I've had this comp for several years. I even bought better tubes...but never installed them. Didn't need to. You will also find this compressor in many, many expensive recording studios in the same rack as 1176's, 165's, etc. You'd be surprised how many word-class engineers love the Pro VLA 2.
I love using mine as a two stage vocal tracking compressor - ie daily-chain the two channels unlinked both compressing gently - it's very transparent. Had mine 10 years - still perfect.
Fantastic. I absolutely love hearing you say that it sounds good to your ears. Other people forget that its not the specs sometimes, its the sound. Love your videos. Keep it up
i bought this way back in the day and recorded a friend's EP. Still to this day says it's his favorite record and I know it's because the VLA made his acoustic sound perfect.
I have the Pro MPA II into the Pro VLA II as my DI's for bass and guitar. ART products are designed in my home town of Rochester, NY but the units are manufactured in China. I've swapped the tubes, 12AX7 in the MPA and 12AT7 in the VLA with EHX matched pairs. The input of the VLA is controlled by adjustable output of the MPA. Sweet sound and clean. Cheaper is bought online in the US.
Modded mine with Jensen (api) transformers, burr brown op amps and NOS Sylviania tubes. Future updates are that I may install faster vactrols and install a bias control on the tubes
Had this thing for years and really like it, even when running in bypass it does a nice thing of soaking up some of the muddy low end in tracks in a way that feels quite natural
Pretty sure that's placebo. Bypass on the VLA is a direct passthrough from input to output. Open it up and look at the board, the bypass buttons are big switches that short the input directly to output. It's no different than a few inches of cable. You're hearing the placebo, 100%
I've owned both the VLA and the MPA - this one is good, but the MPA is fabulous! The ability to go from subtle and smooth to 'harmonic definition' to full on distortion is so useful. Bit of a Swiss army knife. And...it's high voltage, not starved plate like this compressor :)
A tad bit late on this video, but would really love to see if you ever did any modifications to this unit, and if so a video going over them! Or even possibly discussing ideas for it. This thing has the potential to be incredible, as if it’s not already at its price!
I use it in the Insert master parallel compressor in my SSL Sigma. It adds glue and a little heat in the higher frequencies. I like its sound in this application.
I love this thing. Brought 4 singles of mine in the radio with just a GAP PRE 73 (first version) and the ART PRO VLA II in the chain. If somebody can't make good tracks with this, then the problem lies somewhere else...
I love mine. Im only using one channel as of now, and I only incorporate it into the signal when I want some added "grit/color". My main vocal chain is a WA12 MK2 black mic preamp from Warm Audio, followed by an LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs. I'll usually chain the VLA after the LL2A when I feel like the vocal will benefit from both compressors going.
I did the Jensen transformer mod and switched to higher quality matched tubes. Fine compressor, had to learn how to not crush the signal. He’s right, the VUs don’t tell you what you need. The little LED meters below are better.
You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find info for mods do you? I want to get into modding my gear but there’s not really any info on how to go about doing so out there. Any help is appreciated!
@@htb123times if you've never soldered before try out a DIY RE kit. if you have, just get to know the parts you're going to be changing via forums - its very mod dependent finding info
We also did the Jensen mod and upgraded tubes, and as the comment below reported, it really grabs. I’d have a hard time replicating an L2A with this thing. Currently using for parallel compression and after a lot of counter intuitive noodling found settings that wouldn’t crush the signal. Now I can say “good stuff”!
I also use the MPA Gold! Excellent as an input device of course, but I mainly use it as a mixbus sweetener, to add that nice analog feeling to a digital track. It does something very beautiful to the low end.
I've had the original Pro VLA (not version 2) for about 15 years...there's a lot of mods you can do on these, change out the opamp to a Burr Brown etc...some people add transformers, replace all the resistors and caps with better tolerances...but for me I look at its core design...its a starved plate tube design (meaning it simply adds some non-linear distortion into the amplifier path) going into a cheap vactrol for compression... After considering how much work it would be to do the mods and the miniscule amount of change in color the mods would produce I've just left mine alone and use it for what it is, a really cheap vactrol compressor with a low noise floor...for that its excellent.
@@JimijaymesProductions the VLAII is full voltage. Technically it is slightly tuned down within it's own circuit. When you look at it its clear that the designers toned down the voltage just a bit, likely to make harmonics easier to come by, but it is by no means a starved plate. But that's not really bad tbh. Everybody's favorite Culture Vulture is technically speaking, a design based on starving the tube with full user control. Starved plate can be just as good as full voltage on certain things. It just matters how it was designed.
@@ryanpwm Ahh so the II is but the original isn't, yeah I have used plenty of starved plate designs that work for what they are designed for such as the Maxon 880 Tube Overdrive (its a guitar pedal) which is starved plate but yet changing tubes makes a huge difference because it changes the gain stage feeding the opamp which does most of the clipping, so no it doesn't operate like a tube amp but it sounds very much like a tube amp. I think I will eventually get a VLAII I am pretty happy with plugins atm but if it adds any of the vibe the MPA II has but with compression that would be cool, otherwise maybe the Pro Channel as it has insert points.
@@ryanpwm - "Starved plate" is a term I keep seeing people throw around without actually knowing any facts. I've seen good outboard tube equipment and brands tarnished by what what is essentially starved plate gossip. People will just start saying 'starved plate' it in chats, and it gets repeated, even if it is not a fact...
I just got one along with the Steinberg UR RT 4 Interface...and some better cables for my Mixing Console.....loving it.....sounds great...looks great...for the money........very very great sound and functioning
I got the ART pro channel II tube preamp, compressor and EQ. Sounds very beautiful and warm and i paired it with an Aston spirit condensor microphone. Beautiful sonic relationship. One time i connected my mic directly to the focusrite 2i4 2nd Gen i had and immediately took it off and put the ART Pro Channel back. I immediately understood why people make sure to get good quality preamps.
I like how it cleans up the boomyness in the low end en makes the hi end smoother 👌 Could you make a video on how this sounds compared to a comparable plugin?
That's more likely your using mediocre converters cause that's what I thought when my interface was a Focusrite 18i20. Once I switched to an RME that changed and the lowend is punchier now. If you even listen to this video you don't hear any loss lowend.
@@1972OGTony can attest to that. I've used a motu ultralite and focusrite before getting a modified apogee symphony. I wonder if it's consistent that low end converters have trouble with low end punch. You can see it directly on a frequency analyzer sweep. Only low end converters I know that add punch are Akai's. And that's just bit distortion.
I've had this for a couple of years and paired it with a Pro MPA2 Preamp. Great outboard gear for the money in a home studio setup for sure. As you discovered, even in a pro setting it doesn't hurt to have one of these lying around...for the money :)
My Man!! I have the preamp also together with the VLA the sound is great! Your opinion make owning them feel even better. Also that track you're using is Fire!!!!
