The Warm Audio WA251 vs Vintage Telefunken ELAM 251 vs AKG C24 vs Microphone Parts 12-251 SHOOTOUT

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This is a review of the Warm Audio WA-251 Tube condenser microphone.
It also features an A-B Test with a Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251, a AKG C24 and a Micparts 12-251.
You can buy the WA251 at Sweetwater or Thomann:
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Many thanks to:
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* Willem-Alexander Langlet for the Micparts 12-251
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Hi, I'm Peter Claes, and welcome to my Masterclaes® Channel.
This RU-vid channel is designed to improve your knowledge about sound and help you make better mixes.
I specialise in sharing my knowledge gathered in the 30 years of experience in live sound and studio work.
Artists I have worked for are: Arsenal, Hooverponic, Axelle Red, The Simple Minds,The Human League, CPeX, Milk Inc Live, The Night of the Proms, Millionaire, The Sore Losers and many more. In the past 25 years I have shared my knowledge through my Masterclaes® program.
Video's published on this channel are about mixing in the box, working with the band, microphones, Mixing desks, Rig Rundowns of my studio, Product reviews and much more !
On this channel I also make fun and entertaining mixing content based on crazy and sometimes “gimmicky” equipment. I like to cut through the marketing hype about products and I like to give you the honest truth about audio equipment.
If you enjoy the channel make sure you hit subscribe and also tap the notification bell so that you are always notified when I release a new video.

Опубликовано:

29 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 395

@richardroskell3452 3 года назад

Peter, I absolutely love your comparisons of vintage gear to modern clones. Those of us who can’t afford vintage are forever in your debt. ❤️

@richardroskell3452 3 года назад

It's your PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS of the equipment that makes your reviews so useful, Peter. Most shootout videos only provide audio samples with no commentary, which given all the variables involved in recording, conversion, soundstreaming and playback makes it difficult for the listener to accurately judge. You tell us what you're hearing at the source, and that's really helpful.

@sunilsinghkushwaha9102 3 года назад

@@richardroskell3452 Gffgggdgdggdfdgfgggffff episodeff i hindi fulln u

@IAMZCOTTIE 3 года назад

Select the 2 channels and then shift + S to switch between solo channels. 🔥

@artysanmobile 3 года назад

The vintage ELAM sounds ‘silky’ for lack of another word, which the WA version completely lacks. It sounds like a dip in the mids centered about 2k and it’s very flattering on the guitar. Ironically, the Warm Audio ELAM is anything but warm, kinda nasally by comparison to the vintage, a sound I’d rather not have to undo. The vintage might be a bit forward at the low end, but I find that so much easier to EQ out if it doesn’t work. Btw, beautiful guitar playing.

@lukeGGlee 8 месяцев назад

To be fair it is the cheapest of them all…that said for price and wuality the Micparts 251 wins it for me

@donaldrowe8460 3 года назад

AKG on this singer . It's resonance seemed to work for this singers register . The ELAM sounded good too, but for me it was just a little too "big"(matter of taste). The Microphone Parts wasn't bad . The WA was congested and a bit "slow". I didn't care for the guitar (just not my cup 'o tea) sonically. I listened with Sennheiser headphones. Very nice comparison ! I enjoyed it !

@gordongurley3982 3 года назад

The Mic Parts V 251 is supposedly the more accurate 251 clone. I wonder how it compares to your Elam. This is a great test though. And your vintage mics sound amazing. I mixed some vocals recently that were recorded on a WA251 and I felt the exact same way about the tracks: a hard midrange and harsh top. I had to roll off highs and use Soothe to soften the middle. Btw, maybe the lyrics should have mentioned a milkshake instead of a chocolate bar? 😂

@davidchavez657 3 года назад

Considering cost, the lower priced ones could be said to have a way bigger value to cost. The Warm was poorest with the guitar but considering a used one goes for $700 USD with power supply... I think I could make it work.

@jonos138 Месяц назад

Elam 251 sounds the best. No competition. Has that warm wrap around bottom end with not too bright high end that all the others lack. The vintage Elam is out of my price range, but I wouldn't buy the other ptetenders either. I would test out other mics like the AKG and Austrian oc818 or similer, that have nice bottom end and smoother top end. The problem with some of the clone or pretender mics is, they very often push the price up because they are pretending to be in the same ball park as the vintage, and they are not at all. Where if you buy a mic with similer sound that isn't pretending to be any particular mic, they can be good at a reasonable price imo.

@jeffboyd7719 3 года назад

Really enjoy your videos and your studio is incredible. Great source of information. Your close up videos shots are out of focus though.

@GewoonTeike 2 года назад

I recorded vocals once with a real ELAM251. Brought by one of the other engineers. When the vocalist was standing about 1 meter from the mic and rehearsing I looked at the other engineer with suprise. It sounded like the vocalist stoot right in front of the microphone!

@MasterclaesVideos 2 года назад

It is a mic that doesn’t sound like one… True…

@PeteEdmunds Год назад

That was my take on it as well, Peter. I felt like The vocalist was standing and singing to my ear directly with the ELAM251. Such an incredible sound and far above the other three.

