As an engineer who started in this crazy biz back in 1980, and who has used a LOT of analog gear (both great and not so great) over the years (including Urei, Teletronix, Pultec, SSL, dbx, Focusrite, API, etc) I think it’s probably pertinent to mention that no two pieces of analog gear ever really sounded EXACTLY the same; and the original Teletronix LA2A was certainly no exception to this. You could have two LA2’s, side by side, with the exact same input signal, using the exact same settings, yet they would sound different; not necessarily “better” or “worse” than the other, just...well, “different”. Any piece of hardware, that has XFO’s, wires, caps, pots, tubes, filters, opto sensors, etc, will have an inherent “drift”, and perhaps that’s part of their magic... In terms of the various modeled (plug) version(s), assuming that the digital modeling was accurate to that one piece of hardware, it will sound like “that” one LA2A, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will sound like ALL of them ... and the same can be said for any digitally modeled HW - whether it’s an 1176, Focusrite Red 3, a dbx 160 series, or even a particular mic, the plugs will reflect whatever one piece of HW that was used to model the plug on. The Warm Audio version is probably going to sound different than many real LA2’s, certainly older ones; after all, the manufacturers are using modern “equivalent” components, which may or may not exactly match the parts of those original pieces. Part of that may be that the materials used in the originals aren’t as easily available anymore, or, because Warm presumably has to take shortcuts somewhere on their manufacturing expenses, to make their piece affordable to the market that they are targeting. None of these examples are “bad”, certainly nowhere near being unusable - and honestly, within the context of a full mix, it’s doubtful that many would be able to hear all that much of a difference between them when used on just one or two tracks - certainly not a huge, dramatic difference. And that brings me to this: I think that part of where analog gear shines the most (if it’s well built) is its CUMULATIVE effect, when many pieces are used on many tracks across the mix; it’s that “cumulative thing”, those slight variances between each that when used on multiple tracks, that offers just enough of a difference between each piece, that gives “that” sonic vibe that so many engineers are after. And finally, the bottom line... Maybe in comparison, the real Teletronix does indeed sound “better”... the question is: Does it sound $2500 “worth” of “better”? I suppose it all depends on whom you ask, and how much money you have available to spend. 😉 Anyhooo... IMHO. 🙏
@qixiaowhs
3 жыл бұрын
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
@RussArteaga
3 жыл бұрын
I’d rather have a 2500$ piece of gear that doesn’t depreciate in all reality vs a sterile sounding plugin. Just look at analog synths vs synth plug-ins. Most synth plugins don’t touch their hardware analogues. Too many non linearities and that inherent component drift while our puters can barely handle things as they are. But plug-in recall is sure nice ;)
@michaelrice6620
2 жыл бұрын
I do agree with the “does it sound $2500 better?” Question especially now a days when the gear and even plugins have gotten so much better than the past n well money really isnt making the type of money that it use to make before the streaming era took over. But i will say that buying something like the warm audio is a much better investment than the plugin any day of the week. Hardware seems to open up the sound and usually add thickness and warmth and a smoothness that plugins never seem to do.
@athyderboss
Жыл бұрын
Nice comment. Thanks for sharing.
@mpdrummer24
Жыл бұрын
Well said!
@papahuge
3 жыл бұрын
Finally. Someone who knows how to do a proper comparison without yapping about it for 20 minutes. Thank you!
@paulwhitney2574
6 жыл бұрын
They're all good. If you can't achieve a good mix with one of these options, using a different one isn't going to change that.
@CipriPopescu
3 жыл бұрын
Right on point!
@fullalbums5675
Жыл бұрын
sure, but if you can make a good mix with any of these, la2a will sound the best
@Allious131
Жыл бұрын
@@fullalbums5675 Naw you just suck if you can't mix with any, it has nothing to do with the la2a it's just your garbage tracks.
@JackLove
6 жыл бұрын
why the hell i am using Waves lol
@lorenmorgan1931
5 жыл бұрын
Its garbage! I bought the Mercury bundle a long time ago, and I don't even have any of it installed anymore. The only plug I like L3 Ultramaximizer and honestly Reaper has a built in clone of it that works perfectly fine for free.I really thought it was going to give me that edge, and all it did was half ass my sound.
@lorenmorgan1931
5 жыл бұрын
@@fromabove422 sorry man, I just never thought they were great. GTR was worst guitar sim I have ever used, all their artist series plug-ins are three knob gimicks. I man the stuff is usable, but I would love to put the waves, against real hardware and do a knob test, with an oscilloscope. Then maybe video and audio would prove me wrong.
@AhwanMishra
5 жыл бұрын
Some waves plugins are useful.. But these classic compressors are worst clones ever made.
@jjones7837
4 жыл бұрын
Waves has more hit records than all plugins combined. Let that sink in. RVOX and RCOMP are goto for many of the best in the game. I blew off wavers plugins only to realize the professional quality of them when used correctly. Waves Vocal chain is modern classic. Sorry to crush dreams.
@AnAmericanGuitarist
4 жыл бұрын
I'd definitely love to have either of the hardware units, but I get some great results with the waves plugins. Sometimes it takes a combination of software products and applications to achieve hardware sounds. You need to experiment and also keep in mind the very important fact that your preferred sound when the vocal or bass is isolated may be considerably different to what it needs to sit right in the mix. Software requires a different path. For example, in regards to the bass sound here I might combine that CLA-2A software with some saturation & EQ from the Sheps Omni Channel which can bring dramatic results or try the CLA Bass software with it instead. It depends on what you're looking for and what your song needs.
@petefaders
6 жыл бұрын
People trashing the CLA but as plugins go it's really good. I just got it for $29..and you're comparing to expensive hardware so let's be real.
