Colt you don’t have to explain yourself! You literally provide videos with high quality information for FREE! People just want to complain about everything. 🤷🏻♂️ You are an inspiration to a lot of upcoming engineers!
Colt I never ever comment on UA-cam videos, But today will be an exception. I do not like seeing you explain yourself. If, whoever they are, has a problem, it's not because of you! You're helping, you're giving knowledge that most would keep to themselves. I would like to take this time to say THANK YOU! Thank you for your channel. Thank you for the knowledge that you share. Thank you for simply being the good person that you are. THANK YOU!!!!!!!
To me it is the most musical and lyrical. Meaning, I am hearing the words and performance instead of being distracted by over-saturation or balance problems. The Tube-Tech sounds ready-made (and smooth).
i agree but its so suddle . ur telling me that cant be /done in the box with plugins or eq ?( im asking cus i dont know ) the price i crazy for something so small but i agree it is nice
Please please Colt, don't stop giving your opinion. I've been an audio and music pro for quite some years and I really like your opinions and commenting every single time. (it is always good to have another perspective) Don't forget about the silent majority. Love bro!
Ngl. That clip warm audio on her voice should be an advertisement. I'm definitely getting one of those. I can't believe they got the price that low. The way it handled that hard "d" when she says the day will come..man it's almost like she whispered it. I'm sold. Colt..tell warm you need ya commission my brother. Great demo.
I agree, the tube tech was a bit harsh with all the other processing disengaged. The warm audio it's very close in the way it compresses and the tone. I'm not a fan of warm audio but I have to say that they did an outstanding job with this compressor.
It’s a big cop out not giving us your open opinion Colt, we all trust you man and it’s the reason we watch. I can understand treading lightly in such situations to avoid offending future partners in reviews but you just gotta respect your audience cause we all respect you brother. 😊
You’re definitely one of my favorite people that do shoot outs and demos on gear you’re always very well knowledged on the piece. You explain things well also. I’ve never been a warm Audio fan but this unit sounds damn good to me. It’s a little brighter than the original tube tech but I think it sounds damn good.
I bought wa1b and kept it for a week for testing. At first I thought I was going to become one because I was impressed by tube compression. But the longer my ear spent time with the compressor, I began to hear cheap quality. Even my current Black Lion Audio Bluey seemed to have better sound quality. Today I sent back the wa1b and will order Tubesessor. Why? Many people are excited about CB1. In fact, it is soft and pleasant. Heritage is a bit spicier. But it is half the price and pumps the vocals just as strongly and cleanly. I also had a wa2a and when I compared it to a la2a the difference was always the same. Expensive equipment pumped the vocals stronger, more clearly, clearly forward. Cheaper devices had a muddy sound. The reason I ordered the Heritage is mainly because its sound is as powerful and detailed as the CB1. In every recording on the Internet, you can hear that the tubesessor creates a commercial-class sound. Unfortunately, Wa1b does not have this effect.
Please don’t let any hater effect your process or metal health It’s tough and not easy, but there’s way too many people that love your content and have so much appreciation for what you do ❤
These are all 3 fantastic tools, especially in the hands of audio engineers like yourself and on these message boards. It’s fascinating hearing them all with the same source material. I would geek out all day comparing them 😂 Excellent video! I didn’t want to like the Warm Audio in last week’s video, but from the several videos I’ve seen now, it’s amazing value for the price and I’d have no problem adding one to my studio. Cheers, Quincy
Great content as always☺️either we like it or not, that WA-1B is just insane value for the money. My favourite is still the original though, but just by a hair….
Colt I am watching these videos in part to get your opinion, because you are a professional and an expert. Your opinion is part of what makes your channel so valuable. Please don’t stop giving your opinion on these A/B tests =)
Is it because Warm feels a little bit like the Behringer of outboard gear? I would like to know about the break up on the release time. I have a 33609 that does a very similar thing and I'm not really sure if it should. HA!
Great video, I changed my ming after trying the warm audio against a real CL1B, after two recordings of full vocal sessions, the warm adds colour and pumping, the low mids bump isn't great on the sony c800G, the CL1B kept it transparent and forward. The warm isn't bad but I returned it. Thanks for trying and comparing the tubesessor.
Great VDO man, thank you!. I feel like if people like the CL1B because of its transparency than the original definitely kills it. The Heritage has similar high end to the Tube Tech but adds low end almost like an LA-2A. The warm is my least favorite, the high end is a little harsh and it kinda adds this low mid bump that I would EQ out in the mix. Tube Tech all the way.
Great video man. Even though I think the original CL1A sounds smoother, I actually find heritage audio more interesting and vibey. I was never interested in that Tubesessor, but now I changed my mind.
Thanks for the comparison man! The tube Tec is still king. That warm audio one is so muffled and harsh in comparison… it’s especially evident in the vocal example.
So my question is how much non warm audio equipment do u have ? I feel with mostvits a budget thing get the tools u can afford type situation no hate I'm legit wondering and at 1200 why not
Hey Colt - no apology necessary, and we do want YOUR opinion. It matters. These are all great, but for a good home studio and for the money, you cannot go wrong with WARM. Stuff just sounds great and what a value. I'm all in on the WARM stuff because it fits my needs and budget and is still high quality!
The whole music process is like peeling back an onion and theres obviously many layers from start to finish. So I think people are hanging on to their opinions too tightly and making quick conclusions off of these slight differences. If i had any of these compressors, I would be happy to utilize them appropriately and I would need time to work with them to see if it's making or breaking my mix. At the end of the day I like the Tube Saturation knob on the Heritage, Warm Audio is close enough and sounds great, and as a gear head I would love to have the CL1B. It's not complicated and it's fun to hear the differences.
There is something really special about the Heritage Tubesessor on Vocals. The classic setting was open in a way across the mids i didnt get from the others and that saturation knob is a great feature on it for the vox. Other than that the CL1A was great on the other items...that bass really shined on the Tube Tech it had a special presence. As for the Warm it did exactly like the name says...it had this lower end saturation that was very pleasing. They did a great job on this unit. But for me optical application on vocals would always trump others. So for me the tubesessor is the unit. Magic on vocals.
After listening. The WA-1B was thinner and had less weight. I feel like I could get a better sound for vocals with a Distressor. Surprisingly, the Heritage held it’s on against the Tube Tech. Especially with the different settings.
