Plugin interface — screenshot pending
Compressor

CLA-2A

Waves

The CLA-2A is a vintage tube-based optical compressor plugin modeled on the original 1960s Teletronix hardware, featuring an electro-luminescent T4 optical attenuator and program-dependent multi-stage release. It delivers the signature warm, musical compression character favored by Grammy-winning mixing engineer Chris Lord-Alge, with authentic analog behavior including harmonic distortion, variable release times, and hum modeling.

Key Features

01Two component configurations: Stereo (two-channel with shared detector) and Mono (single-channel)
02Compress/Limiter toggle with approximately 3:1 ratio and 100:1 ratio modes
03Peak Reduction control with non-linear scaling matching original hardware behavior
04Auto Makeup feature coordinating Peak Reduction and Gain controls
05HiFreq control for frequency-dependent compression above 1 kHz
06Analog control modeling 50Hz and 60Hz power current characteristics
07VU Meter with selectable Input, Gain Reduction, and Output metering
08Mix control for parallel compression from 0% to 100%

Things to Try

  • 01Set Peak Reduction between 30 to 50 for the most common compression range of the original LA-2A
  • 02Use HiFreq above Flat position to reduce sensitivity to lower frequencies and act as a de-esser
  • 03Enable Auto Makeup and adjust Peak Reduction to automatically balance gain reduction with output level
  • 04Toggle Analog control between 50Hz and 60Hz to match your regional power current for authentic hum modeling

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CLA-2A by Waves | Plugin Library