Gene Autry

Developed in collaboration with Autry, who played the guitar in several of his films.

The vintage Gene Autry Melody Ranch guitar, which was signed in black ink and dated Nov. 1, 1936 by the legendary actor, sold for $1,553.50 at auction.

Mentioned across Universal Audio literature, which highlights how Autry's use of the LA-1 for his radio show and records paved the way for mainstream acceptance of the compressor.

• November 8, 2004 - "Analog Obsession: Teletronix History Revealed, LA-2A Honored by TEC Hall of Fame, LA-610 Furthers Line, Precision Preamplifier Announced", article from Universal Audio WebZine Vol. 2, #9, October/November (AES) 2004

Clearly, the LA-1 was not a huge success; industry acceptance was difficult. In fact, the LA-1 got a harsh response after its demo at ABC, who complained about the messy point-to-point wiring. At this time, printed circuit boards were in vogue; but as gear-geeks know, point-to-point wiring is a desirable luxury and art that very few manufacturers still employ--UA's Teletronix LA-2A re-issue is among them.

Fortunately, Lawrence gets his LA-1 into the hands of the legendary singing cowboy Gene Autry, who himself loves the unit and uses the LA-1 for his own radio and recording dates. Gene Autry was instrumental in the LA-1 gaining momentum, for which Lawrence was always grateful.

• 2008 - Universal Audio LA-610 MKII Manual

The LA-1 was not a big commercial success, but it did find its way into the hands of singing cowboy Gene Autry, who used it extensively for his own radio and recording dates, thus helping give it a degree of exposure and encouraging Lawrence to continue refining the design.

• February 22, 2013 - "A History of the Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier", article from the Universal Audio blog

In 1958, Jim Lawrence founded the Teletronix Engineering Company in Pasadena, California, manufacturing broadcast products such as transmitter tubes, emergency tone generators, and full-scale radio transmitters. His first leveling amplifier was the Teletronix LA-1, of which only about one hundred units were ever made. One got into the hands of the legendary singing cowboy Gene Autry, who loved it and used it for his radio program and recording sessions. Autry’s fondness for the LA-1 was instrumental in its gaining acceptance.