The Wolff Audio W1 500 Series Microphone Preamplifier brings true console-grade performance into a single-channel 500-series module, delivering the exact microphone preamp design used in Wolff Audio’s flagship recording consoles. Designed by legendary engineer Paul Wolff, the W1 is not a scaled-down reinterpretation, it is the same circuit, topology, and sonic philosophy, translated into a compact format for modern modular studios. The result is a preamp that captures the depth, punch, and musical authority of a large-format console while fitting seamlessly into today’s tracking workflows.
What sets the W1 apart is its console-inspired architecture, featuring custom transformers, a relay-controlled signal path, and a dual-stage design that allows engineers to drive the input for tone while maintaining precise control at the output. Its unusually low baseline gain makes it especially capable of handling extremely loud sources without sacrificing headroom or character, preserving proper impedance relationships and transformer loading at all times. With intuitive front-panel controls and metering drawn directly from Wolff Audio console designs, the W1 offers a refined, performance-focused approach to microphone preamplification which is built for engineers who value authenticity, control, and unmistakable analog character.
