75% off Overloud GEM Comp LA LA2A

[antler]

This is one of my favourite Overloud plugins. Be sure to give it a go if you do pick it up.

If you're unsure about when to use it, as a rough guide use the 2A for where you want things sounding smooth: vocals, pads, maybe strings; use the 3A where you want some punch: guitars, drums, etc.

[chris.r]

Sadly bad timing for me otherwise I would be in for that price  

Edited December 13, 2022 by chris.r

[jackson white]

7 hours ago, mibby said:

once Overloud sees how many plugins they sell at this price we'll see some more "flash" sales...

happy to do my part to make this happen.

ima fan of both the CW and BRA MKII LA2As but the LA3A that comes with it is the real winner, at least according to this shootout.

The ULTIMATE Vintage Teletronix LA-3A Compressor SHOOTOUT against 4 PLUG-IN emulations.

some real value with this one...

[RSMcGuitar]

2 hours ago, Quick Math said:

I like cakewalk LA2A, and I wonder who made this plugin. 

Perhaps by Overloud? 

I remember back in the day someone saying it was either Overloud or Softube.

[Zo]

14 hours ago, mibby said:

Done!  finally a real sale on another Gem.  THIS is a price I can live with!  ?

And for 2 comps !

i made a review on those in case of  youwanna know what they re capable of ...

[lawajava]

1 hour ago, Zo said:

And for 2 comps !

i made a review on those in case of  youwanna know what they re capable of ...

Link?  Yes please.

[Grem]

17 minutes ago, lawajava said:

Link?  Yes please.

Yep. Show us da goods!!

[satya]

top 11 LA2A plugin

https://integraudio.com/11-best-la-2a-compressor/

[pseudopop]

7 hours ago, antler said:

This is one of my favourite Overloud plugins. Be sure to give it a go if you do pick it up.

Now that's a novel idea.

Anyhow, there are two things I don't understand about vintage hardware emulation plugins:

1. I can rarely hear that "buttery warm smoothness" or whatever it is that vintage gear supposedly adds to the sound. I'm not saying it's not there, just that my ears are either too far gone or not there yet. I can usually hear that it sounds different than other plugins doing the same thing, but I wouldn't say it actually sounds better. Sometimes I hear this additional noise that I'm not sure I want.
2. I find it very hard to believe that half a century (or more) of progress in software and hardware has not been able to improve the sound quality and other features, and that these are somehow better than current plugins that are not trying to emulate hardware.

I mean, if you're trying to go for the specific sound that these plugins provide then sure. But if you're trying to get the best possible sound, then are units from the 60s really the best there is?

That said, most people here have more experience with mixing than me and I get empathetically excited whenever you guys do, so I'm demoing it. So far I'm not convinced but I might just buy it because FOMO.

Edited December 13, 2022 by pseudopop

[stony]

5 hours ago, lawajava said:

Link?  Yes please.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weaf-wjCWAs

[antler]

On 12/13/2022 at 7:13 AM, pseudopop said:

I can rarely hear that "buttery warm smoothness" or whatever it is that vintage gear supposedly adds to the sound. I'm not saying it's not there, just that my ears are either too far gone or not there yet. I can usually hear that it sounds different than other plugins doing the same thing, but I wouldn't say it actually sounds better. Sometimes I hear this additional noise that I'm not sure I want.

I think people generally mean the vacuum tubes that were used in those devices. Vacuum tubes will give you a nice thick sound because of the additional harmonics that they add to the signal. If you have a thin tone, the additional harmonics will thicken up the sound as they add new material to the signal, which will be different from simply boosting a signal with an EQ.

On 12/13/2022 at 7:13 AM, pseudopop said:

I find it very hard to believe that half a century (or more) of progress in software and hardware has not been able to improve the sound quality and other features, and that these are somehow better than current plugins that are not trying to emulate hardware.

I mean, if you're trying to go for the specific sound that these plugins provide then sure. But if you're trying to get the best possible sound, then are units from the 60s really the best there is?

Think of the emulation as more of a description of it's sound and suitability, rather than being there to make audio sound 'vintage', e.g.

• Use a 2A for smooth material
• Use a 3A for more punch
• Use an FET for even more punch

There are quite a few 'vintage' plugins that let you alter the sound, e.g. the Overloud 2A has a harmonics control; the PA channel strips allow you to set the level of background noise. Is it possible to make a 'better' compressor with a multi-effect plugin like BYOME? Maybe - but if you start dialling in a compressor attack/release time similar to the other compressor types (which are good for the material that they're generally used on) and add some kind of overdrive to fatten up the sound, you're starting to move into the ballpark of the emulation plugins.

Another thing to consider - we now have all sorts of ways to transform a signal using DSP. Is using a guitar amp with vacuum tubes really still the best way to get the best sound?

Edited December 14, 2022 by antler

[chris.r]

On 12/13/2022 at 12:41 AM, chris.r said:

Sadly bad timing for me otherwise I would be in for that price  

Well, it was bad timing so I've bought it  

[Tommy Byrnes]

I grabbed this primaraly for the 3A. This is a really good plugin! Being able to M/S is a great feature.

[Zo]

Here's the link guyz sorry for being late : 

 

 

 

[Vladimir Piskunov]

I use 3A from Apogee. But this offer is so tempting 

[pseudopop]

10 hours ago, antler said:

I think people generally mean the vacuum tubes that were used in those devices. Vacuum tubes will give you a nice thick sound because of the additional harmonics that they add to the signal. If you have a thin tone, the additional harmonics will thicken up the sound as they add new material to the signal, which will be different from simply boosting a signal with an EQ.

