Warm Audio WA-87 Large-diaphragm Condenser Microphone Reviews

My brother has one, and I really liked how clear and pure sounding the WA87 is. So I bought one. Sounds awesome for vocals, guitar, drum overheads, and more. Definitely a mic worth having. Having two is even cooler.

Without changing any preset input settings for my recordings, this mic has almost tripled my sound quality and clarity recording! I plan to get another to create dual/stereo overhead mic setup for drums! Very much worth every penny!

I bought this mic about a year ago. I seriously considered a U87ai, but for the price I figured I would give the WA87 a chance. It was a great choice. I'm not sure why the negativity about this, and the online Youtube comparisons where people say the Neumann just couldn't be beat. That's not true, I just went out and found the frequency response charts for both mic's, and used a sound board with a british style EQ, and put the same little bump at 9kHz that the Neumann has and it sounds just as bright and clear. Not sure why that is so hard for everyone else to do.
I'm considering getting a second and third of these WA87's. It also makes me want to try out some of the other Warm Audio products.

Bought this a few days ago and finally got to break it in last night. It has the best response I've ever had. I was formerly using a Neumann TLM 102, which is a good microphone for the price range and a Lauten LA320. I still like both of those microphones, but the WA87 is a phenomenal mic. I've used it on quiet vocals, full-voiced, and even guitars. I'm completely in love with the warmth and presence of this mic. Next, I will be purchasing the WA 251. Don't listen to the naysayers on this. Do your own research, and listen to clips online. This mic will definitely up your sound quality.

I was about to dish out a lot of money for a new go-to condenser when my friend who works in the audio industry told me to try out the WA-87. I was dubious since I've never owned a Warm Audio product before. Full disclosure, I do not own many high value microphones, but I am thoroughly impressed with this mic. I tracked vocals and violin with this so far. Both parts sat perfectly in the mix with little to no EQ. As others have noted, the signal level is quite low. But I'm glad warm audio left the amplification to the preamp and didn't compromise on the microphone. It feels well built. Having a case that could house the shock mount too would be nice. But overall I am very happy with my purchase. It has made recording quite fun.

It is a good microphone, not only for its price, but for its quality, it is great for several applications such as trompt, sax, I recommend it

Great microphone. Use it for vocals and it allows for studio quality recordings in my basement home studio. Worth the investment.

Funny thing, I had Cadillac dreams on a Chevrolet budget, (make that a Chevrolet Chevette budget), and my original plan to upgrade my main microphone to the current version of the Neumann U-87, was changed at the last minute when my Sweetwater sales engineer suggested this as a better alternative. As it turns out, he was absolutely right. This is the perfect choice if you want all the Ferrari features but at a Ford Falcon price. I love this microphone. It makes me feel, sound and even look like a pro!

The Warm 87 is a fantastic microphone. The price point alone makes it undeniable. This mic has quickly become my go to for Vocals. I recommend everyone has at least one of these in there microphone arsenal.

This mic is really a great find.
I recorded vocals and acoustic guitar with it.
Also set it up as an ambient mic in my room while recording electric guitar.
After some minor tweaking with position it tracked flawlessly.
Still more experiments with the WA-87 to come. I love the mic
Thanks to Stuart Niven at Sweetwater for his continuing help with information on products.
Mike

I'm a Label owner and hav been through more mics I can possibly remember, TML 102, 103s, to AGKs and AT mics.I've even had a Sony but for some reason FOR ME at least, my vocals SHINE on this microphone unlike any microphone I've veer rapper, sang, or anything. This is amazing for anyone wanting rap or RnB vocals, even rock vocals....The price is crazy for the product, it's easy producing more than. sony c800....

Packaging, box, and accessories all surprised me by how thoughtful and robust they are. For this price point they exceed expectations. Got to test the mic today. On acoustic- very nice- better, or I should say different than my minK47- automatically brighter and bigger sounding- more like what I would want the acoustic to sound like after I added eq. We redid vocals on a song, so was able to A/B against the previous mic- a rode NTK. I love the rode, but the WA87 is smoother, bigger, more in your face without being harsh. Again- I could get the rode to sound good with eq and comp, but the WA87 sounded better than that before I even reached for eq. Very impressive. This is a game changer for small studios and home producers. Everyone is comparing the WA87 to a real U87- and for good reason- but it might make more real life sense to compare them to other $... mics, since- if you are looking at this- chances are you can't afford an actual U87. Compared to other similar cost mics this is nuts- it's way good.

Used one of these during school and always loved how my voice sounded on it. Now i run it through an Apollo Twin and some UA plugins. Total beast!! Super crisp!!

