Tube Tech Cl1b Vs La2a

[Kimberly Ballas]

Hereis an email question I received from a friendly reader of the RO forums. Before I give my opinion, I think it would be helpful for him to hear some other opinions as well. Anyone want to chime in here and help him out?

I check out some of the pro audio forums on a regular basis. It's a rare occasion when I post on any of these forums though. Over time, I've come to have much respect for your opinions on gear. It seems you and I may have similar tastes in certain gear.

I am one of the guys that suggested the Tubetech CL1B(and by the way I own all three). I normally choose the Tubetech for vocals, because it intrudes less on the effect of the right mic/pre combination. Yes its colored but its very transparent. I normally use very light compression(high threshold, medium to slow atttack, medium to fast release, manual mode). And I also ride the "knob" for more manual control. The LA2a is cool, but sometimes its a little to much color. The 1176 I would use more if I was mixing, it definitely imparts its own character(also remember there are different versions which all affect different frequencies), It is not transparent in the least, but sometimes on the right singer its perfect. Again the word is sometimes, I would say nine times out of ten, if I am working with a singer I never worked with before, reaching for the CL1B would be my first choice. Hope this helps some.

Have you tried putting another compressor in front of the Distressor? If you're experiencing too much honk and grit this will help. I'm a fan of using a Trakker in front of the distressor 'cause IMO the front end on the Distressor isn't all that strong. Give it a try you'd be surprised how much it opens up.

If i understand correctly the only complaint ive ever heard on the distressors is that they have a weak front end... so the point would be going into something else first. Ill have my pair of distressors and fatso by febuary... cant wait.

I've used a lot of things with mixed success over the years and have found that, the better the singer, the less important is the gear used. However, most people I work with ask for a really compressed vocal sound these days (they must all be listening to the same records), so I'll often use two different comps in series with complimentary caracteristics.

Out of what I own, I often end up with a Neve 2254 first ,acting as a slow/soft VU leveler, followed by either an 1176 (harder/edgier/guy) or an LA-2A (more air/girl). The second comp is set-up to react faster to tame the quick changes. I hit both units more gently that I would a single one and it often ends up sounding at the same time more controled and more natural.

However there's this girl singer I often work with. You can stick any odd mic in front of her with no comp or eq whatsoever and she instantly sounds like a produced record. These are the sessions where I'll usually get all kinds of nice comments from everybody on the quality of my engineering work, especially the A&R person. Funny...

I often track vocals with no compression(just use the unit for a little color) and ride the changes. But you also need the right combination of singer/mic/preamp. This is really the key to a great vocal recording. Also I tend to record most vocalists(if I can get away with it in omni no pop filter/no standing waves). Most modern mics sound better in omni than cardiod.

i know you'll mostly find them over the left and right, but, either of the pendulam audio comps(es-8,6386) offer compression of the highest grade in every situation i've tried them. expensive, but very close to(and not as expensive as) the fairchilds we all wished we owned or had access to (and usually available to rent if you live near a bigger city).worth a try.

Another neglected oldie but goodie is the UREI LA-22. It's their 2-channel solid state unit in a single rack space. A very usable, transparent vocal comp. I've had it for years, and keep finding new uses for it... and since it doesn't have the 'buzz factor' of some of the other UREI stuff, you might be able to find a used one for 'cheep'.

On the LA2a sound alikes. Check out the Peavey AMR VCL2. It is also an el-op model. Two channels all tube class A, 4 tubes per side. To me it is very similar to the LA2a and manley el op. Two space rack unit, El-Op panel, and cost under $1K. Great for warm beutiful sounding vocals as opposed to my Purple edgy vocals comp. To me it is the best bargain in comps (even better than the RNC although very diffent).

My default if I know I want color is the UA 1176. If I want to even things out a little bit and give it some character I'll reach for my Demeter VTCL-2a or a real LA-2a if there's one around. Recently I've been using my Summit DCL-200 for vocals because while it has color the act of compression seems to be very transparent. Like Jules, if I use my 160VU's I usually have something else in line with them.

Also, if not this what do you use in the box for a vocal chain as far as compression is concerned? I love a little CLA-2A, 1176, R-Vox and recently API 2500 on vocal bus. Not all at the same time just a mix of them for different situations.

