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Based on price data from 4 merchants for "Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.
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Description
Step into the world of legendary sound shaping with the Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter. This remarkable plugin is a faithful emulation of the iconic optoelectronic tube compressor, renowned for its smooth and musical sound quality. Crafted in collaboration with the mixing maestro Chris Lord-Alge, the CLA-2A is a trusted tool for musicians and producers seeking that classic analog warmth in their digital productions.
The CLA-2A is revered for its ability to enhance vocals, bass, and guitars with a natural, organic character that feels alive. Its simple yet effective controls make it a favorite among both beginners and seasoned professionals. Just set your desired peak reduction and gain, and let the plugin do the rest, offering a silky smooth dynamic control that enhances your mix without overpowering it.
Whether you're looking to add subtle glue to your mix or need a robust limiter for your bus tracks, the CLA-2A is your go-to. With presets curated by Chris Lord-Alge himself, achieving a polished mix is just a few clicks away. Join the community of musicians and producers who trust Waves' industry-leading technology to bring their sound to life.
Key Features:
- Emulation of the legendary optoelectronic tube compressor
- Designed in collaboration with Chris Lord-Alge
- Ideal for vocals, bass, and guitars
- Simple peak reduction and gain controls
- Presets by Chris Lord-Alge for instant professional results
Product specs
| Available since | October 2016 |
| Los artikel / bundelartikel | Los artikel |
| Delay | No |
| Dynamics | Yes |
| Effect Filter | No |
| Encoder/Decoder | No |
| Equalizer | No |
| Guitar amps/-effects | No |
| Channel Strip | No |
| Metering / Analysis / Correction | No |
| Modulation Effects | No |
| Multieffect / Plugin-Host | No |
| Overdrive/Distortion | No |
| Preamp / Saturation | No |
| Psychoacoustic tool / Enhancer / Exciter | No |
| Restauration | No |
| Reverb | No |
| Special FX | No |
| Summer / Mixing Consoles | No |
| Tape Simulation | No |
| Pitch Shifter / Harmonizer / Timestretching | No |
| Transient Processing | No |
| Vocoder / Vocal effect | No |
| Mastering Tools | No |
| Hardware Controller | No |
| Download | 1 |
FAQs
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What are the main uses of the Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter?
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The Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter is ideal for controlling dynamic range on vocals and instruments, providing smooth compression and leveling. It's renowned for its warm, vintage sound and works well on almost any audio source.
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Is the Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter suitable for beginners?
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Yes, the Waves CLA-2A is user-friendly with a straightforward interface, making it suitable for beginners. Its classic design is easy to operate, offering professional-quality compression without complex controls.
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How does the Waves CLA-2A differ from other compressor plugins?
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The Waves CLA-2A emulates the classic LA-2A hardware compressor, known for its optical compression and smooth, musical response. It stands out due to its simplicity and the characteristic warmth it adds to audio tracks.
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Can the Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter be used for mastering?
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While primarily designed for mixing, the CLA-2A can be used in mastering for gentle compression and leveling. However, it is more commonly applied to individual tracks rather than entire mixes.
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Is the Waves CLA-2A compatible with all DAWs?
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The Waves CLA-2A is compatible with most major DAWs, including Ableton Live, Pro Tools, and Logic Pro. Always check specific system requirements to ensure compatibility with your setup.
Videos
Waves Audio
Vocal Mixing Tip – Double-Stacked Compression
Vocal Mixing Tip – Double-Stacked Compression
Waves Audio
CLA-2A COMPRESSOR/LIMITER PLUGIN LIFE HACKS | HOW TO USE IT TUTORIAL
Ave Mcree
Waves CLA-2A Compressor Plug-In
Front End Audio
Setting LA-2A style compressors on vocals - Waves CLA-2A
Czar
Waves CLA-2A Compressor on Bass Guitar
Front End Audio
2 different ways to use the Waves CLA-2A
Czar
UAD LA-2A VS Waves CLA-2A Compressor Comparison
Danny Lightning Audio & Reviews
My Top 10 Waves Plugins Video 1 - F6 EQ and CLA-2A Compressor
The Studio Rats
Reviews
PROS
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Enhances vocals and instruments with a classic LA-2A vibe
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Presets offer easy starting points for various dynamics
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Transparent and sensitive compression with great tonal improvement
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Handles strong gain reduction without distortion
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Simplified interface with just three knobs and two switches
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Effective for a wide range of instruments, including bass and drums
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Competitive pricing for its performance and features
CONS
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Requires annual payment for updates and bug fixes
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Interface lacks precision and visual resolution
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter.
