Opal Comp

Opal Comp is undoubtedly the new frontier of compression, representing the best possible combination of old and new, drawing from the expertise of one of the most renowned British designers, Mr. John Oram. This dual-mono plugin, available in VST, VST3, AAX, and AU formats, has been faithfully sampled to offer one of the best high-quality dynamic processors from the esteemed John Oram, chosen over the years by many industry professionals, including the legendary Al Schmitt.

The Perfect Blend: Merging Two Technologies for Superior Results

Opal Comp aims to deliver the essence of the precision compressors/limiters, manufactured in England and built to extremely high standards and durability, as with all Oram products, and is based on the Sonicomp compressor technology. This precision optical and solid-state limiter/compressor provides the sonic characteristics of the renowned 'Oram Sonics Sonicomp 2' and enhances them through the use of Acustica's Hyper 3 technology.

The Opal Comp plugin, like its bigger sibling the Oram Sonics Sonicomp 2 hardware, features a high-quality calibrated VU meter for level reduction and gain, a 'hybrid' optical/solid-state design, a feed-forward compression mode, and extra controls that ensure maximum versatility for the plugin, all in a pleasing pastel blue color, preserving the aesthetics of the original units in the digital domain.

How does Opal Comp perform?

It sounds just like an Oram, in a truly astonishing way. The musicality of this device is truly stunning. It is characterized by a very smooth and quiet sound. The presence of hybrid compression makes the plugin's sound truly unique. This magic is achieved through the vintage-style optical system with a soft, round knee at the compression threshold and a solid-state stage with its ability to instantly handle peak control. When a finer control is required (e.g., in a final mix situation), the optical control transparently manages peak excursions, gently compressing the program's average level to reduce dynamic range, ready for an output gain boost. Meanwhile, the solid-state stage, with its ability to take control of peaks instantly.

About John Oram

John Oram is a legendary name in the electronic musical industry, whose designs have been nominated for 23 Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards. His creative talents as a musician, producer, touring drummer, mixing and technical engineer have lead him to work with some of the most important bands and audio companies from the early 60s onward, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Vox and Trident Audio. He was part of the Vox team that designed the Wah-Wah, The Fuzz Box and Continental Organ, leading to the circuitry design for the VOX AC50 and the Super Beatle amplifiers.