@dltndyd9
4 жыл бұрын
yes bro!
@simonbezek6382
4 жыл бұрын
Just wait till they will want you to pay to keep it :D Happened before
@petefaders
4 жыл бұрын
@@simonbezek6382 I don't do updates, ever. I still run the old installer along with the new. No issues YET.
@muzk8887
4 жыл бұрын
plus you can add the missing pieces, and the final output, is 50% creative.
@taxmoneyyy
3 жыл бұрын
Am failing to see how prices indicate anything qualitywise. Most people try to make up their shortcomings in mixing by discussing price points #smh
@DanielFowlerSr
7 ай бұрын
This experiment helped me understand the differences in the real-time accuracies of each compressor. The UA unit smoothed the rhythm and the waves plugin came second. I needed this . . . Thanks!
@jjones7837
4 жыл бұрын
Gain matching would have have made for a better test. Of course the Tele sounds better...it's the loudest of the whole mix.
@BojanBojovic
4 жыл бұрын
Loudest = better.
@JordanAstra
3 жыл бұрын
@@BojanBojovic There's so much more brilliance and clarity in the LA-2A
@BojanBojovic
3 жыл бұрын
@@JordanAstra You are subjective. They all sound the same.
@AndersShineth
6 жыл бұрын
They all sound good enough for me! I use both a lot - the WA-2A (for tracking) and the CLA-2A (for mixing). No client has yet complained yet! Thanks for this video! :)
@TaiChiRehab
5 жыл бұрын
Best comment on here!
@rt-uh6mt
4 жыл бұрын
You could use a stock plugin and I'd bet the clients still wouldn't complain.
@sebastiandiaz8989
7 жыл бұрын
I´m impressed on how superior the teletronix is compared to the warm audio and the waves plugin
@ion.the.producer
8 ай бұрын
Yeah there’s no comparing that Teletronix. It’s in a whole league of its own
@WhoIsAlexElliott
7 жыл бұрын
the C in "other things Can hurt" & the K in "heart break: .. beautiful on La-2a
@FireAwayProductions
6 жыл бұрын
Listening to this video again 8 months later. . . The first example was interesting hearing each compressor becoming more bright but less distorted. I was surprised though because I preferred the CLA-2A on the female vocal. It just handled her voice better, but the male example got the most help from the Warm Audio compressor. Interesting shoot out!
@michaelsnoody4698
6 жыл бұрын
Thanks for doing this! This was VERY helpful in helping me decide on the WA-2A! Overall I thought they were all pretty close to each other and for each thing I liked a different unit. For the male vocals, I really like the WA-2A as it added some nice body to the vocals without making it boomy. I also really liked how the WA-2A really smoothed out the top end on the vocals, compared to the other 2 which had more syllable sounds. The LA-2A was a little too boomy for me and the CLA-2A was harsh sounding. For the Female vocals I actually liked the CLA-2A the Best, with the LA-2A right behind it, WA-2A added too much low end to the female vocals for me. As for the Bass, the LA-2A beat the other 2 out big time IMO. The WA-2A made it very muddy sounding and the CLA-2A almost sounded like it removed some of the bottom end and then boosted the high end, not a desirable sound to me. Overall, I am VERY impressed with both WAVES and WARM AUDIO's ability to get their clones so close too the original!
@manifestgtr
6 жыл бұрын
I don’t understand all the hate for the cla2a. Some great records have been mixed using these plugins over the years. I’ve used this, the 76 and the 3a with great results. People obsess so thoroughly on the tools that the end results never occur to them. Performance, technique and creativity, people....that’s 95% of the equation.
@jameswallace5967
4 жыл бұрын
Yes. I agree
@rt-uh6mt
4 жыл бұрын
I think you'd be just as well off using the stock compressor plugin in ableton, pro tools, whatever instead of cla2a. Quite possibly you'd be better off.
@serengagne9704
4 жыл бұрын
@@rt-uh6mt I have been demoing the waves compressors this week. I agree the stocks are great, but the waves plugins add a bit of saturation. After adding it to all my bass layers and vocals there is some really nice saturation that you cannot get out of your stocks, but, that being said, I am making ambient bass. I don't see it really being useful for many other types of music.
@Prodby_duke
3 жыл бұрын
If your using them after tracking with compression and a good preamp, then they tend to add a nice touch. Otherwise, using them with interface preamps alone, they often don’t do very well and lack depth. They hardly ever tame and clamp down on peaks the way hardware does, and that’s just from my personal experience
@AmagrasMUSIC
6 жыл бұрын
Legendary comparison! They all do the trick really good, folks judging in the comments have been fooled by the small differences in output level.
@hcmusic101
4 жыл бұрын
Exactly!! If the output level of all three were the same, they would sound much closer. If you're mixing for major recording artists, no reason not to go with the $3,800 Teletronix LA-2A....But if you're the average "Joe" mixing in your home studio, at $30.00 (on sale) the Waves CLA-2A is a no-brainer. They all do the same job and In the context of a mix, I guarantee you're not going to hear that much of a difference...If any at all.
@eman0828
4 жыл бұрын
I notice many people complain about CLA-LA sounding thin. Of course it's going sound different from the other when it's a software emulation. It has no tubes like the real physical hardware.
@jameswallace5967
6 жыл бұрын
The gain is so different...it makes it too difficult to really compare them.
@vvanitysales6790
4 жыл бұрын
James Wallace then turn your volume down
@HaNguyen-kn2tg
4 жыл бұрын
@@vvanitysales6790 Then you lose quick A/B moment.
