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Post by yotonic on Aug 17, 2018 0:10:26 GMT -6
Much like the 1176 it seems a lot of people share similar settings for vocals and other instruments on the La2a. I found it super interesting that Neil Young's personal La2 had hash marks for his favorite settings for vox and they are similar to what I find "generally" effective. It was also cool to see that his make up gain setting even had "U87" scratched in pencil. The original U87 and La2a play really nice together, one of my favorite sounds. Anyone else finding this 30/60 setting common in their workflow? Maybe Neil will pop in here and give us his 2 cents...    |
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Post by mhbunch on Aug 17, 2018 1:08:55 GMT -6
The red marks are pretty much where mine lives on vocals.
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Post by M57 on Aug 17, 2018 6:14:37 GMT -6
Two questions:
At the red settings, how much compression would you expect it put on your average vocal?
Shouldn't your settings be more dependent on how hot the output from the preamp is? My P1s have one knob. I like them with the pad on, but if I don't want to push them super hard I need a lot more gain on my WA-2A than 25.
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Post by EmRR on Aug 17, 2018 7:53:32 GMT -6
It's entirely dependent on the level feeding the unit. These look like recall marks, not favorite marks.
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Post by svart on Aug 17, 2018 8:03:28 GMT -6
Interestingly enough that's about where mine sits as well!
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Post by yotonic on Aug 17, 2018 9:57:23 GMT -6
It's entirely dependent on the level feeding the unit. These look like recall marks, not favorite marks. It's possible they are recall marks but in the video I pulled it from the retired Engineer Richard Kaplan was chatting about Neil's love of the unit and his favorite settings. But he also misspoke and called the makeup gain knob, input gain, but that was probably a brain fart. |
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Post by EmRR on Aug 17, 2018 11:00:22 GMT -6
It's entirely dependent on the level feeding the unit. These look like recall marks, not favorite marks. It's possible they are recall marks but in the video I pulled it from the retired Engineer Richard Kaplan was chatting about Neil's love of the unit and his favorite settings. But he also misspoke and called the makeup gain knob, input gain, but that was probably a brain fart. Ah, wasn't apparent it was from a source with commentary. I haven't watched it, but again with the first comment, it depends on what's feeding it. Change that and change the settings, it just doesn't apply to anyone else. Actually, it is input gain. |
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Post by adamjbrass on Aug 17, 2018 11:02:17 GMT -6
On
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Post by notneeson on Aug 17, 2018 11:21:39 GMT -6
Do Grammys come with hats?
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Post by yotonic on Aug 17, 2018 11:26:08 GMT -6
It's possible they are recall marks but in the video I pulled it from the retired Engineer Richard Kaplan was chatting about Neil's love of the unit and his favorite settings. But he also misspoke and called the makeup gain knob, input gain, but that was probably a brain fart. Actually, it is input gain. Interesting, meaning what we all call "the makeup gain" on an La2a is somehow input gain? |
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Post by iamasound on Aug 17, 2018 11:37:44 GMT -6
I never understood presets for compressors. People have asked me what settings I have used for certain songs with different pieces of gear, but everything is completely dependent on the signal feeding it. Some think that I'm being coy intent on robbing them of joy, but no, it just makes little sense to me.
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Post by notneeson on Aug 17, 2018 11:43:36 GMT -6
Actually, it is input gain. Interesting, meaning what we all call "the makeup gain" on an La2a is somehow input gain? Like an 1176 input? EDIT: Actually, no. |
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Post by EmRR on Aug 17, 2018 13:37:39 GMT -6
Interesting, meaning what we all call "the makeup gain" on an La2a is somehow input gain? Like an 1176 input. . 1176 input is before everything, la2 is after the input transformer, both are before the amplifier and sidechain path. The LA-2 side chain comes off the input transformer before the amp, 1176 side chain comes after the first gain stage, before the output pot. |
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Post by M57 on Aug 17, 2018 15:06:03 GMT -6
1176 input is before everything, la2 is after the input transformer, both are before the amplifier and sidechain path. So what does this mean effectively? That the amount of "color" imparted by the 76 is more dependent on the the level of the gain? |
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Post by winetree on Aug 17, 2018 15:33:49 GMT -6
I never understood presets for compressors. People have asked me what settings I have used for certain songs with different pieces of gear, but everything is completely dependent on the signal feeding it. Some think that I'm being coy intent on robbing them of joy, but no, it just makes little sense to me. "I never understood presets for compressors". Me either. Presets on gear are for push-button engineers. They push buttons until they find a sound or setting they like, not knowing what they're looking for. Audio engineers hear what they need to do and then reach for the knobs to make it happen. I've had clients copy the console and outboard settings thinking they can use them on their own mixdowns not realizing that they don't work for everything. It depends on the tracks they are mixing. |
