This is the Vocal Compressor chain you've been looking for...

The classic FET + Opto vocal compression chain has shaped countless records — but it usually requires two expensive pieces of hardware. With the Rupert Neve Designs OptoFET, that workflow is now available in a single 1U rack unit for under £2,000. In this video, we take a closer look at how the OptoFET works, why the FET → Opto compressor chain has become such a standard for vocals, and how Rupert Neve Designs have expanded the concept with additional creative features. Not only can the OptoFET recreate that classic vocal compression approach, it can also be used as a frequency-split processor, allowing you to treat low and high frequencies differently — effectively giving you a multiband compression workflow using analogue hardware. We’ll walk through the controls, demonstrate the traditional vocal chain approach, and then explore some more creative uses including drum bus processing, saturation, and frequency-split compression. If you're looking for a flexible analogue compressor with serious character, this might be one of the most interesting designs Rupert Neve Designs have released in recent years. 00:00 Intro – The FET + Opto Vocal Chain 00:44 Meet the Rupert Neve Designs OptoFET 01:12 The Classic Vocal Compression Chain 01:44 Vocal Demo 02:24 Reversing the Compressor Order 02:45 Multiband Compression Mode 03:21 Drum Bus Demo 03:55 Creative Applications 04:19 Final Thoughts #RupertNeveDesigns #OptoFET #AudioCompression #StudioGear #RecordingStudio #VocalCompression #MixingAudio #AudioEngineering #OutboardGear #ProAudio