LA3A emulations

VST, AU, AAX, CLAP, etc. Plugin Virtual Effects Discussion
RELATED
PRODUCTS

Post

TheoM wrote:why would i ignore it..
I know you were a little turned off by the price, especially after we all found it this wasn't going to be a 1:1 Distressor.

Give the demo a go when you really have some time you can dedicate to exploring it. After almost 6 weeks with Arousor, I like it a lot more today than I did on day 1. Some key things about it:

1. The range on the attack knob here is huge. More so than I'm used to. You can really hear the difference here between the Attack on 0 (microseconds) and the attack on 2 (miliseconds).
2. I barely touch the release knob on this one, anything from 100-200 ms seems to just work on everything.
3. More Attack Mod rounds the shape of the transient. On drums like Kick, I was putting it as high as 6-8 with a 9ms attack time to get a nice round, fat transient.
4. Watch the Saturation meter. It doesn't always need tweaking from default, but if you're looking to increase the apparent loudness on instruments with a sharp transient and shave those peaks, then get this in the yellow or red.
5. HP filter in the detector works as expected, and the sidechain EQ can be put to good creative effect.
6. The mix knob is a little weird in how the gain works, and I barely ever use Mix knobs on comps, but it's nice to have I suppose.

Post

simon.a.billington wrote:Yes true for obvious differences but is it really all that valid when you get to the splitting hairs stage.

Whether or not a version of a compressor seems a millisecond faster or has a tiny bit more harmonics around 8k whereas the other one has slightly more mid-presence really shouldn't be a game stopper.

That's just OCD in another guise.

I'm speaking very generally. I'm not trying to be rude or offensive to anyone specifically here.

You are not being rude but completely ignorant - yet again. And on top of it you are attemtping to be patronising - yet again.


The OP specifically asked for an LA3A - it is even in the thread title. Also in his original post he clearly stated:
zeep wrote:After working with the Waves CLA3A for a while i really like it. In most cases where i'd normally drag a LA2A in i found i liked the sound better with the 3A.

Does anyone have experience with the hardware (or software) ? If so, can you recommend the Waves version, or are there other emulations you prefer?
Something you either completely missed, or - worse - purposely ignored. Either way, you are obviously trolling this thread. Either because you started an argument without even reading the OP or because you read it but ignore it in order to start a senseless argument mid-thread.
"Preamps have literally one job: when you turn up the gain, it gets louder." Jamcat, talking about presmp-emulation plugins.

Post

zeep wrote:Btw, yeah the Behringer Composer. My first hw compressor ever. Back then a lot more than $150,- though.
I really got to know it by hitting it as hard as possible. ;)
Good bread & butter.
TheoM wrote:SSl duende bus comp:

0.1 attack
fast release
10 ratio
10db reduction
no click or barely audible :) Much like hardware ssl.
Forgot that one! My favorite ssl bus comp. Still haven't gotten so far as to sell it, though i hardly ever use it anymore. Ikm's bus comp gets used the most.

Duende's bus comp i had the opportunity to test vs the hw a long time. Used as much music possible and it was spot on. The Glue didn't sound the same as the hw, only when OS was really high it came close but then even it had a different "bounce". Waves neither. Though all respectfully sound great! Possibly better than the hardware, who's to say right?

Sorry for OT my own thread :hihi:
I bought all mine second hand from a closing studio, the guy had 8 of them :)

PS did you go for the waves? Although i'm spoiled by UAD, the waves LA series are my favourites of their vintage emulations.. i think the 3a is the best in that whole pack basically. I ended up buying it when waves had a sale for $49 but i think i paid $43 at everyplugin, it was well worth it to have a native LA3a as well for when uad is not practical.

Edit, Oh i see it's currently on special.. Hmmm, i suppose 69 is ok, see what you can get it for at a reseller. Look I hope i didn't put you off it cause of the UAD one.. it's a good plugin and the only choice for a 3A right now in native form :) I really do think go for it :)

Post

jens wrote:
simon.a.billington wrote:Yes true for obvious differences but is it really all that valid when you get to the splitting hairs stage.

Whether or not a version of a compressor seems a millisecond faster or has a tiny bit more harmonics around 8k whereas the other one has slightly more mid-presence really shouldn't be a game stopper.

That's just OCD in another guise.

I'm speaking very generally. I'm not trying to be rude or offensive to anyone specifically here.