Thanks, it's nice to see the unit get some praise. I have an original Pro VLA for many years and it does a fine job and was really cheap. Because of your review, I'm thinking of getting the VLAII for the stepped controls, recalls would be much easier. Thanks again.
great review I am looking at one of these for teh exact reason you stated: to tame the crunchy digital high frequency sounds and warm up the tone of a digital recording for a post mix down
I have the original Pro-VLA. I still use it to add a touch of reduction on the stereo overhead drum mics while recording. Attack & Release are buttons: Fast and Auto. Nothing else. I usually have Attack on Auto and Release on Fast.
I have 2 of these but put them in storage. Never really used them because I thought I bought cheap stuff. Bought them to be molded but most reviews say mods are too much work and sound doesn’t get much better. And I realized real tubes run on a much higher voltage. So I hope you change my mind so I can uses them again. Can’t wait for the mid video!
I bought mine 250 bucks (2nd hand) N I use it for listening tracks on my Fostex PM0.5 monitoring speakers ...I put some TAD Premium ECC83 tubes in it N I got a much more punchy sound with more presence on high-mids/high-end frequencies N more snappy low-end ...the warmth that it gives to your monitoring experience is juuuust huuuugeeee ....I use the builtin ONYX preamps on my Mackie VLZ4 mixer to drive the ART Komp harder if needed with a low gain signal ...it add some beefy tone ^^ the VLA Komp is inserted in the SubMix (Alt 3/4) of the mixer to get an alternative routing of the MainMix
I have a Behringer Tube Compressor T1952. It too was a pleasant surprise. A lovely sounding compressor made even lovelier by replacing the SOVTEK tubes with genuine NOS 1960s Mullard tubes.
I have this and a couple of the ART Pro Channel 2 channel strips. I run signal from the pre amp of the Pro Channels to the VLA, then back to the Pro Channels, which have their own compression and eq. This lets me layer my compression, the VLA tames the peaks, then the Pro Channel compresses a little more before the EQ. For a home project studio, ART provides great products at a great price.
Just a word of advice on the newer or brand new art pro units, If you do buy anything from Art understand that you have 3 months to send it back if It's faulty. So buy it and then quickly set it up. If you hear any sort of buzzing, crackle, or hum. Return it right away and get another one. Don't get frustrated. Do not waste time trying to find the source of the "hum" or "noise". Don't spend hours swapping cables or looking for mysterious ground loops. Don't open the unit up. Don't add new tubes. Just take it back or send it back immediately. These are great compressors if you get a good one. But it's very very common to get a bad one and that's ok. Just keep sending back units until you get a good one :) A good Art pro compressor is quiet except for a little tube hiss and this is normal and to be expected. Just remember with Art Compressors and Pre-amps 95% of the time it's not you, your other gear or your power source. It's actually "ART" they make great gear but they have horrible quality control now and it's a known fact. Maybe in the past they used better quality parts or had better quality control but those days are gone.
My ART VLA II compressor keeps company for my Distressors and Fatsos. It is an excellent optical compressor that incredibly is part of the configuration of large studios. Soon, I would like to buy another unit. It can be a soft compressor or a very aggressive one. I don't recommend it much for the Master Bus, but I recommend that it track and mix individual tracks. A valve is actually there to add some heat to the signal flow, according the review. With regard to valve replacement, this procedure is useless. As the valve is not in the compressor segment it has no more than 1% harmonic distortion. We have already done this by including measurement software at the device output outlet. This is a great compressor to keep original, unless the MOD includes items other than the valve.
A review for the ART PRO MPA II microphone preamp would be great also. I have the PRO MPA II and swapped out the stock China tubes with JJ ECC83-S/12AX7 (short plate) tubes that were matched and balanced (at Eurotubes USA) with a gain factor of 105 and transconductance rating of 18 and it sounds excellent. I can get a very nice pleasing analog "tube" sound. Plus, It has a great signal to noise ratio (low noise). A major bonus is the plate voltage selector. I find that using the "high" plate voltage and "low" plate voltage options gives a nice selection of tube colors when driving the tube circuit into soft clipping (Note: I know exactly what voltage is used for both of those settings and I can tell you that the "high" plate voltage setting is not a starved tube design). The unit also has a variable impedance knob that offers a nice control for certain types of microphones. The ART PRO MPA II is worth checking out. The ART PRO MPA II is an amazing preamp with lots of features and a great sound. I hope to see a review here in the future about it. You may enjoy having the ART PRO MPA II in your studio. I use it for processing audio signals on a regular bases (for both recorded audio files and for live microphone recording as well). Keep up the great work. I always enjoy your reviews.
I have one, but one day its left channel start to cracking, maybe the tube inside just ended up. It definitely worth the price, I was pretty enjoying listen from it before it broken.
love ART stuff, compressor and channel strip. another contender would be the RNC comp and the RNLA which is same price range and a fav and might be worth a review.
Hell yeah bro this was my first piece of analog gear and I still love it. Actually got a second for other instruments too. Great as a mix bus compressor as well as guitars and drums just really nice and like you said the way it treats the highs is very musical and smooth. Looking forward to your next videos on it!!
Just got mine and noticed that the signal from channel 2 can be heard on channel 1, it’s not loud but you can hear it when you solo that channel In the daw. i don’t have stereo link on when this happens. Is this normal behavior?
love this thing. bought matched Mullard 12AT7's to replace the stock tubes. not sure that's even supposed to be an improvement, but sounds incredible on my stereo bus
I’ve heard negative comments about ART products but my experiences with them have only been positive. I use the OctoTube preamp everyday along side high end Preamps. I’ve seen this comp, but wasn’t sure about it. I may take a closer look now.
yess please do an upgrade vid/tutorial if you could. I have one and unfortunately it has balance issues in stereo mode. hopefully an easy fix when i get around to opening it up. would also love to see a review of the KT pultec. thanks as always.
I bought the voice channel and i have the manley voxbox! Except for the vocals where i find the manley to be more “responsive” , everything else get recorded on the art voice channel! I also tried its eq by recording stereo channels passing one by one and im thinking buying another one for stereo setup! Great company !!!
Imagine a 32-channel (64 Inline) Analog Console (Soundcraft Ghost), with 4-Stereo Sub-Groups into the 2-Bus. Now add 5 VLAs as Mixbus Processors. 64x8x2. Now mod the Desk and the VLA MBPs. Incredibly low noise floor, fairly transparent, butter smooth, yet fully controllable dynamics. This makes a super tight, relatively inexpensive, nearly colorless, nearly noiseless, but totally Analog platform and centerpiece for a modern Hybrid studio. From there, you can engage the 32 4-band, or 64 2-band Console EQs. Then you can insert ANY Colorful Analog Outboard you desire (or own), precisely where you want it, without "muddying up" the entire mix. In this Hybrid Setup: DAW Tracks, 64-Channel Interface, CLEAN Analog Summing, CLEAN Analog Compression, Season to taste, Print the 2-Bus. You can still process everything Before it comes out of the Box, say adding a Tape Emulation across all channels, say adding a Channel Strip Plugin across all channels BEFORE you come out into Actual Channel Strips where you disengage the EQs and just use the Routing and Summing. And if you have the Interface I/O, you can run the Analog Channel Inserts Back into the DAW, add whatever plugins you like, then come back out in series (managing latency of course). You can Parallel Process, and run Effects in your Rack or in your DAW, then back into the desk as Effect Returns or on unused channels. I strayed away from the topic, but the takeaway is that the ART VLAs, whether just one on the Main Bus, or many across all your Busses, is the Cheapest and Cleanest piece I know of for a full featured, versatile Hybrid Mixing system.
