LA2A SHOOT OUT!

[@_allcap]

In the sea of plugins, we need more of these videos

[@StudioLife101]

@@_allcap More coming....

[@alchemistrpm82]

Agreed

[@AironExTv]

Neat. In context, double-blind, well matched. Since I do not know what a real LA2A sounds like, I'd only state what I prefer.

[@smujohnson]

I bought the Hornet HA2A plugin with a coupon. I have no idea what a real one sounds like but I like to support the little guy here and there.

[@KozmykJ]

@@smujohnson Their new H4K Bus Comp is fun. 👍

[@Zer0Spinn]

I have no idea of how a real LA2A sounds like, all I know is that I liked different ones for instruments. 4 for the drums and 2 for bass and vocals. Guess using your ears and taste is always the right move.

[@StudioLife101]

@@Zer0Spinn Always. 👍

[@StudioLife101]

@@Zer0Spinn Results video is out...👍

[@briansommers905]

Great video, #2 sounded crisper and smoother than the rest. I use the Overloud Comp LA mostly.

[@sparella]

Thanks for the blind test. They're always great fun. Guesses: 1 and 4 are analog. 4 is a better all-arounder so it's the Teletronix. 1 is phat, which I kind of like, and maybe its the Klark. 3 works for slap and has the longest attack time, so it is Logic. 2 is Softube and 5 is AO.

[@BuddieOLLi]

...i listen again - with my mobile phone. The difference seems greater 😮 as i hear it with small Nearfield Speaker. Fascinating....😅 greets from Germany

[@bobbyweezer]

This is a fascinating exercise, and I love your whole approach to it. Not sure I'm qualified enough to offer up my opinions/suspicions, but I love the effort and vid.

[@DaftFader]

3,3,4 is the best sounding to me. The only one with decent low end, and had a bit more definition to the attack than the others without it being too thinly spikey. Which it was IDK. I've built my own dual LA2A in a DIY project, so am very familiar with this compressor. The biggest charicter difference comes from the opto cell's responce (not tonal charicter but asdr charicter), and these vary wildly from la2a to la2a ... you can get matched finely tuned optos these days, which all perform much much closer to each other, so dual stereo versions are now viable, but an old one is like a lotto on the compression curve TBH. The bigest tonal responce probably comes from the transformers, and the saturation charicter probably mostly comes from the tubes on the output amp (but this hugely depends on how hard you driving the input vs output and is by no way is an exhaustive list). Lots and lots of variables which even the originals never had 100% consistancy with (tube age, type if replaced and general variance even in the same make of tube, 20% other componant variations AND differant aging rates of componants due to storage conditions etc etc etc.). There's also a fair few ways to calibrate them, it's suposed to be compensation for internal componant tollerences, but if not set "right" can also change things like the overall freqency responce, the compression's sidechain freqency responce the list goes on...

[@NyakzOTSD]

Before reading the comments, I thought number 1 was my favourite. The lows stayed consistent.

[@WilsonTheArchitect]

My favourite was the 4th one, doesn't mean it's the real one tho, i just liked how it sounded. Only thing i feel comfortable guessing is that the 2nd one is Analog Obsession, their LA2A and 1176 have a tendency to boost the highs unless you set the treble rolloff to around 80%

[@johntweedale271]

5 stood out for me on drums especially

[@jaylevzi7293]

I can't tell, and tbh, doesnt matter. I have loads , I try a few and if one sounds better than the other I stick with that. Same with any VST tbh.

[@stoopidvideoz]

I never buy expensive gear as I don't want to be exploited by big tech. So I use a toilet roll as a microphone, a comb as my main instrument and a compression stocking for my LA2A, works well.

[@StudioLife101]

😂😂

[@proaudionajia]

@@stoopidvideoz Congratulations mate😂

[@stoopidvideoz]

@@proaudionajia Thanks mate, just trying to keep down the costs. With my setup I don't need to spend money on a retro lo-fi plug-in to make my mix even more crappier than it is so I'm quids in.

[@marksaxon]

Love these videos! The only one that I might have heard anything "better", it might have been the #4 on the vocals as the real LA-2A. I think it used to be easier 20 years ago when we didn't have such great plugin emulations like we do now. I have a few LA-2A plugins and I think I'm pretty much done. It also has to do with the context of the song. If there's a lot going on, I'd be hard-pressed to hear those minute differences since no one listens to a full on song with things in solo. I also love that this is not a "snake oil" or "scam" conversation. What this means is folks have some great sounding options without breaking the bank!

