Universal Audio's LA-2A (click for larger image)

There are few pieces of equipment, new or vintage, that inspire as devoted a following as the Teletronix LA-2A. Ever since production of the LA-2A ceased 30 years ago, engineers eagerly paid premium prices on the secondhand market for this revered electro-optical tube compressor—when they could find one. Of course, as with all vintage gear, you never knew what condition the unit was in when you bought it. Not to mention how well that condition would hold up in the months or years ahead.

But there’s no need to guess any longer. Recognizing the continuing strong demand for the LA-2A, Universal Audio has brought the venerable dynamics processor back into production. And, at $3,495 list, it’s competitively priced with vintage, secondhand units.

What is so special about the LA-2A that engineers routinely choose it over scores of more modern compressors? To answer this question, let’s explore its unique design and then take it out for a test drive.

A Classic is Reborn
Initially intended for broadcast applications, the LA-2A was first produced in the 1960s by Teletronix. Teletronix was later bought by Babcock Electronics Corporation, which was acquired, in turn, by Universal Audio (UA) in 1967. There were three versions of the LA-2A before it was discontinued in 1969. For decades, it appeared as if the beloved tube compressor had passed into history with UA’s founder, the late M.T. “Bill” Putnam.

Thirty years later, Bill Putnam’s sons reactivated Universal Audio. The first products to be released by UA are virtually exact replicas of the Teletronix LA-2A and UREI 1176LN.

Painstaking efforts were made to re-create an authentic replica of the vintage LA-2A, with point-to-point handwiring of original components. However, a couple of minor changes were made. The original Allen-Bradley input pots were only 20% tolerant, and were replaced with 10% tolerance pots from Precision Electronic Components (PEC). To conform to European safety standards, the large handscrews that provided tool-free access behind the unit’s hinged front panel and into the high-voltage innards were replaced with ones requiring a screwdriver. Also, for convenience, a rear panel switch that toggled between compression and limiting modes was moved to the front panel.

Reprinted with permission from Magazine, November, 2000
© 2000, Intertec Publishing, A Primedia Company All Rights Reserved