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Cheapest Hardware Compressor MOD? - ART Pro VLA II Tube Swap + Match Output Levels
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2020
- In this video we look at the ART Pro VLA II compressor. The Pro VLA 2 is one of the cheapest stereo analog compressors on the market, however it comes with cheap vacuum tubes on the output.
Does swapping out the tubes make difference on the sound? Lets find out..
**DISCLAIMER**
Working on electronics can be dangerous and you should use the information in this video at your own risk. Never work on electronics with the unit powered on or plugged in. You should have a basic understanding of what you are doing before attempting to perform this repair yourself.
We will be swapping the tubes for Electro Harmonix brand tubes.
If you are just having some output level mismatches with or without switching tubes, the second part of the video is for you. We go over level matching the Left and Right Outputs using the trim attenuator on the PCB.
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comment any questions down below.
Until next week,
-Kilian Johnson aka NaiLiK @ Studio Claritone
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Awesome to finally hear gear reviews using some solid tunes! Thanks for sharing. Keep em coming! : )
Haha yes! 🤘🏻🤘🏻 thanks for watching
Hi Killian: when adjusting the levels you should use a Pink noise generator since it produces the same output level on all frequencies, and then adjust the output of your DAW to -18 or -20 dBFS (AES or EBU). That should be read at 0 dB VU in the compressor.
Thanks for your video, I am looking into this one.
+felipousismix yes you are right, the video does indeed say that however, if you watch the second part of the calibration you'll notice I'm using noise and I mention that you should from the beginning.. problem was piecing all the clips together after I filmed it, so it still had the kick clip :)
thanks for the comment ! cheers
@@ClaritoneAudio Level matching should also be done with no compression happening.
white noise is is the same level all frequencies , pink noise level decreases as frequency increases
I swapped mine out with old Telefunkens.
Great video. Was lthinking about getting the kt-2a but i think i you changed my mind
nice work simple and clear explanation 11/10
Most informative video on this topic. Subscribed 💯
Most DEF being eyeballing this unit and have been seeing videos of not only this unit but afew others where ppl are changing out the tubes. Some saying there hasn't been a significant change in "colour" of the audio and some "have". End of day, I will just have to buy and trial for myself lol. I see Russian made or branded tubes popping up in many vids soooooo this must mean their at the top of the list?
Nice video and well done. I was looking to get a Warm Audio Compressor (possibly a Klark Teknik one also), but this is nice that you're getting two channels and the price point is good...
How do you like the way it performs w/the compressors and also how do you like overall how it sounds. Thanks.
Phil
NYC Area
It's a great compressor for adding some warmth to instruments and vocals. For my instrument buss channel, I use it in dual mono mode (stereo link sounds bad for some reason) for left and right channels. For vocals, I like to send a mono signal into channel one with 5:1 ratio, moderate attack, and fast release, then route the output of channel one into channel two, where I hit it with a 2-3:1 ratio, slow attack, and moderate release. Thresholds should almost always be set so there's not more than 6dB of gain reduction. I learned this serial compression technique from RecordingStudio9.com's youtube channel.
It's not good for drums though, so you'll probably still want a FET compressor, like the Warm Bus-2 to handle your drums and master buss. If you can only afford one, get the FET buss compressor (Warm or KT), but if you've got a couple hundred left over after that, the VLA II is a great way to add tube warmth to some elements of your track. Adding tubes to your master buss would probably take a vari-mu compressor or a high-end optical comp, and those cost thousands...
I got an 8 ch Tube Pres from ART, been meaning to swap out the tube for years - the originals are a bit noisy but I never got round to do it so just left them as is, I did try out the VLA and noticed that stereo thing, but it was long before I wanted to open it up! Super interesting, nice video
the gear is made so well its hard not to want to try it out :D ... theres a few mods for the vla ii but i decided to just try a nice pair of tubes. the level mismatch was right out of the box however. will post the differences shortly, cheers man
Mine aren't noisy.
Super nice dude! thank you for your massive support!! :-)
just received mine and noticed the signal from channel 2 bleeds into channel 1. for example I can hear the snare that's on channel two on the kick that's on Channel 1, i don't have 'stereo link' on. is this normal behavior?
Do you have to adjust the level of the left and right channel just once or all the time? Or every once in awhile? Great video! Thanks!
nice cant wait for more !
super informative...
Can you link the tubes you are using?
