The World's Most Popular Modern Compressor | UAD Quick Tips

The EL8 Distressor picks up where other legendary compressors like the LA-2A and 1176 leave off, giving you a powerful tool that's equal parts utilitarian and creative for radically shaping your tracks. Watch as Ben Lindell shows how to harness this powerful compressor on drums, acoustic guitar and vocals, creating exciting textures and colors that will make your mix pop.
Now available for individual purchase, or on subscription as part of UAD Spark. Runs on Apollo & UAD-2, or natively on Mac & Windows.
Learn more about the EL8 Distressor: www.uaudio.com/uad-plugins/co...
Learn more about UAD Spark: spark.uaudio.com
♫ Music Info ♫
Music by Liza Colby Sound
www.thelizacolbysound.com/
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[@davearooney]

I love Ben's 10-minute 5-minute UAD tips!

[@directed6924]

HAHAHA!!!

[@bppspb7741]

​@Katie Stoltz it is overpriced, but this Distressor emulation is very good.

[@poisonapple1991]

Why did I not notice this until I read your comment lol

[@HuttyTheKid]

Hahahahaha

[@LochNessAnthony]

I too love Ben ten it was a rad sho

[@BlackenedNL]

When it came out I bought it right away, still in love with it. And LOVING these videos!! Hope there are a lot more to come

[@HydetheRapper]

Those heavily compressed vocals made me sit up in my chair. Maybe a little overkill, but that SOUND. It's so BEAUTIFUL. I want my vocals to sound like that. *drools*

[@UniversalAudio]

For sure! The fact that you can do that much compression and the sound still maintains its integrity is awesome. Just like the hardware. :)

[@nacorzuluagamorelo1975]

Loved it Ben, you are making me consider adding this one to the toolkit!

[@BargenMusic]

"Pretty extreme differences right?" Yeah...... of course I can absolutely notice those extreme changes...... of course....

[@cbsmk]

I thought I was the only one.... Glad I am not. It is either means that my studio set up is a complete rubbish (which is probably the case) or I am deaf when it comes to music (which is probably not far off as well) :-)

[@carl3811]

Yeah, I couldn't tell the difference either.

[@logicorap]

@@cbsmk hahahaha good one!

[@mikefisher84]

I listened to this on a pair of Audeze LCD-X's and I could only barely hear a difference. Must be KZbin compression?

[@saberreiter8569]

I could not make out a lot of diffrence for the Low Pass, but there is some differnce (that I can make out) between No Dist / Dist :D

[@reereelization]

Those nuke vocals are absolutely stunning. Speechless. 😮❤️

[@frankiesunswept]

Amazing. love these videos so much! Thanks Ben

[@Nakidim75]

Always nice with Ben. Too bad, I missed the event in Paris with Fab. You were there.

[@INADRM]

Thanks for doing the drum tip first!

[@didgeridrock]

Of course the acoustic guitar disappears without the distressor, the level drop is substantial, it would be helpful to demonstrate the compression level matched

[@BR_READDY225]

Level match level match, get over yourself

[@TransistorLSD]

​@@BR_READDY225 It's important. Our brain always thinks that louder = better, so you can't make the right decisions without level-matching.

[@JoshWiniberg]

The gain staging didn't sound that far off in terms of peaks, but a lot of the quieter parts disappear as the RMS is a lot lower. That's what you'd expect though.

[@kjellborve5761]

I would like to see the vocal fx chain settings. It sounded really nice to my ears. Thanks for the video, I know I want the distressor.

[@chrisdunnettmusic]

Great video! Love my UA plug ins :) and yes, I have the Distressor. By the way, that female singe was pretty darn amazing!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@RickCarr]

Woa I think might be my new favorite compressor!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@mishahinton8021]

Well I'm going to take a hit of crack and give this a try.

[@DaveMenkehorst]

I would like to hear the bypasses with similar loudness.

[@brentvalleywhag3477]

Dave Menkehorst Watch the 2-buss. The enabled and bypassed clips are exactly the same loudness. It’s the perceived loudness which changes with correct use of compression.

