Warm Audio WA-1B vs Tube Tech CL-1B: Bargain Big Budget Sound?

🔊 Warm Audio WA-1B vs Tube Tech CL-1B: Bargain Big Budget Sound? 🔊

Welcome to our latest audio gear face-off from Pro Audio Boutique! In this video, we're putting the legendary Tube Tech CL-1B head-to-head with the affordable Warm Audio WA-1B compressor to see which one reigns supreme. If you've ever wondered whether investing in high-end audio gear is worth it or if budget-friendly options can deliver comparable results, this is the showdown you won't want to miss!

🤑 Price-conscious audiophiles, rejoice! We're diving deep into the world of audio compression to test whether the Tube Tech CL-1B's premium price tag truly translates into superior sound quality compared to the wallet-friendly WA-1B. Is the Tube Tech worth the splurge, or does the WA-1B offer a budget-friendly path to audio excellence? Our extensive testing and audio comparisons will reveal the truth!

In this video, you can expect:
🎧 In-depth feature comparisons between the Tube Tech CL-1B and the Warm Audio WA-1B.
🔊 Side-by-side audio demonstrations to showcase their performance differences.
💰 Insights into the value proposition: is the extra cost of the Tube Tech justified?
📈 Real-world scenarios to help you make an informed decision when choosing your audio equipment.

Whether you're a professional audio engineer or a music enthusiast looking to level up your studio, this video is your guide to making the right choice for your needs and budget.

If you're as excited as we are to discover which compressor comes out on top, hit that "Subscribe" button, turn on notifications, and give us a thumbs up! Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments - we love hearing from the audio community.

🎯 Stay tuned, stay informed, and let's find out once and for all if you should go premium with Tube Tech or opt for Warm Audio's budget-friendly option! 🎯

#TubeTech #warmaudio #audiogear #compressor #proaudio #AudioComparison #audioengineering #soundquality #musicproduction

[dspoet]

I’m pretty sure that some company will offer a mod for the wa1b to make it sound closer to the original. Ima get it.

[jamescassidy]

Only thing I would have done is dial in the Attack/Release on one of the units, to be closer to the other one. Seems like obviously having them at the same settings, it still differs quite a bit. The Release was faster on the CL1B, and the Attack was faster/more grabby on the Warm at the same settings.

[pastilance]

Great review and comparison mate, thanks for doing this!

[NewJourney]

This comp sounds good!!! I wish they didn’t advertise this as a clone 😢 I think it would do great on its own.

The comparisons hurt it more than it helps.

*Side note* wonder if anyone’s tried swapping out the tubes (telefunken maybe) in attempt to open it up a bit on the top end..that would be cool to hear

[revolvstudios]

Thanks for posting. IMO, there is a pretty big gap in performance, especially in the highs and upper mids. Yes, some low end is lacking on the Warm, but the Mids and Upper mids are critical for getting a track to sit in a mix. The CL1B, does a much better job smoothing out any harshness in the mids and upper mids, while keeping the good transients. This is really noticeable in the male vocal track, there is an unpleasant upper harmonic poking out with the Warm, that the Tube-Tech got rid of, while retaining the good transients. Suprising because Warm can usually get much closer than this.

[ktreier]

I feel the WA-1B adds a slight amount of coloration to the high mids? But it works for my studio use.

[mainlymusicman]

the tube tech was squashing the transients more on the male vocal. seems like you needed to set a faster attack on the warm audio

[quiettimes]

Warm 1B is a really good compressor. Not sure it should be a clone, it could stand on its own.

[StopchangingMyHandlePunk]

ok ive been bashing the warm but i think combined with the clariphonic eq it would work...in its raw form it kinda feels boxy and pushed in mids...not really true to the source.

[yayaegberongbe]

Thanks for doing this. I'm getting one!

[Kellow]

Great review, I've always been sceptical about Warm audio but they did good for their take on the CL1B, both transparent, but lacks a bit of low end, nothing bad though.

[powerfulriches]

Thanks for the review. I still want to hear more.

[johnnybregar]

Nice board - I have one too. Love mine.

[mufakkas]

Warm Audio WA-1B for bass and Tube Tech CL-1B for vocals. Both sound fine, but have some also non wanted artifacts.

[Doctaj]

Thanks for the Wav file download link!!

[MiguelNoyola]

Warm audio made a good compressor but not going to revival the CL1B

[nicefish]

The Warm would be a bargain if it was $500. If you’re going to spend less than $1500 on a compressor, you should just buy a Distressor. The compression on the warm audio device always sounds like the attack is an out of control logarithmic setting, which it shouldn’t. On every video I’ve seen demoing this clone ad about fiveDB of game reduction the low mids go to crap

[NaviiDavii]

I actually have a question, who actually listens to music in mono that’s patronizing music? Just asking because at the foreseeable moment I own both units and not a single client can tell the difference between units.

I think both do have different applications because of how the transient response is but it’s interesting to hear perspectives of everyone hearing it isolated in mono but in a mix will you be able to spot this price of gear. By the time this stuff hits the post it will be impossible to tell tbh.

I’m just curious what the point of complaining about a unit that ultimately dosent sound as harsh as certain songs on the billboard charts.

[kdsz]

Awesome,
but next time lookout and try to adjust things with your ears too, as you’ve missed the attack settings on wa.

[HalfJoked]

Thanks for the comparison. To be honest, I feel like I could get better results than the Warm with the Softube CL-1B + some analog modeling tricks.