LA-2A Plugins: 11 Best Compressor Plugin Emulations 2023

We have gathered the 11 LA-2A compressor plugin emulations 2023 just for you!

One of the most well-known compressors ever created is the LA-2A. It has long been a favourite among engineers because of its revered rich, warm tone and smooth melodic compression characteristics. The original compressor accomplished gain reduction by the use of an optical attenuator powered by a tube.

The compression ratio and release time might vary significantly depending on the source content because the optical attenuator is completely program-dependent. Although the typical attack duration is set at ten milliseconds, the release characteristic gives the sound its distinctive personality.

Jim Lawrence, born in 1924, worked as a radar operator in the Navy during World War II, pursued electrical engineering, and spent some of his early years working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His ground-breaking concept involved employing optical sensors to build the first levelling amplifier.

Lawrence created a device to level the incoming audio stream using military optical sensors found in his surroundings. He enclosed them in a metal tube-sized container and paired a luminous panel with photoresistors, whose resistance varies with light intensity. The subtle, program-dependent optical compression that audio experts still admire all over the world is provided by this optical attenuator.

We’ll examine some of the most well-liked LA-2A emulations in this post to help you choose the one that’s best for you. 

LA-2A Plugins: 11 Best Compressor Plugin Emulations 2023

3. Native Instruments VC 2A By Softube

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One of three new vintage compressors from NI with DSP components designed by modelling specialists is the VC 2A  Softube.

One of the most sought-after compression units ever produced served as the model for the VC 2A. This tube compressor was first created in the early 1960s and is currently utilized in the world’s top recording studios.

Transparent compression was a key component of its ground-breaking design, which used an electroluminescent optics gain reduction mechanism.

This contributed to creating the unit’s distinctive character, whose gentle colouring is still highly valued by artists and sound engineers, coupled with analogue circuitry. The features and traits of its highly regarded hardware grandfather are accurately replicated by the VC 2A. It provides the same extremely basic interface that mostly uses two buttons.

Key Features:

• Optical Compressor
  It is an electro-optical tube compressor and limiter with a smooth, silky sound, the VC 2A is a part of the VINTAGE COMPRESSORS line and an out-of-the-box software recreation of classic precision studio equipment.
  Automatic decisions are made about the attack and release in response to the input signal. The VC 2A has two major settings, Gain and Peak Reduction, which regulate the threshold and degree of compression, making it simple to find the sweet spot.
• More features than the original
  The VC 2A, which was created in conjunction with Softube, has several extra features not seen in the original. The addition of a sidechain input opens the door to a variety of inventive compression techniques in addition to the classic ducking and pumping effects.
  In addition, a low-cut slider instructs the compressor to disregard anything below the specified frequency, and a dry setting makes compression parallel to the VC 2A a reality. This crucial innovation aids in preventing over-compression brought on by rogue low frequencies.
• Electro-Optical Technology
  A light bulb or LED can be found within an electro-optical compressor. It reacts to the signal input; a strong signal causes the bulb to shine, and spikes cause the bulb to glow more brightly. The gain level is adjusted by a photocell that watches the lightbulb. The attack and release timings are intentionally delayed due to the photocell’s comparatively sluggish reaction.

Compatibility:

The OS requirements for this plugin are Windows 7 or higher for PC and macOS 10.9 or higher for Mac. It comes in VST/RTAS/AU/AAX formats and supports 32 and 64 bit systems.

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4. UAD Teletronix® LA-2A Classic Leveler Collection

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Source: UAD

The greatest collection of the most renowned optical compressor ever is the Teletronix LA-2A Leveler Collection.

Universal Audio was somewhat expected to use the chance to explore some of their other vintage compressor plug-ins after releasing the revised 1176 Classic Limiter plug-in collection. However, the most recent “analog classic” plug-in to enter its second generation is the Teletronix LA-2A.

It’s unquestionably a timely step, especially because the original plug-ins are older than ten years and that plug-in authors now have access to substantially more CPU resources than they did previously.

The Teletronix LA-2A optical compressor was one of the most admired hardware optical compressors of its era, known for its melodious, smooth compression.

The well-regarded late 1960s “Silver” version of the LA-2A, a more recent version from the mid-1960s “Gray,” and an extremely rare early 1960s LA-2 were made available by Universal Audio as plug-ins.

