I just picked up one of these after reading great reviews and got it racked up last night. Everything is working great and I'm pretty impressed for the money I spent but I'm having a problem when using it on a stereo signal and using it in stereo link mode. I know that in this mode the CH1 output becomes the master output and the CH2 output becomes the balance between the two channel's outputs. From reading the manual and using common sense I expected that having the CH2 output at 12 o'clock would make the output of both channels equal but on my unit it ends up being more like 9-10 o'clock to get an equal balance from the channels. Its not that big of a deal but if my unit is defective I obviously would like to return it. Is this normal, am I doing something wrong, is it defective?

I am outputting from Logic 9 using the I/O Utility plugin and routing out of and back into my Ensemble. The input each channel of the VLA is receiving looks to be equal on the VCA's. I even tried creating a brand new project and just imported a stereo track from my iTunes library and the problem persisted.

Pull the knob off and reset it to the next position.heh

I have a VLA2 as well and those things seem to have some things that I would call "bugs" but I guess that they are "features".
1. Getting the unit to operate in stereo mode is very quirky due to the balance behaviour. I have the same usability problems like you.
2. The lights of the input and bypass knobs bleed into each other, so it's a bit hard to see which one's lit.
3. The holes (left side only) for the rack screws were to small for my standard rack screws (that fit perfectly in 20 other units, BTW).
But the sound is very OK, if you're into slow compressors.

cool, its really not a big deal but i just wanted affirmation from another owner that its "normal" and that my unit is not defective. thanks.

This is what I did. It's closer but still not 12. No biggy.


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i'm having the same problem. i have to lean towards channel 2 with 3 clicks on the balance knob, and it still isnt perfect. also seems to vary a lot on the material passing through. its annoying but not really an audible problem thus far. putting in some new tubes (mullards UK) next week and wondering if that will effect anything. i am wondering if the gain staging for the channels is unstable because of poorly matched tubes

I doubt it. I have matched Mullards in mine and have the same thing. Two clicks left to get it balanced.

I got the same, most knobs are kinda off, I guess thats what you get with cheaper units, naturally. Not a big deal though.

If you are willing to look around the inside of your unit, I believe your individual channels have trimmer resistors to adjust their output levels.

If you put the unit in stereo linked mode and run something like a sine wave through both channels of equal amplitude you can then adjust the levels of each channel appropriately so that they have a better matched stereo image.

Let me know how this works out for you, otherwise I can ask Jim since he does the work on the guts of the Pro Vla I and II when they are in the shop.

Peace
Illumination

Interesting...I'm 203 click to the right.

I havn't put in my mullards yet (being shipped by BOWIE on Monday)....

They are the Mullard British Military issue 12AT7s (not to be confused with the cheezy "re-issue") - I also paid extra for an ultra low noise matched pair.

Did you notice an audible improvement with the mullards? I read they bring some "air" to the mix (I'm using this on the master bus) which is great, but cleaning up the bottom end (in particular my kick drum with a fundamental around 70-80hz) is of a bigger concern, even though it's a very, very small audible problem. Most couldn't even tell but I can hear VERY slight muddying when I have my AKG 701's at full volume. Just wondering your opinions on the Mullards in this unit.!

Similarly, I have another issue with my Pro VLA II... If using it in dual mono to track a stereo source like an acoustic guitar with matched mics and mic pres I find that the threshold knob on each channel needs to be set several clicks differently for each.


Kind of quirky but bothersome for someone obsessed with symmetry!

jn

Same here. I have to turn a couple of clicks to the right to get it balanced.

Yeah, I find the same thing with mine.

I've just given up looking at the knob positions and I do it by ear. After I started doing that, it stopped bothering me. I went through a few of these with some quality issues. When it's stereo linked (which I'm not so fond of... blurry stereo image) this unit doesn't have any issues with the balance knob but two of my previous ones did.

It's a $200 compressor and it is what it is.

