The WA-412 from Warm Audio is a four-channel preamp for microphones and Hi-Z inputs housed in a 1 RU chassis. It's fashioned in the American console preamp style, providing a punchy bottom end and smooth trebles. Each channel gives you 65 dB of gain, polarity switching, a 20 dB pad, 48V phantom power, a switchable impedance selector for tonal shaping, and knobs for both input gain and output; this allows for both precise and creative gain structuring of sound. You can easily watch your signal via the on-board LED meter for every channel. Under the hood, you'll notice that each channel uses a discrete and socketed 6-pin X520 op-amp, which helps in giving you a significant amount of headroom with minimal distortion characteristics. You'll also note the Altran input and output transformers. If you don't peak under the hood, you'll take comfort in the fact that these components are extending your low-frequency response all while maintaining a pleasurable and open sound.
- 4 Channel Microphone Preamplifier + Instrument DI
- Fully discrete, transformer coupled, through-hole component topology
- Altran USA custom wound, premium input and output transformers
- X520 discrete op-amp in every channel, socketed for convenience. Can be user-replaced with most 6 pin, discrete op-amps for varying flavor
- & tone
- 65db of gain
- Inputs - Microphone XLR & Active Instrument 2Meg ohm HI-Z
- Outputs - Transformer balanced XLR & TRS
- TONE button – Input impedance switches from 600 ohms to 150 ohms (affects the tone of both the mic and HI-Z inputs)
- -20db pad - pads both mic and instrument DI inputs
- Self noise: <-90dB (nominal)
- Frequency response: 20hz to 20khz <+/-0.25dB (TONE button out), 20hz to 20khz +/-2dB (TONE button in)
- +48 volt phantom power
- LED metering
- Output trim knob for precise level control and tone sculpting
- Internal power supply (grounded, 3 pin IEC cord)