You are not being rude but completely ignorant - yet again. And on top of it you are attemtping to be patronising - yet again.


The OP specifically asked for an LA3A - it is even in the thread title. Also in his original post he clearly stated:
zeep wrote:After working with the Waves CLA3A for a while i really like it. In most cases where i'd normally drag a LA2A in i found i liked the sound better with the 3A.

Does anyone have experience with the hardware (or software) ? If so, can you recommend the Waves version, or are there other emulations you prefer?
Something you either completely missed, or - worse - purposely ignored. Either way, you are obviously trolling this thread. Either because you started an argument without even reading the OP or because you read it but ignore it in order to start a senseless argument mid-thread.
I'm not being ignorant, not really. I addressed the OP's question much earlier and wasn't really attempting to be patronising either, not my style, not intentionally anyway. I have no superiority complex and see all human beings as equals.

Its not cool to look down on anyone. All I do is present an idea, another perspective or point of view. It's my belief its up to people whether they agree or disagree. I can only plant the seed of thought.

I'm not one to troll at all. There is much more constructive information that I had contributed earlier. I have also and even had an exchange with TheoM about the nature of the OptiCom. None of us here were really have in an issue with the nature of the discussion.

We don't see eye to eye, thats obvious, but if you read carefully and in context I'm validating someone's opinion then offering another way of looking at it - "is it really all that valid when you get to the splitting hairs stage."

Its supposed to make people think for themselves. Perhaps I should have used a question mark (?), that was just a grammatical error I picked up on then...

I'm really asking is it valid? Is it worth the effort knowing that it there is possibility that it could change later in a mix? Is that the best way to spend your time? Is that the best way to service the client's needs? These minute differences wont matter at the end of the day to those listening, they wont even know. So is it worth the time worrying about things that ultimately don't matter to the target audience?

I don't have the answer for these, each person must answer it themselves.

"That's just OCD in disguise." - I come from a family with a lot of OCD, the real thing. I even suffer a little from it myself. However, wasn't talking about anyone in specific, unless its maybe myself.

The matter that i was trying to convey here is if you get too obsessed with the tiniest details and forget to view the forest through the trees, in the end its the music and overall productively that could suffer. So this is something to bare in mind.

Post

TheoM wrote:
zeep wrote:Btw, yeah the Behringer Composer. My first hw compressor ever. Back then a lot more than $150,- though.
I really got to know it by hitting it as hard as possible. ;)
Good bread & butter.
TheoM wrote:SSl duende bus comp:

0.1 attack
fast release
10 ratio
10db reduction
no click or barely audible :) Much like hardware ssl.
Forgot that one! My favorite ssl bus comp. Still haven't gotten so far as to sell it, though i hardly ever use it anymore. Ikm's bus comp gets used the most.

Duende's bus comp i had the opportunity to test vs the hw a long time. Used as much music possible and it was spot on. The Glue didn't sound the same as the hw, only when OS was really high it came close but then even it had a different "bounce". Waves neither. Though all respectfully sound great! Possibly better than the hardware, who's to say right?

Sorry for OT my own thread :hihi:
I bought all mine second hand from a closing studio, the guy had 8 of them :)

PS did you go for the waves? Although i'm spoiled by UAD, the waves LA series are my favourites of their vintage emulations.. i think the 3a is the best in that whole pack basically. I ended up buying it when waves had a sale for $49 but i think i paid $43 at everyplugin, it was well worth it to have a native LA3a as well for when uad is not practical.

Edit, Oh i see it's currently on special.. Hmmm, i suppose 69 is ok, see what you can get it for at a reseller. Look I hope i didn't put you off it cause of the UAD one.. it's a good plugin and the only choice for a 3A right now in native form :) I really do think go for it :)

Actually that would make it pretty awesome value for money. I paid much more for mine.

Post

TheoM wrote:I bought all mine second hand from a closing studio, the guy had 8 of them :)

PS did you go for the waves? Although i'm spoiled by UAD, the waves LA series are my favourites of their vintage emulations.. i think the 3a is the best in that whole pack basically. I ended up buying it when waves had a sale for $49 but i think i paid $43 at everyplugin, it was well worth it to have a native LA3a as well for when uad is not practical.

