The Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Plug-In from Universal Audio faithfully recreates the distinctive sound of the world's most popular hardware compressor, a versatile workhorse revered by professional recording engineers and used on countless hit records. Carefully crafted by UA to authentically emulate the original studio staple, the plug-in brings this powerful and colorful compressor to your DAW with a native version that will run without UAD hardware on the AU, AAX, and VST3 platforms, as well as a UAD-2 version that will run on Apollo interfaces and UAD-2 hardware.

Emulates EL8 Distressor Compressor    Radically Shape Guitars, Drums & Vocals    Dry/Wet Parallel Processing    Headroom: Customizable Operating Level    Dist 2 and Dist 3 Modes for Coloration    Custom Detector Filtering    Presets by Famous Engineers    Includes Native, Apollo & UAD-2 Versions    For Mac and Windows Computers

The EL8 Distressor Compressor plug-in gives you all the features and tone of the original hardware. Simply compare other Distressor emulations for yourself, and contrast the original hardware's ultrafast attack time to quickly hear where most plug-ins fail and whre the authentic UAD Distressor succeeds.

The crux of the Distressor are its staggering variations in compression—1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 6:1, 10:1, 20:1, and Nuke—each offering unique sounds. Use the 1:1 ratio to gently warm up synths or strings without compression, while adding musical harmonics. Conversely, the Nuke setting gives explosive excitement to room mics or your entire mix.

The Distressor's iconic Dist 2 and Dist 3 modes give you a wide palette of compression textures, letting you shape sources with even or combined even-/odd-order harmonic distortion, from delicate thickening, to burnished tape, to fully saturated.

The Distressor’s side-chain control gets rid of unwanted low-frequency pumping—perfect for drum bus processing—while Band Emphasis tames strident vocals and harsh power region instrument peaks. You can also harness plug-in-only features like the Dry/Wet Mix for easy parallel compression on a mix bus or instrument group.

Another plug-in feature not available on the original hardware is the Headroom (HR) control, which allows you to adjust the internal operating reference level, so the nonlinear I/O distortion and compression response characteristics can be tailored independently of signal input levels. At higher dB values (clockwise rotation), signals will push the plug-in into processing more easily. Set the control to a lower value (counterclockwise rotation) when less processing and less color is desired.

Mix with presets from Joe Chiccarelli (The Strokes), Vance Powell (Jack White), Jacquire King (Kings of Leon), Jimmy Douglass (The Rolling Stones), and more.

Related Questions and Answers

Q: 1. Do I connect this to my computer to make it bluetooth enabled through USB port?

A: No, for Bluetooth audio you can connect this product to the computer's audio or headphone output. The USB connection on this device is to power the device itself.

Q: 2. How many sets of bluetooth headphones can this connect to simultaneously?

A: only one! (BUT THE IDEM IS JUNK, ONLY LASTED 3 MONTHS) the battery swelled up.

Q: 3. Would this fit a Samsung Galaxy S8+?

A: The Moondog Labs Smartphone Hood (XL) BH #MOSHXL is made for phones that are more than 6" in height.

Q: 4. what does the chart stand go into is the tripod included ?

A: this does not include the tripod. We use a standard mic stand. We had purchased an Atlas Stand, B&H part # MS20 and it works great.

Q: 5. Is there manual mode?

A: Yes. For instructions, please see the quick start guide on our overview page or the manual included in the box.

Q: 6. Can this receiver be triggered by the trigger of the LightPix Labs FlashQ Q20II?

A: With the FlashQ Transmitter affixed to the bottom of the Q20II flash, you can trigger this receiver.

Q: 7. Does it make any sound when pairing?

A: The Aluratek ABC02F Universal Bluetooth Audio Receiver and Transmitter BH #ALABC02F makes no sounds while pairing.

Q: 8. Will this work with a hasselblad 80mm T* lens and the flash q20 flash and trigger?

A: Yes, the LightPix Labs Male PC Sync Cord should be compatible for use with the Hasselblad 80mm F/2.8 CF T* Lens and the LightPix Labs FlashQ Q20 along with the LightPix Labs T1-S FlashQ Trigger Kit.

Q: 9. Does this have a back focus chart on the back?

A: Yes, it has a BackFocus Test Pattern (CamAlign - BF - v4.1) on the back.

Q: 10. Will the Fuji version of this also work on a Sony? Will it do ttl or just manual? Is there a way to make it compatible to do ttl compensation in a Sony as well?

A: The LightPix Labs FlashQ x20 with Transmitter for FUJIFILM will only work in manual mode on Sony cameras, it is not possible to make it support Sony TTL due to the hardware.