I used to run a similar setup with an Onyx 32-4 and then an A&H GL Series 8 Bus with full usage of the matrix. It's great to have, but means also a helluva lot more maintenance and need for structuring. Alone the cabling across 4 full sized patchbays, outboard FX and compression and 16 I/O from the DAW weighed about 70 kg. Nowadays I'd run a downsized hybrid setup with a smaller form factor console from A&H or Soundcraft and an additional even smaller headphone mixer.
@@otobotrecords Then you know! I hear you on the "easier approach" available nowadays, I have a few setups, its mostly recall that dictates. But there's nothing quite like spreading your song across the desk, balancing on faders and pans, then EQing tracks against each other with both hands, and no "latency", the Analog flowing through your fingers into your ears. The whole game has evolved. From 24-track 2-inch, into a desk with EQ and Outboard Dynamics, back to 2-track tape. Then DAT tape. Then SSL shoved recall and Dynamics into the board. Then Pro Tools replaced the Tape Machines. Then it all got so cheap and fast that you could kinda do it In The Box. But it wasn't the same. But now we could afford to build our own "Project Studios", no more tape (okay maybe Adat or DA-88s), Live Boards or "Small Format Consoles", then print back in. Somebody started calling it Hybrid. Now with the computers getting faster, and replacing Drum Machines, Sequencers, and Synths (VST VIs) and companies getting better and better at emulation plugins of Analog gear, one day, somebody somewhere, completed the entire process inside of a Mac. And immediately Gear Sluts became like holocaust deniers and said it wasn't "real" whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean. Fast Forward to 2020, and SSL, Neve (both of them), API, Audient, Trident, etc. all have Small Format Consoles, designed to be used in Small Hybrid Studios, and sound better than their old ones for the price of a small car rather than a house. At the same time, In The Box mixing is so respectable now that Most music never leaves the computer, and many of the biggest mixers have switched entirely to digital and plugins. And, for me, the Console 1 system, combined with UAD integration and near zero latency, FEELS the most like mixing Analog so far. In some ways even better, for instance switching between 20 channels at a time in say a 100 channel mix, rather than sliding a chair all the way left or right, tweaking, then sliding back to listen. Now its 5 bank pushes, pick a channel, never leave the sweet spot, and every channel strip comes to my fingers. So why fuck with an Analog Desk, or hundreds-of-pounds and thousands-of-dollars of Mogami, and patchbays, and soldering, and all the other gear, when you could just load a DAW, add some plugins, and grab a mouse. I don't know. Maybe I'm just stupid. But I'm not alone.
@@otobotrecords BTW, never used the Onyx, but the Mackie 8-Bus changed the game back in the day. All the power of a real inline studio Console. But then I heard the Soundcraft Ghost, and instantly fell in love. It was like having a girlfriend, and everything is going fine, but then you meet HER, and everything changes. She's down for anything and can do things you never even thought about. She's got that sexy British accent that makes your girlfriend sound so plain and now annoying all the sudden.
@@otobotrecords Annnndddd ....to me, the Allen & Heath GLs were.... logical...and flexible, I knew a couple of dudes that had em, I really liked the stereo channels rather than using two of my 32, but I didn't like that it wasn't inline, and you couldn't split the EQs. (Also, both roll off at 100 which is limiting). But the key difference to me, once you laid everything out across the board, set your routing, got your levels and pans into a solid static mix where you could hear "the song". That's when I engage the EQs, and the real difference between all consoles reveals itself. How do the manipulate the sound? What of their Own sound gets added to the track in the process? In my mind, the Allen & Heath EQs sounded much better than the Mackie's. But it sounded like a dude. A dude's mixer for dude music, like rock etc. The Soundcraft EQs felt like poor man's Neves. Voluptuous, soft, round, thick, smooth. Getting a kick, snare, and a bass to play together was like a menage a troix. Everything just feels right. In contrast, mixing in the box can feel like having sex in an exam room with all the lights on.
i have been quite happy since i purchased mine also. i'm definitely interested in your planned upgrade as i have been looking at doing the same thing .
One of THE best QPR's in the industry. Not quite a secret weapon anymore though, people know ;:-) I've always wondered about the gain sensitivity issue. If they come with AT7(mid gain) stock, would swapping in an AU7(low gain) help with to much gain at the input?. Is the tube at the input or output stage??. I'm not a tech so I haven't ever looked at schematics of it. I do know friends that have swapped in either nos Mullard or Sylvania tubes, and they said it was a very nice improvement. They have also swapped out other cheap components that made noticeable improvements, and all for little $$ investment. I've used both stock and modded versions. Stock units already sounds pretty damn good for an under $500 unit......used they're in the $300 range. Modded are even better. I would bet that if someone unboxed it blindfolded and felt it's build quality, had it hooked up, then listened blindfolded....they would say that's a $1000+ compressor, easily!
I used to love my old ART Leveler which was used with The Rurals, it was great on bass and vocals. I've also had an ART Tubepack which combined the Leveler with their preamp. I could consider the Pro VLA, have been looking for an analog compressor for my 2-Out. This or the WA Bus Comp? Mods you say? Hmm, interesting. I do remember the guy from ART in NY was really nice and helpful when I ordered the Tubepack directly from him
When my band first switched to in-ears, we didn’t have any kind of board or preamp driving our mic lines, just straight into individual wireless transmitters. Went on tour, not enough volume, so I bought a $50 ART Tube Preamp box at Guitar Center to bring my mic to line level. It actually sounded great, but there wasn’t proper limiting so I got my ears in serious trouble with our drummers snare in a tight space. Probably damaged my hearing (no fault of the Art, my whole setup was duct tape rigged). We have proper gear now thank god
i bought the lil tube pre amp way long long ago and i can''t tell you how much it changed the game for my recordings back in the day. I had the FAST TRACK PRO, it made my guitars instantly sound like it was actually being recording from and mic and amp with a sim in the daw. it was like holy shit i can actually make something that sounds like demo quality now
I don't even know why people call the Art Pro VLA a "tube compressor" when it's clearly stated that the tubes are utilized at the gain stage. The sound coloring we get is a pure distortion added as a result to pushing the signal hotter and not resulting from the compression itself. It's good for guitars, vocals also and bass. I personally use it for orchestra and piano to give them some additional presence without using saturation, but the unit is very versatile especially considering the price.
Thanks for the review. Very interested in wither this or a 1177 clone, still undecided what is best for £500 or less... Guess this gets you 2 channels instead of one and some tube goodness so a lot more than just a clone.