Nice video! I'm looking to buy one soon. I wonder, the tube ledmeter isn't that bright color as it should. Is this a 2017 device maybe? I bought my second ART pro MPA preamp and the leds were far of the one i already own and after emailing the company they told me that that there was a softwarechange in 2019. I had to return 2 devices before i got a recent one again...
Grtz from the Netherlands,
Did switching tubes change the sound? I can't find your next video to this?
How do you use the Lexicon Reverb I see in your rack. I have one just like it but have no idea how to use it as outboard gear going into the DAW
Hey there, I actually use it connected via SPDIF so it goes in and out my interface through the dedicated spdif in and out and stays digital.
You can also use extra audio outputs to send audio and then have it looped back into your inputs
As for how to connect it and use it as an insert or send, that will be DAW dependant. They all manage external devices differently
Thanks for the vid! (I just got a used ProVLAii).
On mine, I’m noticing the L/R “Gain Reduction” LED’s ‘reacting ‘at different speeds (almost like the visual-difference between looking at a ‘peak’ & ‘rms’ VU meter.....if that makes sense at all).
Changing/matching the Attack/Release etc doesn’t help...it’s like each side (the GR “LED’s” at least) has a different ‘personality’.
I haven’t even gotten into comparing the sound yet, I just wanted to hear it first & noticed this visual difference.
(The tubes aren’t part of the gain reduction but yes, I did switch them as well... No LED difference.)
I figured I’d send the company a video showing it but I saw your vid here soooo....
Any initial thoughts are welcome 🙏
Thanks again!
Hey,
I do understand what you mean and that sounds strange, however you mentioned you changed the tubes.. did you adjust the trim inside to see if that changes the behaviour ? If it's really a timing thing and not the amount of gain reduction it may be something with the unit... Hope the company can help you out with the issue!
Good luck,
Hi thank you, I think I meant I ‘switched them L to R’ to make sure it wasn’t the one tube vs the other (I haven’t used it in a while) but I’ll try looking for the trim pot inside & do some A/B’ing of sound differences in general. Thanks again :)
@@mthomas1091 Have ART ever replied to you?
I guess because I'm more thorough than most...I'm not sure how much research you actually did on these tubes, but there are a number of variations of the "12AT7" and this causes much confusion if one is looking to get the correct upgraded replacement for the VLA.
They range from 12AT7 to 12AX7...12AX7A...12AT7W...ECC81...12AT7EH...12AT7WC...7025...ECC83...etc...etc...etc! That said...now that you've given me just a bread crumb of information, is there a specific tube in this bunch that you might consider to be an optimal choice for this upgrade? I really hate to over think this but you opened up Pandora's box with these tubes and I'd just like to get some clarification.
Sry im noob..can someone explain why is this compresor better than virtual?
can you leave a link to the tubes you used
We still waiting
Wondering if you noticed if there are input and output transformers? If yes, what brand? Thanks.
there were aftermarket mods to add i/o transformers .
Enjoyed on vídeo
Can you indicate this Mic preamp for livestreamings and narration?
Greeting from Brazil.
This is the mic pre in the RME interface with a Rode NT1A microphone. Cheers
Just picked one up from eBay and should arrive sometime this week. How is the noise on the new tubs and would you recommend this mod for recording vocals?
VLAII is not a great vocal compressor on its own, single pass, if you wanna track vocals with it i'd recommend patching channel one into two and using one to catch the peaks the other will miss, because it'll def miss some
distorsiona mucho colocar otra valvula con parametros diferentes, yo ya probe eso igual que tu porque tengo un ART pro vla2 . al colocar otra valvula escuchamos mas distorsion y un leve aumento en la ganancia y entonces pareciera que se escucha mejor!! pero no es asi! pierde nitidez y no regulan bien los potenciomentros a la hora de alterar el treshold. Este Compresor funciona bien con sus valvvulas de stock chinas, colocar otras de mas calidad aumentan la ganancia y es un dolor de cabeza, para hacer eso se debera ademas de cambiar las valvulas reemplazar componentes que se encuantran al lado de la valvula para corregir el punto Q de trabajo. Conclusion: este compresor para el precio que se vende lo que ofrece esta bien! pero no ayudara a tener resultados profesionales sino a amateur!! Ademas que es un compresor lento PD: yo aun lo tengo, cuando pueda subire la prueba del reemplazo de valvvulas
Hey mate. What feedback can you give about this deviceA RT Pro VLA II ? Does it make sense to buy it?
if u want analog compression but dont have 5 grand then yeah it makes total sense. TBH my music sucks so bad putting some compression on it isn't going to do anything. 96% of people that listen to music aren't gonna even be able to tell you aren't using compression. Especially EDM kids I can trainwreck 6 mixes in a row and still have people tell me what a great set i just dropped like wtf were you even listening to bro. They for sure aren't gonna hear the lack of dynamics in my mixdown. So really the only person who can decide this is you. I have the unit, and in my opinion it's well built and works pretty decent (it defo don't got "the mojo" as they say) but if it disappeared from my studio tomorrow, i really wouldn't be at that much of a loss.