@chriszitta 3 года назад

thank you good job. ill ring the bell

@gracefaith3772 2 года назад

Hi, can you do Alctron T190 tube mic comparison? Thx.

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Hi, i could do that comparing C12’s! But they don’t have a distributor in Europe. Can you help?

@sanxulian7714 2 года назад

nice review

@raccoonsoundproductions7858 3 года назад

great shootout! What I noticed the most on the warm audio, the S's it was like they were eq'ed out and lacking some low end. WA251: nice tube mic but not a 251 style. I've put the charts next to each-other and it shows what I heard. PS. they totally don't look alike not even to a C12.

@halcyo 3 года назад

The Warm has so much more sssss, shshshshs, shhhh going on than the others. That cheaper sounding high end and the lows are a bit anemic. All of the other three sound great. Given the price, the Microphone Parts mic is probably the winner.

@aziminejad 3 года назад

You kill Warm Audio man !

@MasterclaesVideos 3 года назад

🤷‍♂️

@KevinWale 2 года назад

I guess my 2 cents would be that the Warm is definitely a very fine sounding microphone. It's pretty amazing what can be done for very little money these days. It's one of those, if you can't get a good vocal take with it, the mic isn't your problem, kind of things. That being said, the real 251 is on a different time space continuum. NONE of those mics were in its league really to me. But, would I ever miss it having not heard it, or just not having that much money? No. The point of these things is education, and that's what you do so very well. This is my first time seeing one of your videos, and I learned a lot. I thought I knew about mics, but.... I clearly don't. I appreciate that you mention the aspect that they are really all very usable because people need to make music, not sniff corks. You show that claims of being exact are just marketing talk, but claims of being super nice, are very true. I actually think my Lewitt LTC840 is probably more similar to a 251 than the Warm is. But the Lewitt is also very U47 and U67 like too... It's not any of them, but it's built on the legacy of all 3. I think that's a more interesting way for people to go, because they aren't trying to clone, but they're trying to see what can be done. Can you have the best parts of all 3 mics? I don't know... maybe. Maybe where it's different is just that, different. I'm curious. What do you think of the current run that Telefunken is selling?

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Hi, thank you for your nice feedback! I think Telefunken is doing a great job recreating the originals, I heard stories of users who compared a vintage 251 with a new one and they were impressed. But on the other hand, if you put a few of them together you will hear a different sound on each of them… As you said, the 251 is in a different league, and IMHO every mic that is equiped with an AC701 is in that same league… it is the tube that makes the sound. So as long as nobody uses an AC701, nithing will ever compare…

@mattbridges8908 3 года назад

I don't understand why it's 2021 and we still can't seem to replicate the beauty of these vintage mics... Warm Audio stuff always sounds Good... but not one of their clones actually nails the intended sound. Why? WHYYYYY? I'm not one to be taken in by vintage hype but I've listened to so many comparisons. C12 and 251 and even the old sen 421s sounded better than the new ones... Why have we gotten worse at making microphones... I know they're more consistent now but my ears don't lie... the old ones really do have something special that the clones and reissues are lacking... Is it just another example of capitalism whittling away at wages and swapping parts for cheaper and cheaper ones until there is nothing left of the original design or quality? Also why is the history of microphone companies so convoluted? Telefunken apparently used to make THE best microphones, except that they were actually made by neumann until tele dumped them for AKG... What is going on? I can't even remember my own name now. Anyway cool video, thanks for your time.

@RiotHomeRecording 3 года назад

I can answer this question as I have shot out many many original classics against clones. The old ones are not mass produced and made by specialist that really cared for their craft. But wait it goes beyond that. The vintage ones used better Raw materials as now they’re using recycled core steels and cheaper electronics. Yes today’s tolerances are tighter on resistors and capacitors but that obviously does not equal a better sound. The EPA has a lot to do with it as even the laminations used in the transformers are cleaner then the old ones, this affects the sound. I have videos up here on RU-vid shooting out vintage pultecs and 1176’s and the results are clear. Don’t get me wrong I own a Flea 47 which is a clone of an original U47. I’ve shot that out against 3 vintage U47’s 2 long bodies and one short body all with the original VF-14 Tube. The vintage ones sounded approximately 5-12% better in my opinion. Although I love my Flea 47 and won’t part with it. I know the truth. This is my opinion on the subject. I’m just a home studio guy that records and mixes bands.

@ndavies8 2 года назад

@@RiotHomeRecording spot on. I don't think anyone should expect getting a completely identical sound; it's simply not possible as you pointed out. Even if it were possible ; mass producing will simply not be feasible. Guys like warm audio get us 75-80% of the way and I think a great mic pre will take you further

@artysanmobile 3 года назад

C24 is such a brilliant microphone, by far my fave piano mic. With lid full up, placing the mic halfway between the lid edge and the piano body edge, centered above the strings about 30” distant, is a delicious sound with nothing but a touch of low ratio compression. I used one on a Monte Alexander recording where that non-EQ’d track became my bedrock track, with everything mixed around it. Such a pleasure.

@DjGoasoul 3 года назад

I am a mix engineer from Greece. Now you are my teacher. The way you explain without talking the time you make the demo it is just brilliant. God bless you.

@G_handle 3 года назад

Thank you! Once again Microphone Parts holds its own as "belonging to the family".