Don't hesitate to buy it. The microphone is well made, sounds great. It doesn't matter if you think it sounds like the original 87 or not. It sounds great in it's own right

The WA-87 is a surprising microphone, it sounds great to me. I've owned three purple badge 87's and a modern U-87ai so I have an idea how those all sound. The Warm Audio 87 just sounds like a good microphone regardless of namesake or hype.

I've built a dozen microphones and own over 50 so I appreciate things that are serviceable if necessary. The WA-87 has a cast metal under-chassis and quality switches, they're not fancy but they do what switches are supposed to do. Overall I find this to be an excellent mic for male and female rock vocals and acoustic guitar (all I've used this one on so far).

I'm very impressed with how good this sounds and how useable it is. Honestly, I wish I'd bought this instead of my U-87ai, I greatly prefer the sonic footprint of this mic in the rock music I'm recording compared to the current Neumann 87.

Great mic, great service from Sweetwater, what's not to like. This one is a real winner and a classic in its own right. Good music to all!

I bought this mic in anticipation of a lock-in session in my project studio. It has a dry, yet warm, tone...lots of detail, and makes everything sound a little better than it really was (if we're honest...) We used it for bowed and plucked upright bass, Violin, Viola, Cello, Female Vocals, and room mic for Percussion and Acoustic guitar.

I have no idea how it compares to the famous mic it is marketed to replicate.

We ran it through a Studiolive 16.4.2 for the preamp. Pretty basic and transparent preamps, something with more gain would be good for this mic...it had less output than my other condensers, but much nicer tone, we just have to level-up a bit. Next time around I'll run it with a different preamp. I almost docked it a half-star due to gain, but would rather have the tone it produces, and just pair it with a better-suited preamp.

The wood box is cool too.

This mic is killer. In fact I was so impressed that I turned right around and bought the WA-14. No buyers remorse here. These mics deliver as promised. So far i have used them for vox and acoustic guitar with excellent results. I usually dont do reviews but felt compelled to say something.

This mic sounds absolutely brilliant

I have gone through a fair number of lower end mics for vocals...I currently have the Neumann handheld condenser and it is a fantastic handheld mic....however, I really wanted to get a studio condenser to do some home recordings (through a Voicelive Touch 2 into a Mac).

I started with the Neumann TLM-103 as it was in my price range (under 1K) and I really like my handheld Neumann. I bought one on Ebay for around 800, used. When I received it I was disappointed in the dings in the grille (not as described). Once I hooked it up, I realized what a lot of people were talking about with the 103...it is unbalanced and very sharp. I found it harder to sing as I didn't like the sound I was hearing as I was tracking. Needless to say, given the cosmetic issues and the return policy, I returned it.

Then I read reviews for days trying to figure out my next mic. The WA-87 appeared to be a price/quality winner in many reviews, and while there are other mics in this price range that also seemed to be good candidates, the WA-87 seemed like a no brainer.

So I ordered it from Sweetwater and hooked it up to the same exact rig as for the TLM103.

I can definitely say that this mic blows the TLM103 out of the water for ME. As a vocalist, I just hear more of my voice. It sounds natural. It has the clarity of the TLM103 without the harshness at the top end. The midrange and bass seem to be fuller. I had friends listen to tracks I made with the TLM 103 vs the WA-87 (same backing music, same setup) and the clear preference was for the WA-87 tracks.

If there are non-studio geeks looking for a great studio mic that won't break the bank or require sophisticated studio equipment to tweak the sound, you cannot go wrong with this mic!

Yes, the included box and shock mount are cheap but they are functional.

Anyway, if you are a vocalist and are looking for a great home studio mic, look no further! Based on listening to many mic "shootouts" and such, I am confident that this mic is on par with mics that are wayyyy more expensive. Great job Warm!

I think comparing this to the original is a little pointless. There is great variation in product with older mics. The original version sounded great, but differed from Mic to Mic. The thing about this is that modern manufacturing techniques make a more consistent product, and this Mic is an excellent exercise in making high-end capability available to the masses.

I am using these primarily as drum overheads, and the provide an open, dark, lovely sound. I have used them on bass, miking a Mesa Walkabout scout/ Stingray combo with unbelievable results. They are highly useful for about anything. I have 8 channels of WA mic pre's, and 6 channels of API 512's. They sound fantastic through either. Really deep sounding.

The relevance of comparing it to the vintage mic is dubious to me. ...this is a ridiculously good mic. Just buy the thing. Don't sweat the comparison, just enjoy the sound.