@@dspoet1 well its all subjective... "better sound" is for the listener ...for me a 76 compressor into the tubesessor i believe will get me something that will be amazing for me. So much so, i am sold and i am definitely getting one to pair for my vocal chain. As for the WA-1B i dont hear the thinner and having less weight that you are. I am hearing less highs and more low mid bloom making it seem heavier. Maybe take a critical listen again and let me know if you have the same results. I will also on my end cause i find it interesting you came up with that result. Who knows maybe you might be right but i am not hearing that
@@dspoet1 by the way were you referring only to vocals or you meant thinner across the board cause I AM hearing what you are hearing on the vocals ... but as for the others not really...
Fact, I have disagreed with Colt many times and have made comments that he has politely responded to haha and I have obviously agreed and have learned a ton as well. That's kind of the beauty of recording/mixing is it's all subjective on how you do it as long as you like the end product. Also, love all these Compressors genuinely no wrong answer here haha.
The Tube Tech just has that brilliance as well as smoothness, nevertheless when mixed in the music one can’t tell, so they all sound great… awesome video, by the way Thank you for being a B&H customer, best
Great video Colt. Enjoy your content. I have a CL1-b so I guess im spoiled a bit and I do hear a difference, the Tubetech is a little more open in the tops and smoother. but that's the Tubetech 'thing' isn't it, its clean and 'glossy' to my ears and very smooth. really liked the Tubesessor as well, seems to have have more options. The Warm seems great for the money but it's not quite as open on the tops at the TT and is a little congested in the low mids. Having said all of that, I'd be happy to use any on most mixes, because the differences are pretty subtle and I don't hear anything a little EQ couldn't fix. also unless its a stripped back vocal/acoustic recording, I'd say 99% of people wold struggle to hear the difference in a mix. So.....my thoughts would be - if you can afford a Tubetech then get it, it's still the best! but if you can't can't I really wouldn't feel short changed with either of the others. I'd probably go for the Heritage if I was shopping now.... Not sure how I feel about cloning a production device tho. non production stuff yes, go ahead and re-issue/clone it, but a device still in production? hhhmmmm....
Listening on Beyerdynamic's DT 900 PRO X, calibrated to the Harman curve (because I like it). Overall: - Heritage sounds less rounded and more focused on high mids, the transient information feels sharper. I felt this more on bass, I could hear the pick hitting the string more, and in snare I felt the transient jumped out more. - CL1A sounds rounded, warmer imo (more presence of lower mids). I feel like it adds more weight than the Heritage and it rounds out the transient in a pleasant way. - WA1B sounds pretty much spot on regarding the "roundness" of the transient I feel in the CL1A, and I want to say it's a little bit darker, but I might be splitting hairs honestly. That's it for me! I'm glad that we can participate in these listening exercises with an open mind, sound is completely subjective because you will never be able to hear how the next person hears a sound in their head. Getting mad or frustrated based on an opinion is a clear indication that you could use some therapy to work that anger out and have happier days overall. I say this from personal experience, therapy is an awesome thing most adults should be investing in, if possible. Thanks for the awesome content!
Nice to hear from someone who eq’s their headphone to the Harman target because they like it 👍🏼 I mix with eq to the Harman target also and use Canopener for crosstalk, use a separate dac and separate headphone amp to drive my Hifiman Sundara and I love it 😍
Warm Audio WA-1B owner here .. I'm loving the detented knobs. Nice touch. Not as versatile as my Fairchild 670 but then it didn't take me (electronics engineer) four years and a huge budget to get up and running! Thank you for posting this fine video Colt.
I gotta say, the tube tech compressor is nice and smooth. Keeps the full compressed sound audible, I was quite impressed listening the the other two though, love the heritage options and def has a decently smooth comp arguably a teensy bit tighter, the warm audio loses some of that compressed audio but replaces that with really tight compression. For the price just go with whichever one you can afford and don’t look back.
The WARM WA-1B has more punch especially for the drums and bass separately and together. Thanks Colt ! As for the haters .... We know what they are all about, LOL!
The Cl1b is what it is without a doubt. The heritage definitely caught my attention very versatile. Warm ain't bad at all. Great content as usual 👏🏿 ✌🏾
I hear more compression pumping in the Warm, and more clean sound from the CL1A if that makes sense. The Heritage sounds super good too with the saturation on medium it sounded really full and beautiful. Thanks for the video!
I really wanted to like the Warm the most but the Tube Tech definitely has more depth to the low mid and bottom, keeps some more clarity in the rest of the spectrum and is smoother. The Warm isn't bad and for the price difference and availability so is a good alternative. The Heritage seems like a different beast all together, lots of cool options but the harshness and distortion on some material at certain settings isn't what I would associate with a CL1A/B at all.... Thanks for the vid!
Thanks Colt, for making sure i never buy anything but the most expensive one 🤣 The Tube Tech one sounds absolutely INSANE! Heritage is definitely a great one, but i gotta say i'm extremely disappointed by the Warm Audio version. I have a Warm Audio WA73-EQ Pre-amp which is really nice and their WA-47 mic which is incredible, but it seems their compressors sort of fall behind other clones. Great video! :)
Yeah, the WA-1B video was good and showed how the low-mids are a little more prominent. I didn't like what it did with the upper-mids or the sibilance. Again, the Tube-Tech just sounds ready out-of-the-box, with upper-mids that are more present but not harsh. Maybe that's how the legends didn't need EQ....the high-end gear is already fine-tuned to our ears.
You wouldn't believe, but they did a much better job with the wa-1b than with any of their preamps. The warms 73 pres sound just harsh and cheap in comparison to any unit of better quality.
Thank you for this video Colt. So much value in it. Curious to try the Warm unit before my Eqp-Wa. That would help to attenuate the lowmid bump. What do you think?
Man I was hoping for a different outcome but the Tube-Tech is slaughtering the competition. Sonically smoother and more musical compression even at high settings.
Thanks for the video. While I understand your reasoning, my main reason for subscribing and watching your videos is because I want to hear your opinion. It is difficult to ascertain the nuances especially through a compressed medium like YT, so your experience and thoughts on each unit is important and respected. While I may not always agree, your unbiased opinion is your biggest asset.