@roscoenyc 3 года назад

Excellent video. After trying one I bought a WA 251 over a year ago. I didn't have an ELAM 251 to compare but I really enjoyed singing through the mic. For me it gave a sort of 'focus' that was a positive. So much of this is subjective. If a singer likes what they hear when they are singing sometimes the "best" microphone may not be "the one" to get the best performance out of them. Thanks again.

@oompapompaa6543 3 года назад

Valuable input

@pdmcrew80 3 года назад

I did the comparison with my eyes closed and my pockets really liked my taste, Mic Parts won booth guitar and vocals, and W.A second on guitar and third on vocals, so, if I had those mics I´d sell the Elam and the AKG and buy a pair of MP and WA and keep the rest of the money, because the price diference does not come close to justify the sound diference. Keep up the good job.

@nicefish10 3 года назад

Am I the only one that gets nervous every time he stands those expensive microphones up on their end? I keep expecting to see a very expensive domino effect…

@MasterclaesVideos 3 года назад

It’s a calculated risk 😂

@JonManness 3 года назад

Awesome comparison! The ELAM 251 is so crispy and captures every single transient. Personally, I would want to smear it with a tube compressor or tape emulation just to smooth it out a little. The C24 was like butter and naturally softened the transients enough to make it more pleasing to listen to. Micparts and Warm are fine but aren't giving the same vibe of the OG mics. You da man, Peter!

@daniel_belongs_to_christ Год назад

ELAM 13:50 C24 15:11 MICRO PARTS DIY 16:33 WARM 17:55 SECOND QUICKER COMPARISON BETWEEEN THE ELAM251 ELAM 22:00 C24 22:22 MICRO PART DIY 23:07 WARM 23:55 VOCAL COMPARISON ELAM 24:57 C24 26:00 MICRO PARTS 27:04 WARM 28:07

@MasterclaesVideos 11 месяцев назад

Thank you for the time stamps!

@MrKarimsherif84 3 года назад

Thanks Peter , that was really to the point 👍👍 It would be so nice to see your comparison and opinion about modeling microphones like the townsend sphere L22 , Slate VMS ,Antelope Again thanks for the great effort

@dwarrenharewood 3 года назад

Thank you for this comparison. I will never own a $5,000 - 10,000 microphone. I do have two WA-251’s and this comparison provides the knowledge of when, what, where, and how I should use them. I also modified the tube and the capsule. They sound wonderful.

@radiotvgod 3 года назад

What tube did you end up using?

@tracyeaves4847 6 месяцев назад

you will do just fine with WA mic

@Kirstin99 3 года назад

The original ELAM 251 is the best mic on this planet!

@DMKahn 3 года назад

Awesome comparison. Would be cool to have a frequency meter going during the comparisons, so we could also get a visual represenation of the frequencies being recorded. Cheers!

@mickeyv8492 6 месяцев назад

Boy you can feel your passion ! I think Elvis could knock out a hit on the wa 251 equally to the elam but if i was doing the kInGs moves i would be lest concerned dropping the WARM!

@MasterclaesVideos 6 месяцев назад

Thank you! Indeed, anybody could score a hit with an inferior mic, but if the singer is inspired by a nice tone of his voice he’s hearing, he could put more emotion into it. And isn’t music about emotion? Thanks for the comment! What is your favorite?

@berkeleybernie 3 года назад

Was surprised at how thin the WA251 sounded, though a better tube might open it up. But my favorite was the Microphone Parts 12-251. Nice presence without harshness. I can see how the ELAM 251 would be good with a female vocal by taming some of the high end while rounding out the chest voice. But for a male vocal, it's a bit too woofy, would need to apply more EQ than the Mic Parts to get it to shine.

@KenLasaine 3 года назад

Man, that was really informative. I love all the history and detail you go into when you do these reviews and shootouts. Thank you!

@russmadeira 3 года назад

Great job on this comparison video Peter! I was just about to get the WA-251 but now I'm looking at the Mic Parts. Thanks!

@legacyShredder1 3 года назад

It's still a good mic regardless of how close or different it is compared to the original.

@eugensagel9088 3 года назад

Hi Peter, finally someone who speaks clear language! There aren't many clones that can get hold of the original! Very good comparison!!!

@stephenlepage 2 года назад

0:00 Unboxing 2:10 components comparison 3:07 history 11:39 Sound comparison setup 13:49 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 15:12 AKG C24 16:34 Micparts 12-251 17:57 Warm Audio WA-251 (reaction when it switched to this) 19:18 review 21:59 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 22:22 AKG C24 22:44 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 23:06 Micparts 12-251 23:28 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 23:56 Warm Audio WA-251 24:30 Vocal comparisons 25:58 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 26:01 AKG C24 27:03 Micparts 12-251 28:07 Warm Audio WA-251 29:12 review 31:00 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 31:19 AKG C24 31:38 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 31:58 Micparts 12-251 32:16 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 32:34 Warm Audio WA-251 32:54 Vintage Telefunken ELAM-251 33:15 review

@JanTitlbachmusic 3 года назад

Great to see another improvement of your videos with multiple cameras! I died at 17:58 haha. Good stuff as always mate!

