Warm Audio are all about creating faithful, inspiring re-imaginings of vintage analogue recording gear. Founded back in 2011, they started with the clear goal of producing recording products that sounded great at an accessible price point, something they continue to accomplish with an ever-expanding range of impressive recording gear that doesn’t break the bank.
Want a top-quality recorded sound but not keen on spending thousands upon thousands for that ‘true vintage analogue mojo’? A lot of people end up turning to plugins and digital alternatives purely out of necessity, often with mixed results. Warm Audio provide the opportunity for anyone to get hold of real thing – analogue studio equipment that can hold its own against, or even sometimes beat, the quality of vintage gear.
There’s a certain fanaticism and romanticism for analogue gear, especially if it’s vintage. Warm Audio believe that this is for good reason – it often does sound better! It can be difficult to capture the same kind of magic that yesteryear’s gear offers, which is why Warm Audio do what they do!
Founder and President Bryce Young got into recording when he was a teenager, recording his band in local studios that had passable equipment. However, Bryce found himself unhappy with the results, unable to match the sonic quality he’d been hearing in his favourite records growing up.
Working his way up from all-in-one recorders to audio interfaces, the fascination with recording gear was firmly embedded in his mind. Bryce began to truly appreciate the impact that good quality studio equipment can have on the music being made.
Starting around 2007, Bryce began purchasing and building kits for classic mic preamps which he then sold on. Through this process, he learnt that a lot of the circuits he was replicating weren’t all that complicated, however the quality of components impacted the overall outcome greatly – cheap or poorly-equipped components used in the signal path could seriously diminish the experience for users and listeners.
In time, people started to buy Bryce’s versions of the kits with the components he had chosen. He realised that there were people out there just like him who wanted to capture a certain sound and a certain magic, but couldn’t get their hands on the exact gear required or simply couldn’t afford it.
That’s where the relationships with component manufacturers began. He began reaching out to many of the premium manufacturers, picking their brains on topics such as making tweaks to existing parts and matching discontinued components. Alongside access to top-notch components, these strong partnerships between manufacturers and Warm Audio also allow them to pass the savings directly to their customers, giving you huge bang for your buck.
Most digital plugins attempt to emulate analogue hardware, so why not give the real thing a shot and see if it changes your approach to recording or mixing?
The most coveted analogue gear always goes for the most eye-watering amounts. Warm Audio however, remain committed to making sure true analogue recreations of all of our favourite studio gear remains accessible at a price anyone can enjoy.
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