IMO The Warm Audio WA-1B is very close to the Tubetech CL-1B. I feel that the Tubesessor is a bit dirtier although the compression characteristic may be similar it's hard to evaluate because of it's character.
That's like driving a Ferrari around the block but theN having a fiero for car shows 😅😅😅 just funny to me I'm surprised ud use both but hey whatever u like is what u like
I feel this. The WA adds a certain color that feels more like a useful effect than the coveted transparent compression of the CL1B, which as we know is great for tracking.
Colt, try the Heritage more in the mild setting. I think that matches the roundness of the original more accurately from what I was hearing. Awesome video!
The warm audio can work with if that's the option you are stuck with, it's clear but has less body than the cl1A, the Teusessor is the least attractive it sounds cloudy. The Classic CL1A is still the one to go with.
Awesome video colt! Off top you can definitely hear the difference the warm audio has, compared to the other two. What i heard from heritage was not quite as grabby, a little more smooth riding, but thinner. Tube tech had more character, but would react to the low end quickly. I wouldn’t mind having either one honestly.
i know im not super pro here but its hard to argue with the results on the warm given its price point. warm has really opened some doors for us guys that have a limited budget. i make a good living and can afford expensive stuff but its hard to justify since i dont do this for a living. as colt said hey if you dont like it, dont buy it. their are some industry professions i have seen who do use warm gear and like it. i personally am glad these guys are around without them it would be hard for me to have 1176, la2a and now this comp which i am getting soon. and i thank them for making gear at the awesome price point, with the quality that they do. and thanks for the reviews colt
Thanks for both videos! Can’t wrong with any of the units. While I consider the TT the best, for my $, the Warm is the clear winner. Great vid, as always!
any idea what type of tubes these units have? i remember changing from GrooveTubes to JJs in one of my guitar amps and it was like a totally different amp...different tone, different distortion character, just totally different...can't help but think something like that may be contributing to some of the sonic differences
Colt, the problem you had with the heritage earlier in the video could it be tied to that tube saturation knob? Maybe play with that knob when you have it at fast release? Just trying to help
It’s possible that it is a symptom of the additional saturation circuit in the box. Hard to say… But it does exhibit that character, while on the “classic” setting, which is supposed to be the cleanest… Very odd to me that it would exhibit that, but also that it would only be noticeable on acoustic guitar.
@@ColtCapperrune You never know there maybe a wire crossing ever so slightly. I love Audioscape when I got my A78 we had the same issue with the comp blend knob and I had to send it back and Chris solved the issue right away with a wire that somehow causing the issue where sound was passing through the output and input when the knobs where totally down and signal kept passing through on one of the channels. I love customer service from Audioscape. They were fast.
Colt, first off, I've been watching you for the last couple years because you go out of your way to make comparisons legit. We don't pay attention to the bone headed comments, neither should you. Okay watching this on my TV and listening via some decent Klipsch towers. The two things that jump out at me: 1. Upper mids seem to be "dampened?" if that's the right word, in the Heritage, while they're back in the Tube-Tech and Warm Audio. 2. I'm always impressed by Warm Audio gear and how close they can get to the original tone.
I actually tested my Wa1b and it was so fantastic than I expected. yes, the heavy compresssion with it doesn't sound that good, but when I use it carefully, like 3db compression or something, I was blown away. And I preffer the size of 2U unit to 3U, tbh.
Good vid Colt, it’s so darn hard to beat the original! If I had to pick one I’d say the Heritage sounds closest, but.. I’d like to see you use an eq in the sidechain circuit to see how that could impact sound using the Warm, and I kinda see why you didn’t, because is super extra.
I’ve got a Tubesessor also. That release behavior is strange for sure. Mine is usually smooth as butter on any setting. Other than that, great comparison. Makes me happy I went with the Tubesessor purchase. WA-1B not far behind for sure.
It’s very interesting how it is so dirty on the fastest release on acoustic guitar, but on vocals, it sounds incredible and I don’t notice any of that dirt on the same settings
@@ColtCapperrunei may be reaching, but I wonder if it’s the comp it’s self or if it’s pulling out the nuances of the dirt in the preamp? I find that on most comps I’ve used, if you set them right, the comp disappears and you hear the pre doing its thing.
My first impressions were that the heritage is brighter than the other 2 which is not really what i feel like is what most are looking for out of an opto. The tube tech grabs the transients in the low end very nicely and most notable with the bass guitar. And the warm audio was the most transparent and less colored and i see you had get more gain reduction out of it to level match it with the others kinda making me wonder about maybe the ratios arent exactly the same from eachother. Tube tech wins for me and warm audio is 2nd.
the warm sounds more muffled, but it seems to grab and release almost the same way though, I think it can be fixed with a high end lift going into it. Id love to hear an eq with a 3db boost on a signal at 5k, or a bit lower, going into the warm, vs the cl1a without that boost, raw, to see how the sound compares. Because the specs on the wa1b clearly states there is a cut in the frequency response between 5 and 25k and I think that might make for the discernible difference. Even if warm could nail the sound at a lower price point, they could get a copyright infringement case against them for completely copying their competitor's IP. They would have to make it sound slightly different to make sure they can't be held liable for that. I am almost certain a little high end boost on a signal going into it would bring it to if not a completely undistinguishable, it would be almost unnoticeable in comparison. I think it has almost the same characteristics, transient wise, but just the tone is different.
The Tube-Tech is so insane. Wonderful compression without sounding compressed. The warm audio for the price point is super cool, still can hear the compression a bit more than the TUBE, without the same high end as the Tubetech
I've had the tubesessor for a few months and am very happy with it for my vocal recordings, but I have to say that I liked the original tube tech best in each of your sound samples! If anyone here wants to swap a CL1B with my tubesessor, let me know :) Thanks for the comparison!
I preferred the Tubetech all round. So smooth and transparent. I didn't mind the Heritage on vocals. Nice tube sound and some saturation going on. I won't comment on the Warm. Excellent video.
What is the audio encoding for UA-cam video ? 128kb MP3 ? I mean, it's always funny to try to compare very high end hardware with so slight difference inside very bad audio MP3. But I pay tribute to your great intentions to try to do it. 😆
I’m curious if others noticed this too listening to the examples on phone speakers. On the bass guitar example, the bass guitar disappears against the drums on the heritage unit. On the OG and the Warm it’s clanky and present and I never lose it. So from a translation perspective I found that really interesting.