@a7recordingstudio 3 года назад

Can't stop laughing... Awesome review BTW...

@Organplayer1947 Год назад

Micparts V-251 tube mic is a more authentic copy of the 251 circuit. For 800 bones you won't be sorry.

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Hey Dave, thanks for the comment! To be honest I contacted MP after the test and they don’t want to be referenced to the original design, they say it is their take and not a copy. 😉

@djboriginal 3 года назад

Sorry guys, I just don't hear $10,000+ worth of difference between the ELAM 251 and the other mics. They all sound great to my ears.

@luccuerrier7452 3 года назад

Excellent review, and as always I'm impressed with the seriousness of the tests. I love your non-verbal cues when we're listening to the different mics, I totally got what you were saying and I appreciate it!

@chuckschaible5410 Год назад

PETER, Love your talent, MIND BENDING knowledge, abilities, WOW...I have a couple of Large diaphragm MICS from golden age project, FC 1, AND FC 3, also ribbon MICS... would Love to see you compare/Contast THESE Great sounding, at least from My limited frame of reference, break THEM Down, put them thru THEIR pace's, RIP THEM apart top to bottom, Good or bad, to get your opinion on weather THESE are CRAP, Good, great, AND everything in between .. THANX

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Hi Chuck, thanks for the reply. I should do such a test, but first I need time as that would be a very extensive video. Making a “normal” video takes me a week…

@HalSamuel 2 года назад

Warm Audio the clear winner here. As a favour, I’ll take those dusty old originals off your hands if you’re looking to get rid of them.

@sKarredtoon 2 года назад

🤣🤣🤣

@michaelasnot3689 3 года назад

Thank you for letting me test these microphones with you! I’d be happy with either one of the microphones, though to my ear the vintage Telefunken takes the cake.

@NoCoverCharge 3 года назад

Dude you killed it ... nice like the song

@ryanudairam2002 2 года назад

What is the song you sang on this? It sounds great!

@droppingknowledge8259 2 года назад

@@ryanudairam2002 Thanks! It's called 'Old Ford Truck'. It's on my latest album called 'Episodes'. You can find it wherever you stream your music!

@ryanudairam2002 2 года назад

@@droppingknowledge8259 I love the production on this. Did Peter Claes handle all the mixing on this? It's really nice! :D

@bobbyarthur-yf3yf 7 месяцев назад

24 costs what 35 grand and the wa 251 is 800 bucks ? … that would be a major factor but thank you this was a fabulous pro shoot out and taught me a lot about all these mics .. ❤

@MasterclaesVideos 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for the nice comment! If money was not the issue, which one would you buy?

@bobbyarthur-yf3yf 6 месяцев назад

@@MasterclaesVideos haha well if money was no issue I’d buy all 😀 but the c24 would have to be on the list simply for bragging rights 😉✨✨✨

@felipousismix 3 года назад

The ELA by far, the MP getting very close, the AKG is different, but the Warm....well...

@pHiLKizer Год назад

The Mic Parts 12-251 is the clear winner, even over the Telefunken ELAM 251 itself. There was as top end that was not present in any other mic. It also did not contain the boominess that the Warm Audio WA-251and AKG C24 mics had. For these modern times, the well rounded sound on top of the crisp top end of the MP 12-251 is the way to go, DIY or not.

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Hi Phil, thanks for the comment. If you would have to rate them in a top 4, how would that look?

@berndhoecke8493 2 месяца назад

I think with the acoustic guitar the mic placement was kind of an influence. I'd argue the ELAM was just at the sweet spot and the other microphones sounded just as you would expect from that little difference in position: The C24 - a little thinner, more wood - because slightly more from above The MP12 - a little more mud - because closer to the sound hole The WA251 - less body and more annoying strum noise - because slightly more towards the fret board Also I think on vocals the ELAM was the best at dealing with the room acoustics. On the WA251 I was the most distracted by how your room was responding to the singer. Hot take: if you combine the ELAM with a Neve 73, you might come close to the sound of the C24.. :)

@crimsonmorrow700 Год назад

quick tip: if you want your camera to focus on what you are showing it up close - hide your face with your other hand or with what you showing it, that way its gonna stop focusing on your face and will switch over to whats up close to it.

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

At that time it was all new to me 😅

@crimsonmorrow700 Год назад

@@MasterclaesVideos nah, u goood. Thank u for such a great comparison! Awesomr vid! 😊💜

@billesposito2112 3 месяца назад

Nobody does better comparisons than you your subtle humor makes these so much more enjoyable to watch. 😄 I listened again with my headphones sounds a lot different than on my monitors and I have the Arc system from IK Multimedia on my monitors. Listened on my Focals, the ELAM is definitely the winner the C24 next and I like the MP the WA sounds a bit harsh but with a little EQ I think it would work. I didnt like it on the acoustic but I really think if the WA was positioned closer to the body it would be better. Again I think with eq it could be a good sounding mic. We are talking roughly an 11 thousand dollar difference .You convinced me to buy the WA67 for my vocals. They got a LOT closer with that one. But I agree, why so shiny? I'd love to hear some of your finished projects. Your have some beautiful hardware my friend. . Thanks for the info.

