Affiliate disclosure: the "Get this deal" button is an affiliate link to the store. If you buy through it we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Full policy
If you want a cla 2a Black Friday deal, Waves has the CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter at 79% off, which sets it at $29.99 until Nov 26, 2026.
This is a compressor plugin from Waves, built from an electro-optical tube compressor/limiter. The maker says that type of unit has sat on vocal, bass and guitar tracks in studios for more than fifty years.
The maker also says it was modeled from Chris Lord-Alge's own vintage hardware unit.
The interface is simple, but the original's optical dynamics processing depends on complex circuit interactions. Waves says the plugin follows the response and sound of that unit.
The maker describes the result as natural-sounding even under heavy compression. It also says the attack and release times suit vocals.
Tube emulation adds harmonic saturation to the signal. A limiter mode extends the sustain of an instrument.
Zero latency means it works in a studio mix and in a live one. The mix knob lets you blend the compressed signal with the dry one, so a parallel setup does not need a separate bus or send.
The optional hiss and hum is there for authenticity. Leave it off if you want a clean signal path.
On Mac, the plugin supports macOS Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14 and Sequoia 15, in VST, AU and AAX formats.
On PC it needs Windows 10 or later, in VST and AAX formats.
The CLA-2A sits in the compressor plugins category from Waves, so you can use this Black Friday deal on a vocal chain or on bass and guitar tracks.
Yes. The Waves CLA-2A Compressor / Limiter Black Friday deal takes 79% off, putting the plugin at $29.99. The offer ends Nov 26, 2026.
It is a compressor/limiter plugin with tube emulation, a limiter mode, a mix control for parallel compression, a trim control and a sidechain frequency filter. It also has presets by Chris Lord-Alge and optional analog hiss and hum.
On Mac it comes in VST, AU and AAX, for macOS Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14 and Sequoia 15. On Windows 10 or later it comes in VST and AAX.
No. Waves lists the plugin as zero latency, so it suits both studio mixing and live mixing. The mix control also covers parallel compression, so you can blend the dry and compressed signals inside the plugin.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.