Bass. Guitar is the one source I actually prefer the warm, Audio, and I thought the OG was my least favorite. By no means bad, still incredible, but my least favorite on bass guitar nonetheless.
This was great, thanks man. Would be awesome if you could also add in a plug-in comparison. I’m a longtime musician, just getting into building out a home studio, but I assume UA has a tube tech emulation
Thanks so much! I did do some comparisons off camera, the plug-in is great, unfortunately, plug-ins fall apart faster than the hardware when pushing them hard. So you can compress something much harder with the hardware and still retain integrity. Hope that makes sense!
The Tube Tech is creamy love for sure the others are no better than the UA plug-in really. The SC filter is super cool on the Heritage. Been saving for a TT CL1B for awhile and will keep using the UAD plug until I can afford the real deal TT.
What a fun comparison. My take listening on my studio monitors: The Original Tube Tech seemed to let more of the upper midrange of the bass guitar come through while holding the performance in place. I would choose that for bass. I actually really liked the response of the heritage "de-ess" on the vocal - and could really see how useful that option is on different sources.
The Warm bottoms out in the low mids on every source. The Heritage is super versatile with the extra settings but still not as smooth as the TubeTech. I thought that the heritage got better when you messed with the side chain controls, and the harmonic tube saturation settings made it incredibly interesting. Those features alone make it much more versatile than the tube tech but the tube tech is still the tube tech and it is spectacular without those features. I would never consider owning the Warm, but the added features on the heritage at that price point, make it incredibly intriguing if I was going to buy a clone. I would love to own a CL1B at some point but for the time being I’m using 1176 into LA2a hardware as my main chain. But the Heritage Would be an incredibly personable interim step before purchasing a CL1B. For the record I’m monitoring through a Neve mixer on Genelec monitors….that prob makes a big difference on the detail I’m hearing versus some of the other commenters.
I watched the other video shootout between the Warm and the Tubetech and I really struggled to hear any real major differences that could cause blood to be spilt!?! Normally I tend to scroll down to the comments section so I can not see the vid and am blind to the Logos of the units and using ears only. Real test is can you make good music sound better with the units? Answer = yes, which means everyone is a winner and it just depends how much you want to fork out for that miniscule % difference in quality.
Liked the Heritage alot more than I thought I would. Worked with a CL1B for YEARS on vocals. I did like the CL1A on the bass guitar better but tbh both sound great at least through the youtube compression algo. The warm is a little more bland but still not bad.
Tim Galloway uses the Cl1b for all acoustics at his home studio and he's ACM acoustic guitarist of year, look at how many hit songs he playing on now. No wonder why he uses, it puts smooth butter on those transients and over just sounds amazing.
I really wanted to know your opinion, you are a experience engineer an your opinion is very valuable for a junior engineer like me. I don't have the chance o trying these pieces of gear by myself and sometimes what I hear through you tube may not be what your hearing live! so please, you really need to provide your opinion without caring other people opinions, it's your right to state your opinion!
It's almost like the people setting the prices knew exactly what they have. Hehehe We're not the first ones to scrutinize it... But who really ARE the people with the trusted opinion that manufacturers trust?
About the distorsion that the Heritage has... When listening to the first example (snare) I already noticed that the release time is faster than in the TubeTech and the WarmAudio. When you get a very fast release time it produces this kind of saturation. Could it be just that? That explains that it gets cleaner when you slow it down a bit. By the way, I love that fast release for so many things, so my choice would be the Heritage! :)
god what mic did you use on that girls vocal? a 251!!!? it sounds great with all of them, i have the tube tech and the warm audio and the tube tech is a bit more modern and polished sounding
Colt you don’t have to explain yourself! You literally provide videos with high quality information for FREE! People just want to complain about everything. 🤷🏻♂️
You are an inspiration to a lot of upcoming engineers!
I appreciate that, thank you for watching!
Thanks! @@ColtCapperrune
He caught hell because warm audio showed they are all for promoting influence with pay, early reviews or free gear
this comment needs more likes. ppl like Colt r helpin ppl out for free. not many can put hands on so many gears n compare. massive respect for Colt
🙏 word
Colt
I never ever comment on UA-cam videos, But today will be an exception. I do not like seeing you explain yourself. If, whoever they are, has a problem, it's not because of you! You're helping, you're giving knowledge that most would keep to themselves. I would like to take this time to say THANK YOU! Thank you for your channel. Thank you for the knowledge that you share. Thank you for simply being the good person that you are.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
The best for me is undoubtedly the real deal of Tubetech. The way it takes so softly the peaks and transients is just awesome.
To me it is the most musical and lyrical. Meaning, I am hearing the words and performance instead of being distracted by over-saturation or balance problems. The Tube-Tech sounds ready-made (and smooth).
That's right. It's definately number 1 from all of these here.
i agree but its so suddle . ur telling me that cant be /done in the box with plugins or eq ?( im asking cus i dont know ) the price i crazy for something so small but i agree it is nice
This is the exact video I’ve been waiting on since heritage announced this comp. Thanks for spending the time to do this.
Hope it helps!
Thanks for taking the time to show all three compressors. Much love my audio brother.
Thanks for watching!
Please please Colt, don't stop giving your opinion.
I've been an audio and music pro for quite some years and I really like your opinions and commenting every single time. (it is always good to have another perspective)
Don't forget about the silent majority. Love bro!
Ngl. That clip warm audio on her voice should be an advertisement. I'm definitely getting one of those. I can't believe they got the price that low. The way it handled that hard "d" when she says the day will come..man it's almost like she whispered it. I'm sold. Colt..tell warm you need ya commission my brother. Great demo.
I agree, the tube tech was a bit harsh with all the other processing disengaged. The warm audio it's very close in the way it compresses and the tone. I'm not a fan of warm audio but I have to say that they did an outstanding job with this compressor.
It’s a big cop out not giving us your open opinion Colt, we all trust you man and it’s the reason we watch. I can understand treading lightly in such situations to avoid offending future partners in reviews but you just gotta respect your audience cause we all respect you brother. 😊
yeah, i agreee, everyone got's an opionon... why not yours too?
