Empirical Labs® EL8 Distressor
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The world’s most popular compressor, exactingly recreated for UAD and Apollo.
Introduced in 1993, the Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor is revered in studios all over the world as the modern, “must-have” compressor. Versatile, super fast, and offering tons of color, the Distressor picks up where the legendary UA 1176 and Teletronix LA-2A compressors leave off — a modern tool that’s equal parts utilitarian and creative, as heard on thousands of hit records.
The only authentic Distressor plug-in endorsed by Empirical Labs’ founder Dave Derr, the UAD Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor is available exclusively for UAD hardware and Apollo interfaces. An exhaustive end-to-end emulation of Derr’s iconic hardware, the UAD EL8 Distressor is the only faithful emulation of this true “desert island” compressor.Now You Can:
Track and mix with the only authentic emulation of the EL8 Distressor — the world's most popular modern compressor
Radically shape guitars, drums, and vocals with nearly infinite gain reduction variations
Harness plug-in-only features like Dry/Wet parallel processing and Headroom for user‑customizable operating level
Creatively color instruments and vocals with famous “Dist 2” and “Dist 3” modes
Embellish, pump up, or destroy bass, synth, and room mics with custom detector filtering
Mix with presets from Joe Chiccarelli (The Strokes), Vance Powell (Jack White), Jacquire King (Kings of Leon), Jimmy Douglass (The Rolling Stones), and more
Take a Listen
5-Min UAD Tip
In this video, learn how the EL8 Distressor compressor can transform your mixes into something truly special.
The Only End-to-End Distressor Emulation
The Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor plug-in provides all the features and coveted sound of the original Distressor design. UA’s team of DSP experts started with a complete circuit trace and component study of Dave Derr's selected golden unit. Simultaneously, the team analyzed three more Distressors representing the lifetime of the product — ensuring one of UA’s tightest circuit models to date.
When comparing Distressor software emulations, contrast the original hardware’s ultra-fast attack time to quickly hear where most plug-ins fail, and the authentic UAD Distressor succeeds.
The Right Ratio
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 delivering unique tones and curves. Use the 1:1 ratio to gently warm up synths or strings without compression, while adding musical low-order harmonics. At the other extreme, the Nuke limiter setting is famous for adding explosive excitement to room mics, or energizing a entire mix.
Distortion Modes
The Distressor's iconic Dist 2 and Dist 3 modes feature a wide palette of compression coloration, letting you shape sources with even or combined even/odd-order harmonic distortion. From delicate thickening to burnished tape to fully saturated, the Distortion Modes, combined with low-frequency filtering, let you focus the Distressor’s textures.
Powerful Sidechain Controls
The Distressor’s sidechain control lets you easily focus your dynamics. High Pass filter unwanted low frequency pumping and breathing — perfect for drum bus processing. Band Emphasis works to tame strident vocals or can laser in on harsh “power region” instrument midrange peaks, or use both together.
You can also run the Distressor on buses, linked or unlinked, for flexible imaging. Exclusive plug-in features like Dry/Wet Mix offer easy parallel compression on a mix bus or instrument group. Finally, the Headroom control lets you optimize the Distressor’s overall operating level to your playback system.
“The UAD EL8 Distressor feels just like the hardware, giving me results that I’ve been missing in the box.”
– Jacquire King (James Bay, Kings of Leon, Tom Waits)
“The Distressor is capable of such radical compression tones, that it becomes its own instrument. I’m confident the UAD version will become just as useful as the hardware.”
– Joe Chiccarelli (Jason Mraz, Beck, The Strokes, Morrissey)
“The Distressor is the perfect all around compressor, and no studio should be without a few of them. Now with the UAD Distressor, you can have as many as you need!”
– Vance Powell (Jack White, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs)
“From subtle compression to destruction, the Distressor handles everything with style.”
– Hector Delgado (A$AP Rocky, Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey)
“The Distressor truly is the desert island dynamics tool, for controlling levels or creatively reshaping instruments into sounds that couldn’t be heard otherwise.”
– Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House, Future Islands)Watch The Reviews
Customer Reviews
I. Batista
April 16, 2019
Perfection!
Sometimes I wonder how the audio world survived all those years without Distressor!
Read MoreL. Lively
April 6, 2019
Sold my hardware unit
i owned the hardware for about 8 years, i own two other software emulations.......The UAD Distressor emulation......Lets just say, i processed a few drums through it and i think GOOGLE...
Read MoreP. Gharapetian
March 29, 2019
Finally!
long awaited plugin version of this classic. i'm so happy to have this and it does sound just as amazing as the real deal!
Read MoreS. Allí
March 25, 2019
my new lover
i really like the way that give live to drums , control synths and even voices
Read MoreJ. Auguste
March 25, 2019
Tight Punch
Love this compressor. The fact that I could use this on multiple channels while mixing is plus for me without having to purchase multiple units. Great addition to my setup.