Buy a pair, use them as drum overheads, push up the faders. Done!

I'm new to recording and heard great things about the Warm Audio WA87 and thought it would be something I could afford. I have an sm57, an sm58, a seinhieser 906e and a Shure ksm32. I am using the wa87 for vocals and micing my guitar amp cabinet. I am totally blown away by this mic. The vocals are very warm and have a beautiful mid bloom. On my guitar cabinet combined with the 57 the results are amazing. I have a custom hand wired class A Menatone amp. I also use Sylvania 6v6 NOS power tubes from the 1950's, as well as NOS Tung Sol 12AX7 pie amp tubes in this amp into a vintage Jensen alninco blue speaker. I say this not brag, but to say that tone is incredibly important to me. This mic run into my Apollo Twin USB recreates the this amps beautiful harmonic overtones incredibly. I tried the wa87 offset side angled utilizing the 10db pad and the figure 8 pattern and the 57 against the cloth off the middle of the cone and the results are spectacular. The cardiod pattern by itself also sounds amazing. I will own another one of these and am also excited too purchase the C14 as well! I can only guess how amazing those two would sound with my celestion 2 12 cabinet. Do lyourself a favor, if you are a working home studio guy like me and get this mic, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

I am running the WA-87 through the UAD Apollo Twin Quad with the Neve 1073 and the LA-2A compressor plugins, and the results are pristine. My new go-to vocal mic! Special thanks to Dustin Keesbury, my Sweetwater audio pro.

I had high hopes for the WA-87 and I was not disappointed. I have about 35 mics in my locker, with a few in the $400 to $500 price range. I had found the RODE NT1 to best fit my voice. I had long wondered how I would sound on a Neumann U87, but could never afford one, and I'm not sure I would spend that kind of money on a mic even if I could afford it (law of diminishing returns).

I did my research on the WA-87, and was very optimistic about its performance especially when seeing the performance graph so closely following the U87. So, I bit the bullet and bought two WA-87's so I could also use them for the Mid/Side configuration when recording my acoustic guitar. the Mid/Side configuration requires one mic with a Figure-8 polar pattern, which the WA-87's have.

I haven't had a chance to use them on my guitar yet (just got them recently), but I have used the WA-87 on a couple of my vocals (even re-recording some vocals to previous songs), and I must say that the quality upgrade was noticeable. It's hard to describe, but there is a sonic quality to the WA-87 that makes the vocal track fit better in the mix; it just sounds clearer and more detailed. Frankly, it just sounds more professional.

In addition, I have a problem with sibilance (which the RODE NT1 diminished, but didn't eliminate), but I have found that the sibilance is virtually non-existent with the WA-87, which is a definite plus. It results in less processing in the box.

I have a Tascam DM-4800 mixer and several lower-cost preamps (PerSonus Blue Tube, dbx 286A and S, RNP 8380, etc.). I have experimented with different preamps and setting configurations when using the WA-87, and found that the RNP 8380 preamp works very nicely in conjunction with my mixer on-board compressor and noise gate. I hope to get a Warm Audio Tone Beast preamp in the very near future.

I am extremely happy with this mic and look forward to using it for a long time as my go-to mic. I am not only impressed with Warm Audio products, but appreciate the opportunity to obtain quality products without breaking the bank. And lastly, I can't say enough good about Sweetwater. You guys rock!

Never buying another mic again.

I reviewed this mic last December (2016). I hadn't used it much then. I'm happy to say I feel BETTER about it now than then!

It's become my go to vocal mic. The vocals just sound right! All I typically do is some low cut and that's pretty much it! I love the "presence" this mic gives to a vocal! It's that natural "shine" -that I can sometimes get from other mics in my locker- but with some eq! But this mic really needs little eq adjustment. On almost every vocalist- male or female- I get pro results. That proves to me it's a professional piece of gear. Don't be afraid of the price. It's real!

I've had the WA-87 for about 7 months now and if anything I'm more pleased than I was at first. I barely need to touch the recorded sound. Vocals now pretty much mix themselves whereas before it was the hardest part. Don't skimp with budget condensers ... this will save you a lot of aggravation and will save you money in the end, and you'll get better results. My only regret is that I didn't have this mic 35 years ago. With no interest financing it's a no-brainer.