You’re definitely one of my favorite people that do shoot outs and demos on gear you’re always very well knowledged on the piece. You explain things well also. I’ve never been a warm Audio fan but this unit sounds damn good to me. It’s a little brighter than the original tube tech but I think it sounds damn good.
I bought wa1b and kept it for a week for testing. At first I thought I was going to become one because I was impressed by tube compression. But the longer my ear spent time with the compressor, I began to hear cheap quality. Even my current Black Lion Audio Bluey seemed to have better sound quality.
Today I sent back the wa1b and will order Tubesessor. Why?
Many people are excited about CB1. In fact, it is soft and pleasant. Heritage is a bit spicier. But it is half the price and pumps the vocals just as strongly and cleanly. I also had a wa2a and when I compared it to a la2a the difference was always the same. Expensive equipment pumped the vocals stronger, more clearly, clearly forward. Cheaper devices had a muddy sound.
The reason I ordered the Heritage is mainly because its sound is as powerful and detailed as the CB1. In every recording on the Internet, you can hear that the tubesessor creates a commercial-class sound. Unfortunately, Wa1b does not have this effect.
Please don’t let any hater effect your process or metal health
It’s tough and not easy, but there’s way too many people that love your content and have so much appreciation for what you do ❤
These are all 3 fantastic tools, especially in the hands of audio engineers like yourself and on these message boards.
It’s fascinating hearing them all with the same source material. I would geek out all day comparing them 😂
Excellent video!
I didn’t want to like the Warm Audio in last week’s video, but from the several videos I’ve seen now, it’s amazing value for the price and I’d have no problem adding one to my studio.
Cheers,
Quincy
Can we appreciate how beautiful these shots are
The video is so esthetically pleasing 👌❤️
Thanks so much!
I appreciate the detailed breakdowns always, never explain yourself to haters bro ‼️
Great content as always☺️either we like it or not, that WA-1B is just insane value for the money. My favourite is still the original though, but just by a hair….
Colt I am watching these videos in part to get your opinion, because you are a professional and an expert. Your opinion is part of what makes your channel so valuable. Please don’t stop giving your opinion on these A/B tests =)
I agree
Yooop... because you are there touching, handling, and hearing the lossless version, my guy. I totally agree with this statement.
Is it because Warm feels a little bit like the Behringer of outboard gear? I would like to know about the break up on the release time. I have a 33609 that does a very similar thing and I'm not really sure if it should. HA!
Great video, I changed my ming after trying the warm audio against a real CL1B, after two recordings of full vocal sessions, the warm adds colour and pumping, the low mids bump isn't great on the sony c800G, the CL1B kept it transparent and forward. The warm isn't bad but I returned it. Thanks for trying and comparing the tubesessor.
I returned warm too, and order Heritage
Great VDO man, thank you!. I feel like if people like the CL1B because of its transparency than the original definitely kills it. The Heritage has similar high end to the Tube Tech but adds low end almost like an LA-2A. The warm is my least favorite, the high end is a little harsh and it kinda adds this low mid bump that I would EQ out in the mix. Tube Tech all the way.
Great video man. Even though I think the original CL1A sounds smoother, I actually find heritage audio more interesting and vibey. I was never interested in that Tubesessor, but now I changed my mind.
Thanks for the comparison man! The tube Tec is still king. That warm audio one is so muffled and harsh in comparison… it’s especially evident in the vocal example.
I bought one based off your first video and the fact that I love Warm Audio gear.
Hope you enjoy it!
@@ColtCapperrune thank you. I’ve only used it on vocals but I do love it and I love your video.
So my question is how much non warm audio equipment do u have ? I feel with mostvits a budget thing get the tools u can afford type situation no hate I'm legit wondering and at 1200 why not
If Stam and Audioscape do a version of the CL1B may need to run this back in a couple years lol 😅
Pretty sure STAM already posted they have a prototype in the works
Facts! I have the stem audio sa800 version 2 and it sounds real close to the c800G
Hey Colt - no apology necessary, and we do want YOUR opinion. It matters. These are all great, but for a good home studio and for the money, you cannot go wrong with WARM. Stuff just sounds great and what a value. I'm all in on the WARM stuff because it fits my needs and budget and is still high quality!
Awesome vid Colt as always! Thanks for sharing.
The real ultimate shoot out would be Backwards Hat Colt vs. Hairdo Colt. 🤠
Damn… I’m sorry I have failed you… 😂😂
The whole music process is like peeling back an onion and theres obviously many layers from start to finish. So I think people are hanging on to their opinions too tightly and making quick conclusions off of these slight differences. If i had any of these compressors, I would be happy to utilize them appropriately and I would need time to work with them to see if it's making or breaking my mix. At the end of the day I like the Tube Saturation knob on the Heritage, Warm Audio is close enough and sounds great, and as a gear head I would love to have the CL1B. It's not complicated and it's fun to hear the differences.
There is something really special about the Heritage Tubesessor on Vocals. The classic setting was open in a way across the mids i didnt get from the others and that saturation knob is a great feature on it for the vox. Other than that the CL1A was great on the other items...that bass really shined on the Tube Tech it had a special presence. As for the Warm it did exactly like the name says...it had this lower end saturation that was very pleasing. They did a great job on this unit. But for me optical application on vocals would always trump others. So for me the tubesessor is the unit. Magic on vocals.
Excellent assessment, thanks for watching!
After listening. The WA-1B was thinner and had less weight. I feel like I could get a better sound for vocals with a Distressor.
Surprisingly, the Heritage held it’s on against the Tube Tech. Especially with the different settings.
@@dspoet1this was my assessment as well
@@dspoet1 well its all subjective... "better sound" is for the listener ...for me a 76 compressor into the tubesessor i believe will get me something that will be amazing for me. So much so, i am sold and i am definitely getting one to pair for my vocal chain. As for the WA-1B i dont hear the thinner and having less weight that you are. I am hearing less highs and more low mid bloom making it seem heavier. Maybe take a critical listen again and let me know if you have the same results. I will also on my end cause i find it interesting you came up with that result. Who knows maybe you might be right but i am not hearing that
@@dspoet1 by the way were you referring only to vocals or you meant thinner across the board cause I AM hearing what you are hearing on the vocals ... but as for the others not really...
