The CLA-2A is part of Waves’ Signature Series, designed to capture the character of Chris Lord-Alge’s personal vintage LA-2A units. The original LA-2A (Leveling Amplifier) is an optical tube compressor, famous for its musical, smooth, and nearly “invisible” compression. Unlike VCA or FET compressors (e.g., 1176), the LA-2A uses an electro-luminescent panel and a photoresistor to control gain reduction, resulting in program-dependent attack and release times.
The is a component-level model of Chris’s personal units . cla-2a compressor limiter
: It is often used as a "glue" compressor to subtly unify a stereo mix. 5. Digital Implementation Requirements The CLA-2A is part of Waves’ Signature Series,