Key Features:

• Two-Knob Compressor
  The attraction of the Teletronix LA-2A hardware and plug-in must be its constrained control set, which is maybe the antithesis of the adaptability provided by a VCA compressor that can change appearances.
  It is essentially a two-knob compressor, with a Gain knob to boost the signal back to unity once compression has been applied, and Peak Reduction works as a kind of Threshold control. The plug-extra in’s Limit/Compress option, which has some control over the compression ratio, is included in both the Silver and Gray versions.
• Peak Reduction
  The trigger threshold can be changed using this parameter to determine how much signal compression is applied. Lowering the threshold results in more compression when the value is increased. The values on the front panel knobs are arbitrary and do not correspond to any particular dB level. To acquire the desired compression, turn this control clockwise.
  Set the VU Meter knob to Gain Reduction to keep an eye on the peak reduction amount. Peak Reduction needs to be changed separately from the Gain control. The signal is still tainted by the circuitry even when Peak Reduction is set to its lowest value, and the Gain control can be used to change the output level.
• Emphasis Control
  The unique Emphasis control input, which helps innovatively adjust compression performance and colour, and the obvious absence of “picture collapse” when you push the compressor harder are notable upgrades over the original heritage plug-in. In addition, the sidechain signal’s filtering is increased when the Emphasis control is turned counterclockwise.
  As a result, the sidechain signal’s lower frequency content is gradually reduced by the Emphasis filter, making the compression less sensitive to those frequencies and more sensitive to the high-frequency information. Therefore, the higher frequencies are increasingly compressed when sidechain filtering is increased.

Compatibility:

The OS requirements for this plugin are Windows 7 or higher for PC and macOS 10.9 or higher for Mac. It comes in VST/RTAS/AU/AAX formats and supports 32 and 64 bit systems.

Related Reading:

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5. Black Rooster Audio VLA-2A

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

A brand-new German software startup called Black Rooster Audio is committed to producing high-quality DAW plug-ins.

A brand-new German software startup called Black Rooster Audio is committed to producing high-quality DAW plugins. Their initial product is the VLA-2A, an imitation of an Opto compressor. Would Black Rooster Audio sound well enough to compete with the other comparable emulations, given the abundance of them on the market?

Key Features:

• Circuit Emulation
  Original LA-2A units’ tone and feel are the foundation for the VLA-2A circuit replica. Black Rooster Audio used an authentic 1968 reference device to model and match every component of the compressor, including the input and output transformers, audio path tube stages, and filters.
• Auto-Adjust
  The VLA-2A’s automatic oversampling adjustment maintains audio transparency, which is another intriguing feature. In order to conserve CPU while yet delivering the most transparent sound possible, the oversampling rate automatically adjusts to the session sample rate.
• User Interface
  The Vintage Levelling Amplifier has a minimal and attractive GUI. Its simple and clean layout features all the controls you’d expect on emulation. On the left, there’s an On/Off switch, a Limit and Compress switch and large rotary knobs for Gain and Peak Reduction.
  On the right-hand side, there’s a VU Level that allows you to switch between Input, Gain Reduction and Output. In the centre of the plugin are the VU meter and the Black Rooster Audio logo. The controls look neat and clean, and even the font on the compressor looks classy. Simply opening it up in my DAW gave me a good first impression.

Compatibility:

The OS requirements for this plugin are Windows 7 or higher for PC and macOS 10.9 or higher for Mac. It comes in VST/RTAS/AU/AAX formats and supports 32 and 64 bit systems.

Summary:

The VLA-2A is a flexible compressor and limiter that may be utilized in various musical genres. This compressor is nicely made, simple to operate, and has decent sound quality. Its compression capabilities would be useful among other instruments.

By dialling up the Gain knob, the VLA-2A may also be utilized to create more severe sounds. We discovered that the low-end frequencies remained tight and apparent, even increased Gain.

6. Mellowmuse CP2V

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Mellowmuse CP2V is a compressor with a straightforward interface and offers multi-stage analog modeling.

An audio dynamics compressor plugin for songs and programs with personality and attitude is vintage-style CP2V with a straightforward interface and multi-stage analog modelling processing that adds harmonic saturating smoothness.

He is equally comfortable destroying percussion, taming voices, and improving acoustic guitar. The gooiest compressor sound Mellowmuse has ever produced, without a doubt!

Key Features:

• Compression And Make-Up
  By merely raising the amount of compression and saturation, the compression knob pushes the input level up toward the threshold. Additionally, the Make Up Knob controls the output volume and serves as a saturation enhancer. 
• Attack And Release
  Finally, we have a beautifully integrated and responsive Vu Meter in the middle of the plugin. Under that, there are two possibilities for the Attack Switch: rapid or slow, and the attack’s reaction time is fixed. The Release knob may function fast or Slow and has a predetermined release time. Under all that, a preset tab is quite helpful for saving voice settings and other things.
  

