Recording - June 2013 - 27

switch. Note that on the original ’60s and ’70s UREI LA-2A
units, this switch was on the rear of the unit, and was not
moved to the front panel until the 1999 reissue models.
The LA-2A is a single-channel mono device, and on the rear
of the unit are both balanced XLR ins and outs as well as an
old-school barrier-style connection strip. Yes—it’s that historically accurate.
The rear of the LA-2A is completely open and exposed with
tubes, transformers and even the T4 Cell hanging nakedly out
in the open. It uses two 12AX7A tubes, a 12BH7A and a
6AQ5. Also on the rear of the unit are a pair of set screws,
one for the R37 Emphasis control described on the plug-in,
and the other for calibration when two units are connected for
stereo use via the connectors on the barrier strips.
Opto compression
Previously the only tube-based opto compressor I have
owned is the Millennia Media TCL-2, and with the exception
of the plug-in, this is the first time I have had a real LA-2A in
my own studio. I was eager to take it for a spin alongside my
Millennia, and also with my Retro Sta-Level compressor, that—
while not an opto compressor—is a modern recreation of the
vintage Vari-Mu style 1950s Gates Sta-Level.
On a male folk singer the Sta-Level can and needs to be
pushed the hardest into 10–20 dB of compression before it
really sounds optimal. Overall it has a fuzzy weighty quality
that is more dusty and rounded than the LA-2A. It sounds the
most like we expect a “vintage unit” to sound.
Not surprisingly, the Millennia was the cleanest and most
transparent of the bunch, and also the prissiest to set up. This
compressor is great at being inconspicuous in a mix.
With the LA-2A I was most surprised by how clean and clear
it was; unlike the Sta-Level, the LA-2A does not sound “vintage” at all like one might expect. It really sounds more “timeless”, if such a thing can be said about a compressor. Vocals
were firm, clear and punchy, but in a smooth animated way,
and while this sounds contradictory, this may be why the LA2A gets the acclaim it does.
On punk-rock screamy vocals the LA-2A was great at about
7–10 dB of reduction, yet it retained a believable sound, not
at all overcompressed. Here the Sta-Level held the voice too
far back in the mix and rounded the transients too much.
For more vocal comparisons, I hooked up my Empirical Labs
Distressor and set it to its Opto setting. It sounded great for this
kind of vocal, but still lacked the LA-2A’s snappy dimensional
top end. I also decided to check out what the difference was
between my UA 1176LN reissue and the LA-2A , and on the
punk/alt rock vocals the 1176LN was the better choice, being
overall more aggressive and tight. To my ears 1176LN equals
blunt, forceful and aggressive (in a good way), and LA-2A
equals full, controlled and natural.
On female voice, I really appreciated how deeply I could
compress (up to 20 dB) while it still sounded good and not overcompressed. This is one of those areas where your brain goes,
“Ahhh”, and you end up with a big dumb smile on your face.
On bass guitar, the LA-2A (at about 5 dB gain reduction)
gels the bass notes together, yet it does not dull the string
attack. The Sta-Level does the opposite and adds a roundedness and weight and really pins the bass notes down. The TCL2 has a nice even compression, and it sits tonally on the neutral side. In other words, on bass it’s a matter of taste and mixing needs, and I like all three for different reasons.
On clean electric guitars the LA-2A, at 3–5 dB of reduction, gives
it an almost animated sound. Here the Sta-Level was too thick and
round, and in comparison to the 1176LN which lives for guitar and
is more tweakable, I still liked the LA-2A better... it just felt right.
On heavy electric tracks I almost always go to a Distressor,
1176LN or Chandler Germanium comp, and I was surprised at
how much I liked the LA-2A on the job. With 3–7 dB of reduction it

just gave the guitars a nice added top-end pop and presence that was
more natural and not as aggressive or heavy-handed as the others.
Lastly, on acoustic guitar all I can say is that the LA-2A can
work, but it’s best when just tickled into 2–3 dB of reduction, and
it depends heavily on the tempo of the song.
So—hardware or software?
The first thing I can get out of the way is this: Yes, once again
the hardware has that intangible depth and air quality that just
comes with good hardware, but as with the 1176 Classic Limiter
Collection and a few other high-end plug-ins on the market, the
gap is narrowing.
UA really did their homework with this release, and the overall
sonics and the ballistics are impressively close. What I found
interesting is that the hardware has the top-end pop and speed of
the Silver plug-in, but also a touch of the low mids of the Gray.
And honestly, in a mix, when set correctly, it’s darn hard to blindly pick the Silver plug-in out of a line up over the hardware.

However, similar to the 1176 collection, setting the output
gain and reduction of the plug-in will require your ears over the
numeric values on the front panel. In general, I found the Output
Gain could vary between 3 to 5 dB, and the Gain Reduction
could be between 5 to 10 dB and depended heavily on the
source material.
Conclusions
Well, the hardware just freakin’ rocks! It’s impossible to argue with
its legacy, and now that I have had the chance to spend time in my
room with the real thing, all I can say is “I get it! I believe!” Of course,
that belief also comes with a $4299 price tag ($3499 street).
Luckily for those of us who can’t yet manage that, just as with
last year’s 1176 collection, I think UA has nailed it with the new
LA-2A plug-ins! All three models sound incredible, they are versatile, and as I have said before in vintage plug-in reviews, thanks
to the inclusion of the LA-2 and the Gray mid-’60s model, we can
indulge our fantasy factor of having access to units we will most
likely never own.
This is plug-in modeling at the utmost level, and this is a musthave collection! It is that good! If you own a UAD-2 card or
Apollo, you can test drive the new plug-ins for ten days as part of
the version 6.5 UAD collection. But I’m warning you—have your
finances in order!
Price: $299
More from: Universal Audio, www.uaudio.com
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Recording - June 2013

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