Empirical Labs EL8-X Distressor with British Mode and Image Link

Name: Empirical Labs EL8-X Distressor with British Mode and Image Link
Brand: Empirical Labs
Rating: 5 (15 reviews)

Single-channel Analog Distressor with Harmonic Distortion, 8 unique curves, and sidechain EQ

15 reviews Write your review Item ID: ELI8XM

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A Great-sounding Distressor with a Tough British Side!

The Empirical Labs Distressor EL-8XM single-channel analog compressor adds some distinctive British flavor to an already outstanding unit! The EL-8XM provides the aggressive "all buttons in" characteristics obtained from the classic LN1176, courtesy of an onboard British Mode switch. While the Distressor can function very smoothly and transparently, the addition of the British Mode allows it to take on a very "un-subtle" character, giving you the best of two compressors in one! If you want the functionality of a Distressor plus aggressive "British" vibe, choose the EL-8XM!

"All buttons in"

The original concept of the "British Mode" came from an unusual setting on the classic UREI LN1176 limiter. The unit was designed to have only four ratios, each ratio being engaged by selecting one of four buttons. However, as early as 1980 (or before), renegade recording engineers, always on the lookout for something a little more "over the top", found that you could make all four buttons stay "in" if you pressed them just right. What resulted was a very, very aggressive sound that had some elements of the units 20:1 ratio, but with an unusual knee and new envelope shape. Somewhere along the line, someone called it a "British Mode" and the name has stuck. It is also called "all buttons in" and some other intuitive names.

As aggressive as you want it to be

The Distressor has the advantage of being able to apply this "aggressive" nature not only to the new British ratio (1:1) but also to all the ratios since a separate switch is installed, which can be enabled with any ratio. One should keep in mind however, that an attack below 3 or 4 is required to maintain the LN1176 character. If you go above an attack of 3 you will also incur a rise in some grunge (distortion) and see the THD indicator lites come on a lot more. The Distressor will no longer behave smoothly, nor like an 1176.

Using the British Mode

Put the unit in the 1:1 ratio and turn on the British Mode Switch (flip it up and the LED should be lit). That enables it. To sound like the 1176 the only constraint is to keep the attack well under 4 on the Distressors - their attack can go much longer than the 1176. Now you will find that the unit has a new attitude! The attack and release will generally be more aggressive and the unit will get in and out of the way very quickly. Interestingly, the unit will be slightly less colored when not compressing. Use this ratio to "skim" peaks. This means that most of the time it may not be doing anything, but when it does "hit" the signal, it will smoothly push back the signal and then get right out of the way again. If you are hitting the Gain Reduction all the time with the British mode on, you are going to be really "squashing" the signal. On the other hand, the Distressor will sound fairly subtle when compressing all the time in 2:1 mode, especially with a slower attack (>6).

The Distressor

The Emprical Labs Distressor is a unique analog compressor that allows the user to add 2nd or 3rd order harmonic distortion to the signal, emulating tape saturation and the classic tube compressor sound of the '60's and '70's. The Distressor also offers advanced sidechain EQ, eight unique curves and Empirical Labs' exclusive "Binary Stepped Interface" providing hundreds of options with just a few control settings.

Empirical Labs Distressor EL-8XM Single-channel Analog Compressor with British Mode Features:

"All buttons in" British Mode switch with LED
Frequency response: 2Hz to 160kHz in clean audio mode (+0, -3 dB). Response is shaped in distortion modes (Dist 2, Dist 3)
Dynamic range: 110 dB from max. output to min. output in 1:1 mode.
Distortion ranges between .02% and 20% depending on distortion mode and release times set on front panel.
DC coupled output - High quality input caps.
Input impedance: 20K ohms
Output impedance: < 75 ohms
Time constants: Attack range 50uS - 50mS
Release range: .05 sec to 3.5 seconds, normal modes and up to 20 seconds in 10:1 opto mode. Time constants are dependant on ratio.
Metal chassis
Dimensions: 1.75" H x 10" D x 19" W

Sweetwater talks

with Dave Derr

President/Chief Engineer

About EMPIRICAL LABS’ DISTRESSOR AND PUMP

Why did you create Empirical Labs? Was something missing from the gear available at the time that you felt you could improve upon?

Empirical Labs started as a recording studio while I was working at Eventide Audio around 1990. After I left Eventide in 1992, I kind of started on a mission to find out why the oldest compressors in my studio were the ones that noticeably improved our recordings and the ones I grabbed first. Those would be the trusty 1176s, an LA-2A from the ’80s, and a pair of original Valley People Gain Brains (not Gain Brain II).

As the Internet was pretty new and schematics were not immediately available, it took some reverse engineering, and lots of probing with scopes and analyzers, but in a few months, I had found commonalities that differentiated these vintage favorites from the newer off-the-shelf compressors.

Did you have a formal background in electronics? What were you doing before you founded Empirical Labs?

