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Built on the foundation of Rupert Neve’s pioneering work, Rupert Neve Designs continues to set the standard for modern analog gear. From classic console designs to modern studio staples, RND’s gear has earned its place in control rooms around the world.
The brand’s OptoFET dual-stage compressor adds to that legacy, combining a newly designed FET compression circuit with an optimized version of RND’s classic optical compressor in a single rack space.
With two modes of operation, including Dual Stage mode for classic serial compression, and an innovative new Dual Band mode that assigns each compressor to either low or high-frequency bands, the OptoFET offers advanced dynamic control and colorful tone shaping.
In this First Listen video, engineer Addison Sauvan puts the Rupert Neve Designs OptoFET compressor through its paces while tracking a session with The Minks, including performances by Nikki Barber (Vocals, Guitar), Ben Geisecke (Guitar, Backing Vocals), Dylan Sevey (Drums, Backing Vocals), and Henri Young (Bass, Backing Vocals).
The Rupert Neve Designs OptoFET is an incredibly versatile dynamics processor that’s perfect for handling everyday recording and mixing tasks, while offering the depth and control needed for more advanced tonal shaping.
As mentioned above, it includes a newly-designed FET compression circuit, as well as an optimized version of RND’s classic optical compressor. Each compressor offers fully variable Attack, Release, Threshold, and Make-Up gain Controls, meaning both compressors can be used independently, but the real magic happens when you use them together.
Use them in serial for the classic 1176- > LA-2A-style compression combo, or use the Flip button to swap their order in the signal chain for a completely different sound.
In Dual Band mode, a unique variable crossover control allows you to fine-tune the compression across upper- and lower-frequency bands for unique tone shaping capabilities. Plus, you can even use a pair of OptoFETs in dual mono for even more control.
To top it all off, the OptoFET offers a number of advanced features for modern studios, including parallel blend controls, side-chain high pass filter, and special ‘GRIT’ and ‘BLOOM’ harmonic modes for added color and saturation.
At the heart of the OptoFET is RND’s new FET compressor design, which combines classic FET characteristics like ultra-fast attack times and common ratio settings with modern features like GRIT mode.
The FET circuit offers a variable Attack (with the fastest time being a lightning-fast 100 microseconds), Release, Threshold, +20 dB of Make-up Gain, and a parallel Blend control. The Ratio can be set to either 4:1 or 8:1, and the 125 Hz sidechain highpass filter can be toggled on to leave the low-end of a source untouched.
Perhaps the most exciting feature is the new GRIT mode. Simply press the GRIT button to transform the FET compressor into a powerful wave shaper, introducing plenty of rich harmonic distortion in the upper frequency range. Use the new Blend controls to dial in just the right amount of distortion for any track.
Rupert Neve Designs has created several optical compression circuits over the years, including the Color Comp in the best-selling MBT Master Bus Transformer. For the OptoFET, RND updated the brand’s classic optical circuit with slower attack and release settings to perfectly complement the faster, high-frequency focused FET compressor.
For controls, the Opto compressor includes variable Attack (starting at 5 milliseconds), Release, Threshold, +20 dB of Make-up Gain, and parallel Blend controls, arranged in the same way on the front panel as the FET section. Ratio can be set to either 2:1 or 5:1, and it also includes a 125 Hz sidechain highpass filter to help keep the low-end thumping.
Just like the new FET compressor, the Opto section includes a new harmonic saturation circuit called BLOOM. With BLOOM engaged, the low-order harmonics increase significantly, instantly making sources sound warmer, rounder, and more pronounced in the low-end.
While the OptoFET perfectly recreates the classic 1176- > LA-2A-style compression sound, it's far from a one-trick pony. With two modes of operation, Dual Stage and Dual Band, the possibilities are endless.
In Dual Stage mode, the serial order of both compressors can be ‘flipped’ by pressing the Flip button, allowing you to smooth out tracks with the gentle Opto circuit before more aggressive FET compression. Both circuits can also be used independently for pure FET- or Opto-style compression.
In Dual Band mode, the OptoFET can also become a Dual Band compressor by simply pressing the ‘X-OVER IN’ button, which engages the Crossover filters and the corresponding ‘CROSSOVER’ variable frequency control. In this mode, each compressor is assigned to either the low- or high-frequency band, allowing you to independently process both bands simultaneously. Uset he variable frequency selection control to dial in exactly where the crossover to split, from 50 Hz to 500 Hz.
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