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ericn
Temp
Balance Engineer
Posts: 14,957 
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Post by ericn on Aug 17, 2018 17:17:55 GMT -6
I never understood presets for compressors. People have asked me what settings I have used for certain songs with different pieces of gear, but everything is completely dependent on the signal feeding it. Some think that I'm being coy intent on robbing them of joy, but no, it just makes little sense to me. "I never understood presets for compressors". Me either. Presets on gear are for push-button engineers. They push buttons until they find a sound or setting they like, not knowing what they're looking for. Audio engineers hear what they need to do and then reach for the knobs to make it happen. I've had clients copy the console and outboard settings thinking they can use them on their own mixdowns not realizing that they don't work for everything. It depends on the tracks they are mixing. I agree and the LA2 is one of the simplest comps out there, but I have to say there was this Presonus comp with presets I loved to sell those who were new to dynamics control, the presets were a safe fallback when a newbie got over their head twisting knobs. |
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Post by EmRR on Aug 17, 2018 18:51:50 GMT -6
1176 input is before everything, la2 is after the input transformer, both are before the amplifier and sidechain path. So what does this mean effectively? That the amount of "color" imparted by the 76 is more dependent on the the level of the gain? Input transformer color on LA-2 depends on how hard you hit it. It's a straight amplifier after the gain control, so a hot input, turned up hot, will drive the output amp harder. The side chain amp comes off the path right after the input transformer, so isn't affected by the gain setting. Input transformer color on 1176 depends on how far the input is turned up, output is really an interstage gain pot so drive of input stage and output stage can be addressed differently. |
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Post by wiz on Aug 17, 2018 19:16:18 GMT -6
My la2a’s. Drip and Stam both hover around those settings
Cheers
Wiz
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Post by damoongo on Aug 18, 2018 11:13:17 GMT -6
Interesting, meaning what we all call "the makeup gain" on an La2a is somehow input gain? Like an 1176 input. Long time lurker, finally registered to join in the fun... I'm pretty sure this is incorrect, or I'm misinterpreting you guys. The gain pot on an La2a is after the detection and gain reduction circuit (acting more like make-up gain, but yes, technically it's an attenuator before the output amp). While the 1176 input is before the detection and gain reduction (acting like input gain, but really it's an input attenuator). The block diagrams from UA seem to agree... Obviously their functions are quite different, as the "gain" knob on the la2a does not affect the amount of compression/limiting, whereas the 1176 "input" knob certainly does. see page 12 media.uaudio.com/assetlibrary/l/a/la-2a_manual.pdfand see page 29 media.uaudio.com/assetlibrary/1/1/1176ln_manual.pdfOr perhaps this was a trap to lure me out of "lurk mode" and into registering! |
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Post by M57 on Aug 18, 2018 11:32:33 GMT -6
>>..The gain pot on an La2a is after the detection and gain reduction circuit (acting more like make-up gain, but yes, technically it's an attenuator before the output amp)..<< Or perhaps this was a trap to lure me out of "lurk mode" and into registering! Which begs the question. Why is the gain knob of the 2A physically placed to the left of the Reduction knob? Or am I exposing my left to right bias? Welcome to the forums damoongo. Yes, it is a trap - and to prove my point, I dare you to not make another post on this site.  |
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Post by matt on Aug 18, 2018 11:34:26 GMT -6
Or perhaps this was a trap to lure me out of "lurk mode" and into registering! Welcome to RGO! |
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Post by EmRR on Aug 18, 2018 11:36:13 GMT -6
Why is the gain knob of the 2A physically placed to the left of the Reduction knob? Or am I exposing my left to right bias? Bias! BIAS!!!! It's Hebrew? Because you run up the amount of gain you need for what you feed, then you dial in gain reduction. Think of EVERY SINGLE old hardware compressor as a piece before a radio transmitter. That is the design mindset. |
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Post by drbill on Aug 18, 2018 11:38:29 GMT -6
Wherever the gain is in the circuit, I have no "presets", normal settings or secret sauce settings. The LA2a is perhaps the simplest piece of gear on the planet. It's ALL dependent on the amount of gain fed into it. I generally set mine up on PT inserts and leave my settings on the unit in the same place - around 4 for Peak Red, and 3.5 for Gain and use trims before / after to get it where I want it.
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Post by EmRR on Aug 18, 2018 11:39:10 GMT -6
The old dude said it in the video supposedly, and I concur he is using the correct terminology of 'input' for the era in which it was designed and in which he worked. Dunno why the quote disappeared. |
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Post by Ward on Aug 18, 2018 11:58:13 GMT -6
What is the level of the source going into the LA2a? The equivalent of -6dBa? -18dBfs? -10dBV? 0dBu? +4dBu? Average or peak?
Copying Neil Young's "setting" as if it were some secret to audio magic is about as brilliant as using an SM58 because Bono did at one point.
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