Arturia Comp FET-76

The most iconic studio compressor ever made, recreated as a software plugin. Perfect vocals and instruments every time.

The phrase “industry standard” gets used a lot in music production circles, but few products actually live up the hype.

The original 1176 compressor designed by Bill Putnam Sr. truly lives up to the name. Now - thanks to Arturia’s TAE® technology - you can enjoy its legendary tone-shaping from the convenience of a software plugin.

Produced from the late 60s, the original hardware compressor was a staple of all major studios. Every mix engineer demanded at least one in a session, and they were used to shape the sound of countless hit records from Michael Jackson to The Killers, Guns n Roses to Joe Cocker, Bruce Springsteen to Chaka Khan. You won’t have to settle for just one, though; with Comp FET-76, you can load up one of these classic compressors on as many channels as you want.

People often say the 1176 “just makes things sound better”, but how does it do it? Our engineers carefully analyzed and modelled every component, electronics nuance, and quirk in the data of an original D/E model to find out, and recreate it as software. The combination of the Field Effect Transistor, the “Class A” amplifier, and its unique design imparts a subtle, but very desirable tonal change even at very low compression levels. Crank the input, patch in higher ratio, or even go “all in”, and that FET magic really comes alive. We didn’t simply create a software clone, we created a truly modern compressor with updated features, but featuring the same legendary sound.

A fantastic all-rounder for both compressing and heating up your tone, Comp FET-76 is a must-have plugin.

While a rack full of hardware FET compressors is a dream setup for many, that sort of setup is confined to only the world’s top studios. However, thanks to Arturia’s award-winning skill and heritage of breathing new life into vintage equipment, and reimagining it as software, you can now live out your fantasies, and make the famous 1176 sound part of your creative setup.

All of the tone, all of the dynamic-shaping power, but with the convenience and versatility of software.

A legend reborn for the 21st century
While there’s no doubt the original hardware FET compressor is practically faultless, we couldn’t help but imagine what modern production tricks we could conjure from it.

One of the benefits of recreating a classic is that we have been able to add some subtle but powerful new features that truly make this a compressor fit for the modern studio, without altering its legendary tone.

The top panel of the interface gives you access to all of the original controls. You can click to expand the plugin to and access its advanced, new features.

Input-output Link
Rather than the now standard “threshold” parameter, the original hardware compressor made you crank the input to engage the effect. This will obviously give you volume boosts and alter levels in your mix, but you can simply hit the “link” button to keep volume levelled as you boost the input, so you get compressed sound with steady volume.

Advanced Sidechain Control
Ever wondered what sidechaining a legendary FET compressor would sound like? Spoilers: it sounds awesome. The advanced panel gives you access to contemporary sidechain controls with SSL-style EQ, as well as mid-side processing so you can carve exactly the sound you want to control the compressor.

Let’s do the Time Warp
Because we’re working in the digital domain, it’s easy to introduce a couple of milliseconds of pre-delay without you even noticing. The “Time Warp” function lets you take advantage of this, so you can get creative with your placement of the compression envelope as it engages and releases. This is a dream come true for experimental producers and sound designers!

Main Features

• Virtual recreation of famed classic FET compressor
• Original electronic path accurately modeled, including FET, transformers and transistors, using Arturia’s state-of-the-art TAE® analog modeling
• Original ultra fast attack & release parameters down to 20 microseconds
• "All Buttons" British mode ratio for explosive sound
• Additional Arturia's creative side-chain features:
• External side-chain source to trigger the compressor to an external source
• 5 creative detection mode, including M/S processing
• Time warp function with look ahead or delay added to your side-chain path
• Advanced Side-chain EQ
• Compression range parameter to limit the amount of gain reduction applied, with 0dB position for FET-76 with no compression/distorsion only sound
• Monitor Side-chain signal directly
• Dry/wet Mix knob for parallel compression
• Input-Output gain link switch
• Switchable Analog VU meter with 3 calibrations mode (-18dBFs, -12dBS, -8 dBFs)
• Analog clipping LED indicator
• Comprehensive set of presets
• A/B comparison setting
• Integrated tutorials and unique dynamic preset tips
• Resizable window
• State-of-the-art TAE® analog modeling