When you A/B a legit license against a crack, the legit version sounds wider, clearer, and deeper. The crack sounds "crunchy." You are paying in sonic fidelity.
: Small buffer sizes (like 128 samples) often cannot handle the calculations required for CLA plugins. Increase your DAW's buffer size to 256 or 512 samples to clear up processing-related crackle. Manage Input Levels waves cla vocals crack