The Teletronix LA2A is a tube optical compressor/limiter patented by Jim Lawrence in 1965. It is of the most sought-after compressors because of its smooth gain limiting and flat frequency response. It has a simple interface with only two knobs allowing for gain and peak reduction adjustment, as well as a switch that selects between "compressor" and "limiter" gain reduction settings. Although the original Teletronix LA2A's production was discontinued, a hardware reissue of this compressor is currently built by Universal Audio.
The Urei 1176 is also considered to be a classic compressor/peak limiter. The 1176 was created by Bill Putnam and first used by engineer Bones Howe on the Mamas & Papas records. The 1176 went through many revisions during its original run, with the most well known version being the 1176 LN (low noise). The 1176 has a rather simple layout including input, output, attack and release knobs, as well as buttons allowing for the selection of four-to-one, eight-to-one, 12-to-one and 20-to-one compression ratios. Although the original Urei 1176's production was discontinued, a hardware reissue of this compressor is currently built by Universal Audio.
The Fairchild 670 is considered by some to be the most sought-after outboard compressor with a current used value of approximately $30,000. The compressor itself is a bit more complicated than most, weighing 65 pounds and containing 20 tubes and 14 transformers. The Fairchild is known for its unique compression and limiting characteristics while maintaining low distortion and noise levels. The Fairchild 670 was developed by Rein Narma and licensed by Sherman Fairchild. Currently, there are many software programs that emulate this famous compressor; however, there are no official hardware reissues of this compressor currently available.