Universal Audio is giving away the Teletronix LA-2A Tube Compressor plugin for free, with no UAD hardware required, as part of its Labor Day Flash Sale running until September 1st.

This isn’t the first time UAD has offered the LA-2A plugin for free, so there’s a good chance many BPB readers already have it in their collection.

That said, if you missed it before, I highly recommend grabbing it now. It’s an excellent emulation of a timeless compression tool that remains a staple in modern mixes.

And if you’d like to hear BPB’s take on the limiting amplifier concept, check out our free BPB Dirty LA plugin.

The LA-2A Tube Compressor is UAD’s native emulation of the legendary Teletronix optical compressor, which is known mainly for its smooth compression and tube-driven warmth.

The original LA-2A was designed in the early 1960s by Jim Lawrence and quickly became a studio staple, especially for vocals, bass, and strings.

This simplified version of the LA-2A Silver plug-in from UAD’s collection focuses on ease of use with just a few key controls: Peak Reduction to set the compression amount and Gain for output level compensation.

A Compress/Limit switch toggles between a softer 3:1 compression ratio and hard limiting, while the VU meter lets you monitor either output level or gain reduction.

What sets the LA-2A apart is its T4 opto cell, which delivers a multi-stage, frequency-dependent release characteristic. In my opinion, that’s what defines the “LA-2A sound.”

That natural, slow recovery gives it a musical response, which works great for smoothing out dynamic vocals or adding low-end glue to bass tracks. It’s also worth noting that even without applying compression, the emulated circuitry provides a bit of analog character that you can use to enhance clean sources.

UAD’s version includes useful presets and a faithful recreation of the original’s sonics, thanks to extensive modeling of both the optical cell and the tube amplifier circuit.

It’s great for subtle leveling and more colorful compression. From my experience, the LA-2A is one of those rare tools that rarely sound bad, and I think it’s a great tool to have if you’re still learning how compressors work.

Alongside the freebie, UAD’s Labor Day Flash Sale includes plug-ins starting at $39 and discounts on bundles. It’s definitely worth browsing if you’ve had your eye on any UAD tools.

The LA-2A Tube Compressor plugin is available for macOS and Windows, and it runs natively in any DAW (no Apollo or UAD hardware required). You can grab it for free directly from Universal Audio’s website
until September 1st.

Get the freebie: UAD LA-2A Tube Compressor (FREE until September 1st)

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Last Updated on August 28, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.