To my ears nothing can touch the UAD-2 LA2A collection, particularly the grey model, followed by the original LA-2. Occasionally, the bxopto wins the shootout, and the UAD Summit TLA-100A can do the same style of compression with a warmer and more mellow tonality. I find the Waves CLA2A highly useful for tracking, since it has zero latency and it helps singers be more present in their cans. The UAD-2 1176 collection is also fantastic.
I use the Rev A a lot for vocals and smashing drums and the Rev E for vocal and bass parallel compression. To my ears nothing can touch the UAD-2 LA2A collection, particularly the grey model, followed by the original LA-2. Occasionally, the bxopto wins the shootout, and the UAD Summit TLA-100A can do the same style of compression with a warmer and more mellow tonality.
I find the Waves CLA2A highly useful for tracking, since it has zero latency and it helps singers be more present in their cans. The UAD-2 1176 collection is also fantastic. I use the Rev A a lot for vocals and smashing drums and the Rev E for vocal and bass parallel compression.I have never really checked out the BX Opto, but will.
For sure everyone seems to love the UAD versions, but I'm specifically looking at native options. From what I gathered the CLA Compressors bundle is simply tried and true. They may not be the best native models out there (mayeb they are?) but they appear to have a good track record. That's the reason to get them today even though they are 'old'.
There are the newer Black Rooster products as well you can check out. I recently got the CLA bundle just to round out what I have available to have access to these tried-and-true tools.
Building the great wall of china. They are good enough for my work but if you are looking for software that is as close to the hardware as possible, I wouldn't be able to advise you on that. I don't use the CLA nearly as much anymore since getting the PSP FETpressor. It's not really an 1176 knockoff as much as the graphics might suggest, but that thing sounds amazing.
So easy to dial in exactly what I want, from subtle to extreme. Instant classic vibe and all the features a modern comp should have.
The PSP FET has a sound but it's not overbearing. I'm using it on pretty much everything except the mix buss and I should probably try it there too. I still like the CLA-2A and 3A on certain busses. The PSP FET mixed with the Burnley EQ is a great combo on a lot of sources. The waves cla 76 blue is still the best compressed i've ever tried (except an actual blue face) for in your face lead vocals in a busy modern pop or rock track. That includes an army of hardware compressors I currently have, and bunch of 1176s and clones I've gone through and sold because none of them are as good as the cla76. The la2a one is ok, not very good for heavy compression but has a really nice tone to put on vocals or thins that need to get thicker.
I find that you can get like 1-3db of gain reduction and it sounds convincing and at the very least has a really nice tone it imparts. The hardware one is substantially better to my ears, and to me the best opto compressor is the shadow hills optograph (i like it better than most la2a i've tried except some real old ones - though never knew which revisions they were) the cla76 both black and blue smoke any other plug in including UAD. The la2a is pretty much the same as the uad one, if anything the uad compresses better, but doesn't have as good of a sound. Really, even though I have it, UAD is probably the most overrated thing in digital audio, like ever.
Older 10 year old waves emulations still sound best to my ear and tons of new and exciting plug in companies making forward thinking plug ins that actually do things other than endlessly model neve and ssl. Waves got it right like 10 years ago with emulations. The ONLY thing UAD did a really good job on that waves hasn't touched has been the pultec eqs and their new 1073 is vastly superior to the scheps one which sucks. To me waves peaked like 5-6 years ago, but before that they made killer stuff. Waves ssl channel strip is still my goto to put on everything and there is no other channel strip i've tried particularly of ssl variety that even comes close to the layout, gui, sound, and functionality.
So basically, in my opinion, the waves cla suite is really cool and totally worth it and just sound better than the UAD ones or at the very least same level. I'm considering purchasing the Waves La3a. For La2a I have a hardware ADL1000 and also the Cakewalk Ca2a is really nice sounding compared to the other software La2a sims I've tried (NI has a nice DBX160 and SSL but the Cakewalk Ca2a is better than the NI version of that). The BlueTubes Analog Trackbox compressor is similar but more reminiscent of TubeTech CL1B (not just because it's blue haha). BlueTubes FA770 is a Fairchild sim not an opto-cell but it's probably the most expensive sounding tube sim compressor I've ever heard, with the ugliest interface I've ever seen. My fav of the Waves CLA set is the LA3A.