[@GapsExist]

1 for drums, 3 for bass, and 4 for vocals was the best sounding for me for the sole reason they sounded fuller and more balanced across whole frequency spectrum.

[@johnflavour]

I obviously can't tell which is the real one, but I prefer three the best. Good video lads.

[@ritchxmusic]

1 and 4 were the most up front and present to me, either one would work very well for me

[@hburakurgay]

3 and 5 are my favorites!

[@CyGnuS327]

Number 4 for me. Great video

[@rt5u]

I have absolutely no frame of reference, but I felt like no.2 sat in the mix most consistently.

[@chriskemp466]

number 2 sounded most open and clear to me and number 5 next

[@evanrosen13]

I like 1, 3, 4.

[@musicmwmusic]

Such a fantastic idea!! I like the sound of #4. Fingers crossed it’s the stock plugin 😂

[@VALHALLANmusic]

I liked 1 and 3 the most. They sounded smoother on the high frequencies.

[@YADxAH]

My all around favorites are #1 and #4 I think #1 is the La-2a tho

[@angermanagementstudios]

They all had slight differences but I’m buggered if I know which is which.

[@lv7blanche]

1 and 3 are hardware. Others are plugins. Original maybe is 3, Klark 1 (1 has more weight). Please note I never had the chance to hear the real hardware.

[@thethings4708]

DAMN it was CLOSE !!!... I really not shure, but i think the no 5 have a little more dynamic on it... but i am not shure if it was really the case and if it was the real thing. Nice video THANKS. My favorite by the way are in order : No 1 , No 3, No5. Stangely, on the vocal the no 4 seem the best to my ears.

[@stevelast5719]

I have no clue which one is which. I like using the UAD , but funny enough my favorite one that I use is the Opal from UVI. It’s probably the one that has the least to do with the original one… 😊

[@bourianboubbov9937]

Hey! First thanks for your time! Very appreciated! I don't own a "real" one howeverrr, LOL, I'll say that on my Sennheisers Drop580 1 had sth going for it and to an extent so did 5 (bass) but the fullest appeared to be 4. One sometimes worked better for the track maybe. e.g. Vox! Again 1 had something but 2 being kinda slender, not to say thin was awesome for character, 4 felt most 3D and upfront which for a vocal is also GREAT! So, judging by that I'd be inclined to say 4. Whatever it is I'd buy that if I had unlimited funds but were allowed one only :D Further, I'd say you can thin out full easier than you could beef up thin...so yeah...Context is paramount Cheers!

[@nkwln]

No idea but I liked 1 on drums (nice low thump), 2 on bass (felt like it pushed through the mix a little more maybe saturation wise), and 3 on vox (liked how it glued with the mix) With my luck I probably picked the Logic stock plugin on each one as I am on PC

[@StudioLife101]

@@nkwln Results episode coming tomorrow 👍

[@uw0tm838]

Can't believe they decided to edge us again. I vote for #2 and I don't care if it's the original.

[@mikefont69]

#2 sounded best to me with the most detail

[@pat2651]

I liked the colour of numer 1 and 3 best

[@zuider77]

I've never used a real LA2A so I can only tell you which one I liked. To me #2 sounded slightly "more': just a tad more open, just a tad more depth, but I thought they all sounded very usable. This was great comparison! I hope down the road you will tell us which one was which.

[@anyme3046]

I just like the song ❤ can’t tell the difference as I’m listening through a iPhone speaker 🔊

[@DurAnt6490]

#1 sounded the fullest & best. I’d like to win or buy whatever is behind door #1

[@ibanezlaney]

I liked 2 the most. And 5 was good too.

[@truegent68]

yeah I liked 2 on the drums, I've never heard a real one so wouldn't know really, I also liked 5 too

[@VinceJackson1]

# 2 & 5 Stands out to my ear. Some of the other sound a little squashed! they also sound a lot alike.

[@JuhaKuvajainen_JeanMirage]

Ha! Another great vid. I think everyone of these does the trick although they are a tad different. #2 (drs) has more definition (hi end), but I’m not sure if I like it as its too thin in general. #4 (bass) is the thickest but a bit muddy. #3 best for the bass. As what comes to vocs, the differences are less apparent. No idea which one is the real thing but my order of pref is (probably🙄) 3-4-5-1-2. IDK. Gimme any one of those (except maybe #2) and I’m a happy mixer. Cheers - kippis!