I respect your opinions and I am very grateful. I thank you.
WOW this is SO very much appreciated. Thank you SO much this is so generous
Thanks for doing this! The Warm stuff is always cheap sounding to me. Nice for a small home studio, but not usable for commercial use….
I needed to see this!
Fact, I have disagreed with Colt many times and have made comments that he has politely responded to haha and I have obviously agreed and have learned a ton as well. That's kind of the beauty of recording/mixing is it's all subjective on how you do it as long as you like the end product.
Also, love all these Compressors genuinely no wrong answer here haha.
There is no reason for hate in these videus man..Subbed
This is the shootout I've been waiting for! Really happy with my Heritage 33609 clone, hoping they stand up well here.
The Tube Tech just has that brilliance as well as smoothness, nevertheless when mixed in the music one can’t tell, so they all sound great… awesome video, by the way Thank you for being a B&H customer, best
Great video Colt. Enjoy your content. I have a CL1-b so I guess im spoiled a bit and I do hear a difference, the Tubetech is a little more open in the tops and smoother. but that's the Tubetech 'thing' isn't it, its clean and 'glossy' to my ears and very smooth. really liked the Tubesessor as well, seems to have have more options. The Warm seems great for the money but it's not quite as open on the tops at the TT and is a little congested in the low mids. Having said all of that, I'd be happy to use any on most mixes, because the differences are pretty subtle and I don't hear anything a little EQ couldn't fix. also unless its a stripped back vocal/acoustic recording, I'd say 99% of people wold struggle to hear the difference in a mix.
So.....my thoughts would be - if you can afford a Tubetech then get it, it's still the best! but if you can't can't I really wouldn't feel short changed with either of the others. I'd probably go for the Heritage if I was shopping now....
Not sure how I feel about cloning a production device tho. non production stuff yes, go ahead and re-issue/clone it, but a device still in production? hhhmmmm....
Listening on Beyerdynamic's DT 900 PRO X, calibrated to the Harman curve (because I like it).
Overall:
- Heritage sounds less rounded and more focused on high mids, the transient information feels sharper. I felt this more on bass, I could hear the pick hitting the string more, and in snare I felt the transient jumped out more.
- CL1A sounds rounded, warmer imo (more presence of lower mids). I feel like it adds more weight than the Heritage and it rounds out the transient in a pleasant way.
- WA1B sounds pretty much spot on regarding the "roundness" of the transient I feel in the CL1A, and I want to say it's a little bit darker, but I might be splitting hairs honestly.
That's it for me! I'm glad that we can participate in these listening exercises with an open mind, sound is completely subjective because you will never be able to hear how the next person hears a sound in their head. Getting mad or frustrated based on an opinion is a clear indication that you could use some therapy to work that anger out and have happier days overall. I say this from personal experience, therapy is an awesome thing most adults should be investing in, if possible.
Thanks for the awesome content!
Nice to hear from someone who eq’s their headphone to the Harman target because they like it 👍🏼
I mix with eq to the Harman target also and use Canopener for crosstalk, use a separate dac and separate headphone amp to drive my Hifiman Sundara and I love it 😍
Warm Audio WA-1B owner here .. I'm loving the detented knobs. Nice touch. Not as versatile as my Fairchild 670 but then it didn't take me (electronics engineer) four years and a huge budget to get up and running! Thank you for posting this fine video Colt.
Just checked out your channel, only to not find content about your 670. Maybe a blog article with pictures instead...? :)
Great Video man! Thanks for taking the time!
Owned a CL1b for a home studio.Just playn with a high $$$ equipt. Was the fun side…turn THIS knob,turn THAT knob.So cool…
This is the one I’ve been waiting for.
I gotta say, the tube tech compressor is nice and smooth. Keeps the full compressed sound audible, I was quite impressed listening the the other two though, love the heritage options and def has a decently smooth comp arguably a teensy bit tighter, the warm audio loses some of that compressed audio but replaces that with really tight compression. For the price just go with whichever one you can afford and don’t look back.
The WARM WA-1B has more punch especially for the drums and bass separately and together. Thanks Colt ! As for the haters .... We know what they are all about, LOL!
The Cl1b is what it is without a doubt. The heritage definitely caught my attention very versatile. Warm ain't bad at all. Great content as usual 👏🏿 ✌🏾
Will using this compressor guarantee that my musical clients will have their songs played on big radio stations?
No. But more clients will be interested just for the fact od you having one of these
great video, they all sound goodI but that warm sounded best to my ears, thank you
I hear more compression pumping in the Warm, and more clean sound from the CL1A if that makes sense. The Heritage sounds super good too with the saturation on medium it sounded really full and beautiful. Thanks for the video!
I really wanted to like the Warm the most but the Tube Tech definitely has more depth to the low mid and bottom, keeps some more clarity in the rest of the spectrum and is smoother. The Warm isn't bad and for the price difference and availability so is a good alternative. The Heritage seems like a different beast all together, lots of cool options but the harshness and distortion on some material at certain settings isn't what I would associate with a CL1A/B at all.... Thanks for the vid!
Thanks Colt, for making sure i never buy anything but the most expensive one 🤣 The Tube Tech one sounds absolutely INSANE! Heritage is definitely a great one, but i gotta say i'm extremely disappointed by the Warm Audio version. I have a Warm Audio WA73-EQ Pre-amp which is really nice and their WA-47 mic which is incredible, but it seems their compressors sort of fall behind other clones.
Great video! :)
Yeah, the WA-1B video was good and showed how the low-mids are a little more prominent. I didn't like what it did with the upper-mids or the sibilance. Again, the Tube-Tech just sounds ready out-of-the-box, with upper-mids that are more present but not harsh. Maybe that's how the legends didn't need EQ....the high-end gear is already fine-tuned to our ears.
You wouldn't believe, but they did a much better job with the wa-1b than with any of their preamps. The warms 73 pres sound just harsh and cheap in comparison to any unit of better quality.
Thank you for this video Colt. So much value in it. Curious to try the Warm unit before my Eqp-Wa. That would help to attenuate the lowmid bump. What do you think?
I think a little bit of EQ would go a long ways to make the warm stand closer to the tube Tech!
Man I was hoping for a different outcome but the Tube-Tech is slaughtering the competition. Sonically smoother and more musical compression even at high settings.
