ART Pro VLA II

This item runs exclusively on an operating voltage of 230 V and therefore requires a voltage transformer to run in your country of United States.

2-Channel tube opto-compressor

Adjustable threshold
Ratio and Attack
+ 4dBu/-10 dBu mode switchable
Backlit VU meter
LED meter for peak hold
Balanced XLR and 6.3 mm inputs and outputs
Design: 19", 2U

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

3-Year Thomann Warranty

Available since December 2005
Item number 188550
Sales Unit 1 piece(s)
Compressor Yes
Gate No
Peak Limiter No
2-Channel Unit Yes
Attack/Release Adjustable Yes

$569

The shipping costs are calculated on the checkout page.

102

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in Compressors, Gates and De-essers

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95 Customer ratings

5 50 Customers 4 34 Customers 3 9 Customers 2 1 Customer 1 1 Customer

4.4 / 5

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Excellent all-around tube compressor

Th_Sch 02.08.2017

The ART Pro VLA II was my first piece of analog gear and I've been using it for pretty much everything: drums, vocals, bass, synths and even for catching some peaks on the master channel. It won't add any 'mojo' to your sound, but it's a great unit for those of you who are just getting into the world of hardware and want to learn about compression.
The building quality is very robust, the knobs comfortable to work with. It doesn't feel cheap at all.
It's not the most transparent compressor out there, but if you're looking for an affordable all-around unit that can add a little 'tube sound' and color, the ART Pro VLA II is the way to go.

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versatile and useful opto compressor

Johann Schmidt 04.02.2023

Works for me pretty well on sustained material, such as vocals, guitar, synth pads. I have upgraded the tubes (they are not in the signal path, but influence the way the compressor reacts) which led to more headroom before audible distortion happens. 2-bus or busy material are not its strength, but for single instrument compression it is very versatile and tweakable due to all the controls and meters. My unit came with a small error (panorama off centre). Sending it in for repair didn't help. All they did was glue all the components inside with some rubber/foam stuff and basically rendering this unit irreparable from any future faults. The pan is the same as before. Very bad support thus from ART. Anyway, I do like the compressor itself for its price tag and slightly coloured sound. I think it is a tad noisy occasionally but nothing to be worried about. Just do your gain staging right. As it's an opto compressor it is not very 'fast', but you can still hear it work on the transients if need be. I use it on recordings and sometimes mixing some stems through it. There are better and more affordable designs out there (FMR RNC comes to mind), but they have either less controls/meters or simply are just a single channel, or a stereo channel only. The PRO VLA2 has more tricks up its sleeve. If you're looking to get your first real compressor, this one is a good choice.

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Everyone should have one of these...

Alex Djuran 06.03.2022

For how cheap it is, the ART PRO VLA is a modern classic, both in sound and price. It's smooth, versatile, and affordable!

I've used it with great success on vocals, bass guitar, drum overheads, and many other things. If you have a home studio and want to step your game up, nothing beats this thing for the price to performance ratio!

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Great Compessor for the price

Anonymous 02.01.2017

I bought the Art VLA to provide compression for my snare and kick drum in a small studio setup. Easy to use, versatile and well made, the controls are well thought out and feel really solid to the touch. You can spend thousands on compressors but this one does the job really well for a fraction of the cost. A really good value addition to my studio.

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ART Pro VLA II

2-Channel tube opto-compressor

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95 Customer ratings

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50 Reviews

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ART Pro VLA II

2-Channel tube opto-compressor

This is what customers who viewed this product bought

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