Compatibility:

The OS requirements for this plugin are Windows 7 or higher for PC and macOS 10.9 or higher for Mac. It comes in VST/RTAS/AU/AAX formats and supports 32 and 64 bit systems.

7. TBT TLS 1295 LEA

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The LA-2A limiting amplifier served as the inspiration for the compressor plug-in known as TLS 1295 LEA, which is currently a 64-bit VST plug-in for Windows and Linux.

The TLs 1295 LEA plugin is a compressor that draws from the functionality of this sort of analog device rather than attempting to be a 100% accurate analog recreation of an Opto compressor. Its creator defines it as a compressor with a hint of the vintage LA2A limiting amplifier.

Key Features:

• Ratio Curve
  A closer examination reveals that the compressor has a gentle knee inside the ratio curve and never functions as a limiter when pushed to the limit. The 4:1 ratio can be roughly represented by setting the Peak Reduction slider to 40 dB.
• Meter
  A meter for signal output and gain reduction, an LED indicator for when our signal reaches the clip, copy/paste, an A/B test, and integrated MIDI learning features are also included in the plugin (Midi Learn). So naturally, it also has a GUI with a strong analog flavour.
• Envelope
  Although we can adjust the knob in Clean when performing compression of all ways will be done, they will introduce harmonics into the signal, so the developer added control over envelopes (Attack – Release), we can adjust the level of harmonic distortion (Clean / Driven), we also have a Side-chain High Pass filter and Dry/Wet mix control.

Compatibility:

The OS requirements for this plugin are Windows 7 or higher for PC and macOS 10.9 or higher for Mac. It comes in VST/RTAS/AU/AAX formats and supports 32 and 64 bit systems.

8. Waves CLA-2A

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Another great product from the CLA line that boasts character and fidelity to the vintage sound.

Chris Lord-Alge has had an iconic partnership with Waves Audio Ltd. for quite some time now, offering great products that are equally great renditions of the original hardware units. Their responsiveness and sound character are often similar to what they aim to reproduce, ranging from equalizers to compressors and beyond.

Key Features:

• • Vintage inspired
    The CLA-2A plugin is inspired by the Teletronix tube compressor made in the early 1960s. The original unit was hand-wired, and this is a hard aspect to reproduce digitally because it solely depends on components within the circuit. To overcome this, Waves included some analog elements inside this plugin’s algorithms, such as “Total Harmonic Distortion,” “Variable Release Times,” “Hum,” and “T4,” which reproduces the original optical component inside the compressor.
  • Peak reduction
    The dedicated “Peak Reduction” knob tailors the proper amount of compression in your signal, set in a range from zero to 100 (0.01 steps) and with an initial value of 46.00. However, the scale is not linear as the original compressor, thus offering a bit more compression than its precursor in some cases.
  • HiFreq
    The small “HiFreq” button is responsible for adding gain to the amplifier voltage, but only for frequencies above the 1kHz mark. If set to a flat position, the plugin will provide equal peak reduction in the circuit for all frequencies. If you move away significantly from the flat position, the compressor will become less active in the lower frequencies, resulting in a more lightweight overall compression.
  • Analog selection
    External interferences, such as floor noises or electrical hums specific to the electric current that the compressor unit would be plugged in, can also affect the final sound result. This seeks to mimic how their power supplies would behave in different environments, independent of any parameters included within. You can turn it off to get the effect running undisturbed, but there are also “50Hz” and “60 Hz” selections that will bring up that “vintage mojo” from the old units.

Compatibility:

This plugin is available for macOS 10.15.7, 11.6.5, and 12.4 (64-bit only) and Windows 10 or higher (64-bit only). It runs in VST, VST3, AAX, and AU plugin formats.

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9. IK Multimedia White 2A Leveling Amplifier

More Info & Price (Trial Available)

Another member of the T-Racks suite by IK Multimedia, the White 2A leveling Amplifier offers a slightly different take on the classic Teletronix LA-2A discussed before.

The classic LA-2A uses a lamp controlled by the side chain to alter the conductivity of a photosensitive device, which then controls the gain for the signal.

This is an Opto-attenuator system, and it has some unusual linearities that allow for a smooth and musical sound signature that works perfectly with vocals, as well as adds a subtle warmth to bass instruments.

For the interface, users are greeted with gain control to manipulate the output signal, whereas peak reduction is used to specify the level of gain reduction to be applied. A meter can be switched to show readings from +10dB to +4dB.

