well the one with the SC filter of course...... That being said, they do have an offer "UA essentials" over at pluginboutique and I am thinking about it
They're different, overall, I think I prefer the Tube, on acoustic. It's less forward in the mids, but more sparkle in the highs (a little more mid-scooped sounding, less hi-fi but more mix friendly?). But I think I preferred the silver on vocal, sounded airier, less congested. And the silver even sounded better on the synth.
Nice tutorial and yes the silver sounds more crispy then the tube one. I will not use longer the wave version, for now on I will use the UAD tube compressor !=) Thumps up! 🔥🔥
Pro Tip: You can use the Hammerstein view in Plugin Doctor to see the full range of the compression over all frequencies (just look at the fundamental, aka the pink line). Much easier to visualize and see than the single frequency view in the transfer function view.
While I do agree that Hammerstein shows a lot more , I think that showing it the way I did is far more easy to understand for the large bulk of viewers and also shows the dynamic behaviour far better at certain frequencies.
The Silver version with the HF control does sound a bit more full range sounding when compared to the free version. It didn't stop me from getting the free LA-2A however. Within my mix I think it'll be fine. As is, we're getting a great LA-2A emulation, and my opinion I think it's better than my Waves CLA-2A. I think what I miss are the screw caps on the top of the face.
I experienced the exact same effect by my ears and as a owner of the UAD LA2A bundle I can say, the new and free version is one off the best free plugin’s on the market.
Yes, the emphasis knob on the free one is set to a fixed value. But not to the default value. They state in gearspace that they setup this value to a 'sweet spot'. Maybe just tweaking this kbob you can get them behave the same.
yeah maybe. Thing is that the emphasis knob is sort of a tilt for the high end in the sidechain. Doesn't account for that low end behaviour in my understanding.
@@whitenoisestudio I believe that the emphasis knbo will affect only the signal prior to the compressors ''detector'' thus alterating the compresssors behavior, but this knob does not affect the compressed signal directly.
I have a few other versions of this. I'm glad I didn't pay for it. For free? Fantastic. Get it. However, this was the first plugin that ever overloaded my DAW in 2 years. Not sure what's going on under the hood. But compared to Analog Obsession which is also free? I still prefer AO.
I got the free version and use it on my vocals for book narration. I think it's freekin awesome with LOGIC's version of an 1176 (Vintage FET). Then I tried it on some of the music I use in my narrations. Again, awesome. For no cost? I don't care what the difference between paid/free is. The free one is still kicking ass.
my main issue with most of those emulations this one but others, it's on dynamic stuff it do the job. But the amount of time it takes for the cell to recover after the light is removed depends on how long light had been shining on it and how bright the light. In the case of the LA-2A this results in behaviour where the release time is slower if the unit has either been in compression for a while, or the amount of compression is large. And in plugging doctor when you set the compression section 2second, or 0,05s the release are mostly the same, it mustn't cos 2 s is very long the cell shinning a long time so the release must be much slower this can happen on an artist who hold a note. And the only LA2A i saw get a release completely different between 2s or 0,05s of compression is the cakewalk emulation
Of course, I have the Silver version, but despite that, I also downloaded the free version. I think for someone who doesn't invest in plugins and doesn't want to spend money on a UAD sound card or UAD satellite, the free version will be sufficient, and they won't be concerned with the differences. Thanks for testing and comparing. Thumbs up 👍
Thanks for doing this! To my ears, on fuller frequency sound sources like the acoustic guitar and I bet piano, violin ect. Silver is sounding richer and deeper in the mids. Gray has a bit more presence and bite on synths and vocals operating in higher frequencies.
Quite simple: Free version and the one in the Spark subscription is the same. The native version was coded in another way, so there you have the diff you might be able to hear...
silver is more upfront, slightly too much for my taste, tube is nicer more soft, i guess it all depends what the goal is or how the other sounds sound... bla bla bla :P
Good to know my ears weren’t fooling with me, I was thinking the same thing before I saw this video and it’s good to see plugin doctor backing this up. I Asked UAD about it and they said it’s the same algo as the silver, but tuned to “sound great on all sources.” So there’s that. If anything I might prefer this apart from not having the emphasis knob, particularly because that extra high end compression could probably help in taming some extra high end sibilance from a vocal, or even some high end harshness from an overhead mic/cymbal mics.
