Universal Audio introduces the Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor plug-in

Universal Audio introduces the Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor plug-in for UAD hardware and Apollo interfaces as part of UAD Software v9.4— an expert end-to-end circuit emulation of the iconic compressor that has been used on thousands of hit records.

“The UAD EL8 Distressor plug-in is significantly better in accuracy and operation than the other plug-ins that try to cop its vibe and sound,” says Distressor creator Dave Derr. “It’s the best Distressor emulation in the world and will stand the test of time as the definitive Distressor emulation.”

The UAD 9.4 has three new direct developer plug-ins: the Dytronics Tri-Stereo Chorus, the Gallien Krueger 800RB and the Ocean Way Mic Collection for Townsend Sphere.

Developed by Softube, The Dytronics Tri-Stereo Chorus is based on the ultra-rare effect made famous by ’80s LA session royalty — including Michael Landau, Steve Lukather, and Dann Huff. The plug-in emulates the original’s three bucket-brigade delays for rich, swirling analogue chorus textures, say UA.

The Gallien Krueger 800RB plug-in, developed by Brainworx for UAD emulates the solid-state bass amp used by artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, No Doubt and Guns ‘n’ Roses. The Gallien-Krueger 800RB plug-in emulates the original hardware’s bi-amplified architecture, providing two different power amps — one for the lows and one for the highs. An adjustable crossover allows you to control which frequencies go to which power amp, and each has a master volume knob, making it easy to dial in just the right amount of bass or bite.

Finally, leveraging their Sphere modeling microphone technology, Townsend Labs have teamed up with Ocean Way to capture the best microphones from Allen Sides’ much-admired mic locker. The Ocean Way Mic Collection features 12 mics from the likes of Neumann, Sony, RCA, AKG and others. The Townsend technology means that proximity effect, polar patterns, and the other off-axis characteristics of vintage microphones can be modeled.