I have the ART PWM pulse width modulation compressor Called the "Dual Limiter" in my bands live rig and it is an amazing little compressor for the price. The "ART Transy" is ART's FET compressor is my bass players go to compressor in his rack. He replaced an old DBX 160xt he had for 10 years and it is a really nice stereo FET compressor for $500 dollars Ive been considering one for while now for the studio.
Certain subtleties are for professionals and not always a result is an end in itself, but it is congenial to a chain of results that the professional considers positive. I do not express myself on its quality as a professional in the sector, but as an amateur I have had it and it has not impressed me more than other virtual plugins ( P.S. The gain calibration - from the knob - of the stereo channels I had to do it every time I turned it on and it was tedious)
just bought one! Really awesome. So what is the veredict about changing the china tubes? Does it make any sense? (heard most of these cheap tube units doesn't change much in most of them)
I'm really getting into this channel. I like your enthusiasm and you're very knowledgeable. If you're feeling so inclined, it would be interesting to get your take on the new AMS Neve 1073OPX. There are so few reviews on this eight channel preamp out on TH-cam.
I'm planning on getting this thing as my first analog compressor when I have my own homestudio. En als Nederlander vind ik het grappig dat het "VLA" in de naam heeft :)
Would've been cool to push it into distorsion and see what that sounds like. For parallel compression applications. Waiting for the tube swap A/B test. Cheers!
The pro vla 2 is nice, but for distortion the pro mpa 2 is much better. I've owned both and the mpa got used on almost everything I recorded externally. I also switched the tubes in both of them for vintage Telefunken, Philips Miniwatt etc and the sound of the tubes in the vla is subtle, but in the mpa it's significant. The mpa has high voltage rails while the vla is cheap starved plate. (Although the mpa can switch to starved if you want, but it sounds boring in comparison). Vla 4/5, mpa 5/5 imo
i was impressed with mine as well. have you tried any of the warm audio compressors?. i was extremely impressed with them myself. some say the wa76 is too noisy, but i find its noise airy and pleasant.
I do some Experiment by routing my Music out to some DAP Gig14 Mixer. The Mixer has the Art Studio V3 Preamp as Aux Send in Mono. So i try out to get some real tube Warmth to my digital Track. By adding the Tube Preamp to a 2nd chan. Setting of the amp was to the Valve mode. And i have to say it is very interesting. I did some Eqing with the Mixer too. Just ad some Mid and highs. Record it back and do some Eqing with the Puigtec EQ - the Result was i had a much better warmer Lowend but the High and Mid was not so "in to face" like on the Digital version - i actualy do like what happend to the mix it sounds more like "one piece". And on louder Volume it is much more friendly to hear. You can hear it in my examples i share. But i cannot decide if it sounds better - it sounds different i would say "warmer". And i like it. And the Puitec (i testet it) did a very nice Warmth to both! But on the analog track the warmth was much better. Like "you can just eq what is in there". And yes - Its Cheep gear, not created for mastering. But thats the only way i can do the Experiment without latency. The Preamp ist able to push out great Lowend and rich up the Mono Signal. So in the end it was mixed to 30% to the original Track. If you want to check out the difference here you find the both Tracks one direkt out of DAW (without Puigtec) the other like i described. I was very impressed by it what the little Tube Preamp in combination with the waves plugin actually can do to the Sound! But i do not have a 2nd for trying it out as Master Saturation FX. Would be a nice experiment for some one who got 2 of these Preamps. Becourse i realy like how that Art Preamp warm up the Sound on valve mode - what ever goes thru sound much more full in the lowend but not every Setting is good. If you like to listen the the result check it out: 1drv.ms/u/s!Aju1Kk8j30JojziF20RBwXq8WRrh?e=AAo7K0
2 vrienden van me hebben hem ook. Zijn der erg blij mee. Alleen wat me wel opvalt is dat wanneer je heb bypassed de track in het stereobeeld wat wijder is. Komt dit door de manier van link rechts combineren en dat zien als stereo ?
"A brand called China" :D I have two ART TubeOpto 8s and love them. So handy to be able to use the adat inputs as converters to analog outputs all the while using the analog inputs to adat simultaneously.
I have 3 ART pieces, including an older version of the Pro VLA, and 20 years later they're all still working great.
I've had this comp for several years. I even bought better tubes...but never installed them. Didn't need to. You will also find this compressor in many, many expensive recording studios in the same rack as 1176's, 165's, etc. You'd be surprised how many word-class engineers love the Pro VLA 2.
I love using mine as a two stage vocal tracking compressor - ie daily-chain the two channels unlinked both compressing gently - it's very transparent. Had mine 10 years - still perfect.
So input 1 going out into input 2, right? :)
@@theoneandonlybright6145 Yep.
this sounds genius cant lie.
🤔 I didn't even think to do this. thank you 💡
Just ordered a revive audio modified vla2. This idea never crossed my mind. Thx
Fantastic. I absolutely love hearing you say that it sounds good to your ears. Other people forget that its not the specs sometimes, its the sound. Love your videos. Keep it up
i bought this way back in the day and recorded a friend's EP. Still to this day says it's his favorite record and I know it's because the VLA made his acoustic sound perfect.
Just out of pure interest. Do you remember how you compressed it? What ratio, attack/release, etc. Kind regards
YESSSSS!!!!! I have always wondered what you thought about these! Can't wait to watch this one!
I have the Pro MPA II into the Pro VLA II as my DI's for bass and guitar. ART products are designed in my home town of Rochester, NY but the units are manufactured in China. I've swapped the tubes, 12AX7 in the MPA and 12AT7 in the VLA with EHX matched pairs. The input of the VLA is controlled by adjustable output of the MPA. Sweet sound and clean. Cheaper is bought online in the US.
Modded mine with Jensen (api) transformers, burr brown op amps and NOS Sylviania tubes. Future updates are that I may install faster vactrols and install a bias control on the tubes
Is it possible to this with the mpa?
Had this thing for years and really like it, even when running in bypass it does a nice thing of soaking up some of the muddy low end in tracks in a way that feels quite natural
Pretty sure that's placebo. Bypass on the VLA is a direct passthrough from input to output. Open it up and look at the board, the bypass buttons are big switches that short the input directly to output. It's no different than a few inches of cable. You're hearing the placebo, 100%
Not in bypass but with no gain reduction. A little input from your DAW fattens the signal just running through it.
I've owned both the VLA and the MPA - this one is good, but the MPA is fabulous! The ability to go from subtle and smooth to 'harmonic definition' to full on distortion is so useful. Bit of a Swiss army knife. And...it's high voltage, not starved plate like this compressor :)
nice! I've had one of these for over 10 years and it still works fine, so I guess that says something as far as it being built well.
absolutely LOVE my PRO MPA II + PRO VLA II combo for a home studio! it really hits it out of the park for the applications I'm using them for.
A tad bit late on this video, but would really love to see if you ever did any modifications to this unit, and if so a video going over them! Or even possibly discussing ideas for it. This thing has the potential to be incredible, as if it’s not already at its price!
