Studio Magic on Your Pedalboard: The Effectrode LA-1A Limiter

If you’ve read my blogs before, you will undoubtedly have seen my adoration for Effectrode pedals. There is a sea of pedals out there these days. Some are awful, many are mediocre, some are good, and few are spectacular. If you’re not doing a lot of research before you buy, you may spend a lot of money trying pedals and sending them back or selling them. Which is the way I learned before the internet was all the rage.

Except nowadays there are way more pedal makers than before the internet. These days, I can quickly tell what a stinker is. But I’ve spent years testing pedals. Now, it is essential to note that tone is subjective, and I’m not the sole authority.

My benchmark for a pedal to get listed as spectacular is that my tone should sound better when the pedal is on, and despite not needing whatever effect the pedal creates, I should not want to turn it off. It’s vague, but you know when you play through a special pedal. Your sound is just a bit better when it’s on. This doesn’t mean I never turn the pedal off, of course.

A pedal that adds nothing to my sound is usually dissatisfactory to my ears. A prime example is with Tremolo pedals. Ah, there are so few that get it right. It’s not just about using an LFO to modulate the volume!

Coincidentally, I feel the same way about compressors. Many sound flat and seem to worsen your tone, as if dynamic control has to come with tone suppression. Anyone who has used high-end studio compressors knows that a great compressor elevates your sound, and engineers often use compression to enhance a sound. Such is the case with a rack mount 1176, LA-2A, Tubetech CL-1b, and a Fairchild.

It is rare to find this in pedal form. I have written about the Effectrode PC-2A, which accomplishes this feat, and the Analog Man CompRosser.

The Effectrode LA-1A is similar to the PC-2A circuit but gives us more options. For one, we have an adjustable attack time, which is an option not found on Teletronix LA-2A compressors, which are the basis of the PC-2A and LA-1A.

The LA-1A uses a photo-resistive attenuator for its compression, which is the same basic principle as the legendary LA-2A. This gives you that smooth, musical compression that doesn’t clamp down on your playing or dull your highs. Instead, it adds a subtle “glue” and sustain that feels right under your fingers.

The Tube Tech CL-1b gives us a LA-2A-like tone with an adjustable attack. But that’s not only a studio rack compressor, but it’s also two rack spaces high. You’re not putting that on your pedalboard!

Phil from Effectrode saw the need for more adjustments for a tube compressor in pedal form for those who need more control. I will note that the LA-1A does not replace the PC-2A. It simply offers more options. Sometimes, the simpler PC-2A is the best choice for me. Other times, the LA-1A is the best choice.

Let’s talk about the options available on the Effectrtode LA-1A.

Peak Reduction: Sets the threshold or ceiling. When the LA-1A starts to compress or limit.

Attack: Adjustable attack time with its fastest setting at 1 millisecond, much faster than a traditional LA-2A circuit with the fastest attack time of 10 milliseconds. This makes the LA-1A more suitable for hard limiting.

Knee: The knee knob adjusts the curve of the transition into compression, from a smooth transition to a hard transition. The higher the knee knob, the more aggressive the compressor sets in. For hard limiting, turning the knee knob up gives the best results.

Gain: The gain knob acts like a makeup gain, allowing you to raise your signal back up after compression or limiting. Heavy compression or limiting can result in a drop in volume. The gain knob corrects the volume loss. The gain knob can add up to 15dB of gain.

Remember, however, that the Effectrode LA-1A is a tube device. So, cranking up the gain knob does alter the tone in a flattering manner.

Boost: The boost knob adjusts the volume increase when the boost footswitch is pressed. You can add up to 6dB of clean gain to boost your signal to a guitar amp.

As mentioned with the Gain knob, I find the tone changes when the boost function is engaged in a flattering way. The tone becomes thicker when the boost is engaged. Sometimes I engage the boost option with minimal added volume to augment the tone. I always compare and test the boost on and off when dialing in sounds in the studio.

Live, the boost option is a welcome tool for raising your volume for solos or pushing your amps harder for solos.

Dynamic EQ: The back of the Effectrode LA-1A has a switch that activates Dynamic EQ. Dynamic EQ boosts high frequencies as the compression increases. A common side effect of compressors is that as the compression increases, you lose sparkle. This is particularly true with Rickenbacker 12 strings, which love compression but thrive on chime.

You won’t find the Dynamic EQ option often. One exists in the Analog Man CompROSSer pedal, which was designed with the Rickenbacker in mind. The Analog Man is legit and sounds fantastic; it’s just a different sound from the Effectrode LA-1A. This is why I have both.

Balanced output: The LA-1a can adjust the input level and has a balanced 600 Ω output. This means that the LA-1A isn’t just a pedal for the guitar. You can run a synth through it or use it as outboard gear in a recording setup. I have used mine on many sessions as an additional compressor, even when a Teletronix LA-2A is available. The fact that it’s a tube and has a fast attack time makes it a handy tool.

