Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which effect to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
CLA-2A is a compressor plugin from Waves. Score 8.4/10, price $35 to $149, formats and comparisons.
Kazrog Vac Rac TSL: official Inward Connections tube optical compressor with four voicings, 2:1 to 12:1 ratios, THD drive and M/S. $49.99 intro from $79.99.
Technical matrix
| Signal | CLA-2A | Kazrog Vac Rac TSL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $35 to $149 | $49.99 intro (regular $79.99) |
| Dubspot Score | 8.4 | — |
| Formats | VST3, AU, AAX | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, LV2, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Product type | effect from Waves | — |
| Developer | Waves | — |
| Typical price | $35–$149 | — |
| Formats | VST3, AU, AAX | Mac: VST, AU, AAX (Universal Binary). Windows: VST, AAX. Linux: VST3, VST2, LV2 |
| Primary job | focused effect work in modern sessions | — |
| Catalog status | Current as of 2026 | — |
| Type | — | Two-channel tube optical compressor/limiter |
| Units modelled | — | TSL-5, TSL-4 (Devin Powers), TSL-3 (Ross Hogarth), TLM-1 path (JJ Blair) |
| Ratio and reduction | — | 2:1 to 12:1, up to 40 dB per channel |
| Modes | — | Dual mono, stereo link, mid/side |
| Sidechain | — | High-pass 10 Hz to 250 Hz, low-pass |
| Oversampling | — | Up to 64x real time, 256x offline |
| Systems | — | macOS 10.13 or later; Windows 10 or later recommended |
| Licence | — | Perpetual, multiple devices, no iLok |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.