EXCELLENT video demo, Warren. was wondering about this one -- i'm crazy about UA's version (specially on voices), and as a longtime Slate user (remember using this brand new Steven Slate Sample CD -- the only other we had was a pack of Clearmountain discs, used with a Forat rack unit! getting old is just as overrated as waking up in the morning)...you Knew they'd eventually release a Real LA-2A clone. the obvious UAD limitations certainly create a need for this (thus, ~1k plugin varieties), and get i've personally never heard anything else that reeeally imparts that character, ya know? (same studio had a couple of original rack units). so i've been waiting on this for Years! sounds pretty darn good so far (pardon my language). thank you again brother, for taking the time and really getting some solid details out to the community (imagine Slate will see a rather dramatic increase in subs : ). see you friday. xo shaylie
Thanks so much Warren for this great run-through! Slate designers seem to put a lot of thought into their creations. This is a great example of some very useful updates to a classic.
Great content. I like the LA-2A. An easy-to-use and very good sounding compressor with a decent amount of character. The Slate version sounds great and the high-pass and mix features make this unit even more versatile. Thanks for sharing this video, Warren
I've seen modern recreations of famous vintage gear in the plugin-world modifying especially the attack and/or release times to make it more suitable for modern applications. I really love the idea!
the la2a shouldt come with an attack and release. Its not even possible because its an opto compressor. U like the la2a because of his slowyness. If u want a faster compressor u should go with an 1176 or something out of an SSL4000.
Energy is a good word to describe how I've been adjusting my compression. Just enough to add a little more life. I'm trying my best not to overkill, but I'm extremely bored so a few knobs might get abused in the prosses.
I love UA stuff. Tho there are a bunch of great versions. I am certain , with slate's reputation this will deliver. I always end up with a few instances of an LA2A in my mixes, typical for vocals, sometimes bass, and misc uses. When I was really green with plugins, I would grab every new/different compressor I had, and ultimately ended up using the old standbys. Lol . Now I grab the standbys first, and if they dont get it done, then the fancy stuff.
Yeah, that tubiness (harmonic dist) really gives more dimention to the sounds, comes through even on RU-vid. Would be nice to see is there as much aliasing to lower frequencies like in other tube emulating blugins, the high frequencies can smear the low mids because in digital it sometimes works backwards, which would never happen in analog gear. Decapitator being one of the notorious...
TommiBjork, I've never gotten the hype of Decapitator and could never get it to sound good. Wonder if the aliasing was the reason? Have you seen it in PluginDoctor or just your experience your talkin bought? If you have video's of the aliasing in PluginDoctor or an analyzer or something, I'd love to see it!
@@assshakerstudios549 In used to use Decapitator all the time years ago. The saturation never sounded good to me so I used the EQ section only, I really liked the Tone, you can tilt the focus easily. I have seen some analysis videos online but it would be easy to test all this on your own. For example in Reaper you have all you need, tone generator and frequency analyzer.
@Michiel Hollanders I did my MA here and now looking for opportunities to continue my career in the music industry 🙌🏼 and true there is a pretty solid Greek community in NL.
I love an LA2A just barely touching my mix bus, just to give the whole mix that smoothness. Even if it's not doing anything, the tone is like adding a tiny bit of EQ to everything. It's wonderful.
This is my first comment since I joined, so Hi all. The Slate stuff is hard to beat. I'm a big fan of the show and Slate!! Thanks for all the great information !
man...that vocalist sounds like Hayley Williams from Paramore on the phrase "I can feel you fading" at 13:28...and the 2A gives such a great velvety sound to the attack of the vocal...wow!
Warren, as usual, you seem to post a video about a topic I have questions regarding, this time it's around best compressor usage for acoustic guitar, 1176 not bad at handling the single mic and lack of compression I used when recording, there's a storm of noise and dynamics to control as I wanted to capture the live room feel so mic level was high and picking up everything, the 2A is seeming to be the better choice but my experience level not exactly up to par, you've just confirmed some things in your video that apply and now make sense, seems like 2A smoother with acoustic and blending also nice along with usage of filtering! Thanks, ALDO
Just to let people know that might be confused, the screw isn't a high pass, its a high emphasis control designed as a boost to high frequencies on the sidechain from back in the broadcast use days to control high frequencies. Like the plugin alot btw works for what I want in an LA2A type plugin.
Still using my ex-CBS LA-2A's on a number of mixes. However, I like the way the FG-2A sounds. Question for you: Have you done any digital converter shoot outs? Say compare two channel converters by Mytek, Protools HDX, EMM Labs and IZ Radar. Just a thought.....