I use it in the Insert master parallel compressor in my SSL Sigma. It adds glue and a little heat in the higher frequencies. I like its sound in this application.
I love this thing. Brought 4 singles of mine in the radio with just a GAP PRE 73 (first version) and the ART PRO VLA II in the chain. If somebody can't make good tracks with this, then the problem lies somewhere else...
Do you still use it? Looking to get it to add to my Gap COMP 3A and ART PRO MPA II setup. For Glue and Depth mainly.
Sure, every day. It's in my chain on each recording. Gain reduction up to -4db, VU around 0, ratio around 2.5:1 to 4:1 and you are set!@@TzoHill
p.s. each track on my youtube channel was tracked with the ART VLA II in the chain.@@TzoHill
@@LarsTaylorMusic u legend, thank you.
☺@@TzoHill
I love mine. Im only using one channel as of now, and I only incorporate it into the signal when I want some added "grit/color". My main vocal chain is a WA12 MK2 black mic preamp from Warm Audio, followed by an LL2A compressor limiter from Little Labs. I'll usually chain the VLA after the LL2A when I feel like the vocal will benefit from both compressors going.
I did the Jensen transformer mod and switched to higher quality matched tubes. Fine compressor, had to learn how to not crush the signal. He’s right, the VUs don’t tell you what you need. The little LED meters below are better.
You wouldn’t happen to know where I can find info for mods do you? I want to get into modding my gear but there’s not really any info on how to go about doing so out there. Any help is appreciated!
@@htb123times if you've never soldered before try out a DIY RE kit. if you have, just get to know the parts you're going to be changing via forums - its very mod dependent finding info
Can't wait to see what Mods you do!
I have Pro VLA 1 for years now. Changed the tubes and I love how it sounds on drums. Great cheap compressor.
To what type of tubes?
We also did the Jensen mod and upgraded tubes, and as the comment below reported, it really grabs. I’d have a hard time replicating an L2A with this thing. Currently using for parallel compression and after a lot of counter intuitive noodling found settings that wouldn’t crush the signal. Now I can say “good stuff”!
I use this sometimes in a guitar pedal and preamp chain with an IR pedal. It is the last piece of gear before it goes into the DAW. Sounds good.
I got the ART MPA GOLD, it's really good for it's price and you can change the bulbs to get a better sound.
I also use the MPA Gold! Excellent as an input device of course, but I mainly use it as a mixbus sweetener, to add that nice analog feeling to a digital track. It does something very beautiful to the low end.
what is the new bulb that you use in yours please?
@@raelmickaelbeneteau1125 telefunken are very good
I have this as well as the MPA II Pre-amp. Even without being modified these devices are awesome!
I love my MPA II. Best bang for your buck out there.
I've had the original Pro VLA (not version 2) for about 15 years...there's a lot of mods you can do on these, change out the opamp to a Burr Brown etc...some people add transformers, replace all the resistors and caps with better tolerances...but for me I look at its core design...its a starved plate tube design (meaning it simply adds some non-linear distortion into the amplifier path) going into a cheap vactrol for compression...
After considering how much work it would be to do the mods and the miniscule amount of change in color the mods would produce I've just left mine alone and use it for what it is, a really cheap vactrol compressor with a low noise floor...for that its excellent.
I always thought the VLA was full voltage like the MPA Gold and MPA II.
@@JimijaymesProductions the VLAII is full voltage. Technically it is slightly tuned down within it's own circuit. When you look at it its clear that the designers toned down the voltage just a bit, likely to make harmonics easier to come by, but it is by no means a starved plate. But that's not really bad tbh. Everybody's favorite Culture Vulture is technically speaking, a design based on starving the tube with full user control. Starved plate can be just as good as full voltage on certain things. It just matters how it was designed.
@@ryanpwm Ahh so the II is but the original isn't, yeah I have used plenty of starved plate designs that work for what they are designed for such as the Maxon 880 Tube Overdrive (its a guitar pedal) which is starved plate but yet changing tubes makes a huge difference because it changes the gain stage feeding the opamp which does most of the clipping, so no it doesn't operate like a tube amp but it sounds very much like a tube amp. I think I will eventually get a VLAII I am pretty happy with plugins atm but if it adds any of the vibe the MPA II has but with compression that would be cool, otherwise maybe the Pro Channel as it has insert points.
@@ryanpwm - "Starved plate" is a term I keep seeing people throw around without actually knowing any facts. I've seen good outboard tube equipment and brands tarnished by what what is essentially starved plate gossip. People will just start saying 'starved plate' it in chats, and it gets repeated, even if it is not a fact...
I just got one along with the Steinberg UR RT 4 Interface...and some better cables for my Mixing Console.....loving it.....sounds great...looks great...for the money........very very great sound and functioning
Mine is modded by Revive. I've sold many more (high end) pieces, but this one stayed. Great comp
I got the ART pro channel II tube preamp, compressor and EQ. Sounds very beautiful and warm and i paired it with an Aston spirit condensor microphone. Beautiful sonic relationship. One time i connected my mic directly to the focusrite 2i4 2nd Gen i had and immediately took it off and put the ART Pro Channel back. I immediately understood why people make sure to get good quality preamps.
Been using for a few years with no issues and like you, very impressed with the results myself.
This is exactly the video i needed.
Did you ever get around to doing the mods on that vla 2 ? Im curious to see what you did to it.
I like how it cleans up the boomyness in the low end en makes the hi end smoother 👌 Could you make a video on how this sounds compared to a comparable plugin?
That's more likely your using mediocre converters cause that's what I thought when my interface was a Focusrite 18i20. Once I switched to an RME that changed and the lowend is punchier now. If you even listen to this video you don't hear any loss lowend.
@@1972OGTony can attest to that. I've used a motu ultralite and focusrite before getting a modified apogee symphony. I wonder if it's consistent that low end converters have trouble with low end punch. You can see it directly on a frequency analyzer sweep. Only low end converters I know that add punch are Akai's. And that's just bit distortion.
@@1972OGTony *you’re
As an every now-and-then Netherlands visitor, I simply love vla. Best served cold, with vanilla taste and plain with no snake oil.
H O P J E S V L A
I've had this for a couple of years and paired it with a Pro MPA2 Preamp. Great outboard gear for the money in a home studio setup for sure. As you discovered, even in a pro setting it doesn't hurt to have one of these lying around...for the money :)
My Man!! I have the preamp also together with the VLA the sound is great! Your opinion make owning them feel even better. Also that track you're using is Fire!!!!
Thanks, it's nice to see the unit get some praise. I have an original Pro VLA for many years and it does a fine job and was really cheap. Because of your review, I'm thinking of getting the VLAII for the stepped controls, recalls would be much easier. Thanks again.
I love everything about mine except the stereo link. I only use dual mono now cuz it doesn't kill the stereo field. Great channel man, keep it up.
