Don't let that rule the CA-2A out of your investigations, though, as it's one of the best out there. The original unit used an electro-luminescent optical attenuator called T4 for gain reduction. It is a hand-wired, tube-based compressor initially used in broadcast. Ultimately, there are so many great LA-2A emulations out there now (UAD recently added three new variants, for example) that personal developer preference could well be the deciding factor in your choice of which one to buy. The CLA-2A is modeled on the original Teletronix LA-2A unit from the early 1960s.
Of the additional features, we found the photocell memory option interesting but much less useful than the HF emphasis - the latter is an excellent inclusion and can be particularly helpful in preventing low frequencies from unduly influencing things.Ĭakewalk has done a fine job with its take on the LA-2A, and the only mild annoyance is the OS X 10.7.5 requirement for the Mac version. The CA-2A isn't a jack of all trades or a super- fast design like the equally famous 1176LN compressor, and we've found ourselves using it primarily for its gentler 'gluing' characteristics, sometimes combining it with another compressor for bite. Furthermore, like the original hardware, the CA-2A's two Ratio settings (Limit and Compress) are in no way restrictive, with the frequency content and level of the input signal influencing the behaviour and sound. The two-knob design is ideal for the compression novice as it encourages you to focus on those basic settings and use your ears rather than getting sidetracked by ratios and release times. There's also a glue-like nature to the characteristic 'two-stage' release phase (in an LA-2A, the first half of the release takes about 60ms, with the rest being in the order of seconds), adding body to everything from vocals and acoustic guitars to toms and kicks. Once you start to wind up the Peak Reduction, though, the CA-2A really comes into its own, with the fastest transients handled very sympathetically. Sonically, we found it to be pretty neutral with no gain reduction applied (transparency varies between LA-2A emulations). "Once you start to wind up the Peak Reduction, the CA-2A really comes into its own, with the fastest transients handled very sympathetically" In truth, the legacy of LA-2A is so wide that dozens of plug-ins are really very close in sound, features and design. Ergonomically, this is arguably the best LA-2A emulation yet. In this article, we list some of them that we consider to be the best LA-2A plugins and emulations that are worth checking out. The first thing to note about the CA-2A is how responsive the meter is, and similarly the controls.