My LA-3A (reissue) is the one hardware comp that I use the most - by far. It's just perfect for vocals and practically always in my vocal recording chain.

I don't think that I ever ran into a situation where the LA-3A affected the sound in a negative way - even with healthy amounts of gain reduction it doesn't pump or swoooooshes out the sound.

Also great on guitars, snare, bass and most anything else.

if you get up in the los angles area you are welcome to bring some tracks by and run them through 1176, squeeze box and NY2A ... if you have plugin that you want to test side by each you can bring your dongle for Waves and take a listen .... just a thought or maybe there is someone closer to you with LA2A and such ... just a thought

john

Maybe the same 'job' but the whole point of owning each the LA2A, 3A and 1176 is for its specific sonic character which is legendary. And who the hell would not want them all (Distressor too) in their rack if they could afford it?

Sure, sure, but let it be known that ill hand out 800 bones all day long for brit mod el8's!

I like all of them. I find the 1176 comment a bit odd, what revision?

FWIW my 1176 Rev D sounds nothing like the Waves plugin. It sounds far, far better on vocals and some other things, but not as good on snare drum. The Waves is a great plugin, I use it all the time, but all I can say is that it doesn't sound the same.

LA-3A I use quite regularly, LA-2A I used to use all the time but I usually reach for other tools before coming to it now.

My thoughts on the La-2a is its one of the greats and its sonic signature is engraved in music. But for me it's the perfect tool in certain situations and in some situations it's just doing stuff I don't like. If you want a day to day grinder compressor you can always count on go for a 1176 or a distressor. If you want that optical sound go for a LA-3a. Majority of the time you use it and be happy. But there all those certain songs that you know a La-2a would be perfect for. At the end of the day you can't go wrong with any of them. Your looking at some of the greatest compressors ever designed.

How would you compare the LA-2A and 3A against eachother?

Tubes vs transistors is one way to say it...

For compression purposes, they are pretty interchangeable IMO. For "sonics" the 2a has a typical "gooier" tube nature than the solid state 3a. Both have their obvious uses - 2a for things (like vocals) that need to be bigger and a little more 3d perspective, 3a for things that don't have to take a dominant front seat in a mix, although that's not to say that it makes things smaller, which it absolutely does NOT - just really we're talking about the difference between discrete electronics and tube electronics. It's really hard to put these things into words. I could live without a 2A if I had 3A's. And vice versa. If I needed an 1176, and only had 3a's or 2a's I would not be happy, And again, vice versa. They are different animals, whereas the 3a and 2a and brothers.

Gotcha. Which all signs are leading me to needing that 2A, as like I stated earlier - I'm relatively thinner on the voice, so that 2A sounds like it would add what needs to be added to my voice. I play on the 1176 followed by a 2A in the chain, purchasing the 1176 first that is. Maybe I'll grab that JLM LA500 to follow the 1176 for the time being, until I can afford to make the purchase of a real tubed 2A.

I appreciate the offer, I'm in the Orange County area - so not too far, might have to take you up on that one day.

There's always the Summit TLA-100 to consider too.
Lots of guys use them for vox and bass.

If you sweep the Side Chain on the JLM to 200Hz it won't crush your bass resonance. Which will keep things sounding more natural and thick in a different way. (It won't distort you, but I think if you try one you'll get my meaning.)

Plus a pair of those always work great on acoustic guitar buses, drums, backing vocals, anything really...so even if you eventually get something else, you'll hang onto it....though to be honest the MC77 you're planning on is plenty thick on it's own! if the JLM LA500 is mainly to use as as soft limiter I think you'll sound huge.

It is if you crank it, the LA-2a produces gorgeous fuzz, white hot but smooth! You'll likely need some kind of pad afterwards, the output will be insanely hot as a result of the amount of drive added.

To the OP's question, the main difference for me between LA-2a and 3a is that the former is pillowy and adds air and classic tube overtones, the latter is gritty and adds classic solid state grunge. Also, the 3a is very versatile, where the 2a is widely applicable but it has one primary color and two varieties of tastefully restrained leveling.

I've got a review of the new UAD LA-2a plugs coming into print soon (yup), suffice to say that the new gen of plugs are a) awesome, and b) not at all identical to the hardware, neither in tone nor in transient impact/detail, and I've got ample sound clips to demonstrate the differences.

"Very LA-2a-ish" is the way to describe the plugs, a degree of proximity that's in line with every other high quality emulation of high end hardware that's dropped in the past 3-4 years.

If I were OP and my choices were LA-2a and LA-3a, I'd get the former, because it's easier to get sweeter results with less understanding of the nuances of compression. 'Foolproof' is a valuable trait in most situations.


Gregory Scott - ubk

La3a for tracking acoustic and mixing acc and elec gtrs
La2a for tracking vocals
1176 reva for mixing ld voc and bass
1176 rev f for mixing drums ld voc and bass

See, you need at least 2 of each

this is pretty much exactly what i use these comps for, except substitute an 1176 REV D for the REV A.

i would throw in that i like to use an 1176 to track backing vocals and LA 3A’s on just about ANYTHING that just needs a little kiss during tracking.

also, LA 3A’s on piano when mixing can be magic.

Rev d's are like the latest rev that are class a if i remember that correctly?

On strings pianos etc im a sucker for pultecs and fairchildish (tsl1/3/4) comps stuff that keeps stuns them but somehow keeps their natural dynamics intact

Knee + Ratio + Release = Integrity


Gregory Scott - ubk

Great post!

I agree that the (Vintage) LA2A can get really thick sounding with it's distortion. But the reissue to my mind clips in a harsher way when you push it...it's not really useable that way to me. Honestly I'd rather have one of your Fatso Jr's Gregory.

almost correct.

REV A - E = Class A.

as i understand it, a REV E is exactly the same as a D but with the addition a switch for 220V power.

Rev F = A/B

Rev es are rare i think theY were rebranded also

And then there is this golden edition i cant find any info about