Sneak preview: new FEA opti-FET compressor!

[MultiScaleMale]

My parts supplier for the Toshiba transistors that are used in the DBD and Opti-FET has pushed their expected delivery dates to the end of July (due to production delays).

-Frank

That's not that long of a wait. Well worth it from what bongo says.

 

[Megazap63]

Hi all,

I recently received one of the upgraded OptiFETs recently, having bought one on the strength of reviews on TB and Bongo's site.

Rather than restating all that's already been said in this post, I'd have to say this is easily the best compressor I've used in 25+ years of playing and professional work. This is not some glib statement either, having owned and played around 30 different units previously.

Its first real 'trial' on a jazz/funk gig helped my '70s J bass cut through beautifully while retaining the characteristic fender sound, and not once did it make my sound squashed, thin or sterile. Each control was extremely responsive and I was able to easily dial up the exact sound I wanted. A quick change of bass to a Stingray 5, a bit of twiddling and the exact same response.

The chain I was running was J bass/Stingray - Sadowsky pre (off when using the MM) - 3Leaf GR2 envelope filter - OptiFET - EBS Dynaverb - Promethean combo. The OptiFET is also the first comp pedal I've ever used that evened out the sound of an envelope filter, and (occasional) use of reverb after the comp pedal sounded clear across the full frequency range.

I'll also be testing it out in a few days on a fretless gig and expect that, with a little bit more tweaking, it will perform just as brilliantly.

I haven't yet tried the sidechain function and am not likely to have an immediate need for it, however the quality of the compression using the standard functions is enough to make me very happy indeed and to loudly sing its praises!

I'd highly recommend one of these to anyone after a top-quality studio grade compressor and my compliments to Frank at FEA for developing such a wondeful product that seems perfect for bass. A definite keeper and definitely worth the price tag.

Really quick update on my earlier comments: the fretless sang last night on a gig with the OptiFET!

Also, powering up the OptiFET with a daisy chain supply (Diago) and everything is dead quiet.....

 

[BioDriver]

Hey Frank, any update on the build process?

 

[boomertech]

Hey Frank, any update on the build process?

I received conformation that the parts I am waiting for shipped on Thursday. If everything goes as planned then this batch should be complete within a couple of weeks.

Because of this long delay of waiting for parts… the notification list is almost full and only has a few open slots for this batch. Glen is holding the list and he told me yesterday that that we may not have any available for website stock. So, you may want to put your name on that list if you are interested in this batch.

Thanks.
-Frank

 

[BioDriver]

I received conformation that the parts I am waiting for shipped on Thursday. If everything goes as planned then this batch should be complete within a couple of weeks.

Because of this long delay of waiting for parts… the notification list is almost full and only has a few open slots for this batch. Glen is holding the list and he told me yesterday that that we may not have any available for website stock. So, you may want to put your name on that list if you are interested in this batch.

Thanks.
-Frank

Which I just did. After almost 3 months worth of research I've realized the Opti-FET is the comp I've wanted all along and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

 

[P Daddy Jones]

One would guess that the delays were due to earthquake and following tsunami.
Very excited now.

 

[BaileyMan]

Way old thread...but I've been GASing for one of these for a few weeks now...I've got a used one on the way and can't wait to play with it, especially now that I understand how the sidechain works...thanks for the FEA Opti-Fet threads everyone (and web reviews Bongo)!

 

[BaileyMan]

I'm working on understanding all the great features of this pedal and want to clarify some things.

From what I understand, when the side chain EQ is engaged, it basically acts as separate input gain controls at each of the 3 frequencies. If I add an eq with more bands into the side chain loop I can fine tune this even more. Is this correct?

My other questions are about threshold and gain knobs. Does the threshold essentially act as input gain? Is the Gain knob the makeup gain for increasing the level of the compressed signal?

