Why has the LA-2A remained so popular for recording engineers of all stripes, even fifty years after its original design? It’s all about the slow, gentle, and versatile multi-stage release time. “It treats your signal so lovingly,” says Bill Putnam Jr., CEO of Universal Audio. “It’s inspiring to sing through psychologically. It responds especially well to the human voice in a way that inspires performance.”
 
The T4 optical attenuator in the LA-2A is both program and frequency dependent, allowing the compression ratio to vary greatly based on the source material. The average attack time is fixed at 10 milliseconds, but its unique release characteristic is what gives the LA-2A its definitive sound. While the initial release time is about 60 milliseconds for 50% of the release, the following 50% happens gradually over a period of one to 15 seconds before the signal comes back to 100%.
 
This timing of the release depends heavily on the length and strength of the incoming signal. If compression is heavy or the signal is above the threshold for a long duration, then the release will be slower. If the signal is below the threshold, then the release will be faster. Users may notice that it takes quite some time for the meter to return to 0 VU (no compression) after a long period of heavy compression.
 
- See more at: http://www.uaudio.es/blog/la-2a-analog-obsession/#sthash.IWhuEzRA.dpuf
 
 
 
- See more at: http://www.uaudio.es/blog/la-2a-analog-obsession/#sthash.IWhuEzRA.dpuf