Additionally, users can set the choice of stereo from L/R or M/S. Finally, users can switch between the limiter and compressor using the switch provided.

The plugin version (the White 2A leveling Amplifier) offers the same control knobs but with additional switches for the stereo control. Now you have this “=” sign which links the two channels, either L/R or M/S, together and processes them simultaneously instead of processing them separately.

Moreover, you get to switch between limiters and compressors using the switch provided.

Key Features:

• Controls
  Here, the Peak Reduction determines how much gain reduction is used, while the Gain control modifies the output signal. This time, there is a reset button, a meter that may be altered, and a stereo processing option independent left/right. There are no attack or release settings, just like on the original hardware, and the switch toggles between a very moderate compression and a more aggressive, limiter-type action.
• Usability
  Initially designed for broadcast usage, it quickly evolved into a genuinely iconic recording and mixing tool. It’s essential for voice tracking and mixing, but it also works wonders on electric bass, upright bass, piano, brass, and many other instruments where you require light compression with a distinct warmth. One of the few components in the audio business that another item will not replace is this one.
• Circuitry
  The actual compression process doesn’t include any electrical hardware. Instead, a simple photoresistor tube amplifier is powered by an output signal and illuminated by the fluorescent panel. There were only two methods available at the time of this innovation for creating an audio compressor: variable-mu and optical. The magic came when the correct components for the light emitting panel and the photocells were matched since optics was the simplest science.

Compatibility:

The OS requirements for this plugin are Windows 7 or higher for PC and macOS 10.9 or higher for Mac. It comes in VST/RTAS/AU/AAX formats and supports 32 and 64 bit systems.

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10. Brainworx bx_opto

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Released back in July 2015, the bx_opto by Brainworks is an Opto compressor plugin designed after traditional optical compressors but with a twist in controls to make it highly versatile.

Obviously, most of the Opto compressor plugins, including the ones discussed in this article, are inspired in some way or another by the classic LA-2A compressor; the bx_opto is no exception. The bx_opto is not as simple as the LA-2A in its interface as it offers a few more control knobs as opposed to the simple 2 main control knobs interface offered by the LA-2A.

These knobs offer you more control over the sound design of the compression, which makes this plugin highly versatile. In addition to that, bx_opto has an improved sound design over the LA-2A. For example, it does not add saturation as dramatically as the LA-2A does, making it easier to use for a pleasant punch at slower speeds and exciting urgency for faster speeds.

Key Features:

• Speed Control
  The additional Speed control is bx opto’s main selling point. As a result of the peculiarities of the light decay in their level detectors, conventional optical circuits have a fixed release time.
  Brainworx broke the analog rules of nature by adding an adjustable release time control. The handbook claims that velocity control has just a little impact on attack time. This gives optical compression access to a completely new realm.
• Side Chaining
  With the presence of the ever-popular sidechain filter, low-end pumping from things like pushing bass on turntables is a breeze. It has a full but not full bottom end. This sidechain filter is perhaps one of the more adaptable ones we’ve encountered.
  As well as a variable filter with a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, it features four distinct filter types: High Pass, Low Pass, and two Band Pass settings. Brainworx has also included the now-ubiquitous “Mix” disc for parallel compression to complete the functionality.

Compatibility:

This plugin requires Windows 7 or higher for PC and macOS 10.9 or higher for Mac. It comes in VST/VST3/AU/AAX formats and supports 64-bit devices only.

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11. ADHD Leveling Tool

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Looking like a classic compressor, the ADHD levelling tool is a free plugin that does surprisingly well in capturing the sound of a classic compressor unit.

The developers of this plugin claim to have carefully engineered this plugin for optimum performance on vocals. It can also be used on instruments like guitar, bass, etc., to duck down some peaks and add more punch and character to the mix.

Key Features:

• User Interface
  Controls are all present and properly shown in the user interface. The compressor has numerous uncommon characteristics in addition to dry/wet control. A sidechain high-pass filter adds a high-pass to the signal it is listening to, making parallel compression easier to create and lessening the pumping impact. Here, a rotational actuation control may also be used to modify the saturation level of the tube.
• Gain Knob
  Peak reduction will result in a low volume of the signal. Add some makeup to raise the ante. The levelling tool has an integrated tube driving effect; the more gain applied, the more effective the tube actuation.
• Attack and Release
  When a gain has reached the threshold, the assault is the length of time needed to reduce it, and the release is the amount of time needed to stop reducing profits once the return signal lowers the threshold.
• Dry/Wet and High Pass Filter
  The signal being listened to by the compressor should have a highpass filter added. It may be applied to remove the bass-heavy pumping effects and make some compression more transparent. Additionally, Dry/Wet may be utilized for parallel compression, which is excellent for drums but normally should be set to 100% Wet.