52 seconds in to the video and I already love it! All I needed to hear to get involved.
great review I am looking at one of these for teh exact reason you stated: to tame the crunchy digital high frequency sounds and warm up the tone of a digital recording for a post mix down
I have the original Pro-VLA. I still use it to add a touch of reduction on the stereo overhead drum mics while recording. Attack & Release are buttons: Fast and Auto. Nothing else. I usually have Attack on Auto and Release on Fast.
I have 2 of these but put them in storage. Never really used them because I thought I bought cheap stuff. Bought them to be molded but most reviews say mods are too much work and sound doesn’t get much better. And I realized real tubes run on a much higher voltage. So I hope you change my mind so I can uses them again. Can’t wait for the mid video!
debating buying one right now. appreciate the honest review!
2:15 - Always make sure to hold the socket at the same time, to avoid damaging the PCB soldered pads and traces.
Keep us posted on the Mods you do to it. Black Lion Audio used to mod these. I have one and was going to mod mine. Pound for pound its a great unit.
I bought mine 250 bucks (2nd hand) N I use it for listening tracks on my Fostex PM0.5 monitoring speakers ...I put some TAD Premium ECC83 tubes in it N I got a much more punchy sound with more presence on high-mids/high-end frequencies N more snappy low-end ...the warmth that it gives to your monitoring experience is juuuust huuuugeeee ....I use the builtin ONYX preamps on my Mackie VLZ4 mixer to drive the ART Komp harder if needed with a low gain signal ...it add some beefy tone ^^ the VLA Komp is inserted in the SubMix (Alt 3/4) of the mixer to get an alternative routing of the MainMix
The art compressors are absolutely awesome. I love these things.
I have a Behringer Tube Compressor T1952. It too was a pleasant surprise. A lovely sounding compressor made even lovelier by replacing the SOVTEK tubes with genuine NOS 1960s Mullard tubes.
I love the track you used to demo it too! Super funky 😊
Love to see the mods, Ive got a Digital MPA which is great and even sounds cool running audio back through it to add a bit of warmth/vibe.
when will you show us your modification video??
I have this and a couple of the ART Pro Channel 2 channel strips. I run signal from the pre amp of the Pro Channels to the VLA, then back to the Pro Channels, which have their own compression and eq. This lets me layer my compression, the VLA tames the peaks, then the Pro Channel compresses a little more before the EQ. For a home project studio, ART provides great products at a great price.
Just a word of advice on the newer or brand new art pro units, If you do buy anything from Art understand that you have 3 months to send it back if It's faulty. So buy it and then quickly set it up. If you hear any sort of buzzing, crackle, or hum. Return it right away and get another one. Don't get frustrated. Do not waste time trying to find the source of the "hum" or "noise". Don't spend hours swapping cables or looking for mysterious ground loops. Don't open the unit up. Don't add new tubes. Just take it back or send it back immediately. These are great compressors if you get a good one. But it's very very common to get a bad one and that's ok. Just keep sending back units until you get a good one :) A good Art pro compressor is quiet except for a little tube hiss and this is normal and to be expected. Just remember with Art Compressors and Pre-amps 95% of the time it's not you, your other gear or your power source. It's actually "ART" they make great gear but they have horrible quality control now and it's a known fact. Maybe in the past they used better quality parts or had better quality control but those days are gone.
My ART VLA II compressor keeps company for my Distressors and Fatsos. It is an excellent optical compressor that incredibly is part of the configuration of large studios. Soon, I would like to buy another unit. It can be a soft compressor or a very aggressive one. I don't recommend it much for the Master Bus, but I recommend that it track and mix individual tracks. A valve is actually there to add some heat to the signal flow, according the review. With regard to valve replacement, this procedure is useless. As the valve is not in the compressor segment it has no more than 1% harmonic distortion. We have already done this by including measurement software at the device output outlet. This is a great compressor to keep original, unless the MOD includes items other than the valve.
My first outboard rack comp, still got it, still use it, even though I have way better gear now. Works great for cheap!
A review for the ART PRO MPA II microphone preamp would be great also. I have the PRO MPA II and swapped out the stock China tubes with JJ ECC83-S/12AX7 (short plate) tubes that were matched and balanced (at Eurotubes USA) with a gain factor of 105 and transconductance rating of 18 and it sounds excellent. I can get a very nice pleasing analog "tube" sound. Plus, It has a great signal to noise ratio (low noise). A major bonus is the plate voltage selector. I find that using the "high" plate voltage and "low" plate voltage options gives a nice selection of tube colors when driving the tube circuit into soft clipping (Note: I know exactly what voltage is used for both of those settings and I can tell you that the "high" plate voltage setting is not a starved tube design). The unit also has a variable impedance knob that offers a nice control for certain types of microphones. The ART PRO MPA II is worth checking out. The ART PRO MPA II is an amazing preamp with lots of features and a great sound. I hope to see a review here in the future about it. You may enjoy having the ART PRO MPA II in your studio. I use it for processing audio signals on a regular bases (for both recorded audio files and for live microphone recording as well). Keep up the great work. I always enjoy your reviews.
I can't wait to see what alterations he makes to the unit and if it can become even better!
Really enjoying the Sandstorm remix you played at 5:26.
YES IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!
I've been using a ART Tube Pac for years now on recording acoustic guitars. It sounds great.
Preamp?
I have one, but one day its left channel start to cracking, maybe the tube inside just ended up. It definitely worth the price, I was pretty enjoying listen from it before it broken.
love ART stuff, compressor and channel strip. another contender would be the RNC comp and the RNLA which is same price range and a fav and might be worth a review.
here the art is twice the rnc and 150 more than the rnla
Hell yeah bro this was my first piece of analog gear and I still love it. Actually got a second for other instruments too. Great as a mix bus compressor as well as guitars and drums just really nice and like you said the way it treats the highs is very musical and smooth.
Looking forward to your next videos on it!!
Is it good for vocals? And bass?
@@CraftWon yes! Great for both.
Just got mine and noticed that the signal from channel 2 can be heard on channel 1, it’s not loud but you can hear it when you solo that channel In the daw. i don’t have stereo link on when this happens. Is this normal behavior?
@@avenlanemusic double check all your panning.
I have the the TPS-II, the Pro VLA II and a Behringer FX-3000 virtualizer in my rack.
Just fantastic stuff for the money.
That kick sound very good when it was over driven.....would sound great on overheads
love this thing. bought matched Mullard 12AT7's to replace the stock tubes. not sure that's even supposed to be an improvement, but sounds incredible on my stereo bus
I’ve heard negative comments about ART products but my experiences with them have only been positive. I use the OctoTube preamp everyday along side high end Preamps. I’ve seen this comp, but wasn’t sure about it. I may take a closer look now.
please make a video of the DIY upgrade mods when you do them (I am excited to see it)!
So want to see this
just picked one up in mint condition for $180! Can't wait to see what I get out of it.
I have the art pro mpa2 for 5 years now, and I enjoy it alot, on electric and accoustic guitars and also bass!
