The Classic ’47 — Expertly Captured
Warm Audio have established themselves as a premier source for high-quality, faithful re-creations of historic microphones, and the new WA-47F makes good on this tradition. Here, they’ve set their sights on the exceedingly rare, large diaphragm FET microphone — if you’ve ever used a classic ’47 FET mic, then you know what they’re after. An exceptionally high-SPL handling has made it a powerful, versatile mic, with vocal and drum sounds (kick drum, in particular) being primary use cases. The era-accurate K47-style capsule houses its premium components, with a 10dB booster pad and a 140 Hz low-cut filter. Vocals are especially enriched, thanks to a tight, veritable cardioid pattern with a unique pickup that makes its placement of vocals among live instrumentation a standout point. Engineers here at Sweetwater have used nearly every mic under the sun, and they wholeheartedly agree: if you’re looking to capture that hallmark ’47 sound, then this low-noise classic belongs in your studio.
Related Videos: WA-47F Large-diaphragm FET Condenser Microphone
Full spectrum recording
Drawing from its namesake inspiration, the WA-47F features a K47-style capsule. The meticulously reverse-engineered FET design has resulted in the faithful recreation of a condenser microphone whose high-SPL allows for a wide range of response without risk of overloading. For voice, a light scooping and not-overly-bright sound lets vocals sit smoothly in a mix of live instruments without losing nuance. The max SPL of 137dB can be upped to 147dB, thanks to the 10dB pad, making this a phenomenal option for miking drums, and amplified instruments. Plus, with the addition of a 140 Hz low-cut filter, low-end muddiness is eliminated without compromising on substance.
Electric feel
This workhorse mic may look great, but its inner electronics demonstrate that it’s got bark and bite. A gold-sputtered condenser creates exceptional conductivity for the large-diaphragm, single-backplate design. The custom TAB-Funkenwerk output transformer, premium Fairchild transistors, and wima polystyrene capacitors give this mic an output impedance of 150 ohms, making it ideal for a multitude of professional-quality uses, keeping noise low and power high. The cardioid polar pattern is pure, tight, and perfect for capturing the natural punch of louder sounds without flattening their more-nuanced faculties.
Warm Audio WA47-F FET Condenser Microphone Features:
- Gold-sputtered, large diaphragm, single-backplate, K47-style capsule for era accurate design
- High-SPL handling (Max 137dB, or 147dB with 10dB engaged) reliably captures kick drum and high-volume sounds without losing fidelity
- Frequency response of 40Hz–16kHz means wide application with precise pickup capacity
- Custom TAB-Funkenwerk USA output transformer, premium Fairchild transistors, and wima and polystyrene capacitors
- Cardioid polar pattern is precise, and pure, ideal for nuanced details
- Output impedance of 150 ohms, making this microphone low-noise and extremely versatile
- 140Hz low-cut filter reduces muddiness while keeping low-end tight, retaining substance
- Rated load impedance of >1k ohms
- Lightweight, robust design (3.5lbs/1.6kg, mic only: 2lbs/0.91kg)