Like all Effectrode pedals, the LA-1A runs at plate voltage and requires a special 12V power adapter or can be used with the Effectrode Atomic power supply. Thankfully, Effectrode supplies a power adapter, which I wish all companies would do. Some of my favorite pedals operate at higher voltages. They tend to sound more open, with more dynamics running at 12V or 18V. But no company ships a suitable power supply with pedals, which I find frustrating.

I appreciate that Effectrode is setting you up to make sound with their products immediately. I don't need a power supply if you make a pedal with a traditional 9V center negative jack. Please give me a power supply if anything outside of 9V center negative exists!

Sweetener

The Effectrode LA-1A has that special tone-enhancing quality. I use it constantly, even if I’m running a signal through it for color and almost no compression. The LA-1A does wonders with synths!

I can still hear a difference between plugins and outboard processing. Outboard processing still sounds more rounded and three-dimensional to my ears. The LA-1A is a great companion to a UA Apollo, adding dimension to your recordings. I always place an outboard compressor before my Apollo. I also often use a dedicated mic preamp, such as an API 321.

I wish Effectrode had made a mic preamp pedal—oh, a mic preamp pedal with EQ. That would be an excellent outboard pairing with the LA-1A! I’m still holding out on an Effectrode Echorec. I can dream…

In the studio, I use the LA-1A on many instruments, including drums, vocals, organ, and bass…And I don’t have to use a reamp box to negotiate the signal.

With the electric guitar, the LA-1A can add weight to my sound, give me vintage compression like on old records for rhythm and arpeggiated parts (think 1950s and 60s guitar sounds on records), give me sustain for leads, and squeeze my signal for a snappy tone for funk or country.

You can use compression/limiting with guitar and other instruments in many ways! Too often, people only know a compressor as a tool to squish their signal and miss the plethora of tones available with more nuanced settings.

I have even used the Effectrode LA-1A after a Strymon El Capistan to emulate the tube preamp section of a real tube tape echo with almost zero compression. In this scenario, I’m mainly using the LA-1A for its tube color and some boost. I will tell you it makes a big difference, though!

Although some pedals, such as the Strymon El Capistan, have done a great job emulating the behavior and sound of a tape echo, there is an element about the preamps that I’m not sure technology can capture yet. Pairing the LA-1A and the El Capistan is a wonderful combination that fills that gap.

Bouncer

A limiter can be a handy tool when you like to “play” the feedback knobs on delays. On some pedals, such as tape delays, the feedback repeats can run away from you and quickly become very loud. In these situations, I find it best to place a limiter after all of my effects to prevent any sudden bursts of volume. This way, I can get the saturation of the cranked feedback on a tape-style delay without the volume bursts.

Leveler

Acoustic guitar in a live setting is challenging. Often, the tone is subpar, and the dynamics are extreme. Using a compressor with an acoustic guitar live can help get more sustain from the acoustic, reduce spiky transients, and warm up the tone. The LA-1A is my favorite compressor for this job. It ticks all the boxes and helps make the sound of an acoustic onstage more tolerable.

Noise

The Effectrode LA-1A is a very quiet compressor, even when cranked. Using compressors at high compression settings with a guitar can be tricky, given the noise pollution today. I have also found that most pedal compressors are not as quiet as studio rack compressors. But the LA-1A is nice and calm and doesn’t add any noise.

Note: It doesn’t take noise away. So, if you’re feeding it a noisy signal or are in a loud environment, it won’t solve any problems. But it doesn’t add much to the problem. There have been gigs where I couldn’t even kick on other compressors due to the noise floor. A lot of thoughtfulness was put into the LA-1A.

Tone

With pedals, I know the effect each pedal I own creates and the tone or color it adds. I don’t just choose a chorus because I need one; I evaluate how each chorus pedal will affect my tone.

You will notice that I’m not using the term transparent. I’m not a fan of that term or philosophy. Almost everything changes your tone to some degree. The idea of something being completely transparent is overstated. I advise you to find gear that sounds great and don’t worry about the rest.

I have not tried one Effectrode pedal that hasn’t elevated my tone.

The only detail I will tell you about Effectrode pedals is the bypass switch. It’s a silent switch, but not instant. There is a transition between turning the pedal on and off via bypassing. However, there is no transition time when engaging the boost option.

This makes the LA-1A not ideal for quick changes. It’s more of a leave it on for a song instead of turning on and off multiple times in a song. It’s hard to turn off an Effectrode pedal because your tone sounds better with it in your chain. So, I use Effectrode pedals as a sound world rather than a temporary effect. I live in the sound for a song.

This is not an issue for many players, but those of you who turn pedals on and off frequently in songs should be aware.

If you are into true bypass pedal switching systems, you can put Effectrode pedals into a loop and make fast changes. But be warned: You’ll be sorry when you bypass an Effectrode pedal.

One thing is for sure: the Effectrode LA-1A is a pedal for musicians who are serious about compression!