It reminds me the Millennia TCL-2 which I love so much. Optical Compression with tube or FET stage coloration. Nice video
yess please do an upgrade vid/tutorial if you could. I have one and unfortunately it has balance issues in stereo mode. hopefully an easy fix when i get around to opening it up. would also love to see a review of the KT pultec. thanks as always.
I love it. I have mine sitting on my toms at the moment coming from my ludwig classic maples with 421's through the warm wa412
I bought the voice channel and i have the manley voxbox! Except for the vocals where i find the manley to be more “responsive” , everything else get recorded on the art voice channel! I also tried its eq by recording stereo channels passing one by one and im thinking buying another one for stereo setup! Great company !!!
Thanks for this video> I seriously thinking about getting one. I'm trying to decide on this or the Berhinger Stereo T1952 Tuber Composer.
Imagine a 32-channel (64 Inline) Analog Console (Soundcraft Ghost), with 4-Stereo Sub-Groups into the 2-Bus.
Now add 5 VLAs as Mixbus Processors.
64x8x2.
Now mod the Desk and the VLA MBPs. Incredibly low noise floor, fairly transparent, butter smooth, yet fully controllable dynamics.
This makes a super tight, relatively inexpensive, nearly colorless, nearly noiseless, but totally Analog platform and centerpiece for a modern Hybrid studio.
From there, you can engage the 32 4-band, or 64 2-band Console EQs.
Then you can insert ANY Colorful Analog Outboard you desire (or own), precisely where you want it, without "muddying up" the entire mix.
In this Hybrid Setup: DAW Tracks, 64-Channel Interface, CLEAN Analog Summing, CLEAN Analog Compression, Season to taste, Print the 2-Bus.
You can still process everything Before it comes out of the Box, say adding a Tape Emulation across all channels, say adding a Channel Strip Plugin across all channels BEFORE you come out into Actual Channel Strips where you disengage the EQs and just use the Routing and Summing.
And if you have the Interface I/O, you can run the Analog Channel Inserts Back into the DAW, add whatever plugins you like, then come back out in series (managing latency of course). You can Parallel Process, and run Effects in your Rack or in your DAW, then back into the desk as Effect Returns or on unused channels.
I strayed away from the topic, but the takeaway is that the ART VLAs, whether just one on the Main Bus, or many across all your Busses, is the Cheapest and Cleanest piece I know of for a full featured, versatile Hybrid Mixing system.
I used to run a similar setup with an Onyx 32-4 and then an A&H GL Series 8 Bus with full usage of the matrix. It's great to have, but means also a helluva lot more maintenance and need for structuring. Alone the cabling across 4 full sized patchbays, outboard FX and compression and 16 I/O from the DAW weighed about 70 kg.
Nowadays I'd run a downsized hybrid setup with a smaller form factor console from A&H or Soundcraft and an additional even smaller headphone mixer.
@@otobotrecords Then you know! I hear you on the "easier approach" available nowadays, I have a few setups, its mostly recall that dictates. But there's nothing quite like spreading your song across the desk, balancing on faders and pans, then EQing tracks against each other with both hands, and no "latency", the Analog flowing through your fingers into your ears.
The whole game has evolved. From 24-track 2-inch, into a desk with EQ and Outboard Dynamics, back to 2-track tape. Then DAT tape. Then SSL shoved recall and Dynamics into the board. Then Pro Tools replaced the Tape Machines. Then it all got so cheap and fast that you could kinda do it In The Box. But it wasn't the same.
But now we could afford to build our own "Project Studios", no more tape (okay maybe Adat or DA-88s), Live Boards or "Small Format Consoles", then print back in. Somebody started calling it Hybrid.
Now with the computers getting faster, and replacing Drum Machines, Sequencers, and Synths (VST VIs) and companies getting better and better at emulation plugins of Analog gear, one day, somebody somewhere, completed the entire process inside of a Mac. And immediately Gear Sluts became like holocaust deniers and said it wasn't "real" whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean.
Fast Forward to 2020, and SSL, Neve (both of them), API, Audient, Trident, etc. all have Small Format Consoles, designed to be used in Small Hybrid Studios, and sound better than their old ones for the price of a small car rather than a house.
At the same time, In The Box mixing is so respectable now that Most music never leaves the computer, and many of the biggest mixers have switched entirely to digital and plugins.
And, for me, the Console 1 system, combined with UAD integration and near zero latency, FEELS the most like mixing Analog so far. In some ways even better, for instance switching between 20 channels at a time in say a 100 channel mix, rather than sliding a chair all the way left or right, tweaking, then sliding back to listen. Now its 5 bank pushes, pick a channel, never leave the sweet spot, and every channel strip comes to my fingers.
So why fuck with an Analog Desk, or hundreds-of-pounds and thousands-of-dollars of Mogami, and patchbays, and soldering, and all the other gear, when you could just load a DAW, add some plugins, and grab a mouse.
I don't know.
Maybe I'm just stupid.
But I'm not alone.
@@otobotrecords BTW, never used the Onyx, but the Mackie 8-Bus changed the game back in the day. All the power of a real inline studio Console. But then I heard the Soundcraft Ghost, and instantly fell in love. It was like having a girlfriend, and everything is going fine, but then you meet HER, and everything changes. She's down for anything and can do things you never even thought about. She's got that sexy British accent that makes your girlfriend sound so plain and now annoying all the sudden.
@@otobotrecords Annnndddd ....to me, the Allen & Heath GLs were.... logical...and flexible, I knew a couple of dudes that had em, I really liked the stereo channels rather than using two of my 32, but I didn't like that it wasn't inline, and you couldn't split the EQs. (Also, both roll off at 100 which is limiting). But the key difference to me, once you laid everything out across the board, set your routing, got your levels and pans into a solid static mix where you could hear "the song". That's when I engage the EQs, and the real difference between all consoles reveals itself. How do the manipulate the sound? What of their Own sound gets added to the track in the process?
In my mind, the Allen & Heath EQs sounded much better than the Mackie's. But it sounded like a dude. A dude's mixer for dude music, like rock etc.
The Soundcraft EQs felt like poor man's Neves. Voluptuous, soft, round, thick, smooth. Getting a kick, snare, and a bass to play together was like a menage a troix. Everything just feels right.
In contrast, mixing in the box can feel like having sex in an exam room with all the lights on.
i have been quite happy since i purchased mine also. i'm definitely interested in your planned upgrade as i have been looking at doing the same thing .
One of THE best QPR's in the industry. Not quite a secret weapon anymore though, people know ;:-)
I've always wondered about the gain sensitivity issue. If they come with AT7(mid gain) stock, would swapping in an AU7(low gain) help with to much gain at the input?. Is the tube at the input or output stage??. I'm not a tech so I haven't ever looked at schematics of it. I do know friends that have swapped in either nos Mullard or Sylvania tubes, and they said it was a very nice improvement. They have also swapped out other cheap components that made noticeable improvements, and all for little $$ investment.
I've used both stock and modded versions. Stock units already sounds pretty damn good for an under $500 unit......used they're in the $300 range. Modded are even better.
