Since Teletronix introduced the LA-2A in the early 1960s, the studio world has gone wild for the legendary opto compressor. And why wouldn't we? The LA-2A features a streamlined design with only three knobs (Gain, Peak Reduction, and Gain Reduction), but everything that passes through it gets a gigantic dose of warmth and fatness. Universal Audio founder Bill Putnam purchased Teletronix in 1967 and began making the LA-2A under the Studio Electronics name (later UREI). When the Putnam family rebooted UA in 1999, they reissued the LA-2A, which gave way to several more incarnations, including plug-ins and guitar pedals. Continue reading →