Edit, Oh i see it's currently on special.. Hmmm, i suppose 69 is ok, see what you can get it for at a reseller. Look I hope i didn't put you off it cause of the UAD one.. it's a good plugin and the only choice for a 3A right now in native form :) I really do think go for it :)
8 should do the trick. Nice :). X racks?

Yes i have the Waves 3A and without a doubt it will see a lot of work. That's a good price indeed.
And ... i almost have the UAD running too, just need to make a pcie space on my mobo. Looking forward to working with it, and my other secret love the Ampex again.

Good plugin times we live in.

Post

zeep wrote: Yes i have the Waves 3A and without a doubt it will see a lot of work. That's a good price indeed.
And ... i almost have the UAD running too, just need to make a pcie space on my mobo. Looking forward to working with it, and my other secret love the Ampex again.

Good plugin times we live in.
Nice one!! Let us know how you end up using it, particularly if you get a bit inventive with it.

Post

zeep wrote:
TheoM wrote:I bought all mine second hand from a closing studio, the guy had 8 of them :)

PS did you go for the waves? Although i'm spoiled by UAD, the waves LA series are my favourites of their vintage emulations.. i think the 3a is the best in that whole pack basically. I ended up buying it when waves had a sale for $49 but i think i paid $43 at everyplugin, it was well worth it to have a native LA3a as well for when uad is not practical.

Edit, Oh i see it's currently on special.. Hmmm, i suppose 69 is ok, see what you can get it for at a reseller. Look I hope i didn't put you off it cause of the UAD one.. it's a good plugin and the only choice for a 3A right now in native form :) I really do think go for it :)
8 should do the trick. Nice :). X racks?

Yes i have the Waves 3A and without a doubt it will see a lot of work. That's a good price indeed.
And ... i almost have the UAD running too, just need to make a pcie space on my mobo. Looking forward to working with it, and my other secret love the Ampex again.

Good plugin times we live in.
i bought four of them (not all 8) for 150 aud each. They were near new. in AUD they were about 400 each back then street price. No x rack stuff.. was that even available then? I just tried to find the date for those and SOS has a review in 2007.. i'm talking end of 1999 here. Initially we just had the 2 boutique comps but added the behringers so we could obviously have general compression on more channels. We also had a behringer de esser because I didn't know better back then,and the dealer told me, and i quote her, "you don't need to spend more money on a deesser as there's no such thing as a shit hot de esser versus an average de esser.. a de-esser is just a de-esser". They were ok. Actually i had done a bit of investment into behringer cause of the cheap prices, just to have an extra fx processor besides the lex,and the stereo enhancer rack which was a bit of a revelation back then.

We had all our comps in a portable rack box, the stackable snug fit type. I still have those near 20yo rack houses in my new home studio with my modules/apollos/adat :)

we used a mackie 32-8 with insert patchbay so we could patch the 6 comps (4 behringer, 1 dbx blue, one focus red) on whichever channel we wanted.. Those were fun days :grin: Oh I remember we had a TC finaliser too... fun times. And 2 dat machines! Woot! Dat was all the rage. i used to ride faders manually.. automation you say? :lol: hehe
ahhhh, memories.

Post

Sonic differences between CLA-2A and CLA-3A? Can't decide between them in the current sale.

Post

There was an interesting article about the differences between 2A and 3A but i can't find it now. But the wiki has the gist of it. UAD has a good writeup too:
http://www.uaudio.com/blog/la-2a-vs-la-3a-explained/

TheoM wrote:..
we used a mackie 32-8 with insert patchbay so we could patch the 6 comps (4 behringer, 1 dbx blue, one focus red) on whichever channel we wanted.. Those were fun days :grin: Oh I remember we had a TC finaliser too... fun times. And 2 dat machines! Woot! Dat was all the rage. i used to ride faders manually.. automation you say? :lol: hehe
ahhhh, memories.
Hehe same times here, with some less of the 'good' gear. Same portable boxes / racks with handy access to the back. Had a couple of those behringers for overall compression and they had a sweet spot when you drove the input hot. I was looking out for a dbx, but i did more and more in the box. Ah the tc finalizer, i remember it just caused horrible phase issues. Among a few colleague producers that unit was resold until everyone of us was sick of it. :lol: :hihi: 2 Dat recorders also here. Each of them repaired more than once because they kept breaking.

/OT

Got the uad 3A working. Will post back with results :)

Post Reply

Return to “Effects”