I would bet that if someone unboxed it blindfolded and felt it's build quality, had it hooked up, then listened blindfolded....they would say that's a $1000+ compressor, easily!
I used to love my old ART Leveler which was used with The Rurals, it was great on bass and vocals. I've also had an ART Tubepack which combined the Leveler with their preamp. I could consider the Pro VLA, have been looking for an analog compressor for my 2-Out. This or the WA Bus Comp? Mods you say? Hmm, interesting. I do remember the guy from ART in NY was really nice and helpful when I ordered the Tubepack directly from him
I like how clean it sounds
When my band first switched to in-ears, we didn’t have any kind of board or preamp driving our mic lines, just straight into individual wireless transmitters. Went on tour, not enough volume, so I bought a $50 ART Tube Preamp box at Guitar Center to bring my mic to line level. It actually sounded great, but there wasn’t proper limiting so I got my ears in serious trouble with our drummers snare in a tight space. Probably damaged my hearing (no fault of the Art, my whole setup was duct tape rigged). We have proper gear now thank god
In Cubase you can set the in the input gain when used as an external gear.
i bought the lil tube pre amp way long long ago and i can''t tell you how much it changed the game for my recordings back in the day. I had the FAST TRACK PRO, it made my guitars instantly sound like it was actually being recording from and mic and amp with a sim in the daw. it was like holy shit i can actually make something that sounds like demo quality now
I live this little compressor, it sounds innocent
I can’t wait to see what you are going to do with this unit!
I don't even know why people call the Art Pro VLA a "tube compressor" when it's clearly stated that the tubes are utilized at the gain stage. The sound coloring we get is a pure distortion added as a result to pushing the signal hotter and not resulting from the compression itself. It's good for guitars, vocals also and bass. I personally use it for orchestra and piano to give them some additional presence without using saturation, but the unit is very versatile especially considering the price.
Thanks for the review. Very interested in wither this or a 1177 clone, still undecided what is best for £500 or less... Guess this gets you 2 channels instead of one and some tube goodness so a lot more than just a clone.
the mods (which are on the internet under mods for Pro VLA) get you out of "glue" to "transparent" an the harmonic distortion then becomes pleasant
Got one also, in big studio's you can find this one as well... Or as you say it ass swell 🤣🤘🏻
I've had one of these forever, I can always find a use for it
I have the ART PWM pulse width modulation compressor Called the "Dual Limiter" in my bands live rig and it is an amazing little compressor for the price. The "ART Transy" is ART's FET compressor is my bass players go to compressor in his rack. He replaced an old DBX 160xt he had for 10 years and it is a really nice stereo FET compressor for $500 dollars Ive been considering one for while now for the studio.
Certain subtleties are for professionals and not always a result is an end in itself, but it is congenial to a chain of results that the professional considers positive. I do not express myself on its quality as a professional in the sector, but as an amateur I have had it and it has not impressed me more than other virtual plugins ( P.S. The gain calibration - from the knob - of the stereo channels I had to do it every time I turned it on and it was tedious)
just bought one! Really awesome. So what is the veredict about changing the china tubes? Does it make any sense? (heard most of these cheap tube units doesn't change much in most of them)
I'm really getting into this channel. I like your enthusiasm and you're very knowledgeable. If you're feeling so inclined, it would be interesting to get your take on the new AMS Neve 1073OPX. There are so few reviews on this eight channel preamp out on TH-cam.
I'm planning on getting this thing as my first analog compressor when I have my own homestudio. En als Nederlander vind ik het grappig dat het "VLA" in de naam heeft :)
nekkerspoel
Ik zal dat ook doen
Did you ever do the modification video? I replaced the tubes with telefunken tubes but id be very interested in what you have done.
Would've been cool to push it into distorsion and see what that sounds like. For parallel compression applications. Waiting for the tube swap A/B test. Cheers!
The pro vla 2 is nice, but for distortion the pro mpa 2 is much better. I've owned both and the mpa got used on almost everything I recorded externally. I also switched the tubes in both of them for vintage Telefunken, Philips Miniwatt etc and the sound of the tubes in the vla is subtle, but in the mpa it's significant. The mpa has high voltage rails while the vla is cheap starved plate. (Although the mpa can switch to starved if you want, but it sounds boring in comparison). Vla 4/5, mpa 5/5 imo
@@ozzy3ml Awesome, thanks for the insight!
A Maeland l
i was impressed with mine as well. have you tried any of the warm audio compressors?. i was extremely impressed with them myself. some say the wa76 is too noisy, but i find its noise airy and pleasant.
Check out the LIN76 from Lindell Audio.
I do some Experiment by routing my Music out to some DAP Gig14 Mixer. The Mixer has the Art Studio V3 Preamp as Aux Send in Mono. So i try out to get some real tube Warmth to my digital Track. By adding the Tube Preamp to a 2nd chan. Setting of the amp was to the Valve mode. And i have to say it is very interesting. I did some Eqing with the Mixer too. Just ad some Mid and highs. Record it back and do some Eqing with the Puigtec EQ - the Result was i had a much better warmer Lowend but the High and Mid was not so "in to face" like on the Digital version - i actualy do like what happend to the mix it sounds more like "one piece". And on louder Volume it is much more friendly to hear. You can hear it in my examples i share. But i cannot decide if it sounds better - it sounds different i would say "warmer". And i like it. And the Puitec (i testet it) did a very nice Warmth to both! But on the analog track the warmth was much better. Like "you can just eq what is in there". And yes - Its Cheep gear, not created for mastering. But thats the only way i can do the Experiment without latency. The Preamp ist able to push out great Lowend and rich up the Mono Signal. So in the end it was mixed to 30% to the original Track. If you want to check out the difference here you find the both Tracks one direkt out of DAW (without Puigtec) the other like i described. I was very impressed by it what the little Tube Preamp in combination with the waves plugin actually can do to the Sound! But i do not have a 2nd for trying it out as Master Saturation FX. Would be a nice experiment for some one who got 2 of these Preamps. Becourse i realy like how that Art Preamp warm up the Sound on valve mode - what ever goes thru sound much more full in the lowend but not every Setting is good. If you like to listen the the result check it out: 1drv.ms/u/s!Aju1Kk8j30JojziF20RBwXq8WRrh?e=AAo7K0
Mine's in the mail! Would love to see what mods you've done to yours
Now that Im working with this....man...this is great.........your not gona beat it for money...its a $1000 sounding Comp for $400
2 vrienden van me hebben hem ook. Zijn der erg blij mee. Alleen wat me wel opvalt is dat wanneer je heb bypassed de track in het stereobeeld wat wijder is. Komt dit door de manier van link rechts combineren en dat zien als stereo ?
Much Love From Iran 🇮🇷 ❤️
"A brand called China" :D I have two ART TubeOpto 8s and love them. So handy to be able to use the adat inputs as converters to analog outputs all the while using the analog inputs to adat simultaneously.
Plus, they sound good. Prefer the sound of the mic pres on drums versus say, an 8m, which is what I'm piping their adat to. Punchier, more character.