[@trebleboost7]

That’s pretty much my ranking as well though it might have changed a little based on source.

[@MIMA902]

#1 sounds good to me.

[@d.o.b.]

number 1

[@ghostakablackpanther]

1 klark and 4 LA2A

[@chrisprather4360]

I like 3 best, they were all so close to the same.

[@dutnakke]

They ALL sounded great to me

[@Tha_Mecca]

Can’t believe I missed out on this 🤦🏿😂 I can’t tell a difference but I do like: 1 on drums 5 on bass 2 on vox If I gotta guess these stood out to me but I don’t know if it’s the LA2A. I would say it’s the Klark 🤷🏿‍♂️😂😂

[@lomatv4144]

I love this videos my friend ❤

[@atmodiver]

I have already seen a comparison of an iron device and plug-ins.Most of the plugins react like an iron device with a slight addition of peak reduction, but with a larger increase, the behavior changes greatly.And the iron device sounds clean even with the strongest possible addition of peak reduction, and this is a big difference.

[@mookiiieeee]

Iron device? ….

[@oskarwroniewicz]

Liked 1 and 4 the most. I felt like 1 had longer attack and thus was more punchy, 4 was more even and rounded. 2 sounded weirdly thin, the worst by far. 3 had snappy transients. 5 was middle of the road. Time to go to the results! Edit: Turns out I liked Klark Teknik in each shootout. I wonder why the real LA2A squashed the kick so much in the drum example? It made it sound the worst, while Klark was the punchiest of all lmao

[@BMugzMusic]

I liked 2 the best hoping that the 1 worth the bread or Teletronix LA 2A a rip off haha.

[@docmovnok8697]

Love #2 😉

[@ryanperrault8174]

1& 4 sounded the fullest/fatest. 2 sounded the thinnest/open, and 3 sounds like it could be logic with a nice balance. None sounded bad. I've been running everything in logic at the end through the AO LALA. It does something awesome for the entire mix if you use it so it's just barely moving the needle.

[@jenslempke7883]

2 is probably the original, It has a deeper, "rolling" low end and crispier high end to my ears. 1. Sounds similar and should be the Clark Teknik. But none sounds bad IMHO. I don't have the hardware experience enough though 😊

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

i won't lie, it's tough to tell, but i think part of that is that i haven't heard these things go through the real one or the raw tracks to know how these compressors are reacting to that material. if you are shaving 1-2 db off of it, for example that won't show the flaws of the gear. imo the reason to get the expensive stuff is that it's more transparent when being pushed and doesn't sound like crap. I'll drive my UAD la2a plugins pretty hard sometimes on bass and vocals for some vibe (saturation/pumping/breathing). if that pumping/breathing is more extreme in the cheaper version or the distortion is harsher that would mean it's not the piece of gear for me to get. and imo if you are just not gonna push the gear ever or use the saturation/color then why even buy hardware?! that being said i love these types of videos to disprove myths that cheap gear sucks. but I definitely heard differences just subtle and i couldn't tell you which was which. one sounded warmer and a bit more lofi pulled back in the mix and another felt brighter and more forward. this could be for many reasons. one being it's a digital plugin vs hardware or cheaper parts vs more expensive parts, OR that the warmer one is the LA2A and the brighter one is a plugin or the other hardware because it's making up for it's cheap sound by boosting certain frequencies or being more/less sensitive to those frequencies by nature. either way they were definitely not all identical, but those differences are so subtle it won't make or break a mix, which is good to know. Especially since other KT products have really been awful and can't stand up against the real thing. so props to them i guess. looking forward to the results and such.

[@StudioLife101]

@@CreativeMindsAudio I pushed to 7db of gain reduction 👍

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

@@StudioLife101 good to know! thanksf or responding too. Pretty standard GR then. but i'll get 10+ db with how i use it. good job still.

[@inocaslu]

I have never tried a real LA2A, but can pick n°1 as my favourite in this context (n°4 in second place). They kept drums and bass clear and punchy, while the others kinda messed up the transients and I really didn't like them lol (n°4 on bass made it sit more in the background). On vocals though, the differences were really subtle, I probably wouldn't mind. Thanks for the comparisson, level-matched exercises like this are always nice :)

[@DanielGuillaud]

3 and 5 for me Sound ok . Funny I use kt-la2a every days maybe I should note:). But,on drums 1 sound like the real uad la2a too slow and over compress :) merci pour ce test amusant . Bravo

[@sonnybrasco9735]

I like the sound of 3 and 5 as well. They was open and punchy

[@andrewrwhitfield]

3 is my favourite. No idea what that means. But in particular on the bass. 🤷

[@Schin_Thiago]

I didn't liked #5 on any of the tests so if this is the real one I'd be surprised. 😆 Really enjoyed number 1 and 3 on all of them. In the end it won't matter for the listener anyways so we can all be happy with whatever we have in hands to work with.