Thanks for the video. While I understand your reasoning, my main reason for subscribing and watching your videos is because I want to hear your opinion. It is difficult to ascertain the nuances especially through a compressed medium like YT, so your experience and thoughts on each unit is important and respected. While I may not always agree, your unbiased opinion is your biggest asset.
IMO The Warm Audio WA-1B is very close to the Tubetech CL-1B. I feel that the Tubesessor is a bit dirtier although the compression characteristic may be similar it's hard to evaluate because of it's character.
I am tracking with CL1B and using the WA1B in the mix. WA1B sounds really good
😂😂😂
@@harpoleon6806 what’s funny🤷🏾♂️
That's like driving a Ferrari around the block but theN having a fiero for car shows 😅😅😅 just funny to me I'm surprised ud use both but hey whatever u like is what u like
@@harpoleon6806 when clients send me sessions to mix that I did not track the WA1B works perfect. It actually has more of a thicker sound than CL1B
I feel this. The WA adds a certain color that feels more like a useful effect than the coveted transparent compression of the CL1B, which as we know is great for tracking.
Colt, try the Heritage more in the mild setting. I think that matches the roundness of the original more accurately from what I was hearing. Awesome video!
The warm audio can work with if that's the option you are stuck with, it's clear but has less body than the cl1A, the Teusessor is the least attractive it sounds cloudy. The Classic CL1A is still the one to go with.
Awesome video colt! Off top you can definitely hear the difference the warm audio has, compared to the other two. What i heard from heritage was not quite as grabby, a little more smooth riding, but thinner. Tube tech had more character, but would react to the low end quickly. I wouldn’t mind having either one honestly.
i know im not super pro here but its hard to argue with the results on the warm given its price point. warm has really opened some doors for us guys that have a limited budget. i make a good living and can afford expensive stuff but its hard to justify since i dont do this for a living. as colt said hey if you dont like it, dont buy it. their are some industry professions i have seen who do use warm gear and like it. i personally am glad these guys are around without them it would be hard for me to have 1176, la2a and now this comp which i am getting soon. and i thank them for making gear at the awesome price point, with the quality that they do. and thanks for the reviews colt
Thanks for both videos! Can’t wrong with any of the units. While I consider the TT the best, for my $, the Warm is the clear winner. Great vid, as always!
any idea what type of tubes these units have? i remember changing from GrooveTubes to JJs in one of my guitar amps and it was like a totally different amp...different tone, different distortion character, just totally different...can't help but think something like that may be contributing to some of the sonic differences
I will be running that test very soon, be sure to follow on Instagram as I’ll be posting my results there!
Colt, the problem you had with the heritage earlier in the video could it be tied to that tube saturation knob? Maybe play with that knob when you have it at fast release? Just trying to help
It’s possible that it is a symptom of the additional saturation circuit in the box. Hard to say… But it does exhibit that character, while on the “classic” setting, which is supposed to be the cleanest… Very odd to me that it would exhibit that, but also that it would only be noticeable on acoustic guitar.
@@ColtCapperrune You never know there maybe a wire crossing ever so slightly. I love Audioscape when I got my A78 we had the same issue with the comp blend knob and I had to send it back and Chris solved the issue right away with a wire that somehow causing the issue where sound was passing through the output and input when the knobs where totally down and signal kept passing through on one of the channels. I love customer service from Audioscape. They were fast.
Nice comparison!
Thanks for taking the time to do this 😊
you are doing great Colt! Thank you!
Thank you 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
no fire storm but thank you this is very helpful. I do like the dirt in the heritage
Colt, first off, I've been watching you for the last couple years because you go out of your way to make comparisons legit. We don't pay attention to the bone headed comments, neither should you.
Okay watching this on my TV and listening via some decent Klipsch towers. The two things that jump out at me:
1. Upper mids seem to be "dampened?" if that's the right word, in the Heritage, while they're back in the Tube-Tech and Warm Audio.
2. I'm always impressed by Warm Audio gear and how close they can get to the original tone.
That tube tech for vocals is top tier... Great comparison.
I actually tested my Wa1b and it was so fantastic than I expected.
yes, the heavy compresssion with it doesn't sound that good, but when I use it carefully, like 3db compression or something, I was blown away. And I preffer the size of 2U unit to 3U, tbh.
Good vid Colt, it’s so darn hard to beat the original! If I had to pick one I’d say the Heritage sounds closest, but.. I’d like to see you use an eq in the sidechain circuit to see how that could impact sound using the Warm, and I kinda see why you didn’t, because is super extra.
I’ve got a Tubesessor also. That release behavior is strange for sure. Mine is usually smooth as butter on any setting. Other than that, great comparison. Makes me happy I went with the Tubesessor purchase. WA-1B not far behind for sure.
It’s very interesting how it is so dirty on the fastest release on acoustic guitar, but on vocals, it sounds incredible and I don’t notice any of that dirt on the same settings
@@ColtCapperrunei may be reaching, but I wonder if it’s the comp it’s self or if it’s pulling out the nuances of the dirt in the preamp? I find that on most comps I’ve used, if you set them right, the comp disappears and you hear the pre doing its thing.
Wa 1b just missed on vocals a little imo but really won on drums ha was 2nd to tt on vocals
My first impressions were that the heritage is brighter than the other 2 which is not really what i feel like is what most are looking for out of an opto.
The tube tech grabs the transients in the low end very nicely and most notable with the bass guitar. And the warm audio was the most transparent and less colored and i see you had get more gain reduction out of it to level match it with the others kinda making me wonder about maybe the ratios arent exactly the same from eachother. Tube tech wins for me and warm audio is 2nd.
Nice comparison. To my ears, the real deal sounds more open in the top and more transparent.
the warm sounds more muffled, but it seems to grab and release almost the same way though, I think it can be fixed with a high end lift going into it. Id love to hear an eq with a 3db boost on a signal at 5k, or a bit lower, going into the warm, vs the cl1a without that boost, raw, to see how the sound compares. Because the specs on the wa1b clearly states there is a cut in the frequency response between 5 and 25k and I think that might make for the discernible difference. Even if warm could nail the sound at a lower price point, they could get a copyright infringement case against them for completely copying their competitor's IP. They would have to make it sound slightly different to make sure they can't be held liable for that. I am almost certain a little high end boost on a signal going into it would bring it to if not a completely undistinguishable, it would be almost unnoticeable in comparison. I think it has almost the same characteristics, transient wise, but just the tone is different.
thanks, I would be glad to. I do not have telegram, are they other means to communicate with you please?
