Softube FET, Opto or VCA Compressor: Which One for Vocals?

Use the Softube Opto Compressor first on a lead vocal. It levels the performance gently and you barely hear it working. If the vocal still has peaks that poke out, put the FET Compressor after it with a fast attack and let it catch the spikes. The VCA Compressor is the one I use on buses and on anything that needs to sound tighter rather than smoother. That two-stage Opto-then-FET chain is on nearly every vocal I have mixed.

Here is what each one is modelled on and how that changes the sound.

What the three compressors actually are

• Softube FET Compressor is modelled on the 1176 style of compressor. Very fast attack and release. It can be subtle, but it is known for grabbing transients and adding attitude.
• Softube Opto Compressor is modelled on the LA-2A style. Slow, program-dependent, two knobs. It sounds like the vocal just got more consistent, not like it got compressed.
• Softube VCA Compressor is modelled on the dbx 160 style. Clean, punchy, precise. Great on drums, bass, and buses.

Lead vocal: Opto first

1. Insert the Opto Compressor.
2. Set it to compress, not limit.
3. Turn the gain reduction up until the meter shows 3 to 5 dB on the loudest phrases.
4. Match the output so the vocal is the same loudness bypassed and active.

That alone fixes most home vocal problems: the verse that is too quiet and the chorus that is too loud.

Add the FET when the vocal still jumps

If a few words still leap out after the Opto, add the FET Compressor after it:

• Attack: fast, but not the fastest setting. You want to keep a little of the consonant.
• Release: fast.
• Ratio: 4:1.
• Aim for 2 to 4 dB of gain reduction only on the loud words. On the quiet words the meter should barely move.

Two compressors each doing a little sounds far better than one doing a lot.

When the VCA is the right call

• Vocal bus: lead and doubles together, 1 to 2 dB of gain reduction, slow attack, to glue them.
• Aggressive pop or rock vocal: VCA with a faster attack gives a forward, in-your-face sound that the Opto never will.
• Backing vocals: VCA with a higher ratio keeps a stack even without smearing it.

What I do on my own records

The lead vocal chain on my record is the one above: Opto doing the levelling, FET catching the peaks, and the VCA on the vocal bus. I run Sonible Pure:DeEss before the compressors so the FET isn't reacting to sibilance. I wrote about why in the Pure:DeEss review.

FAQ

Is the Softube Opto Compressor good for vocals?

Yes. It is the first compressor I put on a lead vocal. It evens out the performance with slow, program-dependent behaviour and does not add an obvious compressed sound.

Should I use two compressors on a vocal?

Often, yes. An Opto doing 3 to 5 dB of smooth levelling followed by a FET catching only the peaks sounds more natural than one compressor working hard.

What is the Softube VCA Compressor best for?

Buses, drums, bass, and anything that needs punch rather than smoothness. On vocals, use it for an aggressive pop or rock sound or to glue a vocal bus.

Bottom line

Opto for levelling, FET for peaks, VCA for punch and buses. If you want a starting point for a specific source instead of a vocal, the Softube Compression Matcher tool is on the tools roadmap, and the full Softube list I mix with is on the rig page.