It sounds like you're dealing with a common technical or aesthetic "crackling" issue with the Waves CLA-2A
First introduced in the 1960s, the original CLA-2A was hand-built by LA-based audio engineer, Clarence Moore, and quickly became the go-to compressor for the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and other legendary acts. Its unique, program-dependent release characteristic and gentle, opto-electronic gain cell design made it an indispensable tool for controlling dynamics and adding a touch of sonic magic to vocals, drums, and bass. waves cla2a compressor crack hot
Peak Reduction: Controls the threshold and amount of compression. Turning this "up" increases the amount of gain reduction. It sounds like you're dealing with a common