Teletronix LA-3A Audio Leveler: Optical Compressor Plugin by Universal Audio

The LA-3A is built around optical compression, combining design concepts from a solid-state limiter with the optical design of the LA-2A. Universal Audio presents this as a distinctive sound with faster limiting than the tube-based LA-2A. The developer says it suits sounds that need to sit at the front of a mix.

The plugin is modeled from a hardware unit in Universal Audio's vintage collection, so the tone is aimed at reproducing that specific compressor's character rather than a generic compression curve.

The HF Emphasis sidechain filter lets you compress a drum bus without the kick drum triggering the threshold too aggressively. This is useful when you want the drum bus to punch up while the low end stays in control.

The Dry/Wet Mix control blends the processed signal with the dry signal, which allows quick parallel compression on a synth, piano or instrument bus. It is a practical way to add compression weight without fully squashing the source.