@spectralspecies
4 жыл бұрын
should have gain compensation to get true differences
@lucmermans37
3 жыл бұрын
If you're experienced you hear right past that
@PurpleMusicProductions
3 жыл бұрын
@@lucmermans37 exactly
@LegendSummingMusic
3 жыл бұрын
La-2a owner here 😉📈🔥
@scottgentile1663
6 жыл бұрын
This is one of the few really good comparisons done, great job. I think there are a lot of people who think they can tell the difference, when in fact, it's mostly a placebo effect (this is a very strong effect that even the listener isn't able to differentiate). If this was a blind test and everyone simply voted on "what sounds the best" it would be split three ways. Analog gear really shines when it is summed together, much like a Jupiter 8 when you bring in that second oscillator. For mono stuff, analog has less noticeable impact. I use a Warm Audio WA-2A and love it and it is out of about six different compressors in my rack, the all around best one. Plus, Warm Audio is a great company to work with.
@DeadlyMixKrew
2 жыл бұрын
I've used them each individually at one time or another and new there was a significant difference between them but didn't realize the real UA was THAT much better.
@shane2973
7 жыл бұрын
So I listened here on HiFi type speakers. I own the WA-2A and CLA-2A, bought WA to track and CLA to mix...man, maybe I'm trippin but the differences were so small that in the context of a mix no one will know which unit you've used. They ALL rock...Just my .02 and as always, all we have is opinion
@drivingmercedes
7 жыл бұрын
Differences are often subtle in a lot of comparisons like this... but in a complete mix, the cumulative effect of a LOT of "subtle" differences can really add up to a significantly superior mix.
@DomSimpsonDrums
7 жыл бұрын
@ mike Froedge thats true but if you only have one hardware unit you're not going going to hear those cumulative effects across the whole mix cause the rest of your mix will be plug ins.
@QuangNguyen-nb1ce
7 жыл бұрын
They are both great, but the differences were huge man. WA-2A is kinda softened High end around 6-8k and got warmer sounding and CLA is really similar to LA-2A ( in my opinion) it got clearer high range which very surprised me :D Check Female vocal and Bass DI parts
@scammerbratbeats4312
5 жыл бұрын
@@QuangNguyen-nb1ce 6-8k = warm? srsly?
@QuangNguyen-nb1ce
5 жыл бұрын
SCAMMER BRAT BEATS read it carefully mate !
@EstevaoRuiMusicaOficial
7 жыл бұрын
in the female vocal the Waves did it really well better that the WA2a... but the teletronix I thought the best but not worthy of so many dollars
@WheelieMix
7 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your comparison mate, I've never been able to compare Warm Audio and LA2A (vintage unit that I used at the studio). The difference are quite obvious on KZitem ! Teletronix : It's like the LA2A vintage one, it maintain the low-mid without oversquashing the high-mid (like a TLA100A can do sometimes). Really close to what I can hear on vintag e LA2A. Warm Audio : Sound more compressed, compress more the low-mid and high-mid making the sound a bit more. But it nailed the LA2A coloration and transformer bump to me. Still inferior but quite good. The Waves CLA2A : This video confirms why I'm not liking it as an LA2A. It's reacts the same way as the Warm Audio, but a lot worse : the low-mid are almost gone and the high-mid really squashed. I wonder how it compares to the new Black Rooster LA2A. I've tried it, and remember having a more "open" sound than the Waves. You should give it a try (except if you already have UAD ones which seems more than enough). Anyway thank you for taking your time to do this comparison and having the level match done correctly and the setting correctly too.
@jorgiewtf
4 жыл бұрын
Man, the tweeting for the WA-2A was a bit different but the sound was basically identical. The plugin wasn’t bad either just lacked a little bit of warmth and clarity in comparison to the hardware counterparts but definitely a great substitute if you can get it on sale!
@lightafluident.9950
2 жыл бұрын
Buy an LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs. You'll never look back.
@user-jn6ut4ep2v
7 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for the test! Now I know what to buy to make the voice more velvet and high density.Warm Audio WA-2A to the list of mandatory purchases. Here's an example of the application of Warm Audio WA-2A, it is required to use on Rock vocals, screaming , rough-aggressive Rap vocals. Plus sibilants have a Warm Audio WA-2A is much smaller than other compressors in this test. Most sibilant whistle from a vintage Teletronix LA-2A and it will be a huge problem in the mix when mixing!
@lightafluident.9950
2 жыл бұрын
Try an LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs, you'll never look back.
@Getry
25 күн бұрын
Waves plugin is based on Chris Lord-Alge's hardware la2a and I personally really really enjoy it when I need that sound. It almost feels like paralel compression of higher frequencies on vocals. Gives instant attention and put vocal into particular place in a mix. Sounds like " Goodkid maad city". Very viby and stylish when there's particular context and concept for it. Not all mixes need that low mids warm bump like distressor have.
@myles26
5 жыл бұрын
I actually liked the Waves plugin more than than the Warm Audio unit. The UA clone is is Killing! By far the best! Thanks for doing this shootout.
@lightafluident.9950
2 жыл бұрын
😂. The Waves unit can't touch the Warm Audio, you're saying anything bro. 😂. C'mon. I don't even own the Warm Audio, so it's not like I'm biased, but no plugin can touch hardware. I own an LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs that kills the Warm Audio, but I'd never chose a plugin over the Warm unit.
@FanaticDrummer
2 жыл бұрын
Waves sounds dead. Its clean but theres no “fullness”. It SOUNDS digital, not rounded out.
@RichViewMultimedia
Жыл бұрын
I was actually thinking the same thing! Not a fan of the sound the WA2A was producing
@g3nius
3 жыл бұрын
Its amazing, how much better the original LA2A hardware sounds
@aidanpouncy
7 жыл бұрын
I've been looking for an exact comparison like this! Thanks!