Honestly, after all the comparisons I did with my pre, I didn't even plug it in until the tubes were changed. I do like the sound of it.

do you have the original or the II model? I ask because I think the stereo image on the VLA PRO II is fine.

I have the II. This was a commonality I noticed in every unit. It's not as if the signal is being converted to mono or anything but it just seems to blur it somewhat. I find it quite noticeable. I really like it as a mono compressor though.

I did some audio tests and it seems that the balance problem is just an aesthetic thing. Volume levels were equal on a few different sources (full mixes with the VLA handling master duty) even though the VU meters indicated otherwise (Almost 3 dB's louder on channel #1)

I'm sorry but could you please post some clips of the VLA in mastering duty? I can't imagine mine doing that what so ever. I can't even tolerate it on the mix bus.

Sure. I'm at work right now. It's just dance music. Simple 3:1 ratio with about 4-6 GR, attack set to as fast as it goes and the release anywhere from 0.3 to 0.7

If I'm doing a more electro track I'll usually bump up the compression to as high as 10:1. I know that is nuts but it is what popular electro has become these days. Very tight, very loud, very even sound.

Good stuff. Looking forward to hearing it.

Friends, what other unit(s) would you compare this compressor with, sonically?
I don't mean neat picking though, someone above said "if you are into slow compressors...", so, this much is established.

I have got a pair or "over easy" DBX163s already, so I am looking to add something different. Thanks

Thank you for this tip! I had to pull mine out of the rack the other day anyway so decided to try this and it worked like a champ. On mine channel 2 was WAY hotter then channel 1 and now they match in stereo linked mode and mono mode. I even tested the theory before I started in mono mode and one did require more on the output control to get the same levels. I don't have to touch the balance control at all now and it doesn't seem to narrow the image at all anymore.

Also, at least with a recent version II that I have you can't just move the knob so it's centered because it uses those pots with the half-circle shafts to the knobs only go on one way.

Glad I could be of service.

I use my modded VLA (version I) on mastering and it works like a charm!

Peace
Illumination

Old thread.. But Illacov you are the man... I have this issue and will try your tip tomorrow!

Zz.

Yep, I'll second that, thanks for the heads up Illacov.
Just bought a unit (Pro VLA 2) and it has the self same problem.
The thing that is even more worrying is that the VLA meter Out level shows it to be balanced but anything I feed it results in a seriously lop sided output.
Swapped the L & R inputs and the outputs are still lop sided in the same way (too hot on the left regardless). Even tried swapping patch cables and it stays the same.
The only time it changed was when I swapped the output cables, but all that did was send the hot output of the VLA to the other input. As you'd expect if the VLA was the fault in the chain.
All tested with a constant test tone.
I've just ordered a pair of matched military spec NOS Mullards so I'll tackle the trim pots when I swap them out.

Thanks illacov!

I had the same problem with my VLA II and setting the trimmer inside the compressor helped to balance the outputs.

Unfortunately, I have another problem - when I turn the stereo link on, the volume output drops by 3db.
I am not sure if this is normal. Probably not.

I have similar problem, but if I adjust the balance to fix the difference and later increase the compress ratio, the output seems to be affected again.

Looks like PRO VLA channel 1 is always perceiving a louder signal even if I feed a mono track to the stereo bus.

When I turn the box on with nothing plugged in channel 1 needle always displays 2dB more instantly. When I turn it off both needles rest equally to the left.

Maybe return and try to get new one?

yep - same issue with my VLA II unit...
I also have PRO MPA II which now only functions on the Z line inputs

i'm done with ART


(Whenever a company decides to screenprint "PRO" or "Professional" onto a product...you should interpret that as "aspirational")

“PRO” could indicate that they started to print “prone to failure”.

Yep I award say if it says “Pro” on it you can be it isn’t.

However I have a couple of these units and they sound great for certain purposes, especially with some good nos tubes.