After a period of research for a new channel strip, I’ve decided to implement the Universal Audio LA-610 MkII into my growing rack of outboard hardware. Boasting the t4 opto-compressor, the same as the infamous Universal Audio/Teletronix LA-2A, was enough for me to go for this unit from the get go. But, pair that with a warm, smooth sounding tube preamp and slap on a price tag of around $1500.00, how could anyone say no to it.
As of late, I’ve been doing more mixing than recording, so the first place I tested out my new tube driven beast is as an insert into to Pro Tools HD 9. After a few wiring tricks in the patch bay and a quick modification to my I/O setup in Pro Tools, I was ready to try the compressor on a lead vocal track of a blues band I’ve been mixing. I must say, it didn’t take me more than one minute to dial in the perfect warm sound I was looking for. With a slight gain staging from the preamp to add some warmth, the clarity of the compressor allowed me to smooth off the peaks without ruining the tonality of the singer’s voice. I was eager to patch it in on other aspects of the mix, so I quickly printed this compressed vocal to a new audio track. I figured any other equalization or additional effects could be done in the box on the new audio track. As for this insert configuration, I’ve used it on kick and snare so far and can’t wait to see what it can do elsewhere.
As for recording with its preamp, like I said before, it is quite warm. But, I think if paired with the right microphone, the perfect sound could easily be dialed in. The only instance I’ve been able to try it with is a male hip-hop vocal. I used my Blue Cactus tube condenser microphone through the LA-610 pre, with a slight 2:1 compression. It handled the dynamics of the rapper well, but I think, in the future, I will use a brighter microphone with the LA-610 to balance out the warm tube characteristic.
Overall, I recommend this unit for anyone in need of a single channel strip with some simple character. The only feature I didn’t mention is the EQ. It is not very versatile, as a two-band cut/boost equalizer it only offers 1.5 dB increments in the high or low end. But, the preamp and compressor make it worth the money.
0 comments:
Post a Comment