RECORDING March 2023 - 54

-Review by Bill Stunt
Black Rooster Audio
VLA-2A Mark II & TD-201
A new take on a pair
of analog classics
The latest plugin offerings
from German software
developer Black Rooster Audio include the company's
take on the classic Teletronix LA-2A compressor and the
renowned Roland RE-201 Space Echo. The VLA-2A Mark II
compressor and the TD-201 tape delay show off the Black
Rooster attention to detail in its hardware emulation and
innovative performance enhancements. And since this is
our vocal issue, both are perfectly suited for that task.
Clicking and dragging on the Input control links it to the MakeUp
Gain control resulting in a consistent listening level as you
push the input level into the compression threshold. Driving the
input signal into the plugin while lessening the make-up gain
introduces tube and transformer saturation effects.
A toggle to change the VU meter between input, gain reduction
or output levels rounds out the feature set.
Ticking All the Boxes
I discovered a long time ago that using an opto compressor
set so that the gain reduction meter just ticks while tracking basses,
vocals and acoustic guitars enhances the pickup. In a mix,
it's great for achieving effective yet almost transparent gain reduction
while subtly adding warmth and lovely saturation effects.
I've been using it liberally in series with multiple compressors
on bass guitar and on its own for taming acoustic guitars, and
in all of the above, the VLA-2A Mark II doesn't disappoint. It
has all the sonic warmth and heft I am after.
VLA-2A Mark II
Initially developed for use in broadcast, studio engineers
quickly recognized the LA-2A tube-based opto compressor was
ideally suited for the music studio. Black Rooster has captured,
what they consider to be, the most authentic circuit emulation
ever with the VLA-2A Mark II.
The VLA-2A Mark II plugin is not a dead ringer for the
inspiration, but the family resemblance is obvious. Like the
original, the layout is dominated by a pair of gain and peak
reduction knobs, a Limit/Compress switch, a large VU meter
and an On/Off switch, which here is the bypass control. A few
Black Rooster additions include a Wet/Dry knob, a Make-Up
Gain knob and an Emphasis shelving filter knob-the latter was
originally the R37 set-screw located on the rear of the hardware.
The emphasis filter is in the circuit when the internal side chain
mode is on. The plugin offers an external side-chain option as well.
Three Eyes are Better than One
An optoelectronic (opto) sensor is at the center of the classic
unit's mojo, and like many pieces of vintage equipment, there
are slight variances between individual units. Black Rooster
has included emulations of the response of three different
opto cells, each with slightly different compression knee and
ratio characteristics.
As with the hardware, the compression and limiting ratios are
frequency and level dependent, with the input level controlled
by the left-hand knob and the compression amount by the right.
54 RECORDING March 2023
Hands down, my favorite application is vocals, where the
smooth gain management and subtle enhancement of the chest
frequencies make for sonic magic.
Including an external side chain is most welcome, and I love
the versatility of the large Emphasis knob. It's a significant improvement
to the hardware's rear-located set screw. A vestige
of the original's genesis as a broadcast limiter, the Emphasis
shelving filter makes the compression more or less sensitive to
high-frequency content. It's worth experimenting with the Emphasis
shelving filter, as it significantly changes the sound.
The difference between the three opto cells is subtle but worth
cycling through as you dial in the desired sound. I've often had
difficulty hearing the difference between limit and compress
modes on a hardware LA-2A. It's much easier to discern on this
plugin where limiting sounds more aggressive.
While there is no shortage of LA-2A-inspired plugins, this
one stands out for its combination of added, versatile features,
for how great it sounds and for its modest price.
TD-201
The Black Rooster TD-201 is based on one the most loved
iterations of the Roland tape delay family, the RE-201 Space
Echo. Developed in the early '70s, the RE-201 offered a
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