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Customer Reviews

Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor

Overall Rating

761-780 of 792 Results

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B. Gardiner

January 14, 2018

Ok, but nothing special

Nothing I can't so with other native plug-ins to be honest. It is quick to setup so if you are familiar with the Distressor interface then why not.

Just expect to be stung for a paid upgrade to the brit mod version some time soon!

B. Gardiner

January 14, 2018

Handy, but not that special

Nothing I can't do with other native plug ins to be honest. but setting up is quick so if the distressor interface is something your used to then why not!

Just wait and you will be stung for a paid brit mod update sometime soon.

M. Cartwright

January 13, 2018

best compressor in UAD I have used.

the blend knob is great. This thing can to lots of good things. subtle or smashed. I like it.

V. Trendel

January 13, 2018

Great !!!

It's just the best compressor created to date, if you do not know what it brings to the sound, you do not know much !

s. maitland

January 3, 2018

Softube/UAD Chandler Curve Bender plugin

Stunned, just awesome so useful and sounds so good.

J. Johnson II

December 4, 2017

I lOVE It!

It sounds like the hardware! End of story from me. Buy IT!

M. Kramer

December 4, 2017

The best.

Let me keep this short. This is the best Distressor emulation out there and I freaking LOVE it!

j. elliott

November 30, 2017

top of the heap

as an owner of 2 distressors, this is easily the closest plugin version out there currently... get it!

J. Park

November 30, 2017

Just like a Real Thing

I have 2 units of EL8-X and UAD is most similar things in plug-ins. Arouser is OK but they are complicated. FG-stress and Deflector are way to go.

c. nagel

November 30, 2017

WOW!

So nice to have this on the Drum-Bus- So easy to get great sounding drums on one Fader!
Thanks!!!

D. Gallucci

November 30, 2017

Hard to believe

Sounds exactly like the hardware version

M. Olsen

November 30, 2017

Best of the best...

The UAD EL8 and FG-Stress are very close contenders. I'd already bought FG-Stress as it sounded amazing and was practically indistinguishable from the real unit in A/B tests. I also own EL's Arousor, which sounds and acts quite a bit different. But in my shootout between UAD and Slate, I favored the UAD slightly and appreciated the additional HR (headroom) dial. Also, I like the stand-alone interface a lot more. What tips it further is the ability to use it live in Console (wish UAD Console had MIDI control though). I ended up picking up the UAD EL8 at a discount while registering new hardware. Well done, UA. You got me again.

e. Thorngren

November 29, 2017

Deserted Island Compressor

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

J. Schweitzer

November 29, 2017

Sounds Amazing

As promised, this little gem, like all UA emulations just sounds great. From a touch of compression to slamming the meters, this guy delivers that classic distessor creaminess.

S. Woolgar

November 29, 2017

I just love it

I'm not one of those that had the hardware version. But I have to admit that it sounds fantastic on everything I've put it on. This is an ongoing exercise as I try it on more and more things.

C. Clouser

November 29, 2017

Spot-on emulation of the hardware

I've owned hardware Distressors for twenty years, and the UAD emulation is right on the money. The same crunchy push, the same in-your-face sound - it's all there. They pass the A/B test against the hardware with flying colors.

m. linett

November 29, 2017

great to have it back.

Great plug in emulation of the mighty Distressor

A. EMIXPRO

November 27, 2017

Forgot to add!

Pair this with the Fatso in parallel and just WOW!!

A. EMIXPRO

November 27, 2017

Superb emulation. Super easy to dial in

I own all but the Slate emu and all do a great job. This clinches it though as I find this emulation super easy to dial in, just like my hardware version. All the others take a little more time to get there, but get there they do. If time is money, then this is a no brainer. Best emu yet

J. Maiwald

November 23, 2017

Very impressed

In comparison with all the competitors, this Baby is the easiest to dial in, and the one with the fastest and best results...obviously it’s home is more the acoustic, real recorded world, but this beast on my drum bus fulfilled with electronic impacts is a milestone in the plugin world. I own all the distressor competitors and with no doubt I will buy this one to have MY distressor finally.

761-780 of 792 Results