How could I get close to the same attack and release as the original unit using Logic's Opto compressor? I use the auto function, however I notice that it still responds to the manual A/R settings...confusing. Thanks!
@@Producelikeapro Thank YOU, Warren. When someone watches as many of your videos as I do, I get to feelin' like you're my pal :) I've learned a ton from you and your many guests.
I've owned around 3 (maybe 4?) LA2A's over the years and they all sounded little different, even in great studios with a pair they always sound different. There is a characteristic they have and this has that. Ultimately this sounds like a perfectly maintained immaculate LA2A and my guess is they shot out lot's and lot's of them and then modelled the best sounding one.
Warren, Of all the songs I've heard you use this is the one that does the "earworm/IJ thing" depending on where you're from, for me. One thing I always ask clients and am happy to receive the often blank stares when i do is this. "If this song you want mixed was a painting what school would it be?". My Bloody Valentine mixed in a Pre Raphaelite or Photorealist style wouldn't work would it? MBV are great wodges of almost muted colours thrown at a canvas in what might seem, to the untrained eye as a unholy mess? it's the mixers job to give that seemingly random soup a form for the band? If your mixing Queen you're way more into almost the draughtsperson field? Every little detail has to be apparent to the ear and yet, you need to also add some old master flourishes to the mix to make it larger than life? Tools for mixing are our sculptors knives, our grasp of different artists palettes of sonic colours? Find that tools that suit the artist's palette and you're someway to cracking the code for mixing a given genre of music? It would be an interesting show for someone with your chops to explain to people quite why George Martin,a genius, mixing UFO's album "No Place To Run", really didn't work. How, what might be technically perfect and correct, isn't always the right choice for a given project?
I thought that the FG-2A made the snare interfere with the main vocal in the test from 4.01 onwards; the snare and lead vocal are much better separated without the FG-2A.
Hi Mario, two things spring to mind 1) every one I've used sounds completely different, especially as with all vintage emulations, it really comes down to which one they emulated! 2) I'm not 'pushing' the plug in, no one changed hands, I did this because so many of our followers use Slate plug ins and I won't to be able to review new plug ins as they come out!
@@Producelikeapro thank you Warren, great job, i will give it a try. The issue is that with too many options we tend to get lost which distracts us from being creative.
The first thing an LA2A was not designed for: handling sharp transients and beats played at 120 bpm, which is what this tempo sounds like. They were never designed to have a fast release, like an API 2500, or 1176. LA2A's are suited to ballad form. Now can the rules be broken to create an effect? For sure, but pointing out that the release times on an LA2A have never been that fast, in such scenarios with tempos above 100 or 110-20 bpm, totally misses the point and use of such a compressor. The fact that the HF to flat dial can be used highlights just how delicate the compressor is, far more suited as a stay levelling amp for orchestral use or jazz vocals or ballads, brining sustain to a tone: as the wave form increases in pitch, becoming wider and longer, so too ideally, should the tempo slow down to accommodate a larger waveform, if you are going to use a LA2A, it will then work at it's optimum. Even if a banging dance track at 128 had masses of bass on a huge thick kick drum, an LA20 at that speed, would still be totally the wrong compressor for achieving tight snap and punch without smearing squashing and flabbering up the mix, yup that is a technical term. Slapping an LA2A on a disco beat at 120, then wondering why it doesn't handle the information to its greatest capacity is to simply mis the intention of the original function of design.
What style compressors do you go after if you want tightness on those 120BPM transient driven songs ? What comps have you been enjoying within those kind of songs in 2022 so far ?
It's true, but it's nice to have a good one as part of the subscription service. Many of Slate Digital users are new to mixing. A lot of them don't own good emulations of the classics and I'm happy that they now have a chance to use a la2a.
Hi Bruno, I’m reviewing a new addition to the Slate plug ins, for anyone who owns or subscribed to their bundle they will get this. So many of our viewers use Slate’s affordable plug ins and it’s very important to me to represent and help everyone!
Exactly Ef Nerva! It’s important for me to showcase what many of our community use! Do free, unpaid content like this is very important to me as it helps so many people who can’t afford far more expensive emulations! Bravo to Steven for doing this and making an affordable option!
Warren, can you swear on your children's lives that this compressor is much better than about 100 othe compressor plugins out there? Or is this just another thinly vieled advertisment you are sponsored to do. BE HONEST. Your credibility is fast evapourating.
The purpose of this video is to educate people, I get asked by our community to showcase equipment all the time and if you've watched the over 1,200 free videos I've done, you'll notice I have only once or twice showcased Slate plug ins. However, many of our community members use Slate plug ins, so in oder to properly represent them I was excited to try out this plug in for free! Once again, I was not paid either for this or the snippet Slate themselves used.
