channel Mic/Line/Instrument Preamp and EQ Features:
Handwired, hand-assembled 1073-style preamplifier/EQ
Fully discrete, Class A, transformer-balanced circuitry
UK-made Carnhill Transformers
80dB of gain handles any type of microphone, including low-output ribbons
Resistor-stepped rotary gain switches for easy recall
Tone buttons change input transformer impedance for mic optimization and tonal shaping
Polarity switches
48V phantom power
4-position inductor-based highpass filters, selectable for Off, 50, 80, 160, or 300Hz
Inductor-based 3-band equalization per-channel
Low-band boost/cut at 35, 60, 110, or 220Hz
Mid-band boost/cut at 360, 700, 1600, 3200, 4800, or 7200Hz
High-band boost/cut at 10, 12, or 16kHz
Additional high-band frequency EQ points added (compared to vintage 1073)
XLR mic inputs
Line-level TRS inputs
TS Send/Receive insert jacks
XLR and TRS line-level outputs
DI instrument inputs
Output level controls
LED level indication meters
Rugged 19" rackmount chassis
Ground lift switch
Internal IEC 115V/230V power inlet