@martinjohnbutler
7 жыл бұрын
I have the UAD LA2A plugin collection, the Waves CLA, the Cakewalk CA2A, and the Warm Audio WA2A. In this case, yes, the Teletronix has more mojo, and the WA2A sounds very good too. Thing is, I've heard my WA2A sound much more like the tone of the Teltronix in the video, so I think that with a little more tweaking the settings, they might have been even closer. Well done MTHG!
@001starsky
7 жыл бұрын
Martin John Butler I'm the same. Got the UAD la2a plugin, CLA (the unpleasing cakewalk freebe). Waiting for delivery of my wa2a in next few days :):)
@001starsky
7 жыл бұрын
I'm the same. Got the UAD la2a plugin, CLA (the unpleasing cakewalk freebe). Waiting for delivery of my wa2a in next few days :):)
@rt-uh6mt
7 жыл бұрын
True. It's easy to get fixated on which one is better, but in the real world if all you have is one of these plugins and it doesn't sound quite right you keep adjusting until it does sound good. You're not trying to match settings you're trying to make things sound good. I'd like to see comparisons videos where people try to make something sound it's best even if not the same settings and see more videos that compare these "premium" plugins to those that come with your DAW. I have just a few paid plugins and it is cool at least for novelty's sake to be able to simulate how "pros" use an 1176 or a channel strip but is it really superior to Ableton's Glue Compressor etc. or whatever plugins came with whatever DAW you use.
@autodidacticprofessor869
4 жыл бұрын
Honestly, they all would be completely usable in a mix. What they sound like solo, has nothing to do with how the clip would work in the context of a mix.
@IntoTheForest
2 жыл бұрын
The actual compression seemed the same to me between units, but there was an audible difference to my ears in the specific range that the most harmonics were added by each unit. The UA seemed to have a bump in the lower end of the low mids, maybe around 250hz? Where it seems the most harmonic saturation was. The WA had a bump slightly higher up in the low mids, maybe around 300-400hz? And the CLA had a bump higher still, maybe between 800-1k? Is anyone else hearing it like this or is it just me? All three sound great, it’s just different flavors.
@abdouljabbar4656
4 жыл бұрын
male voice hit a flat note on the "met" (first "met" you) in a very distractive way, though the comment section been instrumental. good to hear from you folks. cla2a is just as fine from a mix perspective, let alone the price tag.
@andrewespantman3065
3 жыл бұрын
Haha I heard that too. Wasn't going to say anything...
@AdrianosPapamarkou
3 жыл бұрын
I like the warms audio more "in the face" sound. It can be used as tracking and also as final compressor to mix i guess. Close to an 1176 resault.
@deutscheshygiene-institut8091
6 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this very helpful comparison. Even from KZitem-quality you can clearly hear the difference! After watching it I am heading for the hardware. Yesterday made a voice-check with a Neumann U-something mic from the 60ties, connected to a tube mic-amp from the same time, went directly into tape - no questions left. THIS is the sound, this this a voice that's got the "something" in it. I also like the comments of Carlo B and MusicTechHelpGuy on the post of Yves.
@cliffmoir6681
Жыл бұрын
I just picked up the IGS one, my new favorite, and maybe the best bang for the buck, when it comes to an LA2A style compressor.
@carl-magnusconsitt7389
2 жыл бұрын
Love the Waves! I have them all at work, in hightech productions the Waves is shinning! Thin and sits tight in the mix! The real deal is the master, but I can easy adjust the differens by EQ in mix.
@RayoBeatz
7 жыл бұрын
Well some people like warm sounds i like high freq sounds i like modern present punchy vocals and i have to say the WA-2A sounds very bassy lots of body to it IMO the plugin counterpart sounds better to me but i did notice towards the end of a phrase or word it fades into a muddy sound and the LA-2A sounds of course the best.
@Charlyfromthenuclearcity
6 жыл бұрын
As much as I like the Waves plug-in, it has a hard time standing with the harware versions... Still, there's 500$+ difference between the plug-in and the Warm Audio one so it seems logical.
@amdenis
3 жыл бұрын
I must be missing something that others are hearing. I wish there were downloadable versions, as YT steps on and crushed the fk out of audio uploads, but on my headphones (initially used Focal Radiance, then tried on my Abyss 1266 Phi TC), and the Waves sounded a lot, like massively closer, to the Teletronix than the Warm Audio. To me the warm sounded like it used a digital (class D) amp, and had a fair amount of weird harmonics added. This sounded especially true on bass, but even the female vocals sounded open, smooth and lacking in the odd harmonics added by the warm, but not present to me on the Teletronix of the CLA plugins. I use mostly UAudio and a few analog units (7176’s, Satori, etc). However, I only hear to about 17kHz, so I could be missing something others are hearing….
@TheChipMcDonald
7 жыл бұрын
Quite simply the CLA-2A squashed the life out of everything. Warm version a bit more linear in it's aggressiveness. Teletronix is more noticeable but almost sounds "human". Nice comparison.
@alliegoldacre9165
6 жыл бұрын
Chip Mcdonald they all squeezed the life out of her vocals. Turn them all off, she sounded way better without
@FrozenSide
6 жыл бұрын
It seems like the major difference between the Teletronix and the Warm Audio is that he Warm audio has noticably faster attack, hence catching those peaks very good, which yields a more agressive and less bright compared to the Teletronix one. Not a bad thing though, just different.