 

[boomertech]

From what I understand, when the side chain EQ is engaged, it basically acts as separate input gain controls at each of the 3 frequencies. If I add an eq with more bands into the side chain loop I can fine tune this even more. Is this correct?

Yes, that is correct for the control circuit only.

My other questions are about threshold and gain knobs. Does the threshold essentially act as input gain? Is the Gain knob the makeup gain for increasing the level of the compressed signal?

The threshold control adjusts the level of the signal at the side-chain detector. It has no affect on the signal level in the audio path.

The gain control adjusts the final amplifier gain for the audio signal after the opto gain cell.

This may help you:

-Frank

 

[BaileyMan]

The threshold control adjusts the level of the signal at the side-chain detector. It has no affect on the signal level in the audio path.

The gain control adjusts the final amplifier gain for the audio signal after the opto gain cell.

This may help you:


-Frank

Thanks Frank! I'm a bit slow to grok these diagrams, but I'm getting there...So, basically we have an audio signal (that's the signal we hear coming out of the pedal). The Threshold has no impact on the overall level of this signal, similar to the way that the side-chain EQ has no effect on the audio signal. The threshold, however controls how much of the incoming signal is getting compressed. Lower the threshold = more input signal above that threshold = more signal being compressed. Raise the threshold = less signal above the threshold = less signal (i.e. only big spikes) getting compressed. So...if I want more of my signal to be compressed, I need to lower the threshold. If I want the compression to only kick in with the low frequencies, I can roll off the highs and mids on the side-chain eq and turn up the lows. I'm presuming that doing this would tighten up the low end while leaving the highs and mids relatively unaffected.

 

[boomertech]

Thanks Frank! I'm a bit slow to grok these diagrams, but I'm getting there...So, basically we have an audio signal (that's the signal we hear coming out of the pedal). The Threshold has no impact on the overall level of this signal, similar to the way that the side-chain EQ has no effect on the audio signal. The threshold, however controls how much of the incoming signal is getting compressed. Lower the threshold = more input signal above that threshold = more signal being compressed. Raise the threshold = less signal above the threshold = less signal (i.e. only big spikes) getting compressed. So...if I want more of my signal to be compressed, I need to lower the threshold. If I want the compression to only kick in with the low frequencies, I can roll off the highs and mids on the side-chain eq and turn up the lows. I'm presuming that doing this would tighten up the low end while leaving the highs and mids relatively unaffected.

Yes, exactly!
I always tell people that the side-chain EQ is basically just a threshold modifier for those frequency bands. When they can mentally make that connection, then the rest is gravy.

Many use the SC EQ for changing up playing style... like going from finger to slap. Or to have a different compression response/threshold setting for another instrument or song.

-Frank

 

[BaileyMan]

Awesome! Thanks Frank! I think I've got it...of course, what it comes down to in the end is do we like what we hear.

I found some initial settings I like. Looking forward to trying it with the band Sunday!

 

[boomertech]

Awesome! Thanks Frank! I think I've got it...of course, what it comes down to in the end is do we like what we hear.

I found some initial settings I like. Looking forward to trying it with the band Sunday!

Cool! If the Opti doesn't work out for you and you would like another comp that allows you to play with the side-chain... then I suggest trying the Empress, because it has a TRS side-chain insert jack.

-Frank

 

[BaileyMan]

Can someone (Frank?) help me understand the noise issue that sometimes crops up with these pedals? When my pedal is on, it's dead silent, but when I switch it off, it's quite noisy. Folks have mentioned "isolated power supplies". What exactly is an "isolated power supply"? Am I not already running one if I only have this pedal plugged into a power strip with no other pedals?

I'm using a Boss power supply plugged into a power strip that also has an 18v power supply plugged into it for another pedal. I've tried various combinations of outlets and power strips with and without other pedals plugged in with no change. I know some folks have done better with using batteries, but I really don't want to go that route, because I hate the feeling of wondering, "Is the battery going to die on me tonight?"

