Universal Audio LA-2A Classic Leveling Amplifier
True to the original design, UA's recreation of the famed Teletronix®, tube-amplified, T4, electro-optical classic compressor. Handmade in the USA..

For over 50 years the Teletronix LA-2A has been revered for its smooth, natural, musical compression. WIth its unique tube-driven electro-optical attenuator system that allows instantaneous gain reduction with no increase in harmonic distortion, the LA-2A massages signals like no other compressor ever made.

NOW YOU CAN:

• Dial-in legendary optical tube compression textures for vocals, bass, drums, and more
• Easily add iconic warmth and tube limiting with simple, easy-to-use controls
• Record your tracks through vintage UA, "handmade in the USA," circuits
• Track and mix with a piece of audio recording history

The Teletronix Story - Teletronix founder Jim Lawrence first used photocells for controlling audio gain in the early 1960s. His ingenious optical compression design was a technological breakthrough, far surpassing the stability and transparency of earlier circuits. Universal Audio founder M.T. ”Bill” Putnam later purchased this patented technology, continuing to manufacture the LA-2A for years to come.

The Real Deal - Universal Audio’s Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveling Amplifier reissue provides the performance characteristics of the iconic original. With painstaking care, every new LA-2A unit is point-to-point handwired in Scotts Valley, California, with every component carefully evaluated for authenticity. As a result, today’s LA-2A will bring the same legendary compression characteristics of the original to all of your recordings. Demand the original. Accept no copy.

“It’s very hard to go wrong with an LA-2A. It just has that sound.” - Peter Katis(The National, Interpol, Jónsi)

Features

• True to the original in design, manufacturing and performance
• Lag free, distortion free optical attenuator system
• Distortion less than 0.5% THD
• 0 to 40 dB gain limiting
• Balanced stereo interconnection
• Frequency response 1 dB, 30 to 15,000 cps
• Output level of 10 dBm and 40 dB gain
• Low noise – less than 70 dB below ±10 dBm output

Specifications

Input Impedance: 50, 150, 250, 600 ohms
Output Load Impedance: 50, 150, 250, 600 ohms
External Connections: Jones Barrier terminals and XLR connectors
Frequency Response: +0/-1 dB 30 Hz to 15kHz
Gain: 40 dB ±1dB
Input Level: +16 dB maximum
Output Level: +10 dB nominal, +16 dB maximum
Distortion: Less than 0.5% THD (0.25% typical) at ±10 dBm
Noise: 70 dB below +10 dBm output level
Attack Time: 10 microseconds
Release Time: 0.06 seconds for 50% release; 0.5 to 5 seconds for complete release
Meter: dB gain reduction and dB output
Power Requirements: 35 watts, 120/240 volts, 50/60 Hz
Environmental: Maximum operating temperature 160°F
Dimensions: 19" Rackmount chassis, 3U
Weight: 13 lbs.