Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - Big shootout: pacifica, 737. LA-610, r121, jz2 etc.

foldback · 1st January 2007

I'm not a UA hater by any means. I did not think the LA-610 was great but I love the LA-2, 1176 and the 2192 converter, these are fantastic products.

I have several other vacuum tube mic preamps that I use for recording rock vocals and I am able to back the gain down or pad them down to eliminate the brash breakup that I heard when trying out the LA-610.

I've been building tube amplifier circuits since the late 1950's and suspect the problem with the LA-610 mic pre has something to do with the use of negative feedback for gain control but that's a whole different discussion.

If you look carefully at the LA-610 lit you'll find that the mic pre is a little different than the stand alone version, same for the optical compressor circuit, it's not exactly an LA-2. The products designer opted to share some components between the two devices, hence, you can't use the two products independently either.

I returned the LA-610 and upgraded to the Classic LA-2 which cost me more for less features. IMHO the LA-2 has a much richer and meatier sound than the LA-610. You're definitely paying UA a lot of doe to make the LA-2 look like the original but hey, the company needs to make money to stay in business. Personally, I liked the two space look of the LA-610 better than the bigger Teletronix package. Ultimately, the sound is what matters.

I have no regrets with my purchase, the LA-2 makes everything I pass through it sound fatter, even with little or no gain reduction. I'm a guitar player and love tube amps. The LA-2 is tube sound for everything else.

I really wanted the LA-610 to be "it". I futzed with the gain and pad controls for a week. I record me so I'm very particular and familiar with the source. I do a lot of blues, sometimes it's soft and sometimes it's loud. It was on the loud peaks that the LA-610 let me down. I tried backing off the mic (a U-87ai) and by the time I got far enough back to not overload the LA-610 the tone was thin and the volume was way down.

For some singers the LA-610 might be awesome but for those that use a lot of dynamic range and work the mic close be sure you try this piece out in depth before the evaluation period ends.

In my case, a Groove Tubes Brick driving the LA-2 sounds tubular and does not have the distortion problem I encountered with the LA-610.

All the best to you in whatever you choose.

PS: I've never tried a Pacifica but I hope to soon :-)

1st January 2007	#21
foldback Rocket Scientist Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,216 1 Review written	I'm not a UA hater by any means. I did not think the LA-610 was great but I love the LA-2, 1176 and the 2192 converter, these are fantastic products. I have several other vacuum tube mic preamps that I use for recording rock vocals and I am able to back the gain down or pad them down to eliminate the brash breakup that I heard when trying out the LA-610. I've been building tube amplifier circuits since the late 1950's and suspect the problem with the LA-610 mic pre has something to do with the use of negative feedback for gain control but that's a whole different discussion. If you look carefully at the LA-610 lit you'll find that the mic pre is a little different than the stand alone version, same for the optical compressor circuit, it's not exactly an LA-2. The products designer opted to share some components between the two devices, hence, you can't use the two products independently either. I returned the LA-610 and upgraded to the Classic LA-2 which cost me more for less features. IMHO the LA-2 has a much richer and meatier sound than the LA-610. You're definitely paying UA a lot of doe to make the LA-2 look like the original but hey, the company needs to make money to stay in business. Personally, I liked the two space look of the LA-610 better than the bigger Teletronix package. Ultimately, the sound is what matters. I have no regrets with my purchase, the LA-2 makes everything I pass through it sound fatter, even with little or no gain reduction. I'm a guitar player and love tube amps. The LA-2 is tube sound for everything else. I really wanted the LA-610 to be "it". I futzed with the gain and pad controls for a week. I record me so I'm very particular and familiar with the source. I do a lot of blues, sometimes it's soft and sometimes it's loud. It was on the loud peaks that the LA-610 let me down. I tried backing off the mic (a U-87ai) and by the time I got far enough back to not overload the LA-610 the tone was thin and the volume was way down. For some singers the LA-610 might be awesome but for those that use a lot of dynamic range and work the mic close be sure you try this piece out in depth before the evaluation period ends. In my case, a Groove Tubes Brick driving the LA-2 sounds tubular and does not have the distortion problem I encountered with the LA-610. All the best to you in whatever you choose. PS: I've never tried a Pacifica but I hope to soon :-)