Would something like the MXR Iso-Brick be recommended for powering multiple pedals?

 

[boomertech]

Can someone (Frank?) help me understand the noise issue that sometimes crops up with these pedals? When my pedal is on, it's dead silent, but when I switch it off, it's quite noisy. Folks have mentioned "isolated power supplies". What exactly is an "isolated power supply"? Am I not already running one if I only have this pedal plugged into a power strip with no other pedals?

I'm using a Boss power supply plugged into a power strip that also has an 18v power supply plugged into it for another pedal. I've tried various combinations of outlets and power strips with and without other pedals plugged in with no change. I know some folks have done better with using batteries, but I really don't want to go that route, because I hate the feeling of wondering, "Is the battery going to die on me tonight?"

Would something like the MXR Iso-Brick be recommended for powering multiple pedals?

I think that this may be the first time I have had someone with a noise issue for when the pedal is bypassed (off). Usually it is a pedal in the active/on mode that exacerbates noise issues.

If you bypass the Opti-FET and remove the power plug from the pedal do you still get noise?

-Frank

 

[BaileyMan]

I think that this may be the first time I have had someone with a noise issue for when the pedal is bypassed (off). Usually it is a pedal in the active/on mode that exacerbates noise issues.

If you bypass the Opti-FET and remove the power plug from the pedal do you still get noise?

-Frank

Thanks the response Frank!

I did get noise when I unplugged the power supply. I removed the other pedal (Catalin Bread SFT) from the chain again and the Opti-Fet was silent both when on and in bypass. I put the SFT back in the chain and no noise...hmm...seems like a little gremlin in there somewhere. I could have also sworn that the other night there was noise when the pedal was on and quiet when bypassed. I wonder if it's not actually a loose ground with the bass. I'll check the bass and see what's happening with the ground there.

 

[boomertech]

Thanks the response Frank!

I did get noise when I unplugged the power supply. I removed the other pedal (Catalin Bread SFT) from the chain again and the Opti-Fet was silent both when on and in bypass. I put the SFT back in the chain and no noise...hmm...seems like a little gremlin in there somewhere. I could have also sworn that the other night there was noise when the pedal was on and quiet when bypassed. I wonder if it's not actually a loose ground with the bass. I'll check the bass and see what's happening with the ground there.

Those problems that seem to bounce around drive me nuts... so I completely understand the frustration of the troubleshooting.

The input and output signal jack grounds are tied to the power jack ground in the Opti and do not pass thru a switch. The input signal is always connected to the HI-Z input amplifier and it also goes to one side of the footswitch, so that it can be directly connected to the output jack when in bypass. That's why I call it direct-bypass instead of true-bypass.

-Frank

 

[BaileyMan]

Mystery solved! I seemed to have found the source of the noise with the pedal bypassed. Turns out to be the "Professional Low Noise Speaker Cable" I was using...guess what's getting hucked into the trash! I was always surprised that such a skinny cable could be a good speaker cable. Turns out it's not. It came with the bass rig when I bought it. Time for proper speaker cables...

 

[boomertech]

Mystery solved! I seemed to have found the source of the noise with the pedal bypassed. Turns out to be the "Professional Low Noise Speaker Cable" I was using...guess what's getting hucked into the trash! I was always surprised that such a skinny cable could be a good speaker cable. Turns out it's not. It came with the bass rig when I bought it. Time for proper speaker cables...

You were using speaker cable to connect your pedals?

-Frank

 

[LSMFT6]

Mystery solved! I seemed to have found the source of the noise with the pedal bypassed. Turns out to be the "Professional Low Noise Speaker Cable" I was using...guess what's getting hucked into the trash! I was always surprised that such a skinny cable could be a good speaker cable. Turns out it's not. It came with the bass rig when I bought it. Time for proper speaker cables...

Yeah, what Frank said . . .

Speaker cables are meant to connect amps/heads and speakers/cabinets. You want an instrument cable.