Like most folks in the industry, I was a musician for many years and, in fact, was a music major in college, so . . . as far as electronic engineering, I am largely self-taught. But I had older brothers who were engineers and a huge, inspiring influence on me. We built all kinds of crazy gadgets, from AM radios to Tesla coils to cloud chambers, electric motors to rockets, a boat or two, a fuzz pedal . . . and on and on. I had a great, encouraging family in which to grow up. Even my love of music was from early family influence, and soon, of course, I started playing in bands, which lead to becoming a music major in college.

Later “when the band broke up,” which had provided me a living for nearly a decade, I had to find a new gig. I had started playing with electronic circuits, which led to meeting a person in the local Radio Shack who happened to be an engineer at a medical outfit that made wireless brain-wave recorders, located just outside of Philly. With his encouragement, I applied for a job there and got it. While there, I saw an ad for an engineering position at Eventide in New Jersey and somehow, in another stroke of luck, got hired by its founder Richard Factor.

Eventide was amazing and just lots of fun. I worked alongside “real engineers,” including Ken Bogdanowicz and Bob Belcher, who later founded Soundtoys. These mentors hauled me up by my bootstraps and gave me the chance to design the converters for the H3000 Ultra-Harmonizer and the DSP4000. It was at Eventide that I learned the tools and overall design process necessary to create products.

What was the inspiration behind the Distressor? It appears to take bits from a wide range of classic compressors. How did you make it such a flexible unit?

As mentioned above, I quickly found commonalities among my favorite compressors, some of which were NOT being produced at the time. My studio partner, John Patterson, and I wanted more of these “creamy warm”-sounding devices, and as I had already prototyped a few compressors (including ones with homemade optos in them), I started earnestly trying to create a real product shortly after leaving Eventide. Using modern technology, I set a goal to create a compressor with the warm sound of the older classics but offer much greater versatility, consistency, and reliability.

What does the Distressor do that its predecessors can’t? What has made it become such a studio staple over the past almost 30 years?

I think it was the Distressor’s vintage knee sound, extreme versatility, and a promise of consistent quality that set it apart. And, of course, those huge honkin’ white knobs. The four big white knobs on a black panel gave it a distinctive look and helped it jump out in pictures.

What type of circuit does the Distressor use? FET? VCA? Opto?

It’s a FET-based compressor that we surround with circuitry that allows tube-like sounds and adjustable harmonic distortion. Having built several opto-compressors, I knew I could get the curve and time constants using a separate 10:1 ratio circuit, without an actual optocoupler involved.

Several people asked me to ask you: Why are the knobs on a Distressor so huge?

Our favorite older compressors (1176, LA-2A, etc.) all had big, easy-to-use knobs, and I took that as a model. Plus, our custom knobs had literally 100 discrete marks on them that made settings easily recallable. Eventide was also a fan of big knobs that customers always liked.

Our big white knob has become such an identifying Empirical Labs mark (feature) and is unique enough that we trademarked it. Because of the Distressor’s popularity, many companies have made copies of it as a plug-in, and this “knob trademark” gives us legal grounds to prevent them from using a likeness of it. Distressor clones continue to pop up, and it’s been a bit of a Whac-A-Mole to control others from essentially making money off of our product. We do want to stay in business! And if a cheap clone isn’t good and sounds deficient, people may think that’s the way our Distressor (or Arouser) sounds.

How does the Pump 500 Series module differ from the Distressor? How is it the same?

The Pump is obviously much smaller, requiring a reduction in controls and features. But it offers a very similar set of ratios, vibe, and sound. Over the decades since the Distressor’s release, we learned quite a bit. The Pump uses a standard VCA instead of a FET gain control, which greatly improves its signal to noise. But we didn’t want to lose the tube-like sound, which required additional soft-clipping circuitry, one employing germanium semiconductors and additional filtering. It can be disabled if a cleaner sound is desired. The Distressor has three fixed saturation modes, plus a sidechain band emphasis which the Pump does not.

In a unique turn, we use a software feature used in our Arousor plug-in, AtMod. This may be the first time that an analog product emulates a digital product instead of the reverse.

Do you view the Pump module as an alternative to the Distressor or as a supplement to it? Are there reasons to own both?

It’s a little of both. We really wanted to offer the Distressor feel and sound at a fraction of the price, and there are subtle differences with the opto release, and then there’s the user controllable AtMod feature not found in the Distressor. The Pump has discrete attack and release settings even though knob controlled. And its attack can go slower than the Distressor, which can be useful on buss duty . . . even master bus processing, especially with its lower noise floor.

What sound sources sound best with the Pump module?

Well, like the Distressor, it should be great on any source! We always test a lot on drums and percussive sources but also bass, as it can be tough on compressors. And, of course, lots of testing on male and female vocals to make sure it is musical, easy to use, and FUN. Opto release allows tons of vocal compression without ugly artifacts.

Why did you create the Pump as a 500 Series module rather than a full-sized rackmount unit?

In 500-module form, we can greatly reduce the price while still offering classic Empirical Labs compression. But who knows? We may well do a full 19-inch rack version in the future. Perhaps a stereo, single-height product?

