FEA OPTI-FET User Manual
FEA
OPTI-FET
COMPRESSOR
www.fealabs.com
Battery replacement:
Remove the four screws on the bottom cover to access the battery
compartment. If storing the unit for long periods of time the battery
should be removed to prevent corrosion of the battery snap. Be sure
to place the battery wires along the side of the battery in the battery
pocket and use care while replacing the bottom cover.
Warranty:
The FEA OPTI-FET Compressor is fully covered for a period of 5
(five) years and the foot switches are covered for 1 (one) year against
defects in material and workmanship. Abuse and neglect are not
covered under the warranty. Any modifications or repairs not
authorized by FEA voids all warranties. The customer will be
responsible for shipping cost to and from FEA Labs for repairs.
Contact me before attempting to ship a unit for repair at:
info@fealabs.com.
All repairs made outside of the warranty period will be very
reasonable (usually only the cost of the parts)… your satisfaction is
priority one.
Contact FEA Labs at:
www.fealabs.com
info@fealabs.com
REV 3.4
Technical Specifications:
ATTACK: 2mS to 150mS
RELEASE: 50mS to 1S
RATIO: 1.5:1 to 20:1
THRESHOLD: -47dBu to
Make-up GAIN: -4 to 23dB
Side-chain EQ Freq: LOW 30Hz, MID 250Hz, HIGH 2KHz
Maximum Input: 13dBu
Maximum Output: 13dBu
Residual Output Noise: -52dBu from 10Hz-20kHz
(un-weighted) with no
compression and output gain set to
maximum. **This is the absolute
worst case noise scenario.**
Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20KHz -2dB
Input Impedance: 1M ohm
Output Impedance: 3K ohm
Current Consumption: Approx. 30mA
Battery Life: Approx. 17 hours continuous use
Power adapter (optional): 9VDC 2.1mm negative center pin
About the design:
The FEA OPTI-FET Compressor is designed with both audiophile and
studio quality features that many musicians enjoy.
The new audio path has been redesigned with the FEA 3S output
amplifier circuit for warm tone and excellent noise rejection that
features a “class A” FET output driver. The 3S amplifier utilizes an
audiophile grade Texas Instruments™ (formerly Burr-Brown™)
SoundPlus™ operational amplifier and a class-A Fairfield™ FET
driver for outstanding performance. The operational and FET driver
amplifiers are integrated in a unique way to take advantage of the
favorable qualities of both types of amplification. This 3S amplifier
has selectable modes of operation for a clean or warm tone. The
warm tone mode was modeled to match the tone of the original OPTIFET circuit. The input stage is a high impedance CMOS, hi-fi amplifier
buffer with internal RFI protection. The input amplifier has been
designed to have minimal signal distortion and noise, with maximum
headroom for all input signal levels.
Another feature in the FEA OPTI-FET Compressor is the extensive
side-chain control which is not commonly found in most pedal type
compressors today. Like many quality studio rack compressors, the
OPTI-FET compressor has all of the common controls available to the
user to accurately shape his or her tone. Along with the full feature set
of side-chain controls, a three band equalizer is available. This EQ
only affects the amplitude of frequencies of the signal in the
compressor control circuits. This EQ allows the user to modify the
threshold setting by frequency band. The OPTI-FET compressor also
has a side-chain loop feature, similar to many rack compressors. This
allows the user to be more creative with the use of other outboard
pedals. Multi-band EQ, or buffered volume pedals are a few that can
make this pedal even more versatile when used in the side-chain
loop.
The Luna Optoelectronics™ AOI’s (analog optical isolators) used in
the FEA OPTI-FET Compressor utilize a combination formula for the
photocell to overcome limitations found in other traditional optical
components affecting reaction and recovery times. This fast current
monitored AOI allows the side-chain in the compressor to accurately
control the dynamics of the compression. The purely resistive photo
element in the AOI exhibits less noise and distortion than most
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