FET compression

FET (field effect transistor) compressors have a quick attack, often used to catch transients.1 They are based off of transistors, which were used to emulate tubes. FET compression can have an aggressive tone when pushed.2 They can also be used as a colorful preamp with the compression turned off.3 The 1176 is the most famous FET compressor.4

FET compression may be likened to a chisel.5 DC8C3 can do compression similar to FET-style with Crush mode. MTurboComp does an 1176. MJUC Mk2 does a 176, the all-tube predecessor of the 1176, somewhere between tube and FET. It seems Pro-C 2’s Punch mode is FET-inspired. Reaper’s 1175 Compressor is based on an 1176.

Rick Beato likes 1176s on snare, acoustic guitar, piano, and vocals.6 Chris Lord‑Alge, Michael Brauer, and Rich Costey like an 1176 on drums, especially for their harmonic coloration. Steve Churchyard, Chris Lord‑Alge, and Ralph Sutton like an 1176 on bass too, though be careful not to have a too-fast attack time that it distorts on bass waveforms.7

  1. Here are the most used type of compressors today! 🙌 - YouTube ↩

  2. Choosing The Right Compressor Type - Attack Magazine ↩

  3. Audio Compressors: VCA, FET, and Other Compression Circuit Types ↩

  4. What are the different types of compressors? ↩

  5. Four Types Of Compression And Why You Need Them All - YouTube ↩

  6. How The Pros Use Compression - Audio Compression Instruments and Mixes - YouTube ↩

  7. Classic Compressors ↩

Notes mentioning this note

All about compression
All about compression Compression is a [[Nonlinear process]].
Compressing acoustic guitar
Compressing acoustic guitar Use [[FET compression]] or [[Optical compression]]. CLA uses an LA3A (which is solid state, not tube, and...
Compressing electric guitar
Compressing electric guitar Use [[Optical compression]], [[FET compression]] or [[VCA compression]]. If the guitar is already distorted or overdriven, you...
Compressing piano
Compressing piano Use [[Tube compression]] or [[FET compression]].
Compressing snare
Compressing snare Use [[FET compression]] or [[VCA compression]].
Compressing vocals
Compressing vocals Starting with automation before compression can help achieve a natural sound. Tape saturation before compression can help too.1...
Diode Bridge compression
Diode-bridge compression Diode-bridge, or diode-ring, compressors provide compression faster than [[Optical compression]] with less distortion that [[FET compression]].1 Diode-bridge compression,...