hello Today I purchased ART PRO VLA2 and MPA2. When I took them out of the box, the VUmeter looks like this, unequal left and right. Both at VLA and at MPA. Regardless of whether they are on or off. I tried to adjust the small Meter Trim screw from the front panel, but nothing changes. Is it something with the vomit? or can something be done from the inside? So again I risk losing the warranty.... If anyone knows anything, thank you.
Hello! Is the VLA II an active or passive hardware? For example, if I connect it in a chain with a MPA 2A, but I want the audio signal to pass not through both simultaneously, but through each one separately, while one of them is turned off with PowerOff?
Great unit! I'm thinking of buying one in the next few days... I've read a lot about this piece of gear and apparently the stereo image tightens up a bit because there is bleed from one channel to the other.
Theres two little small screw pots close to each tube, what you want to do is send a signal (test tone) through each channel and monitor the level it is sending out whilst you adjust those pots so the l/r is the same in stereo. Also check in dual mono as i also noticed each channel was different when in this mode so I set them as close as possible in both stereo/dual.
@@johnnyposhYeah, I tried to do that both in stereo link and dual mono, and each mode is different even in same know position no matter how I balance each side with the trim potentiometers. I work at TV and got my unit to our guys in audio engineering to test the tubes and they were old, so they gave me new ones in 100% shape and there is still imbalance no matter how I tweak the damn thing inside. Also, the balance is out when under compression and out of it. It's actually impossible to calibrate this damn thing. I will have to take it to an electrical engineer to take a look at it, because I just cannot trust a thing that has difference in L/R for any serious application.
So myne was also out a hair also. Dosent help the indentation for the stereo balance is not perfectly centered, so to overcome this i set myne to one click left (of what visually looks like center) in stereo is center, then one click right in dual mono on channel two means its same output as channel one. I would be curious if theirs a better way to stereo link the unit as you said its impossible to make it correct hehe. This is what you get for the pricepoint its at, 99% of its use for me is in mixdowns and yet to encounter any serious issues come the masters.
Cool video. Thanks... Honestly I've got some plugins that do part of the analog thing well enough... But it just doesn't quite capture that 3D thing from actually physically going through transistors and transformers and capacitors and stuff.... So I'm planning on picking up one of these both for some tracking and mostly for mixed bus... As well as some other duties like virtual instruments.... There's just something about analog It's subtle but it's really organic. Even without running any compression
Hey man amazing review, been looking at this lately mainly for some analog sounding mix bus depth and glue. This video confirms that it has what I was looking for . What else do you use in your mastering chain? any other analog gear you use? Peace!
Defs a great compressor for depth, it does alter the stereo slightly but highly recommend the vla! These days i mostly use an xpressor and warm audio bus for analog mastering just adding a touch of upward compression and then nice color.
@@johnnyposh interesting. So you prefer the Warm audio bus over the VLA? for rap / hip hop music would this be the case also? Thank you for responding 🙏
Both different tools with different purposes really, the vla is nice for the slow attack and soft knee and just ultra transparent where as the warm is good for the quicker attacks and the color. Two completely different tones out of the two and both could be quite good for rap/hip hop especially with different tubes in the vla, really depends what your looking to achieve.
hello Today I purchased ART PRO VLA2 and MPA2. When I took them out of the box, the VUmeter looks like this, unequal left and right. Both at VLA and at MPA. Regardless of whether they are on or off. I tried to adjust the small Meter Trim screw from the front panel, but nothing changes. Is it something with the vomit? or can something be done from the inside? So again I risk losing the warranty.... If anyone knows anything, thank you.
Hello! Is the VLA II an active or passive hardware? For example, if I connect it in a chain with a MPA 2A, but I want the audio signal to pass not through both simultaneously, but through each one separately, while one of them is turned off with PowerOff?
Great unit! I'm thinking of buying one in the next few days... I've read a lot about this piece of gear and apparently the stereo image tightens up a bit because there is bleed from one channel to the other.
For the price point it is a good piece of gear, keep in mind you get what you pay for, but with a few mods can turn it into a solid piece of gear!
@@johnnyposh Good to know! What are those mods btw?
I went with jensen transformer mod and upgraded tubes.
Hello, how did you calibrate left/right channels when you switched the tubes?
Theres two little small screw pots close to each tube, what you want to do is send a signal (test tone) through each channel and monitor the level it is sending out whilst you adjust those pots so the l/r is the same in stereo. Also check in dual mono as i also noticed each channel was different when in this mode so I set them as close as possible in both stereo/dual.
@@johnnyposhYeah, I tried to do that both in stereo link and dual mono, and each mode is different even in same know position no matter how I balance each side with the trim potentiometers. I work at TV and got my unit to our guys in audio engineering to test the tubes and they were old, so they gave me new ones in 100% shape and there is still imbalance no matter how I tweak the damn thing inside. Also, the balance is out when under compression and out of it. It's actually impossible to calibrate this damn thing. I will have to take it to an electrical engineer to take a look at it, because I just cannot trust a thing that has difference in L/R for any serious application.
So myne was also out a hair also. Dosent help the indentation for the stereo balance is not perfectly centered, so to overcome this i set myne to one click left (of what visually looks like center) in stereo is center, then one click right in dual mono on channel two means its same output as channel one. I would be curious if theirs a better way to stereo link the unit as you said its impossible to make it correct hehe. This is what you get for the pricepoint its at, 99% of its use for me is in mixdowns and yet to encounter any serious issues come the masters.
Awesome explanation thank you!
Cool video. Thanks... Honestly I've got some plugins that do part of the analog thing well enough... But it just doesn't quite capture that 3D thing from actually physically going through transistors and transformers and capacitors and stuff.... So I'm planning on picking up one of these both for some tracking and mostly for mixed bus... As well as some other duties like virtual instruments.... There's just something about analog It's subtle but it's really organic. Even without running any compression
Great piece to start with, dosent break the bank and sounds really good! Enjoy the analog journey!
How can the tube affect the attack, if the tube is on the output stage?
I think it relates to change in tone and the amount of voltage coming out with different tubes
Hey man amazing review, been looking at this lately mainly for some analog sounding mix bus depth and glue. This video confirms that it has what I was looking for . What else do you use in your mastering chain? any other analog gear you use? Peace!
Defs a great compressor for depth, it does alter the stereo slightly but highly recommend the vla! These days i mostly use an xpressor and warm audio bus for analog mastering just adding a touch of upward compression and then nice color.
@@johnnyposh interesting. So you prefer the Warm audio bus over the VLA? for rap / hip hop music would this be the case also? Thank you for responding 🙏
Both different tools with different purposes really, the vla is nice for the slow attack and soft knee and just ultra transparent where as the warm is good for the quicker attacks and the color. Two completely different tones out of the two and both could be quite good for rap/hip hop especially with different tubes in the vla, really depends what your looking to achieve.
@@johnnyposh appreciate it 🙏
Question is where to get jensen transformers for decent price .?
Very hard these days, i lucked out and did the mod pre covid.
Cool!
Saw lots of great reviews for this.
Can I use this with EQ and BBE 882i sonic maximizer-- just for home karaoke?
I am anal about vocal sound quality
Might be better off with an art pro mpa
Art sounds great till your ear hears beyond it.
he said cream soda