Teletronix Engineering Company was founded in 1958 by electrical engineer James F. Lawrence II in Pasadena, California. Initially a manufacturer of radio broadcast equipment — including transmitter tubes, emergency tone generators, and full-scale radio transmitters — the company became legendary for its series of electro-optical leveling amplifiers. Lawrence pioneered the use of photocells for controlling audio gain, a technological breakthrough that defined the character of every compressor the company produced.

Teletronix's product line began with the LA-1, of which roughly 100 units were built, followed by the LA-2. The LA-2A Leveling Amplifier, introduced in 1962, became the company's defining achievement and one of the most celebrated pieces of outboard gear in recording history. Its tube-driven circuit paired with a proprietary T4 electro-optical attenuator cell produces smooth, program-dependent compression with minimal harmonic distortion. The LA-2A went through several revisions during its original production run from 1962 to 1969, from the early "Grayface" units to later "Silverface" versions.

Lawrence sold Teletronix to Babcock Electronics in 1965, and in 1967 Bill Putnam's Studio Electronics Corporation (later UREI) acquired the brand and its patents. Universal Audio, re-established by Putnam's sons in 1999, began producing faithful LA-2A reissues in 2000, hand-wired at their Custom Shop in Santa Cruz, California. The LA-2A was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame in 2004. The compressor has been used on landmark recordings by artists and producers including Prince, Daft Punk, and the White Stripes, and remains a studio standard for vocals, bass, and mix bus compression.

Teletronix has 5 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Overdrive Effects Pedals, Effects Processors, and Boost Effects Pedals. Their gear is featured by 136 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock, Pop, and Electronic. Notable users include Kurt Cobain, Kevin Parker, and Josh Homme.