While it doesn’t offer any new features, it does an excellent job of capturing the LA-2A’s signature sound and analog warmth. Universal Audio offers one of the most accurate LA-2A emulations available, which makes sense since they own the patent. Here are unprocessed versions of the three audio files … Drums Bass Vocals 1. We put some of our favorite LA-2A emulations to the test on drums, bass and vocals with approximately 3 to 5 dB of gain reduction.

The initial release time is fixed at 60 milliseconds for 50% of the release, and anywhere from one to 15 seconds for the full release, depending on the program material.ĭue to the largely automatic nature of the LA-2A, it features very simple controls: Peak-Reduction knob, Gain Control for make-up gain, and a Limit/Compress switch to adjust the compression ratio.

The average attack time is fixed at 10 milliseconds, but the LA-2A’s signature sound comes from its unique release characteristic. The T4 optical attenuator is entirely program-dependent, allowing the compression ratio and release time to vary greatly based on the source material. The LA-2A was the first compressor to use a tube-driven optical attenuator to achieve gain reduction. In this article, we’ll break down some of the most popular LA-2A emulations to help you determine which one is right for you. Revered for its rich, warm tone and smooth, musical compression characteristics, the LA-2A has been a favorite amongst engineers for over 50 years. The LA-2A is arguably one of the most popular compressors ever invented.

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