Here it is! The compressor plugin from Empirical Labs!

It’s been 20 years since Empirical Labs released its first compressor...

The Distressor.  From those early days on, Empirical Labs has been bombarded with requests for a great compressor plugin for those working in the box… and it had to be one with the creamy sound and ease-of-use of our own award winning hardware compressors.  We are sure you will find the 20-year wait worth it!

For many years, processing speed, sample rates and copy protection were limiting.  Things have changed.  Digital Technology can now come very close to having all the wonderful non-linearity and “warts” of the best analog gear.  We say “close” because most of Empirical Labs’ analog gear will pass 150KHz easily, and that is something that is impossible with current digital technology.  But hey, who hears above 20KHz?  ::Spock Eyebrow Raise::  But it is difficult getting everything right up to that 20KHz, especially at sample rates of 48KHz and below. 

As this plug-in does all kinds of non-linear stuff, we had to employ a variety of techniques to minimize common digital artifacts found in almost all digital compressors/limiters etc.  Unfortunately, these techniques are costly as far as processing, and one has to streamline certain DSP processes for less CPU load without sacrificing any audio quality.  Ironically, sometimes stuff that is hard in Analog is easy in Digital, and sometimes stuff that is hard (or impossible) in Digital is easy in Analog.

The first implementation of this plug-in is “skeuomorphic”, i.e tries to imitate the look and feel of real world stuff. In this case, it is the look and feel of Empirical Labs hardware.  But in Digital, whole universe opens up with interfaces.  Suddenly things you could never do in the hardware world become simple.  It’s a wonderland.

The best part of getting this plug-in now, is that more features are coming, including new processing and interface changes, but… the plug-in will be backwards compatible.  Get in on the special Initial Offering deal on our AROUSOR plug-in, and get these updates for free until 2020!

FEATURES

• Empirical Labs Classic Knee Compression in a plug-in… Finally!

• Foolproof operation – It is almost impossible to get a bad sound.

• Empirical Labs Famous White Knobs, with parameter readout and direct entry.

• Proprietary Empirical Labs Detector modeling.  High resolution.

• Broadband Saturator, controllable by user.  A novel approach was used to allow amazing control over peaks.

• Unique AtMod™ Attack Modification Control.  Changes the shape of the initial attack, and can lengthen attack times in a different manner than the ATTACK control.

• HP Sidechain EQ

• BP Sidechain EQ

• Rivet, a brick wall ratio great on room mics, and for skimming peaks.

• Linkable with the stereo version.

• BLEND Control – Mix in the dry signal with the compressed one.

• 18 Lock n Load Presets, finely tuned and named intuitively.  More coming down the line.

• Backwards compatible features coming.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

WINDOWS

Windows 7 or higher

iLok 2 USB key and PACE iLok License Manager

MAC

Mac OS X 10.7 or higher

iLok 2 USB key and PACE iLok License Manager

DAW COMPATIBILITY

32/64-bit AAX (OSX and Windows)

64-bit VST2 (OSX and Windows)

64-bit VST3 (OSX and Windows)

64-bit AU (OSX)

AAX system minimum requirements are Pro Tools 10.3.5 and OSX 10.7 or higher; Windows 7 or higher.

AU may function on earlier systems, but will only be qualified for and supported with system minimum requirements of OSX 10.7 or higher.

Logic 9 is the reference AU host used for testing and verification.

VST may function on earlier systems, but will only be qualified for and supported with system minimum requirements of OSX 10.7 or higher;

Windows 7 or higher.

Cubase 6 is the reference VST host used for testing and verification.