I've used my pair of WA 87's on a lot of different sources and had the chance to do a few shootouts with Neumann U87ai's and they hold their own. They've become the first choice as drum overheads beating out the Neumanns evrry time. The Warms are a bit ... well warmer haha. They have also sounded great on grand piano (Steinway Model D) and it again beat out the Neumanns on upright bass.
The only thing I've heard is a friend borrows them to use at a jazz festival recording session, and with extremely long cable runs he noticed a little bit of radio frequency noise coming through. He swapped out the Warms for a pair of 414's and the noise went away ... but this is with very long cable runs in a place that has a ton of RF issues anyway.
I should mention that I have not personally been able to replicate the problem but I just thought it deserves mention.
Still the best deal out there by a mile.

This is retiring my AT 4033 from years ago. Sounds incredible. I'm ordering a few more soon!

Anything good you've heard about this mic believe it. If you ask me this thing can easily hang with the bigger names no problem especially with the right set up and mixed right. Thought I would regret hitting the complete purchase($ is a lot of money for me lol) but this thing more exceeded my expectation. I'm running it through a Mogami Gold cable into and Audient id22 with Studio One 3(old setup was a Scarlett 2i4 and NT1) and I swear it(and the Audient) have taken my recordings and mixes to a whole new level. Highend is crazy smooth compared to my NT1 which sounds really harsh on the high end to me(which is why I upgraded still was a decent mic for the price). But seriously....get this mic. Especially at this price its a no brainer imo.

This mic lives up to all the hype. Hearing is believing. I can't express enough my happiness with this magic mic. Thanks Mark Chapman!

I'm more pleased with the WA-87 than I could have expected. Finally, after decades, I have a vocal mic at my disposal that faithfully emulates the qualities of a U87. I've tested it in cardiod mode with the low rolloff, as one would normally record vocals. I can mix it flat or with a high shelf boost with no irritating sibilance, no blaring, no boominess, no mud, no harshness whatsoever, just transparency. I have several large diaphragm condensers -- a Studio Projects B1, a couple of C-3000s, which are just ok, and a Perception 200, which is not too good (unfortunately not one Neumann among them) -- as well as a vintage RE-20 that I have been relying on a great deal, but they all require particular eq settings, limiting at 4 kHz, 8 kHz, and often around 200 Hz, along with tons of compression. Not surprisingly it's a miracle when after all that processing it still sounds like a natural voice. Not to mention all the time spent tweaking. I've played back recordings done with the WA-87 through all of the speaker systems in my control room, including near field Tannoys, EV Sentry 500s, and JBL PA speakers which always reveal harsh high frequency transients and low and mid coloration; as well as AKG K 240 cans, with consistently excellent results. I only regret that nobody came out with this product sooner, before I recorded countless hundreds of vocal tracks with inferior microphones. If you're like me and you can't afford an actual U87 but you can handle reasonable monthly payments, this is the next best thing.

I'm more pleased with the WA-87 than I could have expected. Finally, after decades, I have a vocal mic at my disposal that faithfully emulates the characteristics of a U87. I've tested it in cardiod mode with the low rolloff, as one would normally record vocals. I can mix it flat or with a high shelf boost with no irritating sibilance, no blaring, no boominess, no mud, no harshness whatsoever, just transparency. I have a few large diaphragm condensers -- a Studio Projects B1, a couple of Austrian C-3000s, which are ok; and a Chinese-made Perception 200, which is not too good (unfortunately not one Neumann among them) -- as well as a vintage RE-20 that I have been relying on a great deal. But they all require particular eq settings, limiting at 4 kHz, at 8 kHz, and often around 200 Hz, along with tons of compression. Not surprisingly it's a miracle when after all that processing it still sounds like a natural voice. Not to mention all the time spent tweaking. I've played back recordings done with the WA-87 through all of the speaker systems in my control room, including near field Tannoy PBM 6.5, EV Sentry 500s, and JBL JRX215 PA speakers which always reveal harsh high frequency transients and low and mid coloration; as well as AKG K 240 cans, with consistently excellent results. I only regret that nobody came out with this product sooner, before I recorded countless hundreds of vocal tracks with inferior microphones. If you're like me and you can't afford an actual U87 but you can handle reasonable monthly payments, this is a fine choice.

I've preordered the WA-87 from Sweetwater and just received it after less than two weeks(very fast shipping from Sweetwater, thanks Sweetwater for your great service). I've used quite a few professional microphones prior to this WA-87 and this is a keeper. The mic arrived in a nice package and in a very professional wooden box. The performance is awesome. It has a very clear and warm sound for vocal and saxophone. I only have one little issue that the screw threads on the shockmount are not easy to work with, very easy to damage.

