The Most Authentic LA-3A Recreation, Now In Dual Rackmount Format
The DA-3A builds on the success of the AudioScape V3A, the first product on the market to successfully and authentically recreate the iconic LA-3A circuit in the compact 500-series format. They've brought the same 1:1 circuit recreation - complete with NOS metal can transistors, period-correct carbon film resistors, and precise replicas of the original 1960s and 70s-spec transformers - to the 19” rack format, skipping the “half-rack” form factor of the original and instead housing two units in a single 2U enclosure.
As parts-obsessed builders with their roots in the DIY community, AudioScape went to the greatest lengths they could to ensure this was the most accurate and authentic LA-3A recreation available, sourcing NOS components wherever possible and refining their replica transformers until they were indistinguishable from the originals. It’s not for no reason that they've had many customers tell them they sold off their Urei or Teletronix-badged originals shortly after picking up a DA-3A or V3A - and they’d be silly not to, considering the resale prices for those vintage units!
Recreating the Iconic LA-3A Compressor: The All-Important T4B Cell
The Urei LA-3A, like its tube-based predecessor the Teletronix LA-2A, utilized a T4B opto-attenuator for gain reduction. This is by far the most important thing to get right when recreating these legendary opto designs. Like the AudioScape Opto Comp, the DA-3A (and V3A) use their proprietary made-in-house T4B cells, built to the exact spec as Teletronix originals - simply because no other alternative on the market is manufactured this way. To AudioScape, it’s a no-brainer that if users want the sound of the original, the company should build it like the original however they can. Especially the opto cell in an optical compressor!
AudioScape meticulously tests and sorts every T4B cell they make, since the electroluminescent panels naturally vary in response and performance. They've found that the faster cells more closely nail the behavior of the late 60s-1970s T4Bs, as found in original LA-3A units, so they use these in their DA-3A and V3A compressors and reserve the slower cells for their LA-2A-style Opto Comp.
The B11148 Output Transformer: As Made Famous By The 1176 Rev F
Because the LA-3A was produced under the same roof as the classic Urei 1176 - Teletronix having been acquired by Urei two years prior - the new design shared some characteristics with those units. Chief among these is the distinctive Bournes B11148 output transformer, responsible for the bright, crunchy makeup gain that would later become associated with the 1176 Rev F.
As with other AudioScape products, their DA-3A uses proprietary, custom-wound replicas of the original input/output transformers and auto-former, designed to perfectly replicate late 60’s-early 70’s spec. Their B11148 replica (also used in their 76F!) is a huge part of why these units nail the famous “mid-push” of the original. Off-the-shelf replacements just don’t cut it, and AudioScape took great pains in ensuring this transformer imparted the same magic to guitars and vocals as the originals.
Authentic LA-3A Sound, With Modern Updates & Upgrades
While AudioScape are sticklers for authenticity and vintage-style construction when it comes to tone, they also want these units to be easy to use in a modern studio! They've made a few ergonomic changes to the DA-3A - namely, moving previously rear-mounted switches and controls to the front panel. These include the stereo “Link” control plus “Limit/Compress” mode switching, a “Stereo Adjust” pot (used to balance both circuits’ gain reduction when linked) and the HF contour pot. This last control acts as a band-pass filter in the sidechain, making the DA-3A more responsive to high and high-mid frequencies the more it is turned.
The “Clearmountain” / Ed Evans Mod, Included Stock
As a final upgrade to this classic circuit design, AudioScape has included as standard a simple mod that raises the internal gain structure. Originally attributed to master mixer Bob Clearmountain but Ed Evans was the chief tech at Power Station who came up with the mod, this now-standard mod reduces the DA-3A’s already low noise floor even further, without otherwise impacting the unit’s sound or behavior.