Read More -
Key Features
Painstaking, end-to-end circuit emulation of the iconic hardware designed by Dave Derr, exclusively for Universal Audio
Provides the entire circuit path and control set of the original Empirical Labs hardware
Features seven fixed ratios, including Optical and Nuke, Distortion Modes, and Detector Modes
Plug-in-exclusive features include Dry/Wet parallel processing and Headroom for user-customizable operating level
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Customer Reviews
Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor
I. Batista
Perfection!
Sometimes I wonder how the audio world survived all those years without Distressor!
S. Potaczek
Eh...
I own the real thing and use it every day. The plugin is okay, but when pushed hard (which is kinda the point of the distressed portion of this box), it starts to show. Not overly impressed with one compared to say the LA2A collection. Decent, but the gift of the hardware is that it stays quite invisible unless you don't want it to (whereas the software version feels more heavy-handed).
L. Lively
Sold my hardware unit
i owned the hardware for about 8 years, i own two other software emulations.......The UAD Distressor emulation......Lets just say, i processed a few drums through it and i think GOOGLE translate said "it's time to sell your hardware" when i pressed play. This and the manley massive passive made me a UAD believer.
R. Patrick
Love It!!
It adds so much to my tone!!
P. Gharapetian
Finally!
long awaited plugin version of this classic. i'm so happy to have this and it does sound just as amazing as the real deal!
S. Allí
my new lover
i really like the way that give live to drums , control synths and even voices
J. Auguste
Tight Punch
Love this compressor. The fact that I could use this on multiple channels while mixing is plus for me without having to purchase multiple units. Great addition to my setup.
J. Willis
This kills
Literally
Nails the hardware tone and now being able to put a ton of Distressors all over my mix?! I’m in loveP. Calabria
I Love It!!!
It has become my main compressor on every single element of the drums !! Fantastic also on the bass and, with a bit of attention, a little on all the instruments including vocals and guitar! Great emulation of the namesake Hardware to have at any cost !!T. Brooks
If you don't have the real one, you need the UAD
All five stars for me. The few times I've had the pleasure to work with the hardware unit, I've absolutely fallen in love with the Distressor's tightness and unique balance of saturation and transparency. It's the richest mortar for drum buss material, whether acoustic, electronic, or combination. Its side-chaining options are also powerfully simple, especially at the initial stages of your mix where you may still be trying to key in on "sound"; between the L+R linking options and the side-chain options for handling BOTH signal-hogging lows and piercing upper-mid transients -- I feel like I can access and cycle through dozens of flavors, and intuitively. It also has the scary ability to shapeshift between Opto, FET, and VCA-like performance based on your Attack, Release and Ratio settings. Without a doubt, a powerful magic box of a compressor. And I think UAD has emulated all of this with incredible care and accuracy. Super excited to keep exploring.
Just to think of some specific applications: if you're playing with anything in the cinematic hip-hop/jazz, power-soul, or arena-pop veins, give the Distressor a go. I'm thinking Kendrick Lamar's "Institutionalized," Robert Glasper's "Black Radio" with yasiin bey / Mos Def, Emily King's "Good Friend," Adele's "Rolling In The Deep," Imagine Dragon's "Believer." With some character preamps or tape saturation early in the chain (i.e. V76, 1073), you could get flavors even more retro (yet still clean). I'm thinking Vinyl Williams, Jack White, and Danger Mouse.J. Davies
Favorite Compressor
The Distressor is my go-to compressor for everything! The Opto present is particularly nice on vocals. I also use the LA2A for vocals and acoustic and the Fairchild for bass.
E. Guerra
It makes your instruments alive in your mix!
This is a great and versatile compressor. Very useful on bass drums, bass or acoustic guitars. I highly recommend it if you want to take advantage of the multifunctional processor.
G. Corley
Best compressor, ever!
This is my new go to compressor. I love it on just about anything. It really adds something special to the mix!
G. Corley
Best compressor, ever!
This is my new go to compressor. I love it on just about anything. It really adds something special to the mix!
L. Lammert
Wow
Can’t tell the difference between this and my hardware
k. jang
Easy to use and amazing sound.
We use it in various ways, especially for drum kick and snare. I have not used the original hardware but it is a very good compressor.
B. Unis
Hard pressed to find things it doesn't sound good on.
Anytime I find myself pausing in a mix, wondering what a sound 'needs' to just feel better. I reach for the EL8! It can really bring a vocal forward in a mix, fatten up any drum you throw at it, add grit to guitars and can probably even park your car ;) Swiss army tool for sure! Love it. Highly recommended.
A. Hume
Great Plugin!
One of my favorite UAD plugins. Sounds great on pretty much everything - Dry/Wet mix feature is awesome to have.
B. Willems
Allround
Very good allround compressor!
B. Willems
Allround
Very good allround compressor!