[@TheOnlyGuyInTheVillage]

Drums: #5. Bass: #1, Vocals: #4. But surprising how close all of them really are. I own a Warm Audio WA-2A. When compared to the Teletronix hardware the WA-2A is really similar, but the LA-2A has way more headroom and it's dials are pushed far less than the Warm to get the same compression levels.

[@americanbigelow]

I couldn't tell which was which but I did think 2 and 4 had a "Thing". All great sounds, though.

[@georgeolteanu4289]

I have no idea which one is which, but I liked number 1 the most.

[@lasgidikingin]

Neold U2A & Black Rooster VLA 2A are the best opto compressor plugins and i have tried almost every company out there.

[@niklassilen4313]

My guess on the first test (the drums) is that 1 and 4 are analogue units. No idea which one is the real LA-2A though.. I'm leaning towards nr 4 being the real LA-2A and 1 being the KT.

[@horizonofficial5422]

2 or 5

[@michielp1392]

1 and 3 stood out for me. maybe one is the real one and 3 the clarktecnik

[@nedring987]

What about the Warm Audio? Did you try it it?

[@StudioLife101]

@@nedring987 I demoed one a few years ago...couldn't get hold of one for this test though... I very much doubt it would sound significantly different to any of these...👍

[@agirotto1]

I'd say 2 is the Logic one and 4 is LALA. No idea, though.

[@OreilleGauche]

I would guess it's #3 or #5, because they have slower attack that the others. Thanks for this comparaison that include very cheap stuff.

[@jrgroberts]

Hihi. Yes, I can hear perhaps some slight variations, but can't say what's what. I tend to use a real Compex on drums, but I have plugins that are better emulations than the real thing ;). I tend to use the UAD and Waves LA-2A emulations, they are a bit different to set up. I think. Maybe. I purchased the KT Pultecs and am very happy with them used in M/S mode from my Fusion. I like twiddling large bakelite-style knobs, seems to be easier to listen while doing that than when mousing.. . I might buy the KT compressors given my happy results so far. But - what is the difference between the 2A-KT and the KT-2A? Can't find out? Anyone know?😕

[@1loveMusic2003]

3 really was noticeable on vocal I could hear it pilling down hard.

[@jonnymixeditup]

Cannot even begin to provide an opinion on which one was the real LA2A but I can say I hope that whenever you guys drop which unit was which that 3 and 5 are the cheapest lol.

[@rescareguy]

The real one is #1

[@babyghost853]

I don't really care what is what, I like 1 and 5 with 1 being my favorite.

[@StudioLife101]

@@babyghost853 That's all that really matters. 👍

[@nashsevenofficial]

Yall need to demo acustica Nebula Tim Petherick La2a will blow your mind.

[@StudioLife101]

@@nashsevenofficial No LA2A plugin or hardware will ever blow my mind...which one was real? 💁‍♂️😂

[@MarkRoss-v4y]

Couldn't tell you which was which but I thought 1 and 5 sounded best each time (with 1 just stealing it for me)

[@jvelez3981]

Switching not allowed, but #3 on drums, #2 on bass and #2 on vocals, maybe #4. Much harder to tell on vocals.

[@johnnygraham2]

On my rubbish iem’s over youtube, all I can say is on the drums, there was definitely more bass, weight and impact on #1, and to a lesser extent, #3, so I’ll say they are the hardware units, don’t know which is which though. Couldn’t guess the other 3 but I’ll say they were the plugins.

[@Kittenintherobik]

1,4

[@jacksmith4460]

2 and 3 on bass but i liked 2 and 5 on drums and vocals

[@jacksmith4460]

so I like the Softube and Logic on bass, and the real LA2A and Logic on Vox & Drums....shame I'm a reaper user huh? lool

[@EandVEntertainment]

I think 4 was the LA2A. Curious to hear the answer.

