// FET + opto compressor
TANDEM
Two compressors in series.
One catches, one levels.
00TANDEM
Two compressors.
One insert.
On a big vocal, engineers have long run a fast FET compressor into a slow optical one: the first grabs the peaks, the second evens out the phrases. TANDEM puts both in one plugin, in that order, with one meter for what they take together.
01Hear it
Real takes.
The real meter.
Real renders through TANDEM, level matched so you hear the compression and not the volume. The VU on the right is TANDEM's own, and it moves exactly as it did in the plugin while each take was rendered. The tubes above it glow with the output, as they do in the plugin.
PICK A TAKE TO PLAY
Audio examples use excerpts of "Red to Blue" by Broken Crank and "Pouring Room" by The DoneFors (Open Multitrack Testbed; recorded at McGill University's Schulich School of Music), licensed CC BY 3.0. Excerpts were cut, level matched and processed with Nolvra TANDEM. Rap vocal: "Word is Bond" acapella by Plaedo, CC0.
02The chain
Peaks first.
Phrases second.
A vocal line goes in on the left. The FET cuts the spikes, then the opto rides what is left. Switch either stage out with its IN key and watch the line change. The readout adds up both stages; TOO MUCH lights when they take more than 8 dB on average.
03FET · Stage 1
Faster than
the hit.
The FET's attack is counted in microseconds: 20 µs at its fastest, 800 µs at its slowest. This is the first 40 milliseconds of a snare hit. Slow the attack and the stick crack gets through before the FET closes; speed it up and the crack is gone. ALL is every ratio button pressed at once, the old trick for crushing a room mic.
04Tube opto · Stage 2
A light
that lets go slowly.
Inside every optical compressor, sealed away, is a lamp and a light cell. The louder the singer, the brighter the lamp, the more it holds back. After a long, loud passage it lets go more slowly, so a quiet verse after a loud chorus does not jump up. HF EMPHASIS makes it react harder to bright material, like an S.
05Presets
19 starting points.
Same loudness out.
Each preset was tuned on a real recording of its own source and comes out at the same loudness, within 0.05 LU over 30 seconds, so switching between them compares the compression and not the volume. Pick one to see how it sets the two stages.
Lead Vocal Even
Lead vocal, leveled: the OPTO rides the phrases (3-4 dB), the FET only catches the loudest syllables.
FET
TUBE OPTO
Specs
Under
the hood.
// Engine
Signal
// Workflow
Session ready
// License
What you get
// Platforms
System support
Available for macOS and Windows. On Mac it runs natively on Apple silicon, macOS 11 or later; on Windows it is a 64-bit app, Windows 10 or 11. VST3 and AU on Mac, VST3 on Windows. Full system requirements
06Make it yours
TANDEM · License
$179$134.25$179−25%one-time
- Mac: VST3 + AU, macOS 11 or later
- Windows: VST3, 10 or 11, 64-bit
- 19 presets + INIT in 5 folders
- Save, rename and star your own
All-Access
$14.99/mo
- TANDEM and every Nolvra plugin
- Keep one plugin every 7 months
- Miles (beta) included
- 7 days free
07Questions
Questions.
Answers.
Can I use just one stage?
Yes. Each stage has its own IN key, so TANDEM runs as a FET compressor, an opto compressor, or both in series. POWER takes the whole plugin out.
What does the VU show?
The gain reduction of both stages together, or the output when METER is on OUT. GR dB reads the same cut as a number, BEFORE and AFTER show the dynamic range, and TOO MUCH lights above 8 dB on average. None of it changes the sound.
What is ALL on the ratio?
All four ratio buttons pressed in together. The FET gets aggressive and colored, the classic sound for room mics and drums you want to crush.
Can I save my own presets?
Yes: save new, save over your own (it asks first), rename and delete. Factory presets are read-only, and any preset can be starred as a favourite.
Which systems does it run on?
Mac: VST3 and Audio Unit, macOS 11 or later, Apple Silicon. Windows: VST3, Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.