Is there anything else we haven’t covered?

Oh, I could go on and on . . . ha. But I and all of us here at Empirical Labs are glad we might answer some questions that you can’t get answered elsewhere, and, of course. . . we look forward to many more years working with our great friends at Sweetwater.

Additional Media

EL8 Distressor Cue Sheet

EL8 Distressor User Manual

Signal Processing Buying Guide

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Tech Specs

Number of Channels: 1
Controls: Ratio (Button), Input, Attack, Release, Output
Ratio: 1:1 to 20:1 (And "Nuke")
Frequency Response: 2Hz-160kHz (-3 dB)
Inputs: 1 x XLR, 1 x 1/4", 1 x 1/4" (Stereo Link)
Outputs: 1 x XLR, 1 x 1/4", 1 x 1/4" (Stereo Link)
Rack Spaces: 1U
Height: 1.75"
Depth: 10"
Width: 19"
Manufacturer Part Number: EL8X Distressor

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Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5

Customer Added Media

Write your review

Years ago, I had the usual compressors - 1176, LA2A, but over the past decade I have been tracking with no compressors, and mixing in the box 100%.

While mixing ITB, I have used Empirical Labs Arouser pretty regularly so when it came time to add hardware it was a no brainer to go with the EL8-X. Yes, there is a difference between the software version and the hardware. The software does the job, and does it well during a mix. But wow, the difference in depth/fullness on a snare was obvious compared to Arouser. I could get close, very close with software, but there was a subtle difference in "weight" of the snare as it punched through the mix while sitting where it needed to; even my wife who loved music but knows nothing about creating music noticed it sounded "better". New tool bias? Maybe. But she's indifferent so there must be something to the hardware sounding "bigger", "fuller", "weightier".

Vocals, while tracking I could go pretty hard in Opto mode with it sounding smooth and natural. During mixdown, I could run it like an 1176 and catch the peaks and add some subtle distortion which was perfect for both a rock mix I had, and a more vintage sounding Americana mix (tracked with a 47 into neve pushed to grittiness); the Distressor was excellent in pulling out the energy and hair without it sounding over compressed.

I need another one now!

If there's one compressor to have as a desert isle tool, the Distressor would be it - very versatile.

I've been wondering about this compressor and got my answers. This is a great hardware, especially the HP filters, they are very helpful when tracking and it can be dirty sounding too. Will get another one to get the pair.

Absolutely incredible compressor.

Every studio needs to have at least one great outboard compressor. As a semi-professional engineer I often get asked what unit I would recommend. By far that's such an easy answer. The Distressor is so versatile. It literately works on everything and gives you the vibe of several other well known compressors. The really cool thing about this box is it's more than a compressor. It's also a very nice sounding distortion generator. From subtle to over the top pleasing second and third order harmonics, it does it all.

Want your signal to go from flat to fat? Try running it through one of these! Honestly though, you need to spend some time with one of these. It has so many functions, that the sonic possibilities are nearly endless. From bass, to vocals, from smashing room mics to heavy metal guitars, this thing rocks!

One place I really like it is on bass. It has a really nice high pass filter in the detector circuit that will allow the low end to come though the compressor circuit and not trip the compressor so easily, This allows the comp to act more on the high frequencies so you don't get that pumping effect. There are all kinds of little tweekable settings like this that do cool things.

It has to be the most versatile compressor I've ever used. Can it still do clean compression? Sure, to a point. Especially if you set the attack under 3. Above 3 however it's a completely different animal and the distortion circuit is much more easily tripped and that's a good thing! And if you love distortion, you will love the British mode! That opens up a whole other level of sound and it's brutal in a very good way!

There is a really special mode call the opto mode. It's only available on the 10:1 setting and let me tell you! It's very similar to the LA2A in limiting mode, but with it's own vibe in true Distressor fashion. It sounds great and you really need to hear it for yourself. You will surely be impressed!

I can't say enough good about this compressor and honestly, if you are looking for a high quality hardware compressor that's built tough, is super versatile, and sounds out of this world great, this is the one to get. This would be my desert island compressor. I never want to be without it! It's an industry standard for a reason people. You need one!

A friend that I use frequently for background vocals turned me on to this unit. I have been able to use many great compressors over the years but if I could only have one, this would be it.

See also: Compressors, Empirical Labs, Empirical Labs Compressors / Limiters

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Empirical Labs EL8-X Distressor with British Mode and Image Link

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Ask An Expert

Most Popular Accessories & Related Items

A Great-sounding Distressor with a Tough British Side!

"All buttons in"

As aggressive as you want it to be

Using the British Mode

The Distressor

Empirical Labs Distressor EL-8XM Single-channel Analog Compressor with British Mode Features:

Sweetwater talks

with Dave Derr

Additional Media

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

Free 2-year Warranty

Tech Specs

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5

Customer Added Media

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Excellent!

Wow

The Swiss Army Knife of Compressors!

If I only could have one compressor this would be it.