[@eleckson]

@@brentvalleywhag3477 Dave was almost certainly talking about perceived loudness. I doubt he was like "I would like to hear bypasses with the dB numbers on the 2-buss matching"

[@cityhippie]

He said “this compressor is a tweaker’s dream” lmao

[@stevenneufeld3791]

AMAZING video.. thanks so much for making it!_

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@cbsmk]

BTW - thank you for the video as it made me to realise that my current setup was absolute crap after I could not hear anything when you have said - Pretty Extreme Differences. Made a few changes - at least I can now hear the difference although I would not call it extreme. One day when I get a better monitors I would get back to this video. Thanks a lot. I owed this plugin for a while now. Bought it in a bundle but was surprised how good it was and started using it more and more.

[@Pearlpassionstudio]

Hi Ben...great job with the explanation...I see you changed companies. I also changed interfaces to 2 Apollo 8P's and Satellite. Glad your making these tutorials. Anything on that Console in your fashion of explaining, please tell me. Hey, Great job!! Ps..Nice Elf Xmas plugin picture too. Merry Christmas man..

[@pratimaverma8716]

Being such a versatile compressor, do you use on mix bus ? If so, will appreciate to see settings and examples.

[@zorroinhell5549]

Great and informative video. On another note, what video monitor are you using?

[@jaywilldoit]

A tweaker’s dream you say? Perfect.

[@directed6924]

This emulation alone is worth investing in UAD processing...

[@aaronmarshall]

Great video Ben. Anyone ever told you that your voice sounds nearly exactly like John C Reilly’s?

[@roho508]

I FUCKING LOVE YOU!!! THIS IS WHAT I WAS MISSING!

[@rickey2]

"tweakers dream" LOL. Nice Ben

[@vincemurrain9617]

"this plugin is a TWEAKERS dream" lmao well then...

[@gorgino9700]

Thank you for sharing! Is that plug-in comes with pro tools or have to buy it separately?

[@UniversalAudio]

You buy it on our online store. www.uaudio.com/uad-plugins/compressors-limiters/empirical-labs-el8-distressor-compressor.html

[@gorgino9700]

@@UniversalAudio thank you so much

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@nphillypoet]

hey ben can you do a quick tip on saxaphone thanks

[@sunyshadow2541]

You are the best guys, but some of us like Mojave. Too much waiting time. Please❤️

[@saxnphilly2584]

hey can you do a 5 or 10 min uad tip for a saxaphone

[@MikeOxmellsGrimm]

The buzzing on the left side of the guitar recording made the hairs on my neck stand up (in a bad way)

[@DougPanton]

What control surface is this?

[@UniversalAudio]

Avid D Command.

[@mika461983]

2:02 talks about detector circuit, but shows an audio straight circuit

[@PerryCodes]

I think this plugin would have sounded better if they went with the full 19" 1u format instead of the 1/2 width 2u. More saturation and punchier in the lows.

[@colindayo]

Love the Distressor emulation but anyone else find the processing times a bit off putting? Soooooooo long on that plug!

[@djtwilite318]

great video thanks. now i have some questions. why are the plugins so high still being that you have some competitors that can really shut apollo down? first we have waves impact server with connect combo with waves plugin bundles like waves diamond bundle for $859.00 over 65 plugins and dsp server. with uad i can only get maybe 3 plugins for that price lol. then there is antelope audio discrete 8 and it comes with 50 plugins dsp. for 1395.00 and its usb for windows and thunderbolt and does the exact same thing as the apollo. uad thunderbolt 3 only works with mac or intel based windows pcs with thunderbolt support. your products wont work on amd based windows pcs. so is uad trying to put itself in a corner. im like did you guys do your homework? well i did. being that i have an amd based pc i could only get the apollo firewire. couldnt get the x6 unless i did a new computer build intel based setup so i could have thunderbolt 3 support and or headers. so then i checked out antelope discrete 8 and waves impact servers with the plugin bundles. i like your products i really do but someone their needs to do their homework because all these home studios are not going to buy this product. when they can buy the antelope discrete 8 with 50 plugins and waves server with over 65 plugins and u can use up to 400 plugins at once in the waves server. my apollo i can only maybe use 34 with this little classic bundle it came with lol. im going to buy the autotune plugin for 250 from uad so i can use in realtime and nothing else im buying the waves server connect combo with waves diamond bundle for 859.00 so i can have over 65 plugins and i can use up to 400 at once give or take. i dont know any other way to help uad but if you really read what i just wrote you will hurry up and go back to the drawing board and tbh the only reason i purchased the apollo was to use the autotune realtime plugin. so if you guys need my help call me or send me an application because when you all came out with this x version someone didnt do their homework about waves coming out with the new usb impact server early 2019 or antelope. but anyway nice unit. i like the talkback feature i dont like that thunderbolt 3 is only intel based windows pcs and macsespecially when people by windows pcs amd and or intel both pcs have ethernet and usb 3 but anyway thanks again

