Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveling Amplifier Reviews
It's perhaps the most iconic piece of outboard gear ever. You've heard it on countless hit records — the legendary LA-2A. Patch your signal through it, and magic happens. First introduced in the early 1960s, the Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier fast became a staple in the racks of recording and broadcast studios large and small. Today, the Universal Audio LA-2A is crafted to original specifications in Scotts Valley, California, handwired point-to-point, with every component carefully selected for authenticity. Smooth, natural, and eminently musical, the legendary LA-2A's tube-driven electro-optical attenuation circuit delivers instant gain reduction with zero increase in harmonic distortion, massaging audio like no other compressor you've ever used. Every serious studio needs at least one.
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Most Recent Reviews
lifelong fav
i love the on pretty much everything, of course it not made necessarily elec or acous gius and what not…but its the greatest opto ever made. the reissues all sound fantastic which is why they continue to appreciate in value. true vintage 2a's will have more hair and possibly more charector,but the re issues are amazing and function true to exact spec in so far as the opto
Really, really good...and I'm picky
This is a very, very good recreation of a classic. I have experience with a vintage grey LA2A with the UTC transformers, I have repaired and brought back to life several of these, I have swapped old UTC iron to compare with the stock UA iron...it's very, very good. NOS American tubes go a long way with this simple design, the difference is dramatic. I have talked with other engineers who will use the UA reissue and a vintage one interchangeably, I can see doing that.
I'm very impressed especially with UA's repro UTC transformers they use on this. Very close to the old ones. Just a touch more character on the old ones, but very close and it's not a matter of better, just a touch different (I'd say cleaner).
I can tell you the old Aerovox caps have a LOT to do with getting this unit to sound like the originals, very easy to change those. As I said the transformers are very close, and if you want the old grey paint sound (my fave) you can disconnect that high freq. compression pot, that will give it more depth and will be much closer to the original grey paint spec.
Anyway, very, very good! Stock thus unit is pretty close to vintage, I'd say much closer that the new pultecs are to vintage. It's timeless, won't become obsolete with the next software upgrade, and easiest thing in the world to work on.
And I'm very picky!!
The Real Thing
There isn't really too much to say here other than the UA LA-2A is one of those compressors which has withstood the test of time again and again. Countless artists, producers and engineers have relied on the LA-2A for decades as the industry standard go to compressor limiter. It is everything you have read about and it is an essential part of any serious studio.
Until you actually use one and hear the difference it makes on a track or buss it is hard to understand the versatility of this Swiss Army knife of the audio industry. Thing is you have been listening to it all of your life because it is used on almost every hit record you have ever heard.
LA-2A...everything sounds better through it!
I've had one for over 15 years. It is always on every mono overdub that I do. 2 knobs and your ears. Once you have one, that's all you need to make anything sound better. Boom! That's it! I wondered why it was so expensive... well it makes your life simpler, quicker, easier and better. 2 knobs and the ears you already have. Boom! If you can, get one. YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT!!!
A classic for good reason.
The LA2A rocks.
It's amazing on vocals. Amazing on bass. 2 of them on the mix bus sounds heavenly.
This is probably the single greatest compressor ever designed. No serious studio should be without one.
It is one of the few "makes everything better" boxes out there. Just running tracks through it with no compression adds vibe.
I'm in love with this compressor.
A big Hug
One good way to describe this compressor is quality!!!! So easy to control and tenderly loves' everything you apply it to; almost as though it's giving your tracks a nice warm hug. I am still in the process of finishing my studio and I couldn't stand it if this nice baby wasn't part of my collection. It wasn't easy making the decision, even though it should have been. I can't believe how many times I kept going back and forth between saying "No, I can't justify the leap" and "yes, I'll regret it if I don't." Turns out the little dude on my right shoulder won. What a winner. I love this Compressor. My tracks are thanking me for it in a big way. If you're thinking of recording in some kind of big way, either now or in the future, there will be no doubt you will gain a lot from buying this compressor. It won't make your tracks sound amazing without the other pro stuff too though so if you're not that serious about recording, perhaps thinking it over a little more might not be such a bad thing.
Fantastic!!!
Awesome compressor! Warm and transparent sound... Especially on vocals and bass - guitars! From 2003 when I bought it, I never make the record without LA-2A!
Incredible
The UA LA-2A is the real deal. It does something special to vocals the moment you plug into it. Its so simple and easy to find the sweet spot. Out of all the pieces I have in my hybrid studio, the LA2A is the king of vocal magic. Get your vocals right and everything else just fits the way you expect. I highly recommend it!
WOW!!!
This is hands down the best Comp for vocals hands down! Gonna buy a 2nd one...
