Iconic FET Condenser Sound

Warm Audio’s acclaimed compressors and preamps have famously upset the pro audio price/performance ratio. When the company turned its attention to microphones with the WA-87, it set a high target: one of the most iconic large-diaphragm, multi-pattern FET condenser mics in history. To say Warm Audio succeeded would be an understatement: the original WA-87 was a best-seller here at Music Experience. Now, with the WA-87jr, Warm Audio has made its modern classic more accessible than ever before. Featuring the same dual-backplate, gold-sputtered K87-style capsule and multi-pattern functionality as found in the company’s WA-87 R2 microphone, the Warm Audio WA-87jr brings the professional sound and versatility of coveted vintage large-diaphragm mics within reach to an even wider audience.

Affordable Modern Incarnation of a Legendary Mic

Flash back to any top recording studio in the 1970s. You’ll see the venerable ’87 everywhere: on toms, overheads, guitar cabs, brass, congas, vocals — you name it. Music Experience engineers who have worked with different generations of this perennial studio favorite know that the vintage ones have a warmer, more forgiving sonic character. By using a modern transformerless circuit design and the same dual-backplate, gold-sputtered K87-style capsule as found in Warm Audio’s professional R2 series, the WA-87jr brings the heart and soul of the ’87 home to your studio at a price that is almost too good to be true!

What Can the WA-87jr Do for You?

Every studio needs at least one pair of high-quality large-diaphragm condenser mics, and the Warm Audio WA-87jr is designed after a legendary one. You can use the WA-87jr on anything with world-class results. It’s great for vocals. It makes drums sound huge. It’s a must-have for adding a bit of room to complement a close dynamic or ribbon mic on a guitar cabinet. It’s an ideal choice for any acoustic instrument — strings, brass, woodwinds, or percussion. We’ve even used it on a kick drum (where the -10dB pad comes in handy)! It’s equipped with a 70Hz highpass filter that’s useful for eliminating low-end mud and rumble. And its three polar patterns further increase this microphone’s already impressive versatility.

Explore the Sonic Possibilities

The WA-87jr’s three switchable polar patterns — cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-8 — give you immense flexibility when it comes to exploring the sonic possibilities offered by different recording techniques. Figure-8 (bidirectional) is perfect for capturing face-to-face recordings, such as two background singers on one mic. This pattern also features aggressive side rejection, which makes it a useful option for miking backline amps and speaker cabinets. With two of these superb mics, you can implement stereo techniques, such as spaced pair (A/B), XY (including Blumlein), ORTF array, and mid-side (M-S). You could even mic an entire symphony orchestra and the ambience of the hall it’s in with just three judiciously placed WA-87jr microphones set to omni.

What Warm Audio Says...

The WA-87jr series is a contemporary version of the iconic 87-style studio microphone that captures pristine, detailed tone with modern circuitry. WA-87jr & WA-87jr SE mics are equally at home in a project studio or in a world-class recording facility. Each features a vintage-correct reproduction of the celebrated K87-style capsule, the same capsule found in the flagship WA-87 R2 condenser mic. The capsule has the same tonal character known for capturing legendary recordings by classic and modern artists including David Bowie, Elton John, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and many more.

Delivering a Legacy Of Pristine Studio Sound

Combining one of the most revered vocal condenser capsules of all time with modern, carefully crafted circuitry, the WA-87jr series delivers rich detail and top-end clarity for capturing everything from vocals, to acoustic guitars, drum overheads, and more. Available with onboard controls and multiple patterns or a streamlined cardioid-only design, the WA-87jr mics all feature a discrete signal path, exceptional dynamic range, and ultra-low self-noise. The sound profile of the WA-87jr series blends past and present to achieve the perfect balance of pristine detail with never-harsh high-end.

What You Need to Know

The WA-87jr series is built around the same vintage-accurate K87-style capsule used in the flagship WA-87 R2 mic. The WA-87jr offers additional controls and multiple polar patterns, while the WA-87jr SE delivers a streamlined cardioid-only design that preserves the classic tone.

The WA-87jr series uses a true reproduction of the K87-style capsule from the original 87 mic — the same capsule used in the award-winning WA-87 R2 professional microphone. It’s perfect for adding radio-ready polish to any recording.

The WA-87jr features three polar patterns (cardioid, omni, and figure-8), allowing flexible stereo capture and versatile noise rejection. The WA-87jr SE features a fixed cardioid pattern for intimate, focused recordings ideal for vocals and lead instruments.

The WA-87jr includes a selectable -10dB pad, enabling it to handle SPLs up to 135dB with ease.

The WA-87jr also provides a switchable 70Hz high-pass filter for removing unwanted low-end rumble before it reaches your recording chain.