Featuring new high-resolution graphics as well as sonic enhancements, the Tube-Tech CL 1B MkII plug-in has been reimagined with Softube's latest component modeling and signal processing technology, for an even deeper emulation than before, capturing this

In this article, we will tell you about the top ten optical compressor VSTs. Optical compressors are one of the most used units in the mixing process. Its unique color, soft character, and warm compression effects make it one of the most used compressors.

During the earlier days when hardware compressors were widely used LA2A, an optical compressor was the most used unit. However, the reason for its popularity was also because of its cheap price and low maintenance.

An optical compressor uses a photoresistor along with an illumination source. The input level controls the intensity of the illumination source. The intensity, in return, determines the amount of compression.

LA2A was the first-ever Optical compressor. It was invented by James F. Lawrence II, founder of the Teletronix Engineering Company. The original LA2A unit was actually a Limiting Amplifier. LA2A is a tube-based compressor and uses Cadmium-Sulphide as a resistor. T4 cell is the name of this assembly.

Many producers think that because optical compressors use a light source for compression, it will be a fast compression. However, Optical compressors are the slowest compressors among all types. A typical optical compressor(like LA2A) has an Attack time of 10ms and a release time of about 60 ms for 50% release and 0.5 to 5 seconds for full release. The reason why Optical Compressors are relatively slow is that the light source takes time to have a full effect(Illumination or fading).

Optical compressors generally have 3 controls, Input Gain, Peak Reduction, and Gain Reduction. While the original Optical units have minimal controls, VST emulations of them are fairly advanced. For example, the T-Rack Opto compressor has Ratio, Attack, Release, and Compression amount controls as well.

Due to their slow character, Optical compressors work great on Vocals, Piano, and anything that needs a smooth transient. However, They are not a good choice for Mix buses or Mastering.

The UAD LA-2A is the benchmark of all-optical compressors. This compressor is made by Universal audio; the company responsible for the original Teletronix LA-2A. This optical compressor is famous for its character and warmth.

IK Multimedia Opto compressor faithfully recreates the behavior of an ideal optical compressor. It is one of the cleanest compressors available in the market. The compression effect is very gentle and works great on vocals, piano, keys, drums, etc.

Opto compressor has standard Attack, Release, and Ratio settings of a compressor. Aside from that it also has a compression amount setting. As such, this compressor VST gives more freedom to mixing engineers while keeping the character of the Optical compression intact.

Waves CLA-2A is another optical compressor unit that is famous for its character. Although this compressor works great for Vocals, Drums, and Piano, its effect on Guitar and Bass is equally beautiful. CLA-2A is designed by Waves audio. It gives the character of Mid 60s audio.

This compressor/limiter by Waves is modeled after the legendary electro-optical tube compressor. Its smooth frequency-dependent behavior makes it a favorite among engineers. It sounds great on guitars and bass but really shines on vocals. The Waves CLA-3A is a fantastic choice for any studio.

The Waves CLA-3A comes with standard compressor controls, including threshold increments in two-dB steps, output gain control, and release options from 100 to 3,200 ms. The CLA-3A also features Waves' famous analog metering options, such as the 'V' or 'Y'.

The IK Multimedia While 2A preserves a feature of the original Distressor unit: stereo link. The stereo link feature allows you to mix audio from two different sources and automatically balance them. It also has a British Mode switch that emulates the 1176 compressor. This unit is very versatile.

The Softube Tube-Tech CL 1B is an excellent vocal compressor plug-in. Its transparent, warm sound is reminiscent of the original Tube tech compressor, and it's able to deliver heavy compression levels without degrading the original signal. It's CPU friendly, too, and it features virtual old-school VU meters.

The CL 1B's plugin interface is almost identical to its hardware counterpart. The only difference is that the plugin version lacks a selector for external sidechains and sidechain bussing. Other than that, it offers the same sound quality as its predecessor, but with unprecedented accuracy and VU meter behavior.

Thanks for reading! By now you know about the optical compressors, their charecteristics, and uses. You are also familiar with the best VST emulations of the optical compressors. We hope that this article will help you find the best optical compressors and help you in your musical endeavours.

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