A free opto leveling amplifier inspired by the 1965 Teletronix LA-2A for authentic analog character.
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What’s New?
1.0.0
Initial release on MuseHub
Description
Niviem OPT4 is a free opto leveling amplifier inspired by the legendary 1965 Teletronix LA-2A. Built around an authentic feedback compression topology, it faithfully recreates the smooth, program dependent response that made electro optical compressors the gold standard for vocals, bass, and mix bus processing.
At its core is a detailed T4 opto cell model, complete with electroluminescent panel behavior, CdS photoresistor gamma curve, two-stage release, and memory effect. The audio path includes 12AX7 and 12BH7 tube stage emulation with selectable Dark/Bright tone character, UTC-style input and output transformer coloration, and fixed 4x oversampling for pristine harmonic generation.
Beyond the original two-knob design, OPT4 adds creative control: Attack and Release character shaping, a sidechain high-pass (the famous R37 emphasis trimmer, extended to 1000 Hz), a sidechain low-pass filter, wet/dry mix for parallel compression, output trim, sidechain listen, and switchable MODERN/VINTAGE opto response. Natural COMP and LIMIT behaviors emerge directly from the circuit topology, not from fixed ratios.
36 factory presets across 9 categories. Cream chassis interface.
True Feedback Compression: Authentic topology where the sidechain monitors the output signal, producing natural COMP (~3:1) and LIMIT (~10:1+) behaviors
MODERN/VINTAGE Opto Response: Two distinct compressor characters: clean and precise or warm and aged
Dark/Bright Tone Switch: Selectable 12BH7 output tube harmonic character
Attack & Release Character: Shape the opto cell's timing from fast and snappy to slow and smooth
Tube & Transformer Modeling: 12AX7 and 12BH7 tube stages with UTC-style input and output transformer coloration
Reviews
1.0.0
I don't know if I'm just using it wrong, but in MS4 every single time the instrument starts playing there's this very audible click both in the playback and in the final exported file. This occurs after any period of rest that lasts more than a second or two, so unless you're using it on an instrument that plays constantly for the entire song (like drums maybe) this product is basically unusable in it's current state. Which is a shame because it actually sounds pretty good, for bass guitar especially.
Partner Response: Thank you for reporting this, you're right, and I'm sorry for the trouble. I was able to isolate and fix the bug. It was caused by stale internal state when the plugin resumed processing after a period of silence, which produced a click on the first transient.
Version 1.0.1 with the fix will be uploaded today after I finish testing all edge cases. Once it's approved and available, the issue should be fully resolved. If you run into anything else, please don't hesitate to reach out.
