Video Review: UA LA 2A vs NI Softube VC 2A Shootout

Both the Universal Audio LA 2A and NI's Softube VC 2A are modelled on the original LA2A hardware compressor. Paul Bissell puts both to the test in this video review shootout.  
The VC 2A and LA 2A stack up very well against each other.

O VC 2A e LA 2A empilhar muito bem contra o outro.


Como proprietário e usuário diário do Universal Áudios LA610 mic pré (610 mic pré, LA2A compressor combo) eu tenho o som LA2A bem enraizado na minha cabeça. Eu também tenho a UAD LA2A plug-in como uma primeira chamada go-to em muitas cadeias vocais. Com Native Instruments e Softube liberando a (não-hardware acelerado) versão nativa, eu estava ansioso para ver como ele se compara com o hardware, e Universal Áudios própria emulação digital.

Considerando que a UA mantiveram a emulação LA2A completamente fiel à unidade original, Softube acrescentou alguns recursos adicionais. O VC 2A (CV = Vintage Compressor), inclui um controlo de mistura / combinação permitindo a compressão paralela, um circuito de cadeia lateral para abaixando ou efeitos, e um filtro de passagem alta no circuito do detector. Isso mantém o compressor de reagir adversamente a baixas frequências.


Empilhamento Up - LA2A e VC2A

Então como é que a emulação Softube empilhar? Muito, muito bem. Ambos você irá obter esse som. Você pode assistir e ouvir o tiroteio de áudio entre os dois abaixo e fazer o seu próprio julgamento. Mas há um par de coisas que você precisa manter em mente. Não há duas LA2As hardware originais são nunca vai ser exatamente o mesmo. Assim, se as unidades de hardware são diferentes, então o emulado ou modelado plug-ins vão ser bem diferentes, e é exatamente o caso aqui.


Paul has being teaching music technology since 1992. He's exhausted and getting older by the minute... His compositions have been published for a mixture of ensembles and solo instruments, and as a performer, Dr. Bissell has played with a variety of orchestras and ensembles. You can hear him on the Spy Kids 2 soundtrack and Eric Jo... Read More

Discussion

shiftjam
Hi paul,

What about the waves plugin? I think is waves cal 2a?

I know the topic is little sensitive and depending on such factors as taste, sound... And asking which one is the best might sound a little bit strange, but which one you would pick?

How does the waves compare with the others?

Best regards,
Leonard
Paul Bissell
Hi Leonard,
The simple answer is that I don't have the Waves version :)
I just did a quite Google search for "UAD Waves LA2A" and I see many. many posts about this already. Softube and NI are pretty much new comers, and so to be honest, I thought it would 'sound like a compressor' and that would be that. I was surprised how it captured the vibe - which is what you want in the end - well, what I want at least. The polarity invert / sum to cancel thing was just to give some kind of objective measure to my subjective opinion.
There are quite a few LA2A emulations - or at least plug-ins that compress and put a "two knobbed, simple silver interface" on the front. Therefore, the comparisons and shootouts could go on and on.

I don't mean to push back on your question, but honestly, the term "best" is one that is completely contextual, and since the context is so different in every song it is pretty much impossible to quantify.
The LA2A does 'that thing' which could be characterized as a smooth, silky, and warm - BUT it also exacerbates sibilance in vocals and leads to a front end bump that can be so "wrong" in many situations. A fast attack 1176 wouldn't have those same issues - but would have its own.

My article was written to say that these plug-ins by Softube/NI that come as a part of the larger Komplete 9 Ultimate package (which is mostly about sample instruments - not plug-ins!) are of similar quality to those of UAD - who in this case also make the hardware units of this model. Waves is native as well so that would be another kind of shootout I guess, and then there are the CLA versions which have their own thing...Bombfactory.....etc

Paul Bissell

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