We usually associate software developer UVI with its excellent Workstation and Falcon synth. However, the brand also has a stable of excellent effects available both individually and in a new discounted bundle (see The Effects Bundle). This latest versatile tool is a compressor/limiter. Opal stands for ‘Optical Program-Adaptive Leveller’ and takes major inspiration from the classic T4 optical levellers such as the Teletronix LA-2A. However, unlike many similar plugin emulations, Opal has an impressive seven profiles based on seven different hardware units. This may seem like overkill, but when you use the dropdown menu to select a model, the plots indicate noticeable differences in attack, release and knee shape.
Much like the classic hardware, Opal’s compression is applied using just one control, Peak Reduction, although this is more logically positioned on the left of the large output/gain reduction meter. Meanwhile, post compression gain is applied using the manual Make-Up Gain – there’s no automatic option.