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What's in a name?
Go and take a good look at photos of recording studios during the golden age of recording. From Abbey Road to Muscle Shoals, and AIR to Sunset Sounds. One of the main consistencies you'll see is the inclusion of U87s. Favoured over the 67 for it's solid state design, the 87 won the heart of many musicians, engineers, and producers, including David Gilmour, Kevin Parker and Dido. Now thanks to Warm Audio, you too can achieve the same level of quality at a price which doesn't break the bank.
"Nothing but the best"
That's the whole ethos of Warm Audio. This company care dearly for their customers and because of this, there's no second bests when it comes to sourcing components. The WA87 R2 comes complete with the most desirable parts, including NOS Fairchild transistors (yes, really), WIMA/Nichicon capacitors and the finest output transformer available on the market. Taking the emulation one-step beyond, the microphone also features a unique reproduction of the iconic K87 capsule that lived in the initial run of 87s.
Which polar pattern should I use?
Boasting three polar patterns, the WA87 R2 is a real work-horse;
Cardioid is excellent for delivering a tight-focused sound, whilst providing excellent off-axis rejection of around -6dB of unwanted noise and ambience. This is a great polar pattern to rely on when recording live performances, either on-stage, or, in-the-studio.
Fig of eight is an excellent pattern to choose when working in noisy environments. It allows you to capture the sound from both the front and the rear of the capsule, whilst rejecting all unwanted ambience at the microphone's null points, the sides. This pattern has been a go-to trick for many producers recording two background vocalists at the same time. When paired with another fig.8 microphone and carefully positioned it can also work wonders on capturing vocals and guitar from a single performer simultaneously. However, beware. Utilising this positioning enhances close proximity effect which can lead to an unnatural amount of low-end being reproduced by the microphone. There's good reason why many radio broadcasters opt for this pattern!
When you want to capture natural recordings it doesn't get much better than omni. Omnidirectional means that sound is picked up by the capsule within a 360 degree radius. Selecting this pattern allows you to get up-close on sources without the risk of proximity effect being introduced. This is a favoured pattern for many Grammy award winning engineers and producers when recording multiple string and brass players. It can also make the "Levee Break" when used for drum room microphones!
Features
- Provides three switchable polar patterns to choose from
- A faithful emulation of the iconic, large diaphragm FET condenser
- Boasts original, retro 87 style circuitry
- NOS Fairchild transistors and WIMA/Nichicon capacitors on-board
- Offers Custom Cinemag USA output transformer
- Get the sound right at source with the 10dB pad and 80Hz highpass filter
- Reproduce every last nuance via the full frequency response
- Comes complete in stylish, all-black design
Specifications
- Frequency Response: 20HZ – 20KHZ
- SPL: Less than 0.5 THD @ 125DB (without pad), 132DB
- Diaphragm: 6-micron thickness, gold-spluttered membrane, NOS Mylar (Pet Film)
- Noise: -117dB
- Included Accessories: Wooden storage case, hard mount, shock mount
- Product Code: WA-87R2B