@noblen6049
2 жыл бұрын
Yes, they all do the la2a thing. However, I've discovered that decent hardware compressors tend to maintain the life of the signal, even when squashed. Plugins seem to flatten the natural energy in a way. It's almost like watching a conversation between two animated people, and watching a real life conversation. Another thing to consider is the source sound. A real piece of hardware will do it's thing, reacting to the audio input in it's unique way. I've found that hardware can be more predictable than software, where I can identify a certain sound, recalling similar situations where a certain piece of gear solved a problem in the track. Plugins seem to be harder to choose from, as they have been more inconsistent in my experience. Don't get me wrong, plugins solve almost every issue with hardware. Recall, presets, room space, cable management, maintenance, etc. There are also many plugins out there that do things that hardware cannot do. But in the end I find that the bulk of a mix is just easier and more intuitive to quickly finish with the right collection of hardware.
@ericofelix2005
2 жыл бұрын
can't agree more. Still analog hardware is the winner. But, for the sake for make some living & paid monthly bill, plugins is the best choice
@sebastiendonat9707
4 жыл бұрын
for me the waves CLA is the more natural on the bass. and i find the waves plugins in general have a certain sound i like compared to another plug in brand
@dracul74
7 жыл бұрын
Surprised how good waves plug in was. It had a clarity in it I liked and that warm audio seemed to miss. I'd be happy with each of these depending on the need.
@XxXGuitarL0VXxX
7 жыл бұрын
Warm audio seems to hold up really well for the price tag. Hope to get some of their products in the near future.
@aarona.dubzperson8245
7 жыл бұрын
JOP_E That is ALLLLLL IM USING FROM HERE UNTIL THE CASKET DROPS. WARM AUDIO IS THEE COMPANY TO GO WITH!!!! I bought my first hardware preamp, and it is the Wa TB12 (Tone Beast). If I ever want to buy another preamp, it WILL BE THE SAME THING!!!! That Warm Audio Tone Beast is THE TRUTH!!!!! There is a shootout on KZitem between it and an Avalon 737. Go check it out. You won't believe your ears!!!! Trust me!!!!!
@lightafluident.9950
2 жыл бұрын
I only bother with their mic preamps, they can keep the other things. Go the 500 series route, and buy higher quality when it comes to EQs and compressors.
@BMRStudio
5 жыл бұрын
Surprisingly, the Waves plugin sounds excellent, compare to the original! Thank You for sharing!
@garyshirinian
4 жыл бұрын
Thx for taking the time to do the shout out. For the price plugin is best which I also have waves and Traks . As a hardware, UAD is the best . Thx again.
@Fwuzeem
7 жыл бұрын
It's very interesting to hear. The original Teletronix LA2A is the clear winner. The CLA-2A sounded pretty good on the vocals imho. I wasn't amazed by the WA-76.
@DrFoofyMan
6 жыл бұрын
Waves plugins generally suck. It takes a special listener to see it. Then again, my guitarist loves them, while I prefer UAD plugins. He doesn't have a UAD, but I will probably send him one so he can see for himself.
@Grantborland
5 жыл бұрын
Yeah I think the CLA-2A sounded fantastic on the female vocalist - I probably would have used the LA2A on her, but I think the waves cla2a sounded better on that vocal take that the WA-76... I did like the WA-76 better on the reggae vocalist though (The Cla2a sounded a little thin to me, I think I heard it color the top end a bit which I liked, but the compression itself didn't sound as full as the hardware units Imo)
@carljohnson9096
4 жыл бұрын
Agree 100% LA2A Best overall but no surprise Waves second and a bit surprised that Warm Audio sounded blurry and closed off so all is still well in the audio world
@carljohnson9096
4 жыл бұрын
Hard to be amazed of a Compressor that wasn’t in the video shootout! Where did this magically WA76 come in?
@melodychest9020
4 жыл бұрын
WA-76??
@rosalindacaseley6996
4 жыл бұрын
What shocked me was I could still really tell the difference on ear buds with the bass. The UA mega price unit is WAY up above the others, all good, but if you have the budget.....
@e.apollis2877
5 жыл бұрын
thats why i track thru my UA610 to get it fat at the start before its sealed in the box, makes my CLA-2A a bonus to use then.
@preciseaudioblog
3 жыл бұрын
Just the vid I was looking for. Thank you!
@jcughan
5 жыл бұрын
I actually like the character of the Warm unit, I think this video has convinced me to buy one. I'm listening on quality speakers at the highest youtube video quality setting (1080p60), so I think I'm getting a fairly accurate representation. Sure the Warm unit isn't exactly like the la2a, but I don't care. I think it sounds great standing on its own. And for the audio snobs - jfc let up on the cla2a criticism. It's pretty damn good for an emulation that only costs $30. Sure, if I had deep pockets I'd buy the authentic version. But the plugin gets many of us without the $$$ very close to the real thing. It has it's place.
@lightafluident.9950
2 жыл бұрын
Get an LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs. You won't regret it.
@MarciMusi
7 жыл бұрын
Great video!! Really eye opening. I mean...Wow I could even hear the difference between the plugin and the hardware on my iPhone. I've had the WA 2A since it came out. Great piece of gear. Thank you for sharing this.
@krissheehy
5 жыл бұрын
I'm listening in on my Sennheiser HD MIX6. Not sure I can agree with most of the comments. The only major difference I heard between any of the compressors was the thinness of the CLA-2A (which is totally expected considering it's software). One of the main reasons we love the LA2A is because it's able to thicken the signal that comes through. That makes me lean towards the hardware. If I were to choose one for my home studio it would be the WA2A. The differences are so slight that I couldn't imagine spending $3000 more for a name brand I can brag about.
