Developer Analog Obsession has released LAEA, a free vintage optical compressor emulation.
There are a few names in the freeware community whose plugins enter our must-try category by default, and Analog Obsession is one of them.
But here we are with LAEA, an emulation of a rather famous solid-state optical compressor from the late 1960s.
If the name hasn’t given it away already, we can look back at a previous Analog Obsession emulation for some background.
The LA-2A first appeared in the early 1960s, and around six or seven years later came the LA-3A, a transistor-based alternative in a smaller form.
Now, a few years after LALA, Analog Obsession gives us LAEA, a UREI LA-3A (initially Teletronix LA-3A) emulation.
The LA-3A is a simple unit, and the plugin matches the hardware in that sense, with just two knobs: Gain and Reduction.
The plugin also features a few buttons:
- LIM – sets the compressor to limiter mode
- HPF – engages the sidechain high-pass filter
- EXT – engages an external sidechain
- I/O – bypass
The interface is resizable from 50% to 200%.
LAEA is available in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS (10.11 or later) and Windows (10-11).
As always, the plugin is free to download, but if you want to support Analog Obsession’s work, you can become a paying Patreon.
The LA-3A was a favorite of countless producers throughout the 1970s because its distinct mid-forward character could cut through a dense mix with ease.
With a faster attack than the LA-2A, the LA-3A is ideal for dealing with drums and tricky guitar parts, but it’s also excellent on aggressive or punchy vocals, which is why you’ll hear it all over rap music today.
I’m glad to see Analog Obsession follow up with LAEA because we don’t see nearly as many LA-3A emulations as we do LA-2A.
Plus, it’s Analog Obsession, so we can set our expectations suitably high without fear.
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Last Updated on March 20, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
