Warm Audio WA76-A Vintage-voiced Discrete FET Compressor

Fast, masterful dynamics control plus vintage analog character

Coveted for its lightning-fast dynamic control, the lauded ’76 is the undisputed king of FET compression. Today, original vintage units are ensconced in world-class studios across the globe. The first revision of this 1970s classic, in particular, was celebrated for its gritty preamp stage and punchy analog sonics. It’s this A revision that Warm Audio targeted for the design of the WA76-A. All the original controls are onboard — along with additional features that address modern recording workflows. As such, the WA76-A delivers the ultimate combination of vintage circuitry and state-of-the-art controls to provide versatility without impinging on vintage analog character.

Additional controls for modern recording workflows

Things get particularly interesting with Warm Audio’s control additions. The WA76-A features selectable input impedance, an external sidechain, dry/wet mix blending for parallel compression, active and true bypass, stereo linking, and a variable sidechain highpass filter that eliminates the influence of low frequencies below your dialed-in threshold on compression action. These extra controls are seamlessly integrated without disturbing the elegant simplicity of the vintage unit’s front panel layout.

Sidechain insert adds valuable flexibility

Every dynamics processor has a sidechain circuit that examines the signal and determines how much it will reduce gain — but not every unit provides access to its sidechain. In compressors without a separate sidechain input, your main input signal is, essentially, compressing itself. With compressors like the WA76-A, you can insert external processing on the sidechain — or introduce a different signal that determines the compression action on the main signal. It’s an incredibly useful feature that lets you, for instance, automatically duck a track to make space for another (very popular for that EDM mix pumping effect). Indeed, the WA76-A’s sidechain insert adds an impressive amount of flexibility to a legendary design.