The VLA-2A Leveling Amplifier, designed & modelled right after a classic optical compressor. And what do we need to say: It sounds great, not to mention the looks. This amazing piece of DSP engine will breathe its vintage scent all over your drum tracks and vocals. Check it out right on the spot.

• Modeled after the famous LA-2A
• Gives you that extra warmth
• Authentic tube sound
• No dongle needed
• No external hardware needed

The VLA-3A Leveling Amplifier is nearly ready to ship. This high end compressor plugin, designed after its analog counterpart, comes up with some delicious sounding DSP magic. It has been modelled in a refined, painstaking process which took months of heavy programming and listening sessions. And we're done - whipped cream to your ears.

• Modeled after the famous LA-3A
• Gives you that extra punch
• Add that certain sparkle
• No dongle needed
• No external hardware needed

COMING SOON!

Black Rooster Audio is a German based manufacturer of premium quality audio plugins - to be used with the most popular host applications such as Steinberg Cubase, Apple Logic and many others. We put all our effort into conceiving and creating awesome software - not only to support you in your everyday recording, mixing or mastering process, but to provide creative and inspiring tools. As musicians ourselves, we know what the requirements and expectations for great music software are, besides the functional basis.

More INFO: Black Rooster Audio

 

Thanks for the news Dingus! Man, I would love to have the hardware version of the VLA-2A. That thing looks beautiful! I'd be all over it like

 

nice ones mr. dingus....

 

Out of time?

...September 24, 2015 now... hmm... what was wrong (too may bugs, test phase failed...)?

P.S.
German based manufacturer... hmmm... I hope they don't act like Volkswagen...

 

Last edited: Sep 24, 2015

Saw the thread in a search and thought that I would just say...do what you can to get the VLA-2A into your signal chain, buy the thing, rob, steal or cheat your way into dropping it on a channel or ten, this one is a winner.

 

@superliquidsunshine, which kinds of tracks do you feel the VLA-2A shines on?

 

@digitaldragon .. Not so much as what kind of track, but more rather which sound you are going after. At least in compressor mode it will not turn a snare or drum buss into a squishy pulp like it's cousin an 1176 of any revision might accomplish, but due to it's slower attack with a program dependent 10 milliseconds it will leave the transients intact, while it's adjustable release of about 60 milliseconds for 50% release, and then a gradual release over a period of 1 to 15 seconds to the point of complete release can keep it from pumping. Vocals with the VLA-2A alone or what I like to do, put up an 1176 before it to do the heavy lifting of maybe 10dB of reduction and the optical afterwards to gently deal with the rest and to impart a subtle sheen. Vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, strings, anything at all that I have put through it sounds great.

On a side note, a neat trick that I discovered with this most excellent plug-in, is that it can be manipulated to behave like the hold function of the coolest of the cool, that Abby Road Studio compressor, the venerable RS124. What that does is freezes the compression point at a level of your choosing so that when, for example, a vocal comes back in after a pause, the compression is then seamless and that that 10 millisecond attack is now maybe down to 5 or so (I really have no idea, just guessing) but still let's the transients in without the obvious effect of coming back in to the signal. I do this in FL Studio by simply turning off the send of the plug from the mixer, the little green dot next to it's fx slot. It probably could be done similarly with other DAWs but YMMV. It just freezes the needle the moment the plug is disengaged and instantaneously comes back to life when reengaged. Sweet! I don't know if it is in the manual, (I don't generally read them but I guess that I should) but now it could be as an added bonus to an already stellar virtual beast of a compressor.

Also, the input can be driven hard to get the modeled tubes to glow as brightly as an exploding sun and impart the goodness of an abused valve sound. You need to back off the compression level so as not to pin the needle, unless of course you wanted to. You would have to attenuate the signal coming out the back end of the VLA-2A significantly in order not to blow up the converters of your interface, but it might be the kind of sonic destruction that you would want!

 

Thanks @superliquidsunshine for the detailed info! I'm going through some tracks of mine and replacing instances of CLA-76 with the T-Racks Black 76 and CLA-2a and CLA-3a with the Black Rooster ones and have been very pleased with the results.
This info answers the why of how the vocal tracks sounded more musical after a threw the 2a in after another compressor.
Have you used multiple compressors in bass tracks? I'm thinking of experimenting with this next.

