Description

The ART Pro VLA II swaps out the usual VCA circuitry for a Vactrol-based optical detection stage, paired with a 12AT7 tube in the gain path. The result is compression that reacts more like a well-trained engineer’s hand than a machine — gentle, program-dependent, and easy to dial in without squashing the life out of a signal. It’s built to work equally well tracking vocals, taming a mix bus, or handling mastering-grade level control.

Because the design skips transformers in the signal path, noise and coloration stay low while tone stays natural. A toroidal transformer in the power supply keeps hum out of the equation. Each of the two channels gives you independent Threshold, Ratio, and Output controls, and switching into Link mode turns channel 1 into a master output and channel 2 into a balance control — handy when you want the unit acting as a stereo mastering compressor rather than two separate mono channels.

Metering is handled by LED-backlit VU meters showing input/output level with both average and peak-hold readouts, plus a ten-segment LED ladder dedicated to gain reduction, so you always know exactly how hard the compressor is working.