Waves Audio CLA-76 User Guide

WAVES

CLA-76

User Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................3

1.1 WELCOME...........................................................................................................................................................3

1.2 PRODUCT OVERVIEW ..........................................................................................................................................3

1.3 ABOUT THE MODELING ........................................................................................................................................4

1.4 COMPONENTS.....................................................................................................................................................5

CHAPTER 2 – QUICKSTART GUIDE.......................................................................................................................6

CHAPTER 3 – INTERFACE AND CONTROLS.........................................................................................................7

3.1 CLA-76 INTERFACE ............................................................................................................................................7

3.2 CLA-76 CONTROLS ............................................................................................................................................8

CHAPTER 4 – THE WAVESYSTEM .......................................................................................................................11

4.1 THE WAVESYSTEM TOOLBAR ............................................................................................................................11

Toolbar Functions..............................................................................................................................................................11

4.2 PRESET HANDLING............................................................................................................................................11

Preset Types .....................................................................................................................................................................11

Loading Presets and Setups..............................................................................................................................................12

Saving Presets and Setups ...............................................................................................................................................12

Deleting Presets................................................................................................................................................................13

A/B Comparison and Copying ...........................................................................................................................................13

4.3 INTERFACE CONTROLS ............................................................................................................................... .......13

Toggle Buttons ..................................................................................................................................................................13

Value Window Buttons ...................................................................................................................................................... 14

Sliders ...............................................................................................................................................................................14

Hover Box..........................................................................................................................................................................14

TAB Functions...................................................................................................................................................................14

APPENDIX A – CLA-76 CONTROLS......................................................................................................................15

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Chapter 1 – Introduction

1.1 Welcome

Thank you for choosing Waves! In order to get the most out of your Waves processor, please take the
time to read through this

In conjunction, we also suggest that you become familiar with www.wavesupport.net
an extensive Answer Base, the latest Tech Specs, detailed Installation guides, new Software
Updates, and current information on Authorization and Registration.

By signing up at www.wavesupport.net
products, reminders when updates are available, and information on your authorization status.

1.2 Product Overview

About the CLA-76

The CLA-76 is modeled after one of the best renowned solid state compressor/limiters in music history,
which uniqu
originally manufactured, and went through at least 13 revisions during their run. Waves modeled two of
these highly-regarded revisions:

 Revision B, also known as the Silverface Bluestripe. The unit we modeled is CLA’s personal favorite.


Revision D-LN (Low Noise), also known as the Blackface. It is perhaps the most famous version of
this classic compressor.

The main differences between the two units are slightly different gain stages and time constants, as
well as THD and noise levels. For the CLA-76 plug-ins, we

ely used Field Effect Transistors (FETs) as gain control devices. Some 8,000 units were

About Chris Lord-Alge

Grammy®-winner Chris Lord-Alge is the mixing engineer of choice for pop and rock royalty.
Green Day | U2 | Dave Matthews Band | Daughtry | Pink | Leona Lewis | Avril Lavigne |

My Chemical Romance | All American Rejects | Nickelback | Rob Thomas | Snow Patrol |
Ray LaMontagne | Miley Cyrus | Jonas Bros. | Tim McGraw | Faith Hill | Tina Turner | Rod Stewart |
Celine Dion | Santana

For almost thirty years, Chris has energized the sound of popular music. His hard-hitting mixes have
transformed the radio so
massive hardware arsenal includes racks and racks of the most coveted compression units in music
history.

manual.

. There you will find

, you will receive personalized information on your registered

modeled the original pre-amp noise.

| Steve Winwood | James Brown

undscape, and introduced a new sonic vocabulary along the way. CLA’s

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Widely known among audio pros and listeners alike for his p

unchy sound and extreme compression
techniques, Chris gave us exclusive access to model his most prized processors, and worked closely
with Waves through every phase of development. Together with many of his personal presets, these
precision models deliver the distinctive sound of CLA’s favorite classic compressors.

1.3 About the Modeling

Many different elements contribute to the unique sonic behavior of analog gear. Waves painstakingly
modeled and incorporated the characteristics of the hardware into the CLA-76, in order to fully capture and
replicate the sound and performance of the original equipment. The hardware was modeled at reference
levels of –18 dBFS = +4 dBu, meaning that a signal of -18 dBFS from the DAW to the hardware unit will
display a meter reading of 0 VU (+4 dBu).

These are some of the most important elements of analog behavior:

Total Harmonic Distortion

Perhaps the most important analog behavior is Total Harmonic Distortion or THD, which is defined as the
ratio of the sum of the powers of all harmonic components to the power of the fundamental frequency. THD
is usually caused by amplification, and changes signal shape and content by adding odd and even
harmonics of the fundamental frequencies, which can change the overall tonal balance. THD can also
change peak output gain, usually by no more than +/- 0.2-0.3 dB.

Superfast Attack Time

The original hardware that inspired the CLA-76 is known for its
capable of dealing with the fastest transient material. Many compressors, when processing program material
with sharp transients, cause clicks at fast attack and release settings. The CLA-76, however, is capable of
responding to even the sharpest transients, cleanly and musically.

All Mode

Another feature that made the original hardware so popular was its explosive All-Ratio-Buttons-In mode.
The CLA-76’s All mode recreates the original’s aggressive compression, which was caused by the changing
bias of the FET component. This mode is especially effective on drums processed with parallel compression.

Hum

Waves modeled both 50Hz power current and 60Hz power current. If you listen closely, you will hear
that there is a difference in hum level between 50Hz and 60Hz. Since hum is unique to each region and
dependent upon local electrical conditions, you may find that the modeled hum is different than the hum
already present in your studio, and may not be suitable for your particular use.

superfast attack time of 50 microseconds,

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1.4 Components

WaveShell technology enables us to split Waves processors into smaller plug-ins, which we call
components. Having a choice of
choose the configuration best suited to your material.

The CLA-76 has two component processors:

CLA-76 Stereo – Two channel compressor, with one detector for both channel paths
CLA-76 Mono – One channel compressor

components for a particular processor gives you the flexibility to

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