 

Your welcome.

Before I continue I have to apologize for some misinformation. Since I am a bit, how to say, forgetful, it is actually the SK Note STA-Level that has the hold function and not the VLA-2A. Sorry about that, I be trippin'.

The T-Racks is no slouch when it comes to 1176 software clones. At this level of emulation it just might boil down to taste and how much you like the GUI and what you are willing to pay. I believe the Black Rooster edges out the T-Racks in depth of field, but as in all things, this may or not work for your chosen application. The work flow is identical in both.

Chaining two compressors in series could work out really well if you wish to have a bass guitar maintain a narrow dynamic within the context of a mix. In this day and age it is so easy to slap multiple plug-ins here and there when in the past one might need to work hard to pick and choose where to place the limited hardware at your disposal, that or spend time using the same effect making numerous passes to get the most out of your favorite boxes of wires, capacitors, resistors and transformers. You could also use NY compression, pushing the compressor harder than you might otherwise and blend in the clean signal to taste. Experimentation is your ally.

 

Excellent tips. I'm not wanting to crush the bass on most material. Just need some subtle level control and would like it sweetened with some harmonics. I was using Tan, but tried the Black 76 which got closer to what I'm looking for. It pulled out the low mids in a very pleasant way to my ears. What I'm hearing is compression affect tone as well as level with the bass. Just was curious about some other people's use of compression on bass tracks.

 

What's the best 1176 emulation?

 

define best?

I like slate vmr's 1176 emulations on vocals, and waves 1176 as an all eater

 

I should have said the "best" I've read a few discussions on this topic, and many people are not entirely 100% happy with the current crop of 1176 emulations. I wonder if Black Rooster are working on one, and if so are they taking their time to make sure they get it right?

 

Last edited: Mar 8, 2018

Black Rooster is good at what they do... but my opinion is not what is the best 1176 or La2a/ La3a >>> but what sounds most like the hardware >>> these >>> i already owned the 76 hardware version and after using the La2a and La3a from Tim P. i purchased the hardware of them used... this is how i come to my conclusion That Tim P. nails the sound

 

@Jaymz, was just getting ready to ask @Zenarcist if he was using Nebula or not.

I've been using the T-Racks 1176, but I use these as well. It's totally dependent in my setup on how much is already on the track, and if my CPU can handle it or not. That determines which one I use. I always try the TimP version first, though. To me it just sounds smoother/more musical. But the T-Racks one is a good substitute.
Hopefully after I finish this PC build, I won't have to make these kind of mix decisions anymore.
I was using only the Wave CLA-76. I felt it was better than the Slate version. After Spencer suggested the T-Racks, I tried it and felt out of any I've tried, it just brought the track alive in a way the others didn't. Then I got a chance to try the TimP one and it did the same, just as I say above, it was more musical in nature.

@Zenarcist, best I can tell you is test drive the different offerings, and use what fits your material, workflow, and expectations.

 

Yes the T-Racks is good choice... UAD is another great one... i used them both back in the day and could use them today too haha... just something about the Airy crystal clean sound of the hardware i love...Tim P version gives this along with the Crunchy beautiful distortion like the hardware... my #1 choice for tracks is the Opto 3a/2a by Tim P. Really have to use it to know just how amazing it sounds \m/ it has side chain...Key... look ahead and mix knob too haha

 

Gem76 and cla76 are the best... Cla for a more Bright sound. Gem 76 much warmer

 

I use the Warm Audio WA76 for some mono signals on the way in and so far like either the Gem76 or T-Racks ITB.

 

Gem 76 is another one i like alot @superliquidsunshine

 

I wonder what you think about the difference between WA76 and Gem76? I find Gem76 not exactly emulating 1176 when using higher ratios, especially "all" mode. It sounds too polite. On the other hand, I like it because it warms up the sound a bit and the compression action sounds nice. Not to mention the CPU usage which is staggeringly low.

Gosh, WA76 would find so much usage for tracking around here... :P Great choice.