@sobhhi
6 жыл бұрын
I can definitely hear lot more bottom on the WA2A vs. LA2A. The saturation seems to be a bit more edgy or brighter on the WA2A as well. The plugin sounds the thinnest and least saturated. Wonder if swapping the tubes in the WA2A could bring it closer to the LA2A.
@lightafluident.9950
2 жыл бұрын
Grab an LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs. You'll never look back.
Perhaps the tonal differences between the LA2A and the WA2A are due to both using different makes of tubes? This could easily be the case. Great tubes sound amazing, for instance An EL84 made in Holland, branded Amperex, marked with a boy playing a bugle and given the designation "DD" will make pretty much any other EL84 sound dull in comparison, even NOS Mullard tubes. Search out the right tubes, and the Warm box might shock you, you never know.
@mobiuslooped1551
Жыл бұрын
The WA-2A shocks me as it is. The warmth on the female vocal is stunning.
@BorisBarroso
2 жыл бұрын
When coparing the bass sound the warm audio has other settings and sounds different from other compressors, also the waves but it's more noticeable in the warm audio
@NasserSharaf
7 жыл бұрын
While the Teletronix hardware is the clear winner IMHO here. In these samples, the CLA-2A does sound quite a bit thinner. I'm wondering, did you tweak the Hi Freq/Flat knob on the Waves CLA-2A? This can affect the tone of the plugin and may help in getting it a little "closer" to the hardware.
@thematicmuzik8428
7 жыл бұрын
wa-2a seemed to be better for female vocals where as the LA-2A was great on male vocals. the CLA-2A gets the job done but lacks warmth and coloration that the analog gear provides. It all depends based on your needs. Honestly you could go cheaper and make EQ adjustments to get the desired sound. Analog just means less work but you also pay more for it...but who cares when the end result is quality sound. Digital works but analog will always sound better.
@AngryMuffinMusic
7 жыл бұрын
someone hear actually has ears lol
@alliegoldacre9165
6 жыл бұрын
ThematicMuzik they all sounded wrong on her vocals. You lost all the intimacy, I would turn them all off, considerably better without
@HansBaier
6 жыл бұрын
Yes I also liked the wa2a best on female voice
@chasincash8594
Жыл бұрын
I have the warm audio WA 2A and it works incredible
@GavinMcCloy
6 жыл бұрын
Warm Audio WA-2A much less harsh, smoother, just amazing sounding in my ears anyway!
@juiceygangfreetypebeats7425
3 жыл бұрын
Yep, Man i hear it the same👊👏
@blazersaint144
2 жыл бұрын
@@juiceygangfreetypebeats7425 ditto
@stevesherman3961
7 жыл бұрын
Excellent comparison, thank you! I've recently been using UA's LA-2A plug and have been really happy with the gain-peak-comp combination. Use it on a ton of sig. sources.
@datamasked623
7 жыл бұрын
Steve Sherman I think everyone should invest in a UAD setup. It's expensive but worth it. Their plugins are exceptional.
@aarona.dubzperson8245
7 жыл бұрын
Raging Heretic For the price of some of their plugins you might as well get the Warm Audio hardware!!!
@johnnysabino2779
10 ай бұрын
Really great shootout. Very to the point and very helpful. Thanks brother !
@POGFROGULPOP
7 жыл бұрын
Warm Audio made the upper mids stand out way too much, as far as EQ. Vocals sounded a bit more intelligible around 3-5 kHz on the Waves, compared to the warm, but also more synthetically digital compared to the 'warm' analog. Teletronix sounded smoother EQ and action wise, which is why some people pay the $3.5k
@rt-uh6mt
7 жыл бұрын
LOL Oh the snobbery, reading these comments is like attending a wine convention and listening to a bunch of sommeliers trashing bottles of wine when most people wouldn't have a clue about the differences. Ugh. Anyway, yeah sure I like the hardware versions better, but it's mostly subtle. If the screenshots are accurate then the Warm audio is standing out too much because the levels are higher. I know the reviewer mentioned that he had to use different settings to achieve equivalent amounts of compression but still --- there's absolutely no way a professional audio engineer couldn't get a fantastic, pro sound with the warm audio in the signal chain. And the CLA is fine if you can only spend $29. In fact if that's your budget you might also just want to try using the default compressor in your DAW. No one will know you're using a VST except us snobs.
@lightafluident.9950
2 жыл бұрын
There are so many other options out there rather than spending 3.5K. There's IGS, there's AudioScape, and many more companies.
@whataniceday
4 жыл бұрын
Just to be honest, the difference between expansive HW and cheap SW is there for sure but by a thin margin so does not bring too much advantage for most of the mixers. Skills is what matters
@kn-ij9pq
5 жыл бұрын
2:07 LA-2A 2:24 WA-2A 2:42 CLA-2A
@cjgoeson
4 жыл бұрын
3:40 la2a. 4:00 wa2a 4:19 cl2a
@ricksalt6860
7 жыл бұрын
Great vid , thanks , that was pretty helpful . 2 Warm Audios for tracking and then a touch of Waves CLA-2A upon mixing .
@Stackxxable
3 жыл бұрын
I like the wa-2a the most but i was actually impressed with how the waves sounded hitting it that hard.
@lane1959
5 жыл бұрын
please match levels!
