Mixing guide / Dynamics / TecLab BA-2A
Likely freeKnob names: confirmed

TecLab BA-2A

A smooth, forgiving vintage leveler.

A copy of a famous smooth vintage compressor. The easiest compressor for beginners: only a couple of knobs, and very forgiving.

Use it when some words jump out and others disappear; great on ballads and harmonies.

Every knob, in plain words

Compress / Limit

Compress is gentle and musical; Limit is firmer and stops peaks harder.

Squeeze

How much it compresses (does the job of Threshold and amount).

Turn it upSmoother, more even, more “glued”. Too much = flat.
Turn it downLighter touch, more natural dynamics.

Gain

Output volume after compression (makeup gain).

Turn it upLouder.
Turn it downQuieter.

Start here for vocals

  1. Compress mode.
  2. Raise Squeeze until the loudest words stop jumping out (about 3–5 dB of reduction if there's a meter).
  3. Set Gain so bypassing it doesn't change the loudness.

Too much? Listen for…

  • The vocal sounds flat and lifeless: lower Squeeze.

Try it in 2 minutes

  1. Loop one line of your mains.
  2. Turn one knob all the way, then back. Hear what changed.
  3. Settle somewhere gentle.
  4. Click the power button to compare before and after, at the same volume.

Tips

  • It's slow and smooth by design. For fast rap it may feel too gentle.
  • Pro trick: put it after BL 1176. The 1176 catches fast peaks; the BA-2A smooths the rest.

See the recipes table for per-layer settings.