VLA-3A

Vintage Leveling Amplifier

VLA-3A Frontplate
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Manual Download

VLA-3A Manual

Supported formats

AAX plugin support VST plugin support VST3 plugin support Audio Unit plugin support

Supported platforms (32/64 bit)

Requirements

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (MAC)

  • Intel Core CPU or Apple SIlicon M+ Processor
  • 1GB of RAM
  • Mac OSX 10.10 or newer (M1/M2 supported)
  • VST, VST3, AU or AAX compatible host (64bit)
  • Display resolution of 1280x1024 pixels or more

MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (WINDOWS)

  • SSE2 compatible processor (Intel Core CPU recommended)
  • 1GB of RAM
  • Windows 7 or newer
  • VST, VST3 or AAX (x64) compatible host
  • Display resolution of 1280x1024 pixels or more
 

Overview

Black Rooster Audio is proud to present the VLA-3A plug-in, one of the most authentic native emulations of its analog brother from the 70s. This is our goto-compressor for vocals, but it also works incredibly well for bringing out the ambience on percussive material and helping to put some glue into your mixes.

Sound Samples

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Features

Authentic circuit emulation

Our realtime component based circuit simulation approach allows for authentically capturing the sound and feel of the analog unit as close as possible. All the crucial parts, including in- and output transformers, discrete sidechain and audio path networks, filters and of course the T4B cell have been faithfully modelled.

SSE2 optimized code

DSP operations are pipelined using the SSE2 instruction set. This ensures high performance operation despite very complex computations.

Auto-adjusted oversampling for maximum audio transparency

Aliasing artifacts are efficiently attenuated using a low latency linear phase Dolph-Chebyshev polyphase design. The oversampling rate is auto adjusted to your session's sample rate to save CPU while offering the most transparent sound possible.

HighDPI / Retina support

Our user interfaces support high pixel density on both Windows and Mac OS systems to present you with the most enjoyable user experience on high DPI displays. Please refer to your manual to learn whether your DAW is HighDPI capable if you're working on Windows.

Examples & Videos

Notes & additional info

LA-3A is a registered trademark of Universal Audio, Inc. Black Rooster Audio's products, specifically, the VLA-3A Vintage Leveling Amplifier, is developed by Black Rooster Audio, based on its own modeling techniques. Universal Audio, Inc. has neither endorsed nor sponsored Black Rooster Audio's products in any manner, nor licensed any intellectual property for use in this product.

Customer Reviews

5
The Gold Standard of Optical Compression: VLA-3A Review by Miguel Afonso (2025-10-18)

"The VLA-3A by Black Rooster Audio stands out as one of the most authentic and musical optical compressors in the digital realm. Inspired by the legendary LA-3A hardware, this plugin captures the soul of analog compression while delivering the flexibility and reliability of modern digital production. From the first listen, it’s clear that the VLA-3A excels at adding warmth, depth, and cohesion to any source. Whether it’s vocals, bass, guitars, or even the stereo bus, this compressor enhances the material with a smooth, natural glue that never sounds harsh or over-processed. The dynamic response feels alive — transparent when needed, yet capable of firm, characterful control. The interface is elegant and intuitive, making it easy to dial in great results quickly. Black Rooster’s attention to sonic detail is evident in the plugin’s subtle harmonic coloration and the faithful modeling of the optical gain reduction behavior. CPU usage is impressively low, allowing for multiple instances in complex sessions without compromising performance. In short, the VLA-3A combines vintage character with modern excellence. It’s a must-have tool for producers and engineers who seek analog-style compression with pristine sound quality and ease of use."

5
Amazin by Luer (2025-10-17)

"This plugin by Black Rooster Audio faithfully emulates the classic LA-2A optical compressor. It delivers smooth, warm, and musical compression, ideal for vocals, bass, and guitars. It adds analog-style color with modern controls like external sidechain, dry/wet mix, and optical cell selection. The interface is clean, and it performs well even in demanding mixes. Perfect for natural, musical compression. Not ideal for aggressive compression or fast transients."

5
Amazin by Luer (2025-10-17)

"Este plugin de Black Rooster Audio emula el clásico compresor óptico LA-2A con gran fidelidad. Ofrece compresión suave, cálida y musical, ideal para voces, bajos y guitarras. Aporta color analógico con controles modernos como sidechain externo, dry/wet y selección de célula óptica. Su interfaz es clara y suena muy bien incluso en mezclas exigentes. Perfecto para compresión natural y envolvente. No es ideal para compresión agresiva o transitorios rápidos."

5
Excelente by Davi Ruan (2025-10-17)

"i really love this plugin! excelent performance "

5
Muy bueno by Mauricio León (2025-10-17)

"Muy bueno, hace el efecto de que todo se complemente dentro de la mezcla"

5
excelent by Lutus (2025-10-17)

"excellent plugin!!!"

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Industry Reviews

Joe Barresi

Joe Barresi

Producer/Mixer/Engineer QOTSA, Tool, Slipknot, Bad Religion, Beatsteaks JoeBarresi.com

"These 2 compressor plugins (the VLA-2A and 3A) are really, really good—very smooth, and they react a lot like the original hardware versions. In fact, I like the limiter part better than most….A really nice addition to the arsenal of compressor plugins out there."

Talio Sánchez

Talio Sánchez

Mixer/Engineer taliosanchezmixing.com

"I've always loved the hardware on vocals, bass, guitars and pretty much everything that needs well balanced dynamics and a thick tone. The VLA-3A does justice to all this, especially on how it pushes the mid-range forward adding thickness which is my favorite characteristic of this processor. After all these years without the hardware I'm happy to have the VLA-3A."

Simon Hildenbrand

Simon Hildenbrand

Mixer/Engineer zimmerli SOUNDS

"You can throw almost anything at this plug-in. The VLA-3A will grab it, tighten it up and bring it to the front. It’s amazing on vocals, guitars, horns and percussion. This compressor will be definitely my go-to for everything that needs to groove."