I love it on Bass - sometimes I don't want the bass part to be any 'warmer' than it was recorded. The LA3A will bring it in line, without adding color.
I have the UAD La2 and 1176 sets, and both sound better than their CLA counterparts, to my ears. But the CLA LA3A, and the CLA 1176 Blue, are both very useful. I feel the Black 1176 or Gray LA2A versions of the CLA set are just a little 'woolier' than I like.
That said, I believe the Waves CLA set, gotten at the right price, are tools worthy of use. Just my two cents.
Native Instruments and Slate Digital have great LA-2A and 1176 emulations. A piece of advice: If someone says nothing can touch UAD plugins, I would automatically not take that person's opinion seriously.
People who preach about the superiority of UAD plugins are usually people who have spent a lot of money on UAD plugins and hardware and think they are better because they carry official brand names and are expensive. It's just psychological, the emulations don't actually sound better than other good emulations out there. The waves cla 76 blue is still the best compressed i've ever tried (except an actual blue face) for in your face lead vocals in a busy modern pop or rock track. That includes an army of hardware compressors I currently have, and bunch of 1176s and clones I've gone through and sold because none of them are as good as the cla76. The la2a one is ok, not very good for heavy compression but has a really nice tone to put on vocals or thins that need to get thicker. I find that you can get like 1-3db of gain reduction and it sounds convincing and at the very least has a really nice tone it imparts.
The hardware one is substantially better to my ears, and to me the best opto compressor is the shadow hills optograph (i like it better than most la2a i've tried except some real old ones - though never knew which revisions they were) the cla76 both black and blue smoke any other plug in including UAD. The la2a is pretty much the same as the uad one, if anything the uad compresses better, but doesn't have as good of a sound. Really, even though I have it, UAD is probably the most overrated thing in digital audio, like ever. Older 10 year old waves emulations still sound best to my ear and tons of new and exciting plug in companies making forward thinking plug ins that actually do things other than endlessly model neve and ssl. Waves got it right like 10 years ago with emulations. The ONLY thing UAD did a really good job on that waves hasn't touched has been the pultec eqs and their new 1073 is vastly superior to the scheps one which sucks.
To me waves peaked like 5-6 years ago, but before that they made killer stuff. Waves ssl channel strip is still my goto to put on everything and there is no other channel strip i've tried particularly of ssl variety that even comes close to the layout, gui, sound, and functionality. So basically, in my opinion, the waves cla suite is really cool and totally worth it and just sound better than the UAD ones or at the very least same level.Your ears though. Native Instruments and Slate Digital have great LA-2A and 1176 emulations.
A piece of advice: If someone says nothing can touch UAD plugins, I would automatically not take that person's opinion seriously. People who preach about the superiority of UAD plugins are usually people who have spent a lot of money on UAD plugins and hardware and think they are better because they carry official brand names and are expensive. It's just psychological, the emulations don't actually sound better than other good emulations out there.I will agree with you to a point.
I own most, if not all the Waves, IK, Slate, UAD, Soundtoys, etc., plugins. You are right, not every UAD plugin outshines other similar plugins in its class. Often times, I think my new UAD plug is the one for the job. Then I tinker about for a hour or so, and find the Free Molot Compressor is best tool for the job at hand. For example, in the above question, UAD has a LA3a plugin that is in need of a major update.
It does not, to my mind, sound near as well as the CLA LA3a does in the same applications. But, when going head to head, UAD LA2a vs CLA La2a, it is my belief that UAD has a clarity and openness that I enjoy more.
Also, in the UAD set, I have three flavors of the LA2a to work with, each with its own sound. Again, the Waves offerings sound great, and are well worth the price of admission. With that, flying strongly again your objections, I state again. To my ears, the UAD LA2a set, and UAD 1176 sets, both sound better than their CLA counterparts.