@henrycheng542 3 года назад

Okay I was inspired by this video and built my own MP mic. I noticed on this video, there is an optional capacitor that was not installed on board B (back side). According to support at MP, without the supplied cap the mic sounds like the C12, with the supplied cap it will sound more like the ELAM 251. The cap is basically a gentle low pass that will give the mic more body due to slightly attenuated top end. It would be awesome if this test can be performed again where we can compare the ELAM with MP with 150pF cap installed at C10 on board B. I would like to get the ELAM sound without spending the 10K HAHA!

@MasterclaesVideos 3 года назад

Sure! Can you Paypal me 500€ so I can pay the musician? And that does not include the 3 days of editing... HAHAHA!!!

@henrycheng542 3 года назад

@@MasterclaesVideos AHHHH HHAAHAHA! No... I'd build another microphone for that instead. Thanks for the video Peter!

@Fl4ppers 2 месяца назад

Are there any spectrograms comparing these mics that you've made? Would love to see how the WA compares there tbh, as I couldnt hear what you were describing (might be a language thing)... I got what you said about the '24, that thing is amazing.

@EthosAtheos 2 года назад

Thank you for taking the time to put this video together. My 2 cents, worth less than 1 cent are. The WA and the Mic parts both sound better to me for the guitar. The Mic parts sounds the best by far on the guitar. The WA is over bright but that can be fixed in post. I am spoiled by a very quiet hifi and the noise floor of the other 2. Was like listening to a 60s radio show. There was so much noise that even my tube setup is quieter than the mic noise floor. The ELAM also had a boom or honking in the lower end. That made the instrument sound cheap and artificial. The Mic parts sounds so much cleaner than the AKG or the ELAM. In the silence gaps you can hear the guitar playback clear and clean on the Mic Parts. To me the Mic Parts just crushed all the others. In accuracy, sensitivity and representation of picked up sound. The WA is to bright and silibent it just fell apart with the sizzle of the essssss. You might be able to process it but it isn't what I would reach for it if I had the Mic parts mic. Both the AKG and the ELAM sounded like a classic mic. But that isn't a good thing to me. The AKG was less boomy with the vocals. The ELAM sounded better on the guitar than the AKG. But they both didn't have a tight sound. I get if you want to use the mic as an instrument and get a "classic sound" of the mic, I totally understand. However compared to the Mic parts mic they both sounded old and imprecise. The ELAM's big resonance hump in the lower range of his voice, that you seem to love. Sounds tubby and unnatural on all my gear. Guess my next mic will be a DIY one :/ ug.. Please keep making these awesome videos. They are very illuminating.

@mrlucky793 2 месяца назад

The elam 251 is the best. Warm audio is decent but would need some extra effort to make it similar. I'm listening on good sennheiser headphones with an audio amplifier so it's very clear.

@karvn1148 3 года назад

great video. would love to see an 1176 comparison with analog vs other plugin companies!! :D

@HoneyWindbutton Год назад

That’s how you do a gear comparison

@lukebaker123 3 года назад

Great video! just remember the Mic Parts is actually more based on the C12. They have a V-251 which is their exact 251. You can buy them pre built as well and the 12-251 kit is named the V-12. Beautiful sounding mic!

@jj-hb8cy 3 года назад

The real question is how do "you spill a chocolate bar?"

@RB747domme 2 года назад

251 on guitar every time. It's in a different point in time and space. But, surprisingly, the C24 I think sounds loveliest on vocals. It's got that kind of Chris Martin warmth, and closeness, that you get with Coldplay. It's beautiful. The fact that it gets this close to the Godfather is testement to the design. The MP is kind of nice on guitars, but it sounds a little middly for me. Although not in the same league as the 251 on vocals, the mic still does well. I see what you mean about the Warm being quiet. Certainly the most quiet of the mics on the vocal takes. But I have to agree, having a real presence rolloff on the top and bottom, and that nasty middletown mids character assassination which just comes in and ruins everything. Is it something you could EQ in or out? Not really. It's one of those occasions when you really can't fix it in the mix.

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Indeed, there is now way to create depth in a mic if it is not present in the mic itself!

@dodgedforgottenn Год назад

Great video! Thank you for doing this. First of all, all of them sounded very nice. The Elam and Mic Parts were really quite close. The Warm Audio was more focused, with a bit more mid range sizzle. The Elam was rounder on the bottom, smoother in the mids and with a nice airiness in the high end.

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Again… Thank you! May I ask: Which one is your ultimate choice and why?

@dodgedforgottenn Год назад

@@MasterclaesVideos Oh, must I choose only one? 😄 For this application (vox and acoustic), the original Elam 251. It was the smoothest, biggest, and sweetest sounding. The AC701 is a special tube. Now, that C24, for other applications, might be my top choice, but that’s for another discussion

@petehelme7714 2 года назад

Thanks for the comparison. Ah the AKG C 24. This and a Kudelski Nagra IV-S were John Shuttleworth's (Meridian) go-to for basically everything: choral, organ, piano and small ensembles in the 1970's & 1980's. Definitely worth seeking out for great examples of what the C 24 could do for on location, single-point, stereo recording. He had a knack for getting the best out of venue (though I wish I had a better idea what patterns he was using).