@jonboo
7 жыл бұрын
The Teletronix is such a badass at what it does. The WA-2A seems a bit aggressive overall except for the bass track which isn't as dynamic as the vocal tracks. The CLA-2A compared to the hardware just isn't close. During the male voice I hear a lot of high freq info from the CLA-2A that doesn't sound pleasant and doesnt have that same warm quality that the hardware models have. This is from listening on my monitors so it may be different from person to person. I think the original is just way smoother and has a lot more warm saturation especially when it gets pushed . The WA is really nice though. I think it may be the parameters that make it that aggressive for me. Another thing to note also is that even though you might get the same piece of hardware, every piece of hardware in that line will sound a little different from one another. Also note that other things in the chain can help with these issues and in the right hands someone can make a CLA-2A sound great in the signal chain with other plugins in the chain to do some corrections. Still wont sound anything like the hardware models in here but it can get close and sadly for the general audience close is good enough. I feel like with an awesome tube compressor like the Teletronix LA-2A you don't have to do as much to it afterwards to correct it. Awesome video man.
@datamasked623
7 жыл бұрын
jboo707 I stopped using Waves. Their Pultec model, the Puig-tec, is terrible too. It's supposed to model and a PASSIVE circuit, but has and output adjustment knob because of all the gain it ADDS, you know, because passive circuits are supposed to add gain. They should just stop selling their emulations.
@jonboo
7 жыл бұрын
I believe you. The other side is that they sound good enough for the casual listener to care, you can have the same plugin with different adjustments across the whole project simultaneously and auto-recalling. Imagine the amount of plugins people put on their mixes these days all being hardware. That can fill a whole room just of gear then to go in and recall all the parameters lol. I will say I've had my issues with plugin bundles where it was black friday $170 for a normal $500 bundle. Only really use maybe 5 or 6 out of the 20 it came with and they're also the most basic ones. But I think it has a place and there's good companies that make good stuff. If there was an option for a hardware LA2A I'd definitely use it tho.
@datamasked623
7 жыл бұрын
jboo707 Waves makes some cool stuff. Their vocal and bass riders are crazy clever and useful. I HATE doing vocal rides. So that's the shit they should focus on making. Clever tools. They need to stop selling/making emulations because they are awful at it. Their DigiGrid system is impressive also. But yeah, Waves emulations are just not good. To compare Waves to UAD though is a bit unfair. UAD is a proprietary code that would absolutely blow up your computer's CPU if you tried to execute the application, hence the need for the dedicated DSP card(s). But Brainworx makes native plugins that model vintage gear and they sound excellent also. Same with Softube. In fact, both of those developers make plugins so good that they are available as UAD plugins.
@jonboo
7 жыл бұрын
Ya I agree with everything you said. Fabfilter and McDsp make some really good stuff too. Gear is really about the price point. You pay for what you get(most of the time) and when you get to the upper echelon of processing it just becomes preference. In my case I'm just climbing up there very slowly and trying to make good stuff with what I got haha. I think it's good to practice on the low end stuff before getting the better models just so when I get there I can feel more spoiled lol.
@datamasked623
7 жыл бұрын
jboo707 Yup. FabFilter is awesome.
@revelationsoundstudio
7 жыл бұрын
The Warm is thinner sounding and not as the thick as the UA version. It lacks the character of the UA. I do like the Warm better than the Waves plugs version however
@datamasked623
7 жыл бұрын
Keef Richards That's not UA. It's a real LA-2A.
@revelationsoundstudio
7 жыл бұрын
At 1:48 in the video he says it's a 2013 UA version and that its not a vintage model
@datamasked623
7 жыл бұрын
Universal Audio owns Teletronix. Here's a quote from 12 seconds into the video: "The Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A leveling amplifier, the real $3,500 hardware unit." I misspoke and meant to say UAD. UA*D* is the software version of vintage analog gear (which, by the way, if you own an Apollo or UAD-2 Satellite, are just stunning digital recreations). This isn't the UAD version.
@kimmygibler760
5 жыл бұрын
I have the wa2a and swapped out all the tubes with the original a7x's that came in the UA and it makes a world of difference.
@aaronkitchen7507
3 жыл бұрын
@@kimmygibler760 If you don't mind me asking, how difficult and time consuming was this project? I could see where that could make a huge difference
@alexandersorbas1881
9 ай бұрын
the real deal sounds so natural
@NikoMalekMusic
5 жыл бұрын
Im noticing on the female vocal, the hardware unit preserves (creates?) The pristine breathy top end, but the plugins dull it out.
@TheGOeGO
6 жыл бұрын
Very nice comparison. I think that WA-2A is delivering a little bit less low frequencis in output. WA is somewhere in between LA-2A and CLA frequency range. Comparing to LA-2A, WA-2A is smoothing midle range frequencies more, it is less sparkling. This two things are downsides of WA-2A in my opinion. Hi end is similar in both units, silky smooth. Anyway, with EQ and proper setings of WA this issues cuold be solved. For the differennce in price WA is a beter solution, especialy if you are bying a unit for home recording.
@diegorojas3235
7 жыл бұрын
Teletronix LA-2A winner :V
@DatREALmusicdude
7 жыл бұрын
That would be source dependent. The WA2A worked better on the male vocalist. The WA2A's low, mid character also sounded better on bass guitar than both the 2003 Teletronics box, and the crappy 10 year old Waves plug (No competition at all). Every LA2A sounds unique though.
@thehitmakerkay
Жыл бұрын
The WA 2A is right there with the LA 2A. Thank you for this demonstration, I was torn between the two. I can now confidently go for the Warm audio.
@darwindeeez
4 жыл бұрын
IK TR White 2A is crazy close on male vox in limit mode, which seems to have a slower and more similar attack to the Teletronix in compress mode. Pretty sure I'm not telling the difference consistently when blind testing. WA2A is either squashing harder due to settings or just not as good.