Compatibility

The ADHD levelling tool has support for most Windows and Mac operating systems. It comes in VST/AU formats which makes it not available for Pro Tools. It supports both 32 and 64 bit systems. 

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2 Bonuses:

Analog Obsession LALA

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The LALA plugin from Analog Obsession gives you smooth compression that’s great for vocals and bass guitar.

The LA2A-type compressors are among the most popular studio units. They provide smooth compression with a slow attack, which is ideal for processing vocals and bass guitars. Through years of digital music production, dozens of plugins have been created that emulate their operation. And now we’re going to talk about a free one.

It is another Analog Obsession product called LALA. You will immediately see by its design that it is a reference to the original LA2A compressor by Teletronix. You will have the same main Gain and Peak Reduction knobs and additional features. We’ll talk about them below.

Key Features:

• Extremely Simple Operation
  As with other similar plugins, you get an extremely simple operation. It comes down to only two knobs, Peak Reduction and Gain. With the first, you can select the amount of compression, and the second helps you balance the output signal.
• Sidechain Section
  On the left side of the plugin, you will see some additional features. For example, there is a High Pass Filter from 20 to 500 hertz. You can also adjust the compressor’s sensitivity to medium and high frequencies, thanks to the corresponding knobs. And, of course, there is an External Sidechain button.
• Adjust The Balance
  If you want to use this plugin for parallel vocal compression, you will have the option to do so. That’s because the developers have implemented here the Mix function, which is not present even in some similar paid plugins. So use it to find a proper balance.
• Three Nice-Looking Skins
  Another cool thing about this plugin is that it has three skins. Specifically, these are White, Vintage, and Modern. It’s not a big deal, but it’s nice. Choose the one that pleases your eye the most.

Compatibility:

Analog Obsession LALA is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher. It comes in VST/3 and AU formats.

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Klanghelm MJUC Jr.

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MJUC Jr. is an emulation of a variable-mu compressor, reflecting the sound of the 60s.

μ (Mu) is a technical term for audio gain. Hence, a vari-mu compressor varies or changes the audio level using transformers to achieve its tube-based compression. This technique makes its effect faster, smoother, and distortion-free. MJUC Jr. delivers the sound using in-depth emulation.

Key Features:

• Analog Sound
  The plugin uses component emulation to recreate the sound of vari-mu compressors. Hence, using more compression introduces saturation, which you can use creatively in vocals, drums, etc. However, you can also use it on slower audio like the bass with equally good results.
• Slew Control
  The Time Constraint slider lets you set the compression attack and release times. However, it doesn’t stop there — the emulation also enables you to change the slew rate of the transformers. Slew Rate is the maximum number of voltage changes in a range of time. So, it controls whether the audio is distorted.

Compatibility:

MJUC Jr. is available for Windows 7 or higher and macOS 10.9 or higher, both 64-bit only. It comes in VST 2/3, AU, and AAX formats.

Summary:

Vari-mu compressors are generally preferred for fast, transient sounds when you desire less distortion or coloring. However, if pushed hard, they are also capable of producing transformer and tube-based saturation. MJUC Jr. does both quite impressively, and we think it deserves a try for sure.

Related Reading:

The 7 Best Vari-Mu Compressor Plugins 2023 (And 2 Best FREE Tools)

Conclusion

Well, this significant history that completely transformed compressor quality also benefits from a place in the present world. There are several plugins available now that imitate the analog sound of the past. This LA-2A assortment provides the greatest alternatives in the field of modulation in recent times, and we can see the demand for customers to have options about the mix of their songs with these plugins.

Of course, if we want to produce a quick overview and highlight the plugin that best emulates the Teletronix® LA-2A, we must add that everyone’s favourite is the UAD Teletronix® LA-2A Classic Leveler Collection. This plugin has undoubtedly had the most requests from the general public, and their plugin is the most accurate. Native Instruments VC 2A is not far behind, and in some phases, it even outperforms UAD. Native Instruments thought it was vital to provide a low-cut slider that aids the compressor when doing parallel compression. Electro-Optical technology is equally crucial.

Let’s not forget TBT TLS 1295 LEA, which has been used for many years by productions, and a 64bit version of it has been constantly requested. It fits perfectly in conjunction with the voices, and the signal benefits from a valuable analog character. It’s also free, so please give it a try.