WTB: original Universal Audio LA 610

[Matt_Gio]

anyone got one thats NOT the Mkii they want to offload?

thanks
M

[gigpiglet]

ha!
ive asked the same a few times
the 1 is so much better right?


hope you find one

[rob]

right!

[mylesgm]

Not knowing about the difference of the mk1 vs mk2 I bought a LA610 mk2 version. Couldn't for the life of me find out why people liked it so I sold it at the first opportunity. I think I sold it to someone who was as much in the dark about the difference as I was because he said he'd used one at another studio and couldn't live without it. Makes me feel a little queasy that I passed on a unit (through ignorance) that he almost certainly didn't appreciate either! Also makes me wonder what I missed out on...

[Wiz]

Difference between the two?


Is it in the preamp? Compressor? Both?

[mylesgm]

no idea about the differences but I really didn't like the compressor at all unless is was almost fuzzing out on bass. Had a tiny sweet spot otherwise it was either nothing happening or everything happening (or at least that's how it sounded to me). Also just using it as a preamp was uninspiring but maybe that was because I was already disappointed in the comp.

[gigpiglet]

technically i dont know the difference... maybe rob can answer
but ALL of the 1 series ive used have been lovely.
they are a bit of "character" not just plug and play, you do need to find the "spot" with them
and they can distort a bit unpredictably if used in the wrong situation.
but all the the 2 series i have used have just been average.
very flat, none of the "character" that they should have
and distort much more easily.

having said that, im talking of my in the field experience of under 5 of each units
and have no idea of the tech in them

i do know that they are all a bit noisy
but when (care of rick) i changed the tubes in mine, it is now nice and quiet.
so everybody wins!

[Wiz]

I do remember people having gain staging issues, on I think the first one... and were dumping them left right and center at the time, but that, IIRC, was because they were driving them wrong (Pilot error)


hmmm, might do some digging... got nothing better to do at the moment 8)

[graemeh]

+1

I've got both - the early model I use all the time, the Mk11 sits forlorn. The gain structure and the sound were so different that in the end I just couldn't bother with the 11...maybe there's a mod, Rob?

[Wiz]

+1

I've got both - the early model I use all the time, the Mk11 sits forlorn. The gain structure and the sound were so different that in the end I just couldn't bother with the 11...maybe there's a mod, Rob?

did you try running a test tone into each? that would be interesting.. say send out a -18dBfs tone, and see what the difference is in the units, at where they start compressing as you reduce the threshold on each...

[Wiz]

http://www.foxaudioresearch.ca/LA610.htm


from the above article



Operational Note for the Stock LA-610
Since the VU meter on the LA 610 is calibrated such that 0VU = +4dBu and as we see in the graphs the LA-610 hits 1% distortion at +15dBu, when you load it with 1.5K ohms...

There is barely 11dB of headroom above 0 Vu !!

Keep the meter below 0VU as much as possible when using "stock" (un-modified) LA-610 MK II


thats what I was remembering.... other interesting stuff in there... give it a crack with the units side by side... maybe it will clean up and do what you like...?

or.. send em both to me, I will do it.. 8)

[rob]

fundamentally the MkII is made using "modern" construction techniques and parts. Lot of surface mount components, lots of switch mode power supplies to deliver the various supply voltages. All this makes manufacturing much cheaper, but servicing much harder.
Then there are significant design changes many of the tubes have been changed to a different type, they went from the tube set originally used in the LA2, to tubes that are currently manufactured so they wouldn't be relying on diminishing NOS tubes. A sensible decision by a manufacturer but they can't claim that the MkI and MkII are the same.
Both units suffer from a lack of headroom.

[HA_DA_JA]

Another Ex-LA-610 user.
I had the MK1 version because it used an extra Tube in one of the stages. It was more keeping to the original heirtage of the original design.
Many people like them, many people hate them. I thought there was better out there for the money and it did not take long for me to realise that this was not going to be a good fit for my needs.
Apparently the person I sold it to loves it and always uses it on Electric Guitars.
Cheers
Dale

[arolland94]

I'd be willing to sell mine,

its a MK1 and it's number 612, so a early model

PM me with offers if anyone is interested..

[Matt_Gio]

pm'd.

[graemeh]

Sorry for the tardy reply - been away renovating my bathroom well, ripping it to bits really!

When I get a clear hour or two I'll run some tones and check them both out Peter - thanks for that info. Mark 11's not even racked up at the moment. If I can get them to sound a bit more alike i'd use it!

And thanks Rob, it's a bugger, that. Seems we always go one step forwards two steps back...

[rick]

I tested them when they first came out way back in time and they looked so good I really wanted one
I played with it for a month on a a couple of records I was doing
and dispite any pre listening judgement I made on the way they look
I have no idea why anybody likes them other then they own them and one can find a use for anything they own
apparently ..

Hell I have a fork lift and a 3 phase surface grinder and an 480 kg overhead router
.. doesn't mean I recommend we all get one or I use them much

[Drumstruck]

a forklift? Hell yes - great fun and you learn to drive backwards really well - spent 7 years on one ......

[wez]

I had the original for a while.. the preamp was pretty good, the DI was good on bass. but the compressor was almost unusable... it actually sounded ok but as mentioned above, it was so damn finicky to set up, and the sweet spot so small that it was just a waste of time. I actually bought it for a client to use which made it even worse - he really needed an idiot-proof design, and this definitely wasn't the right choice.

oh and it was a bit noisy too.

no one has time to be finding the magic setting on a device like this unfortunately... if it's not easy to pull a good sound, it just doesn't keep it's place in the studio. I must say it put me off UA gear for a while.

[Damien]

i have a mk1.. i still love it. (i currently have 2 x Byer 66's and 2 x 77's.....) one of each will be up for sale soon....

[no-fi]

I have a mk1. I really like it for electronic music (where the compressor and level settings are going to be less critical because you can control all that in the synth anyway!) it does very cool things to my 808. Though I can't help but wonder if it's overkill and I could get a similar result from something a lot smaller and simpler..