@vfnsp
6 жыл бұрын
The LA-2A sounds amazing. The other two, not so much. I don't know if anyone else is hearing this, but it sounds to me, like the WA-2A was compressing the voice,l a lot more than the other two. Maybe the gain reduction meters aren't accurate? It would be awesome to hear a comparison, using the best sounding settings for each unit, instead of the same settings. Then we'd have a much better idea of what it would sound like, in real world use. Thanks for taking the time to do this though.
@ruff2007
4 жыл бұрын
the differences between analogue and digital is the"ART" that's what going to make you peace.
@RichViewMultimedia
Жыл бұрын
the Teletronix sounds so much more wide open. The Warm audio feels like it has some sort of threshold from keeping it from being as open as the Teletronix. After seeing this video I would not buy the WA 2A, I would save to get the LA2A which i'm actually doing now, in debate between the LA2A and the CL1B for Vocals. Excellent Video @MusicTechHelpGuy
@elgen0314
5 жыл бұрын
great comparison video. The WA-2A is more lo-fi than I thought it would be.
@cjdickson
6 жыл бұрын
I'm going to chime in here.......I've taken the raw male track in this video and ran it through the WA2A with a Northern Electric 12AX7 in the first valve and a NOS RCA 12AX7A (1958) in the second valve. With some tuning in the pre emphasis adjustment there is almost no difference between the la-2a and the Wa-2a - I am listening on Genelec 8250's with a dedicated Apogee Rosetta 200 - The Tung-Sol tubes really smudge the soundstage in this case..... tubes make a big difference!
@BlackenedNL
6 жыл бұрын
The Warm Audio sounds a bit darker, still pretty good tho
@phantombrainm
Жыл бұрын
Interesting. At 4:37 you can definitly hear that the Warm Audio reduces the sharp "SSSS" on the word sign. It almost feels like it's deessed. I have problems with harsh S sounds on my recordings and wonder if the WA will help there.
@mwdollar
4 жыл бұрын
The LA2A wins but the CLA version is an obvious copy. On the CLA the highs get boosted more and the bass is a bit thinner however. The Warm sounds like a different compressor. The upper midrange gets boosted and the highs tamed. I like it on the female vocal...added more midrange. Cool test and I like the quick comparison at the end for aural memory's sake. Well Done.
@seccion0113
4 жыл бұрын
Wow that bass sounds incredible! Maybe fenders through amp/di how was it recorded? seems it’ll sit perfectly in mix as is.
@DanielBergonzoni
10 ай бұрын
I can't really say one is better than the other. They all just have their own character.
@pedrosilvaproductions
10 ай бұрын
For me the UA is so much smoother. The WA is super aggressive. Especially on the male vocals. It made it sound harsh to me. The Waves one really drives a lot of gain too. Imo the WA its really exaggerated but i think its also pushed too much so Idk if its fair
@driptorchmedia7865
4 жыл бұрын
owning all three of these there are times I cant tell the difference between the LA-2a and the Wa-2a. They are both great. I would be willing to bet none of these negative commentators own or have ever touched either in real life.
@lightafluident.9950
2 жыл бұрын
Buy an LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs. You'll never look back.
@rhoten8039
5 ай бұрын
The CLA and Warm has some harshness and the reissue by UA has a more buttery sound. Smooth tops and heavy low mids.
@sacstudiosargentina
3 жыл бұрын
I can hear how wa2a has a longer release time producing an undesirable "bombing" effect. 1st. LA2A 2nd CLA2A 3rd WA2A
@lepurestyle
7 жыл бұрын
thank you for the shootout. I've listened through sennheiser headphones last night and it seems like the warm audio is an obvious bang for the buck. If the signal is recorded dry, compressors must have been through inserts right ? Doesn't the Digital to Analog to Digital affect the signal ?
@nunoandradebluesdrive
2 жыл бұрын
I see why the analog ones are great- but, hey, the waves does a pretty good job. We must not disregard the fact all units sounded different in the analog realm, so we dont really know how the one waves cloned sounded. I do love them all..
@shaunwerle9944
10 ай бұрын
Damn the waves did slap against these units.
@jaseyn
Жыл бұрын
Level compensation would compensate some magic with the differencies. Teletronics is 2-3 db louder then others
@SoulKontagious1
6 жыл бұрын
@MusicTechHelpGuy (love ur vids). I actually liked the Tele and the CLA. i thought the Tele did give a bit of warmth to most tracks and the CLA gave breath or air to the track which came across as clarity with vocals (not great option for bass) as warmth usually means better low end. MY opinion, but if you were looking for a clone of the Tele, I would say that the WA 2A comes closer than the CLA in most comparisons here. So the real question is, what do you want to hear because they all have a place at the studio so pick you seasonings to taste.
@janklosowski
3 жыл бұрын
I wonder how many people saying that the difference is big would pass a blind test. I know I wouldn't. There are small differences here and there, but not big enough to say that one version is significantly better.
@SoundManStudio
6 жыл бұрын
to my ears on Focal twin 6be's .. LA2A was legendary and can use some low frequency management, WA-2A had different tonal character but still rocks, CLA-2A was too clean it didn't emulate tone very well but handled similar compression character.. i'm getting WA-2A soon :)
@Staykool777
6 жыл бұрын
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS
@bb-of3qz
7 жыл бұрын
Warm uneven, the real deal tight and the plugin between the two.
@marc_leblanc
3 жыл бұрын
Waves obviously isn't a fair comparison as it's a modeled plugin as opposed to real hardware. That being said, I found the Warm Audio sounded a bit more colored or saturated compared to the Teletronix. They all have their strengths & weaknesses. The plug in is a good way to go if you want a more subtle effect.
@lightafluident.9950
2 жыл бұрын
The plugin is a good way to go if you don't have money for good hardware.
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