Had this mic on Preorder. I currently owned the WA76 that I am extremely happy with, so figured I would give it a try. Mic sounds incredible. I unfortunately do not have a U87 to compare it to, but did have a Nuemann TLM103 and some other great mics. I have used Neumann U87 in past, so have an idea how it sounds. When testing(studio session), ran all my mics through my 4-710d UA pre. The WA87 put a large smile as it captured my recordings beautifully, and accurately. The artist I worked with chose the WA87 over Neumann, Avantone CV12, and over a RODE NT1A. I believe Warm Audio is here to make their statement. Congratulations to them on releasing an amazing product...again.

I believe we live in an era where technology has the ability to make stuff that was once very expensive- more affordable. It's been proven time and time again- especially by microphone manufacturers.

I was perked when this mic showed up. Mostly because I've been following Warm Audio for a few years now. This was my first purchase of one of their products. I reserved one when Sweetwater announced it was doing so.

I bought the mic- sight unseen- and not really hearing any clips except on Sweetwater's site. However, I knew enough about the manufacturer (from forums and reviews on retailer websites) to take a chance. I did.

Honestly, at this point, I haven't used it a lot. But the few sessions I've used it on were extraordinarily eye-opening for me. I can't say I have a mic in my locker that "sounds" like this one- without using EQ. It's got a beautiful presences/clarity to it that my other mics don't have. Warm says it emulates the frequency response of a "classic '87". I just recently (since I bought the mic) listened to some clips that compared the two and believe it's true! (For the record I don't own a "classic '87" or have ever used one). From the clips I DID hear, it's clear that the difference in price is FAR greater than the difference in QUALITY!

I love it on acoustic guitar! It has a beautiful, full, rich, pro-sounding vibe with NO EQ!

On a male vocal it was very interesting- in a good way! I actually cut about a half dB at 5K (shelving) on my tube equalizer and the vocal just shined! This was with the vocalist singing at a keyboard and about 15 inches away. At a "normal" 6 or so inches away I'm pretty certain the bottom end would make up for the minor cut at 5K.

Anyway, I'm a happy camper. I will add that the shockmount that came with it was slightly skewed to one side. No big deal and I'm pretty OCD. I sent a photo to Warm and immediately got a response and a replacement shockmount is on the way! This kind of service speaks volumes. (And it had zero to do with the mic and the how it sounds, so for me it's very minor stuff.)

Yes indeed I'd HIGHLY recommend this mic if you're looking for professional results but on a prosumer budget.

Just got the 87 today, tried it out for an Hour, and Just so Impressed. Using it with the Tone Beast, Wa76, and the Warm Audio Tube EQ, and It is just Amazing. You will have to tweak it to your tone or sound that you like, but You will just enjoy it..

This microphone may not be better than the original Neumann U87, but it certainly is a high quality condenser with a great mid-range and high-end sounding top and a slightly lacking, but tolerable, bottom. That's the only problem you're gonna run into with this mic is if you're expecting to be able to capture the exact low-end, you're just gonna need an original for that. And this mic is, after all, supposed to be a clone.

It's not. What it is, in and of itself, is an awesome mic for pop/contemporary/hip hop/soul vocals and a high pass filter that really pushes out the high end. It stands all on its own in the studio it's probably become my favorite piece of gear only because I love singing on it, and it makes me sing even more. It just has such an amazingly calibrated top-end that all my other mics sound tinny and thin next to this mic. The WA-87 is a fatter, hi-mids-clean-pushed-without-sounding-too-cheap sound if I'm making any sense!

I already own a 1980's U87 (the era of U87 the WA-87 is supposedly modeled from), but was intrigued by the Warm Audio version when a client recorded me on his WA-87 for a voice-over session. It sounded great! I ordered one about two weeks later, and I'm glad I did.

To my ears, the WA-87 doesn't sound exactly like the U87, but it's awfully close, at least on voice-over. I actually prefer the bottom end on the WA87! It feels a little punchier. The mids seem slightly more forward around 3-4kHz, and the highs are right where they should be.

As an experiment, I recorded a short narration passage on both mics, matched the RMS on each file, and then intercut the two files randomly to see if I could hear differences. In some sections, the transition between the WA-87 and U87 was imperceptible. On other lines, it seemed like the U87 lines were lacking a bit of fullness. Overall, though, these were very minor differences that I was actively listening for. I would have no hesitation using the WA-87 as a substitute if I had to revise something originally recorded on the U87. It's that close.

This past week, I've found myself using the WA-87 almost exclusively on my VO projects. I'll never sell my U87, but I haven't felt compelled to pull it out of the mic locker, either. At the moment, the WA-87 is my "go to" mic. Well done, Warm Audio!