This is awesome, I did not know that gain trim existed, did it keep the same level in dual mono too? Mine has 0.5 db diffrence between channels, I will open it up soon, how are the new tubes running, are those matched tubes or no?
+Graphene Music nice one, glad to show you that it can be adjusted easily. it will keep the same level in dual mono as they are matched, and yes matched tubes were used
@@ClaritoneAudio hey, I just swaped the tubes in my VLA with a pair of new EH 12AT7 and level matched it, but soon after I noticed when I was using it that the Channe One is compressing more than Channel Two at the same input threshold like 2db of gain reduction more, in dual and in stereo mode. I would love to hear your opinion on this, can it be beacuse of the new tubes?! please and thank you, George.
@@graphenemusic5922 Hey sorry i did not see this till now. There is a trim for both channels, you should be able to get them to match but adjusting both. Hopefully you were already able to resolve your problem.
@@ClaritoneAudio well, I did not completly resolv my issue, I am still getting different compression levels on the channels in dual mono, and for example, if I compress more, la -6 db of gain reduction the difference gets bigger, what could that be, I set up the trims inside with the threshold at +20 so no compression added, and I used white noise generator and a meeter inside logic to do it.
@@graphenemusic5922I have the same problem. I have been putting this off for a year and my unit just sat there in my studio, because it's unusable, but I work at TV and colleagues in audio engineering will look at my unit. I'll let you know what's the outcome.
What proof do we have the the original China-tubes have less quality than the Russian tubes? I’d be interested if anyone reading this can prove it. Do they just last longer?
The differences are well known for guys who repair and maintain guitar amps.
@@RitchieCaron the differences are functionally pretty tiny, what you are looking at is higher bandwidth theoretically, but at ultrasonic levels, and maybe if you are lucky and get a tube that does better gain than its cousins slightly more headroom, but overall a tube is a tube, it'll function like one, the only real issue i've ever had with those chinese tubes is they are microharmonic when the unit is tapped, but i've had russian and NOS tubes do that too
hey, I just swaped the tubes in my VLA with a pair of new EH 12AT7 and level matched it, but soon after I noticed when I was using it that the Channe One is compressing more than Channel Two at the same input threshold like 2db of gain reduction more, in dual and in stereo mode. I would love to hear your opinion on this, can it be beacuse of the new tubes?! please and thank you, George.
Hey George, you used match pairs right? I did not experience this, did you try to adjust one up and one down to see if the trim was feeding into it much hotter than the other? hope you found a solution/cause
he fucked your unit, he gave advice without knowing what it did, those trim pots affect the vactrol output not the output trim, basically you adjusted how hard the compressor compresses at a given setting and made it more or less linear afaik
@@searchiemusic interesting, i did fucked with it and now i have a matched level and compression on both channels, is there a way to measure more accurate this stuff?! Thanks
@@graphenemusic5922 admittedly i don't work for ART, if it works and sounds good power to you man glad you fixed it yourself, but for "in spec" settings, i'd assume you'd need the service manual, or a list of the voltages and test points. that's more the kind of thing you sit the unit down with a separate, benchtop signal generator with specific voltages and a multimeter, etc, theoretically if you have a multimeter you could balance the two voltages to make sure they compress evenly, might have to dig around for a test point, but at the end of the day if it sounds good and hasn't been treating your audio weird i wouldn't worry about it being scientifically accurate
@@searchiemusic some things are just simpler. This way seemed scientifically straight forward for the consumer. Not everyone has a signal generator, an oscilloscope, or voltage meter on hand.
Can i use 12ax7 tubes in it
I do and it works absolutely fine, not much difference from the 12at7 imo, maybe less headroom into the next transistor or something but I haven't noticed anything in about a year, was using NOS RCA 12at7's and now im using two telefunken 12ax7's, honestly really didn't change the sound as much as i had hoped it might
where's the before/after???
+Gianluca Di Stefano will be coming soon, with building a new desk and getting a new interface nothing was wired up until a week ago. - Stay tuned!
@@ClaritoneAudio great. I was looking for it too. thanks a lot.
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