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. With the 4/5 pin unit, the manual mentions pinouts for an A/B channel system. How does the pack let you choose B or A to speak into?

A: You can use only one headset at a time which can be either 4-pin OR 5-pin configuration. The included 3.5mm TRRS cable allows you to connect the audio from the Outerloop 3.5 to the headphone jack on a smartphone, computer, or other compatible mobile device through unit's the 3.5mm jack. You can then use your mobile device to call into your intercom phone bridge, station phone coupler, or any phone-based intercom app.

Q: 2. Can this operate completely Via USB to PC with out the analog connections to the PC?

A: Yes, you can connect the USB port on the JK Audio Universal Host Desktop Digital Hybrid Telephone Interface directly to your computer's USB port for a bi-directional audio connection or for stereo recording on the computer. Analog connections are not required to connect to the computer.

Q: 3. Will the ua 180 got a Canon 400mm 2.8 lens

A: Yes, the FEISOL UA-180 Carbon U-Mount Support for Large Lenses, B&H # FEUA180, would be compatible for use with the Canon 400mm f/2.8 lens..

Q: 4. Is this compatible with the Vixia HF R500?

A: The Canon UA-100 is now compatible with the HFR500 as well.

Q: 5. Will it fit the Canon Vixia HF r700?

A: Not at all. CompatibilityCanon VIXIA HF M50, M52, R30, R32 camcorders

Q: 6. what about latency?

A: My application is transmission of audio from the Denon AVR-2307 while watching TV and listening on Bose Bluetooth headphones. No latency has been observed.

Q: 7. Why does the this adapter intermittently connect my headphones to Samsung TV? Most of the time it does not connect.

A: Your Samsung TV must have a Bluetooth headphone or external speaker mode. Make sure it is disabled.

Q: 8. Will this work with the Adesso iMouse E10? I can't find the RCV-130R receiver that came with the mouse and need to replace it.

A: No, it will not work with the Adesso mouse.The 3Dconnexion Universal Receiver is a replacement USB wireless receiver for 3Dconnexion peripherals.

Q: 9. Will this accommodate a Nikon D7100 with a Nikkor 18-300mm/f3.5-5.6G lens?

A: While this may be overkill for the 18-300mm lens, yes, the above gimbal would be compatible for use with your camera. Do note that gimbals are often designed to be connected to the tripod mount bracket on the bottom of large telephoto lenses.

Q: 10. Does this work with Apple AirPods?

A: No it will not works. the Apple AirPods will connect only with an iOS device.