By the way, I'm giving it 4.5 stars only because I haven't tried it on any other application (e.g. guitar, drum overhead, etc.) except voice-over. But for VO, I'd say it's 5 stars!

I already own a 1980's U87 (the era of U87 the WA-87 is supposedly modeled from), but was intrigued by the Warm Audio version when a client recorded me on his WA-87 for a voice-over session. It sounded great! I ordered one about two weeks later, and I'm glad I did.

To my ears, the WA-87 doesn't sound exactly like the U87, but it's awfully close, at least on voice-over. I actually prefer the bottom end on the WA87! It feels a little punchier. The mids seem slightly more forward around 3-4kHz, and the highs are right where they should be.

As an experiment, I recorded a short narration passage on both mics, matched the RMS on each file, and then intercut the two files randomly to see if I could hear differences. In some sections, the transition between the WA-87 and U87 was imperceptible. On other lines, it seemed like the U87 lines were lacking a bit of fullness. Overall, though, these were very minor differences that I was actively listening for. I would have no hesitation using the WA-87 as a substitute if I had to revise something originally recorded on the U87. It's that close.

This past week, I've found myself using the WA-87 almost exclusively on my VO projects. I'm not about to sell my U87, but I haven't felt compelled to pull it out of the mic locker, either. At the moment, the WA-87 is my "go to" mic. Well done, Warm Audio!

By the way, I'm giving it 4.5 stars only becauseI

This mic does everything. Tried it on male and female vocals, background vocals, electric guitar and bass cabinet, drums and acoustic guitar. Sounds solid on everything. I had ordered a Shure KMS 32 thinking it would be the new all-arounder in the studio but I didn't think it sounded 'great' on anything. This U87 clone turns out to be that workhorse. It's really versatile and the Figure of 8 pattern is really handy for backgrounds, the omni setting for handclaps and group noisemaking.

Yes, the shockmount and holder are pretty much useless because of the aforementioned threads. The "wooden" box is cheap but serviceable. What I am hoping is that all the build chops went towards the mic itself! So far, it blows away my TLM 102 and that cost... more.

Have had the mic for a week and used it on acoustic steel string, nylon classical, and an upright bass. I was really pleased how it picked the sound of each instrument providing a great basic track to work with.
The high-lite was when I recorded vocals....it really captured the warmth of the singer with the right amount of crispness/brightness......w/o the sibilance.

I'm happy

Super versatile, really open sounding, great low end.. this thing sounds really, really good. It doesn't sound at all prosumer-y, or almost great or give me that feeling in back of my head that I should have sucked it up and saved for something more expensive. I don't think anything in its price range really compares. It beats mics in the low multiples, too (I'm looking at you 414, TLM 103, etc).

I shave off half a star for the seat of the shockmount being machined in a way the makes it a bit of a pain to get the mic secured in there without having to unscrew, turn the mic, try it again... i think a bit of lube might help. Also, the latch for the box feels flimsy, I may attempt to make a bigger carrying case that will accommodate two of these guys and their shock mounts.... oh yeah, I'm buying another one :)

It lives up to it's promise. The only negative is a small one. Can be difficult to screw it on the shock mount.
I had been attaching the shock mount to the mic stand first and then mounting the mic. I found it easier to screw the mic onto the shock mount first and then to the mic stand. The WA-87 seems to be built very well and the quality exceeds the cost. I have a Neumann TLM 103, which I love, and the Warm Audio WA-87 stand up to it in sound. Very small differences in quality. I just hope that Warm Audio will improve the threads on the shock mount. I'm very happy with the Warm Audio WA-87

I've been through quite a lot of vocal mics over the years, and several times I was told I should be using a U87 for my vocal type. I could afford a U87, but the price tag isn't worth it (for me) when considering the fact that you're only getting a very small improvement in fidelity over mics in the $500 to $1000 range.
The WA87 is a very solid performer. My vocal mics of choice over the past few years have been an AEA R84 and Audio Technica AT4050. After having used the WA87 for a few weeks, I'm confident that the 4050 will now only handle backing vox and acoustic instruments, and the R84 will handle lead vox when I need something softer sounding. The WA87 will be my main vocal mic.
I'm not giving 5 stars for 3 reasons.
1. My first WA87 came with a defect. The grille looked as through it wasn't seated correctly when it went through the press for shaping, and this made the top of the mic look crooked. Sweetwater took care of me and had a replacement to me in no time.
2. The shock mount is not well made. The mic does not screw in very smoothly at all (actually that's a nice way of putting it... You really have to fight to get it in there). Also, you can clearly see crooked pieces on the Mount under close inspection.
3. I contacted Warm Audio a few weeks ago and never received a response.
That said, I believe that corners were cut on cosmetics so the cost could be low. And I think they cut corners in the right places. The sound of the mic is what's most important, and this one delivers for sure! I'm happy with my purchase.