Yeah. There's no denying that th ecompression behaves the same ( same algo ) but th etuning is absolutely different. I couldnt get the silver to behave like the TC with the emphasis dial.
Don't we all know that anything that's free is better? I'm still using the old UAD-1/UAD-2 versions that existed before all this Unison stuff - when UA told everyone that had to buy everything over again!
Hi ! I just bought the 49 dollar promo on their basic plugs , which came with 3 La2a's . Is one of them the free version ? Which is the best of all 3 ?
I doubt it makes a difference in the mix. Other free LA-2A compressors: Analog Obsession LALA ThrillseekerLA ADHD Leveling Tool TLS 1295 LEA Sonic Anomaly SLAX Dirty LA GVST Gcomp2 No iLok or other copy protection shit here.
You can indeed wonder if it makes a difference. If you watch my LA2A shoutout video which I have linked somewhere in the description you'll hear that different virtual models behave differently which will make a bit of a difference in mixing one way or the other.
The silver is based on a newer model (the uad reissue) that uad developed hence the more hifi modern sound where as the TC version is based on the original 2a Bill putnam designed hence the more lofi sound
I can’t even get the link sent to me I have followed all the steps correctly but there is no email in my inbox I have even used a second email account and it hasn’t sent me anything at all both times Anyone else have this problem ?
@@whitenoisestudio Terry is living in the forest, foraging for mushrooms and berries, fashioning animal traps from fallen branches, drinking from streams and sleeping underneath the stars. It is a spartan and frankly shit life, but he feels safe in the knowledge nobody knows his postcode. Go Terry.
I downloaded the plugin yesterday but it says in the UA download manager and on the plugin itself, that the plugin is a 14-day demo. WTF? I didn't read anything about it being a demo!
Which of the two do you prefer?
well the one with the SC filter of course......
That being said, they do have an offer "UA essentials" over at pluginboutique and I am thinking about it
Silver sounds better, but I can suffer with the free version.
The silver sounds more round to me. The TC has a bit more agressive highs
They're different, overall, I think I prefer the Tube, on acoustic. It's less forward in the mids, but more sparkle in the highs (a little more mid-scooped sounding, less hi-fi but more mix friendly?). But I think I preferred the silver on vocal, sounded airier, less congested. And the silver even sounded better on the synth.
@@saardean4481 The free plugin DOES have the SC filter, it's just fixed in a position that works great on all sources.
For me they sound the same
Nice tutorial and yes the silver sounds more crispy then the tube one.
I will not use longer the wave version, for now on I will use the UAD tube compressor !=)
Thumps up! 🔥🔥
Thanks for watching!
Pro Tip: You can use the Hammerstein view in Plugin Doctor to see the full range of the compression over all frequencies (just look at the fundamental, aka the pink line). Much easier to visualize and see than the single frequency view in the transfer function view.
While I do agree that Hammerstein shows a lot more , I think that showing it the way I did is far more easy to understand for the large bulk of viewers and also shows the dynamic behaviour far better at certain frequencies.
The Silver version with the HF control does sound a bit more full range sounding when compared to the free version. It didn't stop me from getting the free LA-2A however. Within my mix I think it'll be fine.
As is, we're getting a great LA-2A emulation, and my opinion I think it's better than my Waves CLA-2A.
I think what I miss are the screw caps on the top of the face.
You want a virtual screwdriver as well ? ;-)
Once I tried the free version on my mastering chain, it absolutely crushed all of my other LA2A opto compressors. It’s really good.
The silver version?
@@Ambientnauts The Silver for mastering and any of the other three (including the free one) for individual tracks, like vocals, bass, etc.
I experienced the exact same effect by my ears and as a owner of the UAD LA2A bundle I can say, the new and free version is one off the best free plugin’s on the market.
