Empirical Labs Distressor EL8
Discrete FET/opto hybrid compressor
Compressor / Limiter$1,549Manufacturer list price
Specifications
- Type
- Compressor / Limiter
- Description
- Discrete FET/opto hybrid compressor
- Topology
- FET, Class-A, discrete
- Signal path
- Analog (recallable / digitally controlled)
- Channels
- 1
- Channel format
- mono
- Form factor
- 1U rack
- Rack units
- 1
- Powered
- yes
- Power (W)
- 15
- Frequency response
- 2 Hz - 160 kHz, +0/-3 dB (clean audio mode)
- Country of manufacture
- USA
Details
Controls: Input, Output, Ratio (8 curves incl. 10:1 Opto), Attack, Release, Distortion mode (Clean/Dist2/Dist3), 2x high-pass filters (audio path, detector path)
I/O: Balanced DC-coupled analog audio in/out (XLR); no phantom power (line-level dynamics processor)
Notable use: Over 38,000 units in the field; used by engineers Michael Brauer, Bob Power, Joe Chiccarelli, Tchad Blake on artists incl. A Tribe Called Quest, John Mayer, U2, Beck
Notes: Base/standard Distressor model, mono. Price is Sweetwater street price (empiricallabs.com does not publish pricing). topology field applied per Distressor/FET-based EL circuit family convention.