FET-A76

Name: FET-A76
Price: 9.99 USD
Author: Antelope Audio

by Antelope Audio · Compressor · 1176-style FET compressor

Not rated yet

FET-A76 models a classic 1960s FET compressor/limiter, the 1176 type, with fast attack and an all-buttons-in mode.

It suits vocals, lead instruments and drums, and lists at $99 (on sale for $9.99 at KVR).

Best for: Vocals, Drums, Guitars, Bass. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: FET, drums, vocals, hardware emulation, inspired by, 60s, classic, opto, bass, heavy, parallel processing, aggressive, smooth, bright, flat UI, mixing, percussion, punchy, simple, single-band, subscription, vintage.

What it does

FET-A76 is Antelope's model of a classic 1960s FET compressor and limiter, the 1176-style design, built to capture the character of the original's high-impedance circuits. The developer pitches it for everything from drums to vocals and lead instruments, and suggests stacking it with its Opto-2A for the classic FET-into-opto chain.

FET compression and limiting: very fast attack times for catching and shaping transients.
Four ratio buttons: pick one ratio, or engage several at once for the all-buttons-in mode.
All-buttons-in: an aggressive, explosive setting with more harmonic distortion, aimed at drums and parallel crush.
Two voicings by source: punchy and aggressive on drums and percussion; bright, smooth and energetic on vocals and melodic parts, in the developer's words.
runs as a normal plugin in any DAW, and also in real time on Antelope's Synergy Core interfaces.
Simple layout: a clean interface that follows the hardware's panel.

Version 1.0.1 needs no Antelope hardware. It is often heavily discounted. It is also part of the Antelope Cosmos subscription, which has a free trial.

Source: Antelope Audio product page

When to use it

FET-A76 is a low-cost, single-model 1176: one panel, four ratio buttons and an all-buttons-in mode, with none of the extra versions or features of the top-rated picks. Compared with the 1176 Classic Limiter Collection, it gives you one take on the circuit instead of several hardware revisions. Against CLA-76 it is a similar one-window FET compressor, so the choice comes down to price and which plugin family you already own. Unlike Pro-C 3, it has no style menu, sidechain EQ or visual gain-reduction graph, so it is a colour tool rather than a do-everything compressor. It also makes most sense if you own an Antelope interface or other Antelope plugins, since it can run on Synergy Core hardware as well.

Best for: vocals, drums, bass, and parallel drum crush with all buttons in.
Genres: any; the 1176 sound is used across pop, rock and hip-hop.
Look elsewhere if: you want several 1176 revisions to choose from (1176 Classic Limiter Collection), or a clean, flexible modern compressor with metering (Pro-C 3).
Tip: the developer suggests feeding it into Opto-2A: let FET-A76 catch peaks fast, then let the opto stage smooth the level.

Where to buy

KVR Marketplace: $9.99 (regular $99)
Best Service: $14.90
PluginFox: $14.90 (regular $99)
AudioDeluxe: $14.90 (regular $99)
Plugin Boutique: $99
Antelope Audio: see store

Tutorials and reviews

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