Use cases and applications
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The CLA-2A is favored for smoothing out transients, especially effective for background vocals in hip hop/trap music when used for parallel compression.
Source -
For mixing lead vocals, the CLA-76 is often preferred due to its ability to make transients pop and stand out prominently.
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The CLA-2A's classic Opto compressor sound is ideal for achieving smooth frequency behaviors reminiscent of 1960s music.
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For vocal processing, using the CLA-2A after an 1176 in a chain is common, smoothing dynamics post-peak reduction.
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The CLA-2A is known for its subtle and smooth action, which can provide a silky texture to lead vocals.
Source
Comparisons
Features and functionality
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Known for a low-end thickening "bump" and zero latency, the CLA-2A excels in real-time vocal tracking for a "record" sound.
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Its optical compression design means the harder the input, the slower the recovery, which may not suit every application.
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The CLA-2A has a fixed attack time of 10 ms and a release time ranging from 60 ms to 5 seconds, depending on previous program material.
Source
4.5 out of 5
Based on 3 Reviews and 37 Ratings
161
favorite vst compressor
I use this thing on basically everything. Guitars, vocals, bass, keys, horns, strings, even drums sometimes. It's simple to use, and immediately improves the tone every time
787
Good stuff!
I mostly use the CLA-2A on bass. It's super simple and makes taming that low end easy.
41010
don't over do it, a little teletronix goes a long way on bass sources, you don't want the lwo end of your mix to sty the same perceived level as you turn you monitors up and down.... there's such as thing as too full, and tube levelling amps (and simualtions) in the teletronix and gates style can definitely railroad bass sources. It'll sound fine when you are doing it, but they can definitely do more harm than good.
41010
the LA2A was actually always one of my favorite limiter/compressors for close-miced snare, believe it or not
Artist usage
Add artist
at 9:15 in the video you can see the waves CLA-2A on the left side of the screen
At 1:31:08, he pulls out this plugin
In an interview with Sonic Academy, Audien mentions using Waves CLA-2A @ 19:59.
You can see CLA-2A Stereo and Mono on one of his "Lessons of KSHMR" videos
In the Tape Notes Podcast video titled "Top 10 Plugins: A. G. Cook's Favourite Plugins for Hyper-Pop Music Production," A. G. Cook is seen using the Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter.
After that there's a tiny bit of overall control from the Waves CLA2A [compressor], with probably just 1dB of gain reduction.
Sound on Sound article, 2013.
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in the left channel you can see that the CLA-2A is present
Mentioned by producer Sandy Vee in this Sound on Sound interview about the production of "Firework". An image of the settings can be found here.
Selena Gomez's use of the Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter is confirmed by her engineer, who stated: "Many of the vocal tracks have the same chain on the inserts: Waves Q10 EQ, Waves Renaissance Compressor, Waves REQ6, FabFilter Pro‑DS, Waves CLA‑2A and the Pro‑Q2." This information is provided by Sound On Sound in their article "Inside Track: Selena Gomez 'Rare'".
Kurstin recorded Sia’s vocals through his Telefunken ELA M 251 into a Chandler TG2, through a Fairchild compressor and into the Apogee Symphony, they only needed minimal processing through a combination of Logic channel EQ, Waves’ CLA-2A compressor and the Lexicon Hall reverb. This was the same vocal chain that he used on his mix of Burn the Pages.
Album Usage
The Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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