sE Electronics - WA-251

Tbh voice and room matter quite a bit more. I have recorded the same singer on a OG 251 in a professionally built, floated but mediocre sounding room (overly diffused by the designer) and a WA47 in a stellar sounding (also purpose built and designed, but much more modern design) room and it’s not even close. The stellar room with the mic that’s 5% the cost wins every day.

Yeah exactly this. We did try an LDC (WA-251) but it was way too unpractical for me to work with in writing / creative process, so it’s gotten obvious to me that excellent rejection and something that can be used just in front of the desk.

Kinda funny how this thread is split into two camps. First camp is like “mics don’t matter anymore in 2025.” And honestly? You’re so right — who needs mics, studios, or engineers anyway. Clearly we’re all way more talented than Drake, Kendrick, Travis, and Yeat combined. Just give us more BandLab tutorials and I’m sure I’ll be holding 10 Grammys by next year. We’re truly the first generation to unlock this secret. Second camp actually has advice worth listening to. Since your current setup is still pretty entry-level and a bit random, I’d honestly say just pick something that feels right to you. Every brand has its own “house sound,” and unless you’ve spent time in studios actually comparing gear, you won’t really know what you like until you try. Either go book some studio time and test mics, or just grab one that vibes with you and learn it. Personally, I’d go for the Warm Audio WA-251. I think most of their other clones miss the mark or feel kinda cheap, but the 251 is legit. IMO it even outperforms some higher-priced 251 clones. Plus, the 251 sound just works on basically any voice or genre — never too hyped, never too dull. C800G or U87 clones in the “affordable” price range? Most of them are kinda meh, like you buy it, use it twice, then it just sits on a stand collecting dust. Also — don’t forget your interface matters. Even a great mic won’t shine if your interface can’t keep up.

Hi! I’m a YouTuber who reviews gear and am in the small percentage of users who don’t suck Warm Audios cock when it comes to praise as most of their stuff is completely mark missing. The general consensus is that most stuff by them is great and sounds amazing. Which is simply not true. It sounds just okay. It works. It’s budget entry level gear that does “mask” as something else while it isn’t. What I mean is they sell the Opto Comp as an LA2A clone but it’s not even close. They would’ve been so much better off marketing it as something else. It distorts too quickly and sounds very gritty tinny and overly forced to color a sound rather than do what an LA2A does. Maybe someone wants this but that “mask” made people buy it under the idea it was an LA2A clone. Therefore disappointment. The same goes with their most recent Tube Screamer combo pedal the TS9, TS808, andTS10, all in the same pedal. In a shootout between the real deal I noticed the EQ curve on their pedal boosted the mid range in a totally different mid frequency. It sounded similar. It was closeish but on certain guitars it was too honky, harmonically shrill and too similar amongst modes that felt more gimmicky. In my opinion. Just buy a used Ibanez TS808 and call it a day. Now mics. I’ve used every mic that warm makes in a studio setting. This is is the one thing warm got right. The mics in the high end department. The cx24, fentone, wa44, wa8000g (new tube makes it even better), wa47, cx12, and the 251. All really solid and all worth buying and using on big projects even. Truthfully the tube swap on any of the tube mics makes it the sound even better but on the 8000g it’s absolutely stunning. Sure their is a little change in eq curve and presence from the og mics; if you are trying to imitate the classics exactly, but these small changes can be fixed with a good signal chain and some post-eq. Seriously plug that bitch in and let it sing because all these mics sound killer and just work like the classics for a fraction of the price.