Hum Audio – Look Ahead Analog Limiter (LAAL)

The missing link in the analog mastering chain. A real game-changer!

The LAAL does not use any soft clipping or similar process to artificially increase RMS levels. All the magic happens in the unique and sophisticated detection and gain stage circuits.

Taking maximum care of the quality of your master, when you look at the waveform – after the LAAL processing – you will see that your master still “lives” and has “air” above!

Another extraordinary and absolutely unique feature of this limiter is the DYNAMIC TRANSIENT function.

This function is responsible for regenerating transients proportionally to the limiting level and plays a major role in preserving space and details in your sound, as you intend.

Large 40-element bar meters with peak hold function give you very precise (up to 0.2dB) gain reduction and input level indication.

The final addition is the STEREO WIDTH circuit, which works differently and in a more musical way compared to similar processors. You will receive a nice increase in the spaciousness of your tracks, but you won’t lose low-end energy in the centre of the stereo image, and it’s also fully mono-compatible.

The LAAL is very precisely calibrated with better than 0.1dB accuracy in L/R channels, and it keeps the output level exact.

The detection circuit is thermally compensated, ensuring stability and repeatability of results in all studio conditions.

You can set input/output levels with a resolution of 0.2dB as well as six different release times, from 2ms to 100ms.

All these settings are on rotary switches, as you expect from mastering equipment. Left and Right channel detection circuits are stereo linkable, and you can also use the LAAL as two independent mono limiters if you wish.

In practice, the Hum Audio Look Ahead Analog Limiter (LAAL) delivers extremely clear, vital, deep, and musical sound with lots of details, even for the most demanding mastering tasks. Furthermore, it’s been “battle-tested” for countless hours in the Hum Audio Devices lab and studio, on audio tracks from many different music genres, to ensure that it performs at its best on each limiting task you will potentially have in your everyday work.

No matter if it’s audiophile acoustic music where you need just a subtle touch or if you need to do heavier “brick-wall” limiting in modern music genres, you can always count on using your LAAL with confidence.

To reach this extreme quality, Hum Audio designed their own discrete opamps and used the best possible transistors, polystyrene capacitors, military spec resistors, top audio transformers, and gold-plated rotary and relay switches.

Every component in the Look Ahead Analog Limiter audio path has been carefully chosen based on sound quality, noise-free performance, and musicality. There has been no compromise whatsoever.

Hum also developed the LAAL’s ultra-stable, classic linear power supply, and equipped the limiter with an audiophile-grade custom toroidal power transformer that has a large reserve of power. It’s double-shielded and works as a power conditioner, ensuring big headroom and very clean power that is required for the most critical mastering tasks.

Main Features

• All discrete audio signal path
• Very high headroom (+/-24V int. powering)
• Highest-quality audio transformers
• Ultra stable linear power supply
• Thermal compensation for ultra-precise detection circuit
• Analog LOOK AHEAD circuit (0.2ms analog delay line)
• Variable STEREO WIDTH function
• DYNAMIC TRANSIENT function
• Variable Release Time (stepped, from 2ms to 100ms)
• Precise LED metering (0.2dB steps)
• Precise input/output setting (0.2dB steps)
• Peak Hold function for gain reduction meters
• Rotary step switches for all knobs
• Stereo link for detection
• Limiter Bypass
• Hard Bypass
• Custom-made shielded AC cord

Tech Specs

• Self Noise A-weighted: -102dB (at 0dB IN/OUT setting)
• THD+N absolute: 0.026% (1V RMS, 1kHZ at max gain reduction)
• Frequency Response: 20Hz – 30kHz (+/- 0.3dB)
• Max Input Level: +22dBV
• Max Output Level: +28dBV
• Input XLR balanced, impedance 10K Ohm
• Output XLR balanced, impedance 75 Ohm
• AC Powering (internally switchable 240V/120V) 50/60Hz
• Power Consumption: max 70 Watts
• Weight: 9.4kg (11.6kg packaged)
• Dimensions: Rack 19” 3U
  • LAAL unit: 484mm (W) x 314mm (D) x 133mm (H)
  • Packaged: 600mm (W) x 400mm (D) x 250mm (H)

Components

• LAAL Mastering Limiter
• Custom-made AC cable/cord

Create your next masterpiece without compromise, but instead with vital and full-of-life sound, thanks to the Hum Audio LAAL (Look Ahead Analog Limiter). Your hard mastering work deserves that!