CLA-76 Compressor / Limiter
The deal
$34.99 at Waves (down from $149), a 77% discount. This is Waves' standing sale price on the CLA-76, not a limited-time promo, so there's no countdown to beat, but Waves prices do shift, so grab it while it's live.
What it is
The CLA-76 is a FET compressor/limiter plugin modeled on two of mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge's own hardware 1176-style units, nicknamed "Bluey" and "Blacky." It reproduces the ultra-fast attack and tube-like distortion of the original circuitry, giving it a tight, aggressive character rather than the smooth leveling of an optical compressor. The plugin includes the classic fixed-threshold workflow, four ratio buttons, and the extreme "All" mode that stacks every ratio at once for maximum color.
Who it's for
Mixing and mastering engineers working in rock, pop, hip-hop, and other genres that call for punchy, in-your-face dynamics. It's a go-to for vocals, drums, bass, and mix-bus glue where speed and character matter more than transparency.
Key features
- Two hand-picked hardware models, Bluey and Blacky, in one plugin
- Super-fast FET-style attack and release for catching transients other compressors miss
- Classic 1176 ratio buttons (4:1, 8:1, 12:1, 20:1) plus the extreme "All" mode
- Sidechain high-pass filter to keep low end from triggering unwanted pumping