I like this plugin :-)
Yes, the emphasis knob on the free one is set to a fixed value. But not to the default value. They state in gearspace that they setup this value to a 'sweet spot'. Maybe just tweaking this kbob you can get them behave the same.
yeah maybe. Thing is that the emphasis knob is sort of a tilt for the high end in the sidechain. Doesn't account for that low end behaviour in my understanding.
@@whitenoisestudio I believe that the emphasis knbo will affect only the signal prior to the compressors ''detector'' thus alterating the compresssors behavior, but this knob does not affect the compressed signal directly.
@noaftermath you perfectly described what a sidechain filter does ;-)
I took the reasonably priced upgrade route for the full suite of LA2A's so I could put them with my other 500 "Must Have" compressor VST's
Both sound very good… It’s free man!
4 REAL !!!!!! Use it or don't !!!
It's not your imagination. UA stated on their forum at release that the free Tube LA-2A plugin is a modified algorithm of the Sliver plugin.
I have a few other versions of this. I'm glad I didn't pay for it. For free? Fantastic. Get it. However, this was the first plugin that ever overloaded my DAW in 2 years. Not sure what's going on under the hood. But compared to Analog Obsession which is also free? I still prefer AO.
Every LA2A hardware sounds different too
Yeah, there definitely is a noticeable difference
It looks like the reduction is set at 45 on the free one and at 40 on the silver
I never really liked Silver version, I've only used Grey in my mixes
I got the free version and use it on my vocals for book narration. I think it's freekin awesome with LOGIC's version of an 1176 (Vintage FET). Then I tried it on some of the music I use in my narrations. Again, awesome. For no cost? I don't care what the difference between paid/free is. The free one is still kicking ass.
my main issue with most of those emulations this one but others, it's on dynamic stuff it do the job. But the amount of time it takes for the cell to recover after the light is removed depends on how long light had been shining on it and how bright the light. In the case of the LA-2A this results in behaviour where the release time is slower if the unit has either been in compression for a while, or the amount of compression is large.
And in plugging doctor when you set the compression section 2second, or 0,05s the release are mostly the same, it mustn't cos 2 s is very long the cell shinning a long time so the release must be much slower this can happen on an artist who hold a note. And the only LA2A i saw get a release completely different between 2s or 0,05s of compression is the cakewalk emulation
Silver, but the free Tube Compressor version has a great vibe-sound. It depends on the project. Top video 👍🏻
Silver sounds more open on the vocal example
Yeah, compresses a bit less with similar settings.
You should use the same settings... @@whitenoisestudio
Of course, I have the Silver version, but despite that, I also downloaded the free version. I think for someone who doesn't invest in plugins and doesn't want to spend money on a UAD sound card or UAD satellite, the free version will be sufficient, and they won't be concerned with the differences. Thanks for testing and comparing. Thumbs up 👍
The paid one sounds less congested to me... Thanks for highlighting this, i guess when something is to good to be true... Its not well, true.😄
haha
The best LA2A plugin is Neold U2A
Thanks for doing this! To my ears, on fuller frequency sound sources like the acoustic guitar and I bet piano, violin ect. Silver is sounding richer and deeper in the mids. Gray has a bit more presence and bite on synths and vocals operating in higher frequencies.
My pleasure!
Awesome analysis! Thank you :)
You're welcome!
Quite simple: Free version and the one in the Spark subscription is the same. The native version was coded in another way, so there you have the diff you might be able to hear...
How to say you didnt watch the video without saying you didnt watch the video.
Can you do a review of the karzog Avalon 747sp plugin ?🙏🏾 (Wouldn't mind getting your opinion of it and alternatives).
Probably not, there's so much still to check and do.
@@whitenoisestudio cool np.. keep rockin in the free world and do doddle do do do ?
@@Rio-uv1gs do do
@@Rio-uv1gs -saw this and couldn't leave ya hangin': DOO-DOO!
silver is more upfront, slightly too much for my taste, tube is nicer more soft, i guess it all depends what the goal is or how the other sounds sound... bla bla bla :P
can't argue about taste!
Great analysis
thanks!
The disappointment is that they made it have a dis-functional side-chain filter control.
