Why I Left Neumann for Warm Audio

We all know that the Neumann TLM103, the u87ai and the Sennheiser MKH416 are the staples of every professional studio. They're used in absolutely everything and are practically a given. The problem, however, is that they weren't chosen for being flawless, perfect mics for every scenario (that would be impossible). The u87ai is honky and at times nasally. The 103 and the 416 are both incredibly sibilant at times, with the 416 picking up plenty of weird modes in small vocal booths. They say that the 103 is also particularly plosive-prone, though that was never a problem for me.

Here's my problem with them: they aren't fun. Let me explain... I've spent a fair bit of time recently speaking to directors of some fairly large and important organizations recently. The kinds of guys that pay plenty of money per-project. The consensus is that they simply do not care what mics are used, nor do they care about the specifics of your recording space. Some of them aren't even doing ANY processing at ALL. Not even level adjustments.

So, why would you use a voiceover staple? Well, for live action dubbing they almost certainly require a 416. If you happen to land a role with an anime studio that (for some reason) don't ask you to come into their own studio, then a 103 and/or a u87ai make sense. However, that's not EVERY studio and EVERY project. There are plenty of examples of voice work that have made it to Amazon Prime or Netflix that were recorded on an old Blue Yeti in a coat closet.

A friend of mine, Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff (The Microphone Assassin), has said he's never been asked to use a specific mic in the decades that he's been a successful voice artist. He's recorded paid gigs on a $35 Alibaba microphone. At the time of writing, he's even recording an anime gig on an Aim Audio Inspire. How many people have even heard of that before? Likely no one reading this.

So how does that work? What does that mean? There are 2 answers to this. First: The performance (and the well-treated nature of the recording space) is king. This is not a surprise. There's a minimum level of good sound that needs to be achieved, but so long as that threshold has been crossed, the most important part becomes the performance. 'Nuff said. Second: A big, prestigious brand does not guarantee the best sound for your voice and for a specific use case. This should go without saying but it's an easy thing to forget.

Finally, how does this affect me? What does Warm Audio have to do with this? I have had 2 103's, 2 416's, multiple OC18's and OC818's, 3 540S's, a C414, etc. I didn't LOVE using them. Some of them sound good (which is a topic for another day) and all are reliable. But they weren't always giving me the sound that I wanted and I wasn't excited to use them. I am a firm believer in using equipment that you not only trust, but also enjoy. If you like the environment that you work in, you're more likely to go in and do better work.

With that in mind, I picked up a Warm Audio WA-47T. It's big, beautiful and most importantly that incredibly rich sound is SO good on me. It's also intensely versatile. It's really easy to reshape from a nice, rich and easy-to-listen-to sound into something that cuts right through the mix. Here's where things get interesting. I was always told that WA was subpar in the performance and QC of their products. I had a bias against them because of that. Until I tried one.

I was so wrong. This thing has been absolutely incredible and my mind has been changed. I've been using it to great success on my latest audiobook project, which everyone will soon be able to hear on Audible. More than anything else, I just like it. It gets me in the booth. I'm excited to use it. THIS is what makes the difference to my business. THIS is what I'll focus on moving forward.

Following this success, I then picked up a WA-CX12 and things just clicked for me. I get it now. This is what it means for a mic to be bright, but smooth instead of harsh. It's glorious! Thus far I've used it in 2 commercials and an audiobook demo. It's clear and gorgeous, and while I need to be careful with sibilant sounds (which is true of every bright microphone), there is no harshness. It's just a crystalline top end that reveals every gorgeous detail. It's also clear to me that I should have done this all along.

Thanks for reading, I'll catch you next time!