La Audio Classic Compressor

[crazy_ow]

Has anyone used one of these?

I have heard they are similar to 1176 in the sound of their compression, I understand they are going to be no where near as good as a 1176 but are they comparable as I can pick one up for £400 at the moment.

I use my 1176 plug on my UAD card all the time and thought it would be nice if I had a similar hardware unit I could turn too when I'm tracking.

any opinions would be great,
LA Audio have no mention of them in their legacy products and I can't find any info on the net about them

thanks
ow

[IvanSC]

Here is one link out of the 35,000 hits I got from Google.

http://www.recordproduction.com/LA%20Audio%20Classic%20Compressor.htm

Apparently you are using a different Google to the rest of us.
Try the UK or USA version next time, instead of the Swahili one.

FWIW I have owned several bits of LA Audio gear over the years and they are a mixed bag. No direct experience of this one, but as always let your ears decide before you buy it.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I have heard they are similar to 1176 in the sound of their compression

Not really. I assume you're talking about the LA2A which is an opto-compressor, while the 1176 is a very fast FET compressor. They both compress and they both do a good job, but they do it in quite different ways and if you have the ears for it they have a totally different sound to each other.

Hugh

[Steve Hill]

Hugh - it's not the Universal Audio LA2A.

The confusingly named LA Audio company do/did indeed make an FET compressor which, according to the George Shilling review Ivan has linked to, can be made to sound a bit 1176-ish on a good day. New, it cost something over £1,000, so was pretty much an 1176 price anyway.

To add to the confusion, I don't think the product in question has anything to do with LA Audio "British Originals" who make both 2- and 4-channel compressors in the budget end of the market (the former is £194 at Studiospares).

This review -unhelpfully not dated - suggests that the UK distributors are/were SCV. It talks about sending your final mix to a semi-pro DAT deck, so I guess we're talking mid-1990s? The LA logo on the front of the pictured unit seems to be the same as the "British Originals" company logo, but clearly the unit was not British at all.

And the British Originals lot do not list it under legacy products on their website.

SCV London no longer list LA Audio as one of their brands.

My best guess is the US manufacturers no longer exist but they may have sold the right to the name to the current British company, who nevertheless now choose to make much cheaper stuff. Getting any product support, should it ever be required, could be tricky.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Hugh - it's not the Universal Audio LA2A.

Oops Sorry -- speed reading and obviously got the wrong end of the wrong company's stick. Apologies.

Hugh

[wmcintyre]

Has anyone used one of these?

I have heard they are similar to 1176 in the sound of their compression, I understand they are going to be no where near as good as a 1176 but are they comparable as I can pick one up for £400 at the moment.

I use my 1176 plug on my UAD card all the time and thought it would be nice if I had a similar hardware unit I could turn too when I'm tracking.

any opinions would be great,
LA Audio have no mention of them in their legacy products and I can't find any info on the net about them

thanks
ow

I have one, mines all black made under licence in the UK by SCV Electronics 1991.

It was actually reviewed in SOS by PW not sure which issue but the review was very favourable and I have to agree as It does make itself very obvious, like just a hint of exciter which makes it very flattering/expensive sounding on vox/sax, I have also used It on submixes with great success.
Definitely worth£400

[nickcameron]

There's a good bit on you tube with Chris Lord Alge talking about how he uses these two compressors in tandem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ULCEMu9pHo