The Tube-Tech is so insane. Wonderful compression without sounding compressed. The warm audio for the price point is super cool, still can hear the compression a bit more than the TUBE, without the same high end as the Tubetech
I've had the tubesessor for a few months and am very happy with it for my vocal recordings, but I have to say that I liked the original tube tech best in each of your sound samples! If anyone here wants to swap a CL1B with my tubesessor, let me know :)
Thanks for the comparison!
They all sound good and very usable to me
Here we go!
But the real question is, in the voice of Heath ledgers joker? Or Bruce buffer? 😜😂
@@ColtCapperrune Definitely the Joker 🤡
I preferred the Tubetech all round. So smooth and transparent. I didn't mind the Heritage on vocals. Nice tube sound and some saturation going on.
I won't comment on the Warm.
Excellent video.
Would love to see a shoot out of your Tube-Tech LCA 2B vs Warm Audio WA-1B on Vocals !
Tube-tech got the sound right, Heritage got the looks right and Warm got the price right. We might need them all. 😂
Facts
no 1 could have said it any better :)
What is the audio encoding for UA-cam video ? 128kb MP3 ? I mean, it's always funny to try to compare very high end hardware with so slight difference inside very bad audio MP3. But I pay tribute to your great intentions to try to do it. 😆
I’m curious if others noticed this too listening to the examples on phone speakers. On the bass guitar example, the bass guitar disappears against the drums on the heritage unit. On the OG and the Warm it’s clanky and present and I never lose it. So from a translation perspective I found that really interesting.
Bass. Guitar is the one source I actually prefer the warm, Audio, and I thought the OG was my least favorite. By no means bad, still incredible, but my least favorite on bass guitar nonetheless.
This was great, thanks man. Would be awesome if you could also add in a plug-in comparison. I’m a longtime musician, just getting into building out a home studio, but I assume UA has a tube tech emulation
PS watched that video on your CAPI preamp..might have to be one of the first pieces of gear that I buy, super versatile and sounds unreal. Well done
Thanks so much!
I did do some comparisons off camera, the plug-in is great, unfortunately, plug-ins fall apart faster than the hardware when pushing them hard. So you can compress something much harder with the hardware and still retain integrity. Hope that makes sense!
The Tube Tech is creamy love for sure the others are no better than the UA plug-in really. The SC filter is super cool on the Heritage. Been saving for a TT CL1B for awhile and will keep using the UAD plug until I can afford the real deal TT.
What a fun comparison. My take listening on my studio monitors: The Original Tube Tech seemed to let more of the upper midrange of the bass guitar come through while holding the performance in place. I would choose that for bass. I actually really liked the response of the heritage "de-ess" on the vocal - and could really see how useful that option is on different sources.
The Warm bottoms out in the low mids on every source. The Heritage is super versatile with the extra settings but still not as smooth as the TubeTech. I thought that the heritage got better when you messed with the side chain controls, and the harmonic tube saturation settings made it incredibly interesting. Those features alone make it much more versatile than the tube tech but the tube tech is still the tube tech and it is spectacular without those features. I would never consider owning the Warm, but the added features on the heritage at that price point, make it incredibly intriguing if I was going to buy a clone. I would love to own a CL1B at some point but for the time being I’m using 1176 into LA2a hardware as my main chain. But the Heritage Would be an incredibly personable interim step before purchasing a CL1B. For the record I’m monitoring through a Neve mixer on Genelec monitors….that prob makes a big difference on the detail I’m hearing versus some of the other commenters.
I watched the other video shootout between the Warm and the Tubetech and I really struggled to hear any real major differences that could cause blood to be spilt!?!
Normally I tend to scroll down to the comments section so I can not see the vid and am blind to the Logos of the units and using ears only.
Real test is can you make good music sound better with the units?
Answer = yes, which means everyone is a winner and it just depends how much you want to fork out for that miniscule % difference in quality.
Did not expect it, but the heritage audio sounded sooooo much better to my ears. Cheers for the video mate and ignore the haters. ❤
Liked the Heritage alot more than I thought I would. Worked with a CL1B for YEARS on vocals. I did like the CL1A on the bass guitar better but tbh both sound great at least through the youtube compression algo. The warm is a little more bland but still not bad.
I've been waiting for this one. I wish Heritage would have gotten the iconic blue the same. Warm did a good job with that.
Nice video my man! could you do a video on reverb and delay techniques?
tube tech cl1b sounds natural and punchy but also creamy i love original cl1b best
Tim Galloway uses the Cl1b for all acoustics at his home studio and he's ACM acoustic guitarist of year, look at how many hit songs he playing on now. No wonder why he uses, it puts smooth butter on those transients and over just sounds amazing.
I really wanted to know your opinion, you are a experience engineer an your opinion is very valuable for a junior engineer like me. I don't have the chance o trying these pieces of gear by myself and sometimes what I hear through you tube may not be what your hearing live! so please, you really need to provide your opinion without caring other people opinions, it's your right to state your opinion!
I know I’m a bit late but appreciated the video. You definitely help me make up my mind. And earned a sub!
The Tube-Tech is really in a class of its own
It's almost like the people setting the prices knew exactly what they have. Hehehe We're not the first ones to scrutinize it... But who really ARE the people with the trusted opinion that manufacturers trust?
Wooo this should be fun, I make it work with my Softube plugin, imagine any one of these units…
Thanks CC
About the distorsion that the Heritage has...
When listening to the first example (snare) I already noticed that the release time is faster than in the TubeTech and the WarmAudio. When you get a very fast release time it produces this kind of saturation. Could it be just that? That explains that it gets cleaner when you slow it down a bit.
By the way, I love that fast release for so many things, so my choice would be the Heritage! :)
The WA sounds like it's pumping a bit more than it should. Still an amazing deal. I wonder how close it is with a sidechain insert...
god what mic did you use on that girls vocal? a 251!!!? it sounds great with all of them, i have the tube tech and the warm audio and the tube tech is a bit more modern and polished sounding