[@peterwaterman2007]

I liked 1 and 5 the most. I didn't like what 2 or 4 were doing to the high end, wasn't exactly smoothing it out. So in preference I went 1, 5, 3, 4, 2. I'd like to think the LA2A original was either 1 or 5.

[@StuBiddyBop]

No idea 😂. Not listening too closely though to be fair. I mixed a track recently and was shooting stuff out and found that the stock Logic opto compressor got me where I wanted to go the fastest, never tried the real thing

[@StudioLife101]

@@StuBiddyBop Sensible....if it works...it works. 👍

[@lexbielbymusic]

1 and 3 seemed to consistently do something nice to my ears that the others didn’t do. My guess is 1 - La2a 3-Klark teknik. I disliked 2 the most because of a bright top end, I guess it’s the stock plugin.

[@richertz]

I've found living with hardware is the tell-tale truth. Would you go to a plugin? I like 4 but thats just my feeling, 1 also sounds nice. to judge them all might be unfair in context as I am a fan of plugins as well and think you don't need hardware.

[@ruudheadz7095]

This is a great EAR-Traing video (LA 2A)

[@kshep39]

#2 sounded different to me on drums, but not in a good way. Dunno if that was the real one or not. I liked #4 and #1 in terms of balance the best. For Bass I think I liked #1 the best, #2 next, #4 and #5 seemed to squash the transients a little much for my taste. On vox I think I liked #4 best. All in all they are all pretty damned close. For any given track they are all usable. Does the real one justify the price (whichever one it is in these tests)? To me, no. So it boils down to workflow - if you are hybrid style then grab a cheaper clone like a KT or a warm and move on. If you are ITB then pick an emulation that you enjoy working with and the UI works for you / gives the right vibe. As always appreciate you and Dan, you guys always give me a laugh! Cheers

[@fcmas]

I dont care which one is the real one. My favorites, in order, 31425

[@monkmusic5994]

No 1 had the fullest lows, but is it hardware?

[@DRChevalier]

As I have no significant experience with a real LA2A, I cannot say which is the real one. They were all very close with to my ear after KZbin was done with the audio, #1 sounded the most different. I suppose that I liked 2 or 3 best but really they are so close, it would not matter to me

[@michaelbyrne2619]

No1 for me and then No 4

[@gnomerod]

Using my DT 990 Pro (250 ohm), on the Drums, #1 sounds the most different (and better) to my ears - punchier transients. On the Bass, #1 sounds a bit darker so it stands out but not necessarily better, just slightly different but on the vocals, I hear no difference between none of them

[@ronconley4370]

2 I think is the Klark 4 is he real one

[@scacchomattho]

Don't know/care which is which. I liked the #4 the most on most materials. #2 is the one that sounded different the most from the others and sounds better on vocals. On drums is the worst, in my opinion. The kickdrums made it move too much, sounded like an expander there. The most consistent is #4, as I said. Sounded best on drums for me. #3 sounded best on bass, and #1 was the one with the most saturation, coming almost on par with #4 but I liked the transparency of #4 the best. #5 sounded ok and had kinda of a smoother timbre. The attack character of #1, #4 and #5 are kinda similar

[@Devilsou]

4 - drums, 5 - bass, all nice for vocals :D Dont care which one is which, and dont care if I choose the free one or the real deal :D But I'm no professional, and I don't think training my ear is any good: I want to listen what the end user will hear... Which means if that listener don't hear much difference, it's actually not bad that I'm on the same boat, help to focus on what matters. Also, as I use hardware, I always felt it's when you push very hard (to the point they become a part of the sound) that you start hearing a difference, and when that happens so far I've never liked software (I'm talking like if you change a sine to a slap bass with tons of distortion and hearing clearly how the attack/release/compression shape stuff)...

[@chancehorizons359]

I though it was much harder to tell on everything except the drums. To my ears 1 sounded the best so I think that's the original

[@StudioLife101]

@@chancehorizons359 Results coming tomorrow...👍

[@surgerywithoutknives2353]

Great video 👍love content like this … I use the Clark technique but I don’t think the emphasis is the same which I use on the uad one… but too much of a coward to choose a number 😂

[@StudioLife101]

@@surgerywithoutknives2353 👍😂

[@smujohnson]

Special episode: Dan couldn’t make it after getting thrown in the drunk tank.

[@proaudionajia]

I thought 2 and 5 sounded the best. My ranking will be 2,5,1,3,4.

[@grooveniks1872]

3 and 4 are hardware

[@thesoundresidence]

I like nr 3 first, then nr 1.