In this video I review the Hum Audio LAAL with my honest take on unit. What to be aware of if you are buying one and what I find it best useful for. The Hum Audio LAAL costs a lot at £8800 but it offers so much for the money. A lot of which you can even hear. Which believe it or not that is a really good thing.
HUM Audio are extremely excited to introduce the new LAAL (Look Ahead Analog Limiter).
An innovative idea of the detection and limiting process have allowed HUM Audio to achieve a new standard in analogue mastering.
One of the strongest advantage of the design is a fully analogue (200 microseconds) delay line to obtain a “look ahead” ability. Thanks to this. the detection circuit is able to react to even the fastest peaks. The detection circuit can react to even the fastest peaks.
LAAL is extremely effective in this task, allowing the reach of great RMS levels when required, but with minimal side effects and without compromising the sound quality. Tracks will preserve low-end energy and punch in a wide gain attenuation range.
LAAL does not use any soft clipping or similar process to artificially raise RMS levels. All magic happens in the sophisticated detection and gain circuits.
LAAL takes the maximum care in the quality of the master. Another extraordinary and unique feature of the limiter is the DYNAMIC TRANSIENT function. It regenerates transients proportional to the limiting level. In a few words, great RMS levels can be achieved with minimum side effects. It plays a major role in preserving space and detail in the sound.
The final addition is a STEREO WIDTH circuit that works differently and is more musical comparing to similar processors. You will perceive a nice increase in the spaciousness of the tracks, but you won’t lose low-end energy in the centre of the stereo image. It’s also fully mono compatible and it can also be used as two independent mono limiters if required.
The LAAL is very precisely calibrated with better than 0.1dB accuracy in L/R channels and keeps the output level exactly. The detection circuit is thermally compensated which ensures stability and repeatability of results in all studio conditions. Input and output levels can be set with a resolution of 0.2dB as well as six different release times: from 2ms to 100ms.
HUM Audio took maximum care to choose every single component in the LAAL audio path for sound quality, noise-free performance and sound quality. Absolutely no compromise.
They also developed the ultra-stable, classic linear power supply with an audiophile grade custom toroidal power transformer with a large reserve of power. It is double-shielded and works as a power conditioner, ensuring a large headroom and the very clean power required for the most critical mastering tasks.
FEATURES:
- All discrete analogue signal path
- Very high headroom (+/-24V int. powering)
- Analogue LOOK AHEAD circuit
- Variable STEREO WIDTH function
- DYNAMIC TRANSIENT function
- Variable Release Time (from 2ms to 100ms)
- Highest quality audio transformers
- Precision led metering (0.5dB steps)
- Peak Hold function for gain reduction meter
- Precision input/output setting (0.2dB steps)
- Stereo link for detection
- Limiter Bypass
- Hard Bypass
- Rotary step switches for all control knobs
SPECIFICATIONS
- Self-noise A-weighted: -102dB (at 0dB IN/OUT setting)
- THD+N absolute: 0.026% (1V RMS, 1 KHz at max gain reduction)
- Frequency Response: 20Hz – 30KHZ (±0.3dB)
- Maximum input level: +22dBV
- Maximum output level:+28dBV
- Input XLR, balanced, impedance 10KΩ
- Output XLR, balanced, impedance 75Ω
- Power consumption: max. 70 Watts
- Weight: 9.4kg (11.6kg packed)
- Dimensions: 19″ rackmount – 3U
- W x D x H : 484 x 314 x 133mm (packed = 600 x 400 250mm)
- In the box: LAAL with Custom shielded mains cable.
