The Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Studio Compressor is a compressor pedal in the UAFX line that models the original Teletronix LA-2A, the tube-based optical leveling amplifier best known as a studio vocal compressor12. Universal Audio describes it as an authentic emulation of the LA-2A captured in a compact stompbox, voiced to precisely match the original hand-wired hardware, with an end-to-end capture of the vintage transformers, tube amplifiers and T4 optical cell1.
What it does to your sound
The original LA-2A earned its reputation as a studio tool, and JHS Pedals' blog credits the Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveling Amplifier with making optical-style compression famous3. Gearnews' Bob Malkowski describes the original as "a tube-based peak limiter most famously used as a studio vocal compressor"2. The pedal aims to put that behavior at your feet: slow, program-dependent optical compression with the tube character of the original, rather than the fast grab of a VCA-style compressor pedal.
Universal Audio also points to the emulation's "fat, three-dimensional" quality from the captured transformers, tubes and T4 cell1.
Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Dry Mix | Blends dry signal with compressed signal for easy parallel compression effects1 |
| Stock/Fast switch | Attack switch: Fast gives a quicker attack time than the Stock setting1 |
| Footswitch | Switchable true/buffered bypass1 |
The Dry Mix control is a departure from the hardware. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick noted "it also has a mix control which uh this doesn't have," referring to the original unit4. That makes parallel compression, where compressed and uncompressed signals are blended, possible on the pedal without external mixing.
How reviewers heard it
On That Pedal Show's compressor episode from 22 March 2024, which featured the UA Teletronix LA-2A alongside other compressors, Dan and Mick found it very easy to set by ear5. As Dan put it:
"it's such a satisfying thing to use on all kinds of sources because you just turn it up a bit till you get the harmonic Distortion you like and then set the output accordingly"
Universal Audio's own review page summarizes it as a "Nice, easy to use comp/limiter"6.
Here is the That Pedal Show segment covering the pedal:
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Input impedance | 1 Megohm1 |
| Output impedance | 500 Ohms1 |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±1 dB1 |
| Maximum input level | 12.2 dBu1 |
| Maximum output level | 12.1 dBu1 |
| Inputs/outputs | 1/4" unbalanced TS1 |
| Power | Isolated 9V DC, center negative, 250 mA minimum1 |
| USB | USB Type-C, registration and firmware updates1 |
| Weight | 0.62 lbs, 0.28 kg unboxed1 |
The pedal needs an isolated 9V DC supply at 250 mA minimum, and no power supply is included. That draw is high enough that sharing a daisy-chain output with other pedals is not a reliable option; give it its own isolated output.
Where it sits in the UAFX range
The LA-2A is one of Universal Audio's studio-compressor pedals alongside the UAFX 1176 Studio Compressor, which models the FET-based 1176 limiter, and the UAFX Max Preamp & Dual Compressor. The LA-2A's optical tube character and Dry Mix control make it the option aimed at the leveling-amplifier sound rather than fast peak limiting12.
Videos
Sweetwater
Andertons Music Co
Guitar Center
Questions
Does the UAFX LA-2A pedal come with a power supply?
No. Universal Audio specifies an isolated 9V DC, center-negative supply with a minimum of 250 mA, and the power supply is sold separately. Because of the current draw, a standard daisy-chain output shared with other pedals may not be enough, so a dedicated isolated output is the safe way to run it.
Is the Universal Audio LA-2A Studio Compressor true bypass?
It is switchable between true bypass and buffered bypass, so you can choose. True bypass removes the pedal from the signal path entirely when off, while the buffered setting can help drive long cable runs. The same switch area also carries the Stock/Fast attack switch.
What does the Dry Mix control do?
The Dry Mix control blends uncompressed signal back in with the compressed signal, which Universal Audio describes as an easy way to set up parallel compression. On That Pedal Show, Dan and Mick noted that the pedal has a mix control that the original LA-2A hardware does not have.
What is the Stock/Fast switch for?
It is an attack switch. The Stock setting follows the original LA-2A attack behavior, while the Fast setting gives a quicker attack time, letting the pedal grab transients sooner than the original unit would.
What is the USB port on the LA-2A pedal used for?
The USB Type-C port is for registration and firmware updates via a computer. It is not an audio connection; the pedal's sound processing is self-contained and the port exists to keep the firmware current.
What is the input impedance of the UAFX LA-2A?
Universal Audio lists the input impedance at 1 Megohm, with an output impedance of 500 Ohms. A high input impedance like that is friendly to the output of passive pickups and other pedals ahead of it.
Sources (6)
- Teletronix LA-2A Studio Compressor Pedal, Universal Audio
- UAFX Brigade Flow LA2A: New additions to UAFX Compact Pedal series, gearnews.com, 2023-10-24
- OUR MOST FLEXIBLE PEDAL, JHS Pedals
- Beyond The MXR Dyna Comp & Boss CS-3 Compressor J Rockett Airchild, UA LA-2A, 1176 & Origin Cali76, That Pedal Show (YouTube), 2024-03-22
- Beyond The MXR Dyna Comp & Boss CS-3 Compressor J Rockett Airchild, UA LA-2A, 1176 & Origin Cali76, That Pedal Show, 2024-03-22
- Teletronix LA-2A Studio Compressor Reviews, Universal Audio