Which is basically what any saturation plugin does, right?

10 hours ago, antler said:

Think of the emulation as more of a description of it's sound and suitability, rather than being there to make audio sound 'vintage', e.g.

• Use a 2A for smooth material
• Use a 3A for more punch
• Use an FET for even more punch

There are quite a few 'vintage' plugins that let you alter the sound, e.g. the Overloud 2A has a harmonics control; the PA channel strips allow you to set the level of background noise. Is it possible to make a 'better' compressor with a multi-effect plugin like BYOME? Maybe - but if you start dialling in a compressor attack/release time similar to the other compressor types (which are good for the material that they're generally used on) and add some kind of overdrive to fatten up the sound, you're starting to move into the ballpark of the emulation plugins.

I understand and agree that if you're trying to get that LA2A sound then getting the hardware or emulation plugin is the fastest way to get there. That is the smart thing to do.

What I don't understand is that why are you trying to get that sound in the first place? Why is that the most desirable sound? Why do you find that sound more pleasing than anything that modern plugins can provide? Are non-saturating plugins simply too clean for people who prefer "vintage" emulations?

10 hours ago, antler said:

Another thing to consider - we now have all sorts of ways to transform a signal using DSP. Is using a guitar amp with vacuum tubes really still the best way to get the best sound?

I don't know, I haven't used one in years.

[antler]

1 hour ago, pseudopop said:

Which is basically what any saturation plugin does, right?

Maybe, but not necessarily. Tubes will distort the audio in a certain way. Saturation plugins may or may not distort in the same way. It's a bit like saying if I want a car to look like a Ferrari, I just need to ask for it to be sprayed red (and yes, I know they come in other colours too); you might get the same shade of red, but it might also be a different red. I get what you're saying though - is the tube overdrive the best way to process a sound? Again it'll depend on what the context is. In some contexts you might want something snappier, which is when you might reach for something like a 3A or an FET.

1 hour ago, pseudopop said:

What I don't understand is that why are you trying to get that sound in the first place? Why is that the most desirable sound? Why do you find that sound more pleasing than anything that modern plugins can provide? Are non-saturating plugins simply too clean for people who prefer "vintage" emulations?

I don't think modern-ness has as much to do with it as the attack and release times, which will be more or less the same with emulation of a certain piece of hardware. Taking the 2A for example, the attack time looks to be approximately 10ms. This is long enough to let sharp transients through, meaning you won't get the clamping sound or pumping that might go with it. Because of the way that a 2A works, the release time will be dependent on the input material. It's also relatively long (the cakewalk 2A had the option for fast or original release time) meaning that it can help with levelling the signal. For a vocal, this would mean that the transients remain (so it will retain a more natural sound), and the level of the vocal can become a bit more consistent. Is it the most desirable sound? It depends - if you need an aggressive rock vocal, you might pick another plugin.

As for saturation level, it's again dependent on sonic target and source material. If you have a something that sounds thin, having some saturation (either modern or vintage) may help with that. If the source is very rich and full, or if we're targeting a more naked/natural sound, using something without saturation may give better results.

[Tommy Byrnes]

I think the reason so many of us lean towards emulation plugins like 2As and 3As and 1176s and Fairchilds is because they have been essential studio tools for decades. The behavior and sound character is so well known and those "sounds" have been an integral part of recorded music for so long that results from their use is a known commodity and easily gets folded into one's mix strategy.

Opto, FET, VCA, tube, etc. all have various attack/release times and ratios and the type of sound being compressed informs us on which might be best suited to the program material.

For instance, an LA2A has no adjustable ratio (it's set at around 3:1) and the attack is about 10ms. But what makes it so desirable is the multi-stage release. The initial release is around 60ms or so for the first 50% and then the last 50% of the release takes from around 500ms to 5 seconds, depending on the source. This allows the signal to "sit" in the compressor at all times, with a couple of dBs of reduction as a constant. Louder parts of the signal will then be attenuated more but since the comp is already engaged the compression will be very smooth and buttery, which is why it's a perfect vocal comp. Very hard to get a standard digital comp to do this.

Plus, being a tube-driven compressor the non-linearities of tubes colors the signal in a pleasing way. One could certainly use a distortion plugin to try to emulate the sound but it's not like the organic part of the 2A's sound.

Each piece of hardware (and its plugin emulations) has its own personality. Knowing which one to use is part of being an informed engineer and can greatly improve one's craft.

[DeeringAmps]

STOP!

 I don’t own this, pretty sure I don’t “need” this. If one more forumite sings its praise, I will surely buy this. 
please STOP!

t

[pseudopop]

58 minutes ago, Tommy Byrnes said:

I think the reason so many of us lean towards emulation plugins like 2As and 3As and 1176s and Fairchilds is because they have been essential studio tools for decades. The behavior and sound character is so well known and those "sounds" have been an integral part of recorded music for so long that results from their use is a known commodity and easily gets folded into one's mix strategy.

. . .

Each piece of hardware (and its plugin emulations) has its own personality. Knowing which one to use is part of being an informed engineer and can greatly improve one's craft.

This actually makes the most sense to me. When you use an emulation plugin you know what you will get and you will likely get it consistently.

I could still continue about this topic but I feel I've been too confrontational lately, questioning everyone and everything, so I think I'll simmer down now. Thank you, @antler and @Tommy Byrnes, for indulging me.

41 minutes ago, DeeringAmps said:

 I don’t own this, pretty sure I don’t “need” this. If one more forumite sings its praise, I will surely buy this. 
please STOP!

The deal is over and the price is now back to $119.