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UAD Powered Plug-Ins Manual v5.2 - Just Music

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CHAPTER 18<br />

VCA VU<br />

Overview<br />

The VCA VU Compressor/Limiter is a faithful emulation of the first commercially<br />

available VCA (Voltage-Controlled Amplifier) compressor, the dbx<br />

160. Originally designed and sold by David Blackmer in 1971, this solidstate<br />

design set the standard for performance and affordability. “VU” is the<br />

common nickname for this widely regarded studio staple, famous for its simple<br />

control set and firm compression characteristics. The original unit is still<br />

considered the very best VCA compressor ever made. Unlike later monolithic<br />

IC units, the “VU” uses a series of discrete components for gain reduction,<br />

and therefore has unique nonlinearities not found in other VCA compressors—thus<br />

giving it a sonic distinction from later models. The VCA VU captures<br />

all the sonic nuances from our “golden” modeling unit and the simple<br />

control set of the hardware, including Threshold, Compression (Ratio) and<br />

Output Gain. Like the hardware, LED threshold indicators are provided, as<br />

well the Input/Output/Gain Change VU meter for which the unit is famous.<br />

VCA VU Screenshot<br />

Figure 45. The VCA VU plug-in window<br />

<strong>UAD</strong> <strong>Powered</strong> <strong>Plug</strong>-<strong>Ins</strong> <strong>Manual</strong> - 167 - Chapter 18: VCA VU

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