Black Rooster Audio releases the VLA-3A

[cturner]

Oh such a good price for VLA-3A... guessing it blows the Waves LA3A away?

Why does it have to be one or the other? Mix engineers seem pretty clear on how microphones color a recording, and have a number of flavors of basic microphone categories. Not sure why plugin folks can't relate the same way. Tchad Blake observed that using the same plugin across a mix tends to emphasize the coloration of that particular plug in the mix, so why not have a couple of 3As if you can afford it?

To me, the Waves 3A seems drier, and more aggressive in its saturation of the mid/mid-highs than the BRA 3A. I have a mental category "liquid" that the BRA 3A is in, along with PSP's FETpressor and others.

Here's a spectrum comparison of the two:

VLA-CLA-3.jpg

This is white noise at 0VU running through the two in their "compressor" setting. With peak reduction set to zero, input gain was set to produce 0VU at output. Then peak reduction was adjusted to produce -5VU output as measured by Klanghelm's meter at the end of the chain.

Pretty obvious boost in the highs on the Waves.

HTH, Charles

[MogwaiBoy]

Thanks Charles for your expert analysis

Seems like Waves are sneaking in an "extra sparkle" shelf trick to wow the masses.

VLA-3A was too good to pass up on sale so I'll be giving it a good thrashing, though I don't have the Waves to compare.

[cturner]

The BRA version is money well-spent.

[SiliconDeath]

I'm curious, how does CLA-2 compare to VLA-2 ?

[Scarlet Pumpernickel]

I have both. CLA-2A has a sidechain filter that could help a lot, also it's much easier to operate in my experience; VLA-2 on the other hand oversamples and to my ear, it doesn't "chew" on the high frequencies as much as CLA-2A so it sounds more transparent to me (the reason I bought it).

[jens]

I'm curious, how does CLA-2 compare to VLA-2 ?

Why did you not necro the right thread then?

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=474441&p=6635856

[digitalboytn]

Why does it have to be one or the other? Mix engineers seem pretty clear on how microphones color a recording, and have a number of flavors of basic microphone categories. Not sure why plugin folks can't relate the same way.

[SiliconDeath]

I'm curious, how does CLA-2 compare to VLA-2 ?

Why did you not necro the right thread then?

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=474441&p=6635856

Cause ppl on this thread were comparing CLA-3 and VLA-3 , thus I asked how would their 2 counterparts compare.

EDIT: If in future someone comes searching for these posts, they would find comparison for both in same place

[jens]

There's a new very well made and quite credible shootout:




TBH I am suprised and even a little shocked at how badly the VLA-3 fared.

[Scarlet Pumpernickel]

I also enjoyed the LA2A plugins comparison that he made.

I even bought Overloud's Gem LA (in part) because of it.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

TBF, I didn't think any of the emulations sounded as good as his hardware and I'm not someone who automatically jumps to that conclusion in these types of shoot outs. I've got a hardware LA-2A clone, hardware 1176 clone (both of those by Stam), and an Audioscape SSL clone, and I'm usually more than happy with the plugin emulations I have compared to the hardware. But those hardware LA-3A's really sounded nice. Each time he engaged them they just sounded terrific IMO. I think I'd pass a blind test on that one.

[Scarlet Pumpernickel]

I also thought none of the la3a emulations sounded particularly close in that test, but in his la2a test the UAD's emulation sounded very convincing to my ears and Overloud's plugin was quite acceptable also albeit a bit dark.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I also thought non of the la3a emulations sounded particularly close in that test, but in his la2a test the UAD's emulation sounded very convincing to my ears and Overloud's plugin was quite acceptable also albeit a bit dark.

Yeah, I really like the UA LA-2A. TrackComp's LA-2A is also excellent when you ignore the attack and release ranges on the GUI and go a bit faster on both (it may say .56ms attack and 80ms, but ignore that, both are much slower - and from memory, those settings matched very well with my hardware). Didn't love the Overloud LA-2A when pushed. Black Rooster's LA-2A also always sounded weird to me. I picked it up in the bundle but honestly never use it.

[Scarlet Pumpernickel]

I also have TrackComp and, I must say, it always sounded to me like TrackComp (in the LA2A mode) has it's GR curve backwards, meaning the slow portion of the release comes before the fast one.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I also have TrackComp and, I must say, it always sounded to me like TrackComp (in the LA2A mode) has it's GR curve backwards, meaning the slow portion of the release comes before the fast one.

Check out TrackComp again but try this:

1. Attack between .5 to 1.15
2. Release in a range between 25 to 35ms

These are kind of the "sweet spots" for TrackComp IMO.

You'd think with a .25 to .35 release that it would be crazy fast, but it isn't. It gets the curve closer to where you get the faster first stage and slower second stage. I find with that particular TrackComp model you really have to ignore what the GUI is showing you. Ignore what I previously said about release times at 85ms, my memory failed me.