Instead, the ratio fluctuates internally based on the strength of the signal. The LA-2A doesn’t allow you to set a ratio. The 1176 only allows you to decide between four different ratios, though you can use all four simultaneously in what’s called “British” or “All-Buttons Mode,” which engineers use to get an aggressive, distorted sound. What makes the Distressor unique is the way it makes use of its ratio while giving you an insane amount of control.įor those who might not know, the ratio of a compressor determines how much the unit will blunt a signal that meets or exceeds a given threshold. Derr modeled the Distressor after his favorite parts of the classic 1176 and LA-2A compressors, but it certainly has unique gifts that make it worthy of a place in any studio’s arsenal, even those lucky enough to have such classics at their disposal.
Before founding Empirical Labs, Derr was an engineer at Eventide, where he helped to make the H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer, a multi-effects unit that, incidentally, also became a mainstay in pro studios.įirst prototyped in 1994 and officially released in 1996, the Distressor was the first of several pieces of top-end studio gear to come out of Empirical Labs. A Quick History of the Distressorĭave Derr, whom I had the privilege to talk to for this article, is the creator of the Distressor. And farther below, you can hear audio clips of drums, bass, and vocals run through no compressor, the analog Distressor, and each of the the six plugins, side-by-side, so that you can hear the differences and similarities for yourself.īut before we get to the tests, let’s get you caught up to speed on the original. The Cocell Productions SOR8 is not a high-quality emulation, but, as the least expensive on the list, it is capable of some nice distortion and light Distressor-like compression.īelow, you’ll find my notes on each. The Sly-Fi Digital Deflector is a fun, original take on the analog unit. The Slate Digital FG-Stress is a more affordable plugin with good top-end sizzle and lows, though it lacks a bit of depth and control. Unfortunately, I was not able to test the latest version. The SKnote Disto is a good and versatile emulation, but does not perform as well as others. The UAD Distressor is as close as you can get with a plugin to the analog Distressor. The Empirical Labs Arousor not only emulates the original closely, but also includes even greater functionality.
Luckily, I’ve tested six Distressor-style plugins, weighing the good and the bad, from one of the least expensive to Empirical Labs’ own software version. But if you’re in the market for one of these plugins, how are you to tell which one best emulates the original? Or maybe one doesn’t hew closely to its analog counterpart but has a distinct flair all its own? It’s fitting that there would be many software plugins that try to mimic all or some of its distinct mojo. There isn't a track I have produced or mixed in recent years that doesn’t have it somewhere on the song.
We are huge fans of the Distressor at Influx Studios, where I am a producer and engineer making electronic music and alternative rock.
With more than 30,000 units around the world, the Empirical Labs Distressor is a staple of the recording industry, adding its unique compression to countless records in a great number of the world’s professional studios.