New Music Gear Monday: Heritage Audio Tubesessor Hardware Compressor
For many mixers, the legendary Teletronix LA-2A is still at the top of the list when it comes to vocal compressors, regardless of the vintage. The original unit does have some limitations however, thanks to its 1962 design. Many of these were addressed by the Tubetech CL 1B in 1991, a unit that was soon embraced by mixing engineers everywhere. It’s still possible to improve upon a good thing though, and that’s what the new Tubesessor from Heritage Audio attempts to do.
The Tubesessor stays true to the CL 1B in that it updates the LA-2A with Ratio, Attack, and Release controls as well as a sidechain input. The unit can be used with program-dependent dynamics like the original LA-2A, switched to manual so you can dial in your own attack and release settings, or a combination of the two for the best of both worlds.
Asked For Features
There are two much asked for features that have been added to Tubesessor though. The biggest one is that there are four different tube modes to choose from. This allows for different levels of saturation to the signal. The settings available are Classic, Mild, Medium, and Hot.
The second new feature is that the sidechain function has been expanded. There are five selectable sidechain filters, including an 80 or 160Hz rolloff, a bump at 1k or 3kHz, or a 5kHz shelf. You’re also able to link two units together for a stereo pair via the link jack on the rear, and the two tubes that are used are easily accessible.
Just like both of its predecessors, Tubesessor a large custom VU meter for monitoring either Input, Output or Gain Reduction as needed.
Probably what’s best about the unit is that its priced at a reasonable $2,499, so it’s less expensive than even a brand new CL 1B.
You can find out more here, or watch the short video below.