This is a wonderful mic! I own or have owned several, high end mics and the WA 87 stands with them. I have used the WA-87 on acoustic guitar, guitar cabinet, grand piano, hand percussion and vocals and it sounded great on every source. This is the first LDC I've owned that I actually like on a guitar cabinet. In fact, I just completed a new song right after receiving this mic and used this mic for every element except electric bass guitar that I went DI with.

I have never owned nor used a Neumann U-87, but understand that it's a studio staple. I would describe the WA-87 as a "Swiss Army Knife" studio mic. I love the bumps at 2.5 to 5K and 9 to KHz and the dip in the sibilance frequencies! You can hear them smoothly working in a very flattering, musical way and I haven't had to use my normal EQ moves before or after tracking, it's like it's already there (or not already there).

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great sounding LDC, but especially for someone just starting to build their mic collection. An SM57, SM7, a ribbon, a decent SDC and the WA-87 for your LDC. Well done again Warm Audio! I can't wait to see what's next! Thank you! Dave T (WA-76, WA-2A, EQP-WA and WA-87 user)

This is my first Warm Audio product and I wasn't sure what I was going to think of it, but with so many good reviews, it seemed like time to try them out.

I bought this right before doing a demo recording session, so I was able to put it to work right away. I had it up next an AKG C414 XLII and a Shure KSM44 in a session with three vocalists singing live together, and then I did some overdubs with the WA87.

Overall, it's a really nice vocal mic. I've used a U87 before, and never found there to be anything super special about them - the just sound nice, predictable, and flexible, like the SM58 of recording mics. The WA87 also sounds nice, predictable, and flexible, just maybe not quite as much on the "nice" side. It sounded great on both an alto and a tenor. It didn't blow me away, but being priced hundreds less than my other LDCs, it didn't really have to.

Pros:
- Great sound at the price point
- Great features for the price point, with three pickup patterns, pad, and high pass
- At this price, having an included shock mount is a good feature also

Cons:
- Surprisingly low sensitivity - you'll need a lot of gain in the preamp - I checked the specs online to make sure I didn't have a bad one
- I got the limited edition black one, and the paint/anodizing/whatever they did to make it black also makes the shock mount screw really squeaky and difficult to tighten and loosen. I put 3-in-1 oil on it and it didn't help much. Get the nickel finish (I went with black because there was a sale).
- My other LDCs have hard cases to carry the mic and shock mount. The WA87 just has the original retail box. I might spring for a small after-market case for it, but that does kind of add to the total cost.

This is probably an ideal choice for anyone doing voice-over or demo recordings in a home studio. It gets you about 80% - 90% of the sound quality at 20% of the price.

It's one of those things spoken of in hushed, reverent tones, if you have one...or haughty derision, if you don't.

U-87.

For 50 years, it's been the go-to by project studio users who had more money then brains. For 50 years, it's been the go-to by professionals who had to compete to stay fed. For 50 years, it's been tossed around by braggarts who want to cadge drinks at bars with people who don't have a clue.

And, for 50 years, it's been a staple in studios the world over, for it's iconic sound, it's graceful design, and it's intimidating performance.

Ok...got your attention? Yes, I've been listening to too many Don LaFontaine trailers.

This is not that '87.

When it was first announced, I called my sales engineer, and asked a lot of questions. He had some interesting answers. And, I asked him, when they started production, to give it a first hand listen. Which he did, and we were going to make an appointment for me to come in and try one, when I found one at a music store locally. I tried it, I liked it. So, I called my sales engineer on the way home, we discussed the particulars of what I heard, of what he heard, and I bought one. It was here the next day.

Never have I been so disappointed in a microphone. I plugged it in, turned on the phantom, brought up the Grace preamp, and listened to the symphony of noise. It popped. It crackled. It hissed, and it buzzed. It was as if the capsule had never had voltage on it. And, when the noise stopped, it sounded terrible.

I discussed this with my sales engineer, and he said he was of the opinion, by his experiences, that these mics are not burned in at the factory. That dovetailed with my experience. He said if I didn't like it, they'd take care of me. So, I went back into the studio to see what I could see. Or hear. Expecting to send it back at the end of the day.