@WideMixSoundworx2626 3 года назад

God, I love this channel, hope you'll make more videos :)

@chuckschaible5410 Год назад

amazing Brilliant electrical engineer, perfect, DETAILED DEMO and narrative, explanation, Soo calm AND steady, great Sense of humor, Love him, So MIND BLOWING knowledge...

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Again: Chuck thank you for the comment and great compliments! It is very nice to read all these words and it gives me energy to do even better on the next video’s!

@AndyKingCo 3 года назад

I love the WA251! It’s the best vocal mic I’ve ever had 🔥

@AndyKingCo 3 года назад

@John Joo U87ai, Chandler TG, TLM103, Miktek, AA and the WA-251 sounds amazing. The tube warmth and transformer, it’s just sounds so good on vocals!

@AndyKingCo 3 года назад

@John Joo TLM103 works better with Dark vocals so definitely not for me.

@andivax 3 года назад

dat C24!!! God damn! thanx for the comparison!

@rone4165 Год назад

The WA 251 sounds more monophonic than the comparison mics. As far as mix ready, I can surmise it is because of the attenuation level that prevails in a low and high (near subliminal) frequency range that adds crispness to the closer proximity of the 'in your face' sound level. EQing down those hot spots should have it blend better with my personal mixing. However, it might add some work to sound close to a C24.

@ThePdeHav 7 месяцев назад

Hi Peter, hitting g you up to say how much I enjoyed this comparison review very much. Your innate ability to bring just enough levity to what I’d often a dry and boring subject is refreshing. Gonna check out the 251. 15 years ago tbd tech at Metropolis Studio, London offered me a matched pair of C12s for £2500 since one of the mics was constantly needing repair. This is why I didn’t purchase them. This predated Nashville’s insatiable hunger for the damn. I’ve been on sessions where 4 pairs were used. There’s good news though. In the past 18 months the C12 has depreciated in value. Down from a median pride of $33,000 to a mere $28000! Yet I don’t hear a stampede of folks rushing to stock up on a pile of them. Wonder why?

@MasterclaesVideos 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for the praising words! I think that comes from passing on my knowledge for the past 30 years through my masterclaes program. Man i wish i had known that tech! I’m still looking for a c12 but not at 28k…. What mic was your favorite?

@joboiecruiser 2 года назад

I preferred the Warm Audio mic. Seemed clearer to me. I also plan on buying two of the Warm Audio for my drum overheads.

@Vocalisto Год назад

Your Face Reaction on the Warm 251 tells it all... 😂😂😂😂😂

@bonzology322 Год назад

respective to era, the 251 is a c12 circuit with a high frequency de emphasis to make it sound closer to a u47, that is the only diff

@MasterclaesVideos 11 месяцев назад

Thanks for the comment! Again I learned something!

@123sambryant 3 года назад

Well anyone that knows history knows they can’t afford to make mic’s that good anymore with the highest grade steel tubes and circuitry with out loosing money that’s why those old German mic’s are the best mic’s u can buy.

@LuiPau 4 месяца назад

31:00 31:57 32:35

@illuminatemadrid 3 месяца назад

your a legend

@bradlii Год назад

I felt like the Warm was just a tad more scooped and focused on the top-end. Not a million miles away, but I did prefer the 251 best. Still, all of these mics, despite their wildly varying price tags, are very useable for this track, and it's impressive that they're all relatively close to the same sound. I'm happy with my Sphere mic. Got almost everything I need there.

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Which is your favorite model on the sphere?

@AMetalheadsJourney 2 года назад

I am trying to place your accent. German or Austrian?

@MasterclaesVideos 2 года назад

I am from Belgium

@nkozi 2 года назад

This actually helped me decided to set aside money for the WA 251. It doesn't sound /as good/ raw (especially on acoustic) in these examples, but it doesn't sound /bad/ in any way compared to the things in its price range that've been available to ppl on a budget historically. In fact I think it's admirable that it punches so far above and actually has similarities to these super expensive vintage mics et al. For less than a grand, having this mic in your locker and in a mix isn't going to offend you or any clients.

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Hi, thanks for the message, did uou buy the WA?

@erickjovan Год назад

@@MasterclaesVideos because of your video, I just bought it.

@Fl4ppers 2 месяца назад

The shockmount on the Warm mic is junk. Cant be hand-tightened on mine.

@TylerMarletteNY 5 месяцев назад

anyone know if this would give me smoother better top end then the slate vms? worth the upgrade? I always use the 251 emulation anyways

@MasterclaesVideos 4 месяца назад

Imho if you need a smooth top end go for a c414B-uls

@ericgiordana6697 3 года назад

Hi Peter! I love your videos! The 251 is my dream microphone. What do you think of the current Telefunken 251 E version? How does it compare to the vintage ones? Thank you!

@MasterclaesVideos 3 года назад

Hi Eric, It will probably sound like the C24, same capsule, same tube, I am sure the new telefunken is a fantastic mic!

@ericgiordana6697 3 года назад

@@MasterclaesVideos Thank you Peter! Looking forward to your future videos!