Although, the CLA blue 76, is really quite nice (close) in comparison. Enjoy the day!
Waves Cla Compressors Torrent
The Waves' CLA comps sound like nut juice compared to newer offerings. The LA3 was the only relatively usable one until it was replaced with Black Rooster's excellent emu. The UAD LA2A collection is numero uno with IK being a distant (but very usable) second. I love Waves and use their stuff everyday, but not all of it holds up. It must be the new version of hipster jeans. Claiming that some old-a$$ piece of code is better than much newer (and pricier) offerings. It's weird you guys.
Question: I know many people like(d) the Waves CLA compressors (1176 and LA-2a), but at this point these plugs are several years old. With advancements in vst's and tech in general are these still considered top choices for 1176 and LA-2A emulations, or are there betting sounding native vst's on the market? Maybe being older doesn't matter- just curious. Thanks!My Dad would always say 'if you try to get the job done right the first time, you won't find yourself having to do it again' Older doesn't necessarily mean inferior, he'll people still covet older analogue devices!! Accuracy shouldn't be a concern either because everyone tries to get it right or the will end up with egg on their face. So why do some emulations of a classic unit sound slightly different to another?? It's because those two units may look identical but under the hood they are made of parts, all with varying degrees of tolerances.
Waves Cla Compressors
These tolerances were never as strict in the old days either. Mostly because manufacturing want good enough then. If you look around enough you will see examples of producers/engineers comparing the sound of one hardware unit with another counterpart in an effort to choose the one that mostly matches the tone they are after. The trouble is no-one gets this. They seem to have the impression that somehow mathematical formulas change with age but the don't. For example, the Pythagoras Therem will always be the same. It was the same a few hundred years ago, its the same now.
The maths of an LA-2A circuit is the same then as it is now. Unless you go around replacing the parts. It will never change. The quality of your numbers can, but given everything is 32-bit floating point, that's of no concern either.
No two analogue units sound alike. Therefore there is NO SUCH THING as an exact emulation. Therefore no two plugin emulations sound alike. That is the true reason why they vary. Not because of older code.
Put it this way: Think about some of your favourite album mixes since the release of CLA's compressor pack. Loads of them will use the plugins on them. All these new 1176 compressors that are coming out which are more true to the hardware. I have the slate 1176's. They sound nice, but I use the waves ones still because they just work. Loads of famous mixers that you probably look up to use them. Is it as good as the hardware technically?
Does it matter? Get the CLA ones, they're great. I use them on every single mix I do.
Old school meets graduate school. The CLA-76 is modeled after one of the best renowned solid state compressor/limiters in music history, which uniquely used Field Effect Transistors (FETs) as gain control devices. Some 8,000 units were originally manufactured, and went through at least 13 revisions during their run. Waves modeled two of these highly-regarded revisions: Revision B, also known as the Silverface Bluestripe.
The unit we modeled is CLA’s personal favorite. Revision D-LN (Low Noise), also known as the Blackface. It is perhaps the most famous version of this classic compressor. Easyworship 6 download. The main differences between the two units are slightly different gain stages and time constants, as well as THD and noise levels. For the CLA-76 plug-ins, we modeled the original pre-amp noise.
About Chris Lord-Alge Grammy®-winner Chris Lord-Alge is the mixing engineer of choice for pop and rock royalty. Green Day U2 Dave Matthews Band Daughtry Pink Leona Lewis Avril Lavigne My Chemical Romance All American Rejects Nickelback Rob Thomas Snow Patrol Ray LaMontagne Miley Cyrus Jonas Bros. Tim McGraw Faith Hill Tina Turner Rod Stewart Celine Dion Santana Steve Winwood James Brown For almost thirty years, Chris has energized the sound of popular music. His hard-hitting mixes have transformed the radio soundscape, and introduced a new sonic vocabulary along the way.
CLA’s massive hardware arsenal includes racks and racks of the most coveted compression units in music history.