After several hours with phantom applied, it got very quiet, and began to sound like a microphone. A pretty good one at that. Nowhere near the U-87 it was modeled after, but not bad.

I did a couple of sessions with it, narrating a video, doing a couple of screaming car spots, and recorded my PRS Angelus Custom with it....and it was not really what I wanted. Clients complained that the audio was lifeless.

After a couple of days, and some concentrated dialing in, it started to sound pretty good. A/B between the first sessions and the current showed, indeed, marked improvement. But, nothing like the U-87's some of my session engineers have put me on, when recording in the city.

And, here's the difference. This is modeled after the 'classic' U-87, not the current u-87ai. The classic U-87 has been eclipsed in performance by microphones a fraction of its price. The current U-87ai retains the basic sound of the classic, but it's smoother, quieter, with a bit more 'air.' And, the WA is a tribute. Not a clone.

Now, that said, and taking the WA for a spin on its own merits: it's not bad. With a little knob twisting to bring it up to contemporary expectation, it aquits itself well. Clean. Quiet. Level is a little low, but not so that it can't be worked with, and in a mix...when it's worked by a pro...actually sounds better than mics twice it's price point.

To be clear...it takes some working with to get it right. Not a lot, but some. Once it's dialed in, it's actually pretty impressive. And for the price point...tough to sneeze at. Though, I will. Trust me.

The pops and crackles...not a one since the first 24 hours. The low end rolloff could be a bit gentler. Makes it sound nasal on straight narrations. The rolloff on the Grace is much gentler for that application. Once you polish the mid bump out of the response curve, at least a bit, it delivers the smooth mids and midrange compression of it's forebear. Bottom is a bit flabby on my voice, but that's true of many mics, today.

To be clear, if you want the sound of a U-87ai, buy a U-87ai.

But, if you want the taste of an iconic sound, yet still with it's own identity, this is a good choice.

Recommend it. And will buy another in short order.

I just got in my WA-87 today and WOW!! this mic is beautiful. It sounds amazing, very warm. The vocals sit in the mix perfectly. Hardly any EQ was needed at all. I only gave 4 stars because the threads that thread into the mic on the shock mount are cheap.This mic seems like it is very easy to strip out the threads if not careful. Over all it is worth the money. The box is pretty cool too :):)

This is a great microphone for anyone on a budget,that wants a U87 type sound. Comparing both they are nearly identical. I would say that this microphone is just a tad bit more "glassy" and a bit less 3 dimensional than the U87. But when I say this know I mean, just barely. They are very close. One thing I didn't like about the microphone was the build. It came in a cheap "wooden" box and like someone mentioned earlier the threads really are very cheap. Overall a great microphone, but I sent it back, just didn't like the build of the microphone. I have used plenty of other cheaper microphones that are built better than this. Then again with a product like this you're giving up build quality to get as close a sound to a U87 as possible.

Great sound! Cheaper build as expected for the price.

I finally sold mine. I really tried to like it but from the first recording, it exhibited a certain flatness that no amount of eq and compression could add back in. After a month I decided it was useless on vocals, at least the voices I was recording. So I tried it on drums. It was okay on drums but honestly, there are other 87-type clones that do a better job there. Lifeless on acoustic guitar. Maybe I got a bad one but then I discovered a shootout video between U87, a Stam 87, and the WA-87. The WA-87, in my opinion, was not in the same league as the Neumann or the Stam. If I have learned nothing else in the past 10 years it's that ears vary wildly. There are even people who tout their NT1-As as the best mic on the planet.

But I have to say, this has put me off buying anything from Warm.

Harsh little like tlm 103 and sound quality while stacking does not sound good :(

I am not one to go with the flow yet I don't disagree just to be recognized or a jerk, that being said; I bought a U87ai, recorded an acoustic take, hated it, and returned it. I know, 50 year old tech should be glorified, but I say the Emperor has no clothes...then I got the WA87. So I put it up against a TLM 127, Royer 121, and the WA87 just to see how usable the tone was. No matter what I do to the TLM 127, source wise, it's great. Same thing with the Royer 121, source wise, it's great and a sweet blender. Now I'm soloing the WA 87, and I'm trying to blend it, EQ it, UAD it, and no matter what I do, it sounds like crap, source wise, crap.

Spend the money on a Neumann, Royer, Shure, AKG, or Telefunken, otherwise you're wasting your time and paying more for the mic you don't want along with the mic you do want. I have wasted so much money buying the wrong stuff through the years, the WA 87 is a waste. You will never get the professional results you want with this mic, I don't care what anyone says, it sounds like crap.