@billesposito2112 11 месяцев назад

hell of a job sorry about the grammar lead arm is down, waveforms look so close in appearance , WA251 was a little dull to me. Elam was the best but I like the MP better than the AKG . WA comes in last place.With acoustic . I think if you're gonna do vocals you should get a real example of vocals. No disrespect but he's basically talking. I sing about 5 times the volume he sings at. Makes a huge difference how the mics react.

@MasterclaesVideos 11 месяцев назад

Hey, thanks for the comment! We cannot rule out all the bedroom singers can we? #billieeilish

@royalfred6588 Год назад

It was always my dream to do what Alan Sides did. Travel the world and collect vintage mics. I once had a chance to buy 2 Elam 251's from a church in San Diego in 1978 for $800 for the pair. I begged people to loan me the money but they just didn't understand. I have 2 Chinese C12 copies that I paid 500 each for in 2009. They are passable but would never live up to a real mint AKG C12. Even the re-issue Telefunkin 251 fell short of the originals. I worked at Soundelux for awhile as a mixer / editor and their mic division made better copies than most. Thanks for your video. I subscribed

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Hi, thanks for the comment! Do you also have some Soundelux mic’s in your arsenal? I have a U195 and i love it! Bit heavy though…

@hondbanjer 3 года назад

Thank you for all your reviews, Peter. In my humble opinion the AKG C24 sounds the best, less colours, better mixable.

@adomassimkunas4329 3 года назад

Nice video !, but did you tried WA-251 with GE NOS tube ? JJ electronic tube gives that strange thin sounding. Personally I don't like what JJ tube does to WA-251, I like much more how WA-251 sounds with great quality NOS tube from my personal experience. You could do a mic tests with different tubes aswell, would be very interesting to hear such tests.

@MasterclaesVideos 3 года назад

Hi, no i didn’t try it, as i do not own the mic and i think people should hear what they pay for without having to invest more money in a different tube.

@adomassimkunas4329 3 года назад

@@MasterclaesVideos Yap I totally agree that people should hear what they pay for, but still there is very little video/audio reviews of the same mics with different tubes, I think that kind of reviews could be very interesting for some enthusiasts :)

@MasterclaesVideos 3 года назад

@@adomassimkunas4329 then i would have to get 4-5 Identical WA251’s, each with a different tube in them. Knowing the complexity if the ck-12’s do you think this is a fair test? PS: making a video like this takes more than a week of work...

@adomastyloje6987 3 года назад

@@MasterclaesVideos Yep that's actually too much of work, even if results can be quite interesting, while there is no big demand for such tests, that kind of work couldn't be a very fair. Anyway I'm happy how WA-251 changed character after swapping stock tube to a NOS. But as you told in video if you know how to use EQ, then WA-251 can do a job well (and with stock tube aswell).

@G_handle 3 года назад

Along the same lines, and totally respecting and appreciating how much work and attention to detail you're putting into the videos, I really do wonder what would happen if you had a Matched Pair or Set of tubes for a microphone shootout. I've been planning on getting a couple of the Microphone Parts kits, and this video absolutely convinced me. But going through the research on their site and others, it appears that the Microphones main characteristics come down to their Capsules, their Circuits, and their Tubes. If you can easily swap tubes to get different tones, A) what percentage of a mics color comes from the tube, and B) why not Match tubes when comparing Microphones thereby eliminating one variable, the easiest one to compensate for?

@sq6182 2 года назад

Hey :) @Masterclaes I will be getting one of those Mic Parts 251s very soon! Do you think I need a colored preamp and will the default one of my UAD Apollo x8 be fine?

@MasterclaesVideos 10 месяцев назад

Hey sorry for the late reply: you are fine with the uad, because you can always add colour later

@thesargent88 Год назад

If your doing a 30 minute comparison At least switch the positions of the center mic (otherwise) the center microphone is set up to win every time. . 2-3" off center and vertical is a huge amount for 251 style mics - If the Elam is positioned in the middle, and the warm (to the left) The warm and others is clearly at a different axis and proximity - same with the vocal - subtle Sandbagging the other mics imo - If you redo this and swap the ELAM and the WARM the result might be different - lol your also going from the quietest part of the ELAM take into the loudest part of the next microphone and making a face...that the next microphone is harsher... but the take is louder ... dynamics... so many things wild about this comparison (of course the louder part of the take is harsher) cmon man!!!!!

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

We are talking about milimeters my friend… the mics were about 5 feet away from the source, do you really think at that distance we are talking about subtle differences caused by that tiny offset? And repositioning the mic would mean redoing the take again. You probably would complain it is not the same take with a different sound and intensity in that case… come on man!!! 😃😃😃

@galaballi 5 месяцев назад

what a beautiful review what is the best clone in your opinion Flea? Golden age? any other? Thanks you

@MasterclaesVideos 4 месяца назад

Well since I only tested the mics in the video, i can only say that the micparts comes closest. What do you think?

@insidedastudio7539 3 года назад

Nice VDO. Thank you. Would love to hear your thoughts on your GML 8200. I have one and find that it's quite noisy (hiss). What do you use it on most?

