Warm Audio WA-WL Warm Lifter

The Warm Audio Warm Lifter is an inline active microphone preamp designed for low output dynamic and ribbon mics with premium features for live & studio use. Warm Lifter boasts 26dB of analog gain with true impedance matching, so any low output mic you plug in will be professionally powered for connecting to audio interfaces or mixers. Beyond gain, Warm Lifter also has a 100Hz high-pass filter and a 3kHz high-shelf boost to sculpt tones. Warm Lifter is built with premium components and rugged material. Warm Lifters are 100% tested and inspected by trained technicians with a passion for making music in Austin, TX. 

FEATURES

• Low-Output Mic Magic: The Warm Lifter offers 26 dB of clean gain to low-output microphones, including passive ribbons and certain dynamic models, ensuring optimal performance in both recording and live scenarios where additional gain is crucial for accurate detail and frequency response, especially when connected directly to interfaces.

• True 26dB Of Clean Gain: Warm Lifter will always deliver 26dB of clean output gain, regardless of the mic that you choose. Unlike some inline preamps, signal boosters, and lifters, the circuit design of the Warm Lifter protects your recording from signal loss or phase issues by ensuring there is no “mismatching” of impedance between your mic of choice and the Warm Lifter.

• Added Frequency Flexibility: The Warm Lifter has a selectable 100 Hz high-pass filter to remove unruly low end frequencies for added clarity and detail. Additionally, the Warm Lifter has a selectable 3 kHz high-shelf boost to emphasize the upper-mids and highs for clarity and detail boosted on darker mics. 

• Impedance Matching: The Warm Lifter input impedance is 2.4k Ohm, and will consistently act as a matchmaker between low output microphones and interfaces/mixers to solve common impedance mismatch problems like signal loss, altered frequency response, and phase issues.

• Studio Sound & Road-Ready: The Warm Lifter houses an ultra low-noise JFET input with a fully balanced (ins/outs) signal path and operates on 48v phantom power. The incredibly durable build quality adds to the total package to deliver a critical piece of audio utility gear that you will want by your side at all times.

• Hand-Tested In Austin, TX: Like all Warm Audio gear, every single Warm Lifter is meticulously hand-tested and inspected by trained technicians with a passion for making music in Austin, TX USA.

The Perfect Partner For Low-Output Mics In Studio & On Stage
The Warm Lifter is an inline active microphone preamp designed to provide powerful gain to low output dynamic and ribbon mics and comes with premium features for live & studio use. The sweet sounds of classic low-output mics that you’ve heard on countless records and live recordings have benefited from the sufficient power provided by high-quality, high-gain preamps, bringing out the full frequency spectrum of tone and sonic characteristics of the mic. Warm Lifter puts a high-impedance mic pre with pure analog gain, tone filtering, and balanced JFET input at your fingertips at an incredible size and price.

Using a low power interface in-studio or dealing with extra long cable runs in a live setting can starve the mic of adequate amplification. Warm Lifter boasts 26dB of analog gain with true impedance matching, so any low output mic you plug in will be professionally powered for connecting to audio interfaces or mixers. Adding the Warm Lifter ensures you have extra headroom necessary to bring out the rich lower-midrange detail and presence that passive ribbons and many dynamic mics are known for, without adding digital gain artifacts or losing tone from aggressively long cable runs. Beyond gain, Warm Lifter also has a 100Hz high-pass filter and a 3kHz high-shelf boost to sculpt tones.

26dB Of Clean Analog Gain
Warm Lifter’s signal path begins with a balanced, 2.4k Ohm (impedance) JFET input that delivers 26dB of pure, clean analog gain. Having 26dB on tap before hitting digital is incredibly helpful, as this should prevent any mixer or digital interface from having to go much beyond 40dB of onboard digital gain. As digital gain increases, the likelihood of artifacts and thinning of sound increases. The JFET input provides enough analog tone to keep the mic sounding “open” without adding any noise or too much color. The 2.4k Ohm impedance will deliver excellent frequency response for low-output mics that fall into typical impedance ranges.

Critical Frequency Filtering
Warm Lifter has a selectable 12dB high-pass filter and 2.5dB high-shelf boost. The 12dB high-pass filter’s corner frequency is located at 100 Hz, right in the middle of the true bass frequency range. Engaging the filter will cut all frequencies under 100 Hz, which will be perceived as removing “boominess” from the sound. The 2.5dB high-shelf boost corner frequency is located at 3 kHz, which lies squarely in the middle of the upper-midrange. This is a shelf-style boost, meaning, all frequencies above 3 kHz will be boosted at a more gentle 2.5dB in comparison to the high-pass filter. Since this is a shelf and will boost everything above 3k, the perceived change will add upper-mids, presence, as well as true high-end, otherwise known as “air” or “brilliance.” Engaging this boost will instantly add clarity to your sound.

SPECIFICATIONS

Inline Active Microphone Preamp
Ultra Low Noise JFET Input
Balanced (In/Out) Signal Path
26 dB Of True Analog Gain
Selectable 100 Hz (12 dB) High-Pass Filter | Selectable 3 kHz (2.5 dB) High-Shelf Boost
Input Impedance: 2.4k Ohm | Output Impedance: 150 Ohm
Max-Input: -6 dBu (388mV rms) | Max-Output: 20 dBu (7.75V rms)
THD+N ratio 1kHz @ 14dBu: <-107dB (0.00047%)
Output Noise: 7.75 uV (A-weighted) with 150 Ohm Input
Frequency Response: 10-200kHz  +/-0.2 dB
48v Phantom Powered With 4.7mA Current Draw