At first I thought it was broken.
Yes, no,. yes. It's free, would be great if all functions of the paid ones were there, but then it's free.
The second one is far more “3D” 😮
Good to know my ears weren’t fooling with me, I was thinking the same thing before I saw this video and it’s good to see plugin doctor backing this up. I Asked UAD about it and they said it’s the same algo as the silver, but tuned to “sound great on all sources.” So there’s that. If anything I might prefer this apart from not having the emphasis knob, particularly because that extra high end compression could probably help in taming some extra high end sibilance from a vocal, or even some high end harshness from an overhead mic/cymbal mics.
Yeah. There's no denying that th ecompression behaves the same ( same algo ) but th etuning is absolutely different.
I couldnt get the silver to behave like the TC with the emphasis dial.
Richer mids on the 2nd compressor
That's the silver I assume?
@@whitenoisestudio yep
Don't we all know that anything that's free is better? I'm still using the old UAD-1/UAD-2 versions that existed before all this Unison stuff - when UA told everyone that had to buy everything over again!
Very good channel ! You won a new subscriber.
Thanks man, welcome!
Both act like different analog models.
That's a good way to look at it.
Hi ! I just bought the 49 dollar promo on their basic plugs , which came with 3 La2a's . Is one of them the free version ? Which is the best of all 3 ?
Dude, it is different plug's. Attack Time
song/artist name for the vocal?
I doubt it makes a difference in the mix. Other free LA-2A compressors:
Analog Obsession LALA
ThrillseekerLA
ADHD Leveling Tool
TLS 1295 LEA
Sonic Anomaly SLAX
Dirty LA
GVST Gcomp2
No iLok or other copy protection shit here.
You can indeed wonder if it makes a difference. If you watch my LA2A shoutout video which I have linked somewhere in the description you'll hear that different virtual models behave differently which will make a bit of a difference in mixing one way or the other.
The silver is based on a newer model (the uad reissue) that uad developed hence the more hifi modern sound where as the TC version is based on the original 2a Bill putnam designed hence the more lofi sound
the new tube compressor uses the algorithm of the silver, as told to me by my UAD contact.
Good bezig, mooie comparison! 👌
Thanks for het kijken he!
I can’t even get the link sent to me I have followed all the steps correctly but there is no email in my inbox I have even used a second email account and it hasn’t sent me anything at all both times
Anyone else have this problem ?
Isnt the license available in their installer? Would also check in your account if the license has been deposited.
I don't care ;) for me there is not many good free LA-2A free VST's and I think this is more than enough.
;-) But you will be missing something ... just trying to get some fomo in here ^^
At 1:35 when you mention the test frequencies to the midrange, the Silver Unit is in LIMIT mode.
I say it’s the same for compression and limit ;-)
@@whitenoisestudio Ow? My mistake. 🙈
;-)
とても興味深い内容でした！
もちろん。あなたが正しい。
UA is actually having a sale on plugin bundles related to the Free plugin in this video.
Literally what i say in the first 10 seconds ^^
@@whitenoisestudio *first
*forst
@@whitenoisestudio Lol
Hold up.. free ain't free when you have to give up your info, so they can sell it to the highest bidder..
Tin foil hat is ooonnn 😂
He was right for the first 50%
@@whitenoisestudio Terry is living in the forest, foraging for mushrooms and berries, fashioning animal traps from fallen branches, drinking from streams and sleeping underneath the stars. It is a spartan and frankly shit life, but he feels safe in the knowledge nobody knows his postcode. Go Terry.
@Tony-yp7ok I want to live in a little cabin on the prairie as well.
That ship already sailed when u signed up for a Google account.
I downloaded the plugin yesterday but it says in the UA download manager and on the plugin itself, that the plugin is a 14-day demo. WTF? I didn't read anything about it being a demo!
That's weird. For me it shows up as full license. Did you grab th eright version and is ilok linked?
I think it will show demo until it is activated with iLok
Sounds good! We also use the Shadowhills Comp in Optical mode and Arturia Tube STA with fastest release and single mode for that same LA2A sound✅