@MasterclaesVideos 3 года назад

I love my gml, very clean, no hiss... have a tech look at it, i use it right after my SSL Fusion on my Master Buss

@DCXTV Год назад

I’m wondering how much does the positioning affect it when WA251 was furthest away from strumming and up on the neck of the guitar 🤔

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

All mics were 5 feet away from the source. If you took a laser meter from the mic to the source, it would literally measure less than a quarter of an inch difference. Looking at the waveforms it meant only samples. Not enough to make a difference in sound other than the mic itself. Especially because the mic setup was as close as possible. What was your favorite?

@DCXTV Год назад

@@MasterclaesVideos ahh yes didn't pay attention there were other camera angles of the guitar playing while I was listening on headphones and using another computer 😅 Tried to concentrate on not letting the different part of the take with different power on playing while switching between mics to affect the judgement. I really wanted to like WA251 but it sounded bad, as if spitting with each strum. I remember watching this a year ago but returned to it because of still weighing whether to build an MP or get something else. WA251 didn't sound that bad on vocals, all of the mics would be great on vocals but if I "had" (got) to choose I'd go for Elam or MP as they sounded more exciting than the AKG (may cut through a dance music mix better than AKG too).

@masque1313 3 года назад

Fantastic video! This is one of the best videos I’ve seen where it is so unbelievably clear of how superior the original 251 is. All of the mics sounds good and are useable. But man especially in the vocal comparisons the original 251 just gives you so much more. Thanks for doing this.

@DMBCJ21 Год назад

YEAH THE ELAM SOUNNDS BEAUTIFUL.... C24 WILL ALWAYS BE ONE OF THE BEST MICS EVER MADE.....WARM AUDIO SELL ASAP .....LOL DIY MIC SOUNDED GOOD! NICE VIDEO.

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Hi CJ thanks for the comment! Which one is your ultimate pick?

@richlodato6679 2 года назад

Great in depth comparison! Clearly, the Elam 251 is chief. The 24 was brilliant as well. MP was ok and the warm did a little better w the vocal than guitar. Ty for the exceptional video.

@iangomes 3 года назад

Dang, the top end on the vintage one!

@MasterclaesVideos 3 года назад

I know... so sweet and smooth!

@frubo_ssg Год назад

I guess someone who can afford an Elam 251 will get one without spending a second on checking out the WA251. But there are lots of people who love to know that they get a good sound for lessssss money with the WA251. I am one of them :)

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

That’s exactly why i make these video’s not to put shame on anybody but to show the people in the market for a mic between 750 and 1500$ what they get for their money

@HoneyWindbutton Год назад

The Elam definitely had that sweet open top end but the c24 just moves me more

@codee-music Год назад

The MicParts 251 was impressively closer to the vintage ELAM and C24 than the WA-251. Excellent shoutout! Thanks Peter!

@MasterclaesVideos 11 месяцев назад

Many thanks for the positive feedback!! 🙏🙏🙏

@MariJu1ce 2 года назад

Is there a clone/alternative for the C24 these days? Cant find many stereo mics out there. Telefunken ar70? something else?

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Hi Marius, thanks for the comment! I think avantone has a stereo mic inspired on a C24. Do you know the brand?

@davidcamarda8723 2 года назад

Ever seen a photo of the Beatles singing into a U47 on a shock mount? No, cuz they don't exist. Bump a mic stand and you can still hear it through the mic , I don't live next to a sketchy fireworks factory, I dn't see the need for shockmounts. I personally don't even think they look cool.

@MasterclaesVideos 2 года назад

Tell that to Warm Audio and MP so they can make a swivel mount for their mics... Like the ones on my ELAM and C24

@LilArt2k6 10 месяцев назад

I expected the Telefunken to outperform lol -- however for $700 the warm is okay and i think after getting it modified it will sound way better

@MasterclaesVideos 10 месяцев назад

Hi, thanks for your reaction. It all depends on where people put the threshold between bad, ok and superior. Mostly based on what they can afford, but that is a biased decision. If money was not ghe issue wouldn’t you go for the elam?

@lkjkj5035 5 месяцев назад

I like the unbiased honesty, and mentioning you really want the classic to blow the clonecopy away ....but they dont as much as one would think per the cost.

@MasterclaesVideos 4 месяца назад

It is not about the cost, it is the honest quality that needs to be defined. If Warm says you can buy a 251 for 1k, are you getting the 251 quality? That’s what i’m trying to reveal

@johnnyangel504 Год назад

Very good mic sound comparison.... But...For the MAJORITY of us musicians/ singers.. The WA-251 tube condenser mic is the CLEAR winner...price point is ALWAYS a determining factor...let's face facts...the everyday music consumer won't know..OR CARE what the specs are for each mic...but..it's fun for us sound geeks to enjoy your comparison videos...thanx for your time and effort in producing this one..😊

@MasterclaesVideos Год назад

Thank god I’m not going for majority, otherwise my comparisons would be not that detailed. Thanks for the comment! What was your favorite by the way?

@johnnyangel504 Год назад

@@MasterclaesVideos ...well..the Vintage Telefunken...of course..! What a sound...

@lance134679 3 года назад

I found it easier to compare the vocals, and in that shootout, the Elam-251 was my favourite - so pleasant. The Warm audio was actually the least warm, ironically, but perfectly useable. Thanks for the comparison.