[@dariofromthefuture3075]

My understanding with Distressor is that the attack 10 is longer then 1. 10 is 10 ms - while 1 is 1 ms. Is this true?

[@UniversalAudio]

Setting the knob to 0 produces the fastest attack time. The faster the attack time, the more rapidly compression is applied to signals above the threshold. The available range is from 50 microseconds to 30 milliseconds.

[@dariofromthefuture3075]

@@UniversalAudio thanks mate!

[@MELOPSMUSIC]

Is it possible to set to Sound like a 1176 ?

[@UniversalAudio]

Sort of kind of, but really each box has its own sound.

[@electedmusic7685]

Hi, one question, would it be correct to use the distressor as a send fx channel to a drum bus, which would already be compressed by n ssl compressor for example? And add to that drum buss, a little distressor by sending fx? Or is it better to use the distressor inserted in the drum buss directly, and not to use it with another compressor?

[@slamcrank]

It's not uncommon to use a Distressor on a send fx (in parallel) to absolutely annihilate the drums before then sending it to the drum buss. Go nuts!

[@UniversalAudio]

Our Distressor has a mix knob, so no need to put it on a send. Insert, set it how you like it and blend to taste.

[@babar141]

What's your favourite plugin compressor for vocals ?

[@UniversalAudio]

Distressor can do it all!!

[@babar141]

@@UniversalAudio would I need it even if I had the uad la2a and 1176?

[@UniversalAudio]

You can NEVER have too many compressors in your toolkit!

[@lkb3rd]

I've never even touched meth but I still love this plugin. har har "tweaker's dream" :P

[@xXValomatXx]

i'm feeling phase issues when guitar is soloed...

[@CarcPazu]

Of course, the player has issues but it's just a phase.

[@CarcPazu]

I want it but the price is too high for an amateur like me, even with the current rebate. Your base price of $300 is about $100 too high. If it was $200 then purchasing it when it's 50% off would be great, but now at $150, it's a little excessive for a regular joe like me. Just my two cents…

[@kingech_B15]

It sounds a little stress hahaha,,well that's why you have a distressor

[@giuliano8031]

Can I save my own presets.

[@UniversalAudio]

Yes you can! Either in our preset system or your DAWs.

[@giuliano8031]

Universal Audio Thank You for the Quick answer I appreciate it.

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@ouvi]

Not an entirely fair comparison when hearing with and without the distressor activated if we’re not hearing at the same loudness level for both cases, I wish this was taken into consideration for listening to the true sound and colour of this plugin

[@JoshWiniberg]

The gain staging didn't sound that far off in terms of peaks, but a lot of the quieter parts disappear as the RMS is a lot lower. That's what you'd expect though. Seemed a pretty reasonable A/B to me.

[@siriusfun]

3:35 - except you kept disengaging the HPF, effectively making the A/B between Dist2 and Dist3 useless.

[@fulviobennato]

add to spark pls!!!!

[@Kay_Locc]

I was always wounding why I never saw it. I knew i wasn’t crazy. They need to add it asap

[@popa_a]

Finally here :)

[@vicesquadpunk]

"Sounds as good as the original!" .... ahh, thats why these original units are being thrown out and given away to unsuspecting passers by 😂

[@CarcPazu]

True, every time I walk on the sidewalk, I trip on one. Of course, I don't waste my time picking it up, I just kick it out of the way. The damn thing doesn't even have a blend mode for chrissake.

[@kennethdaniels]

*Lets you listen for 2 seconds* "So as you can hear..."

[@IgorMuller]

This is hillarious. Guys i have your gear for a reason. Like anyone who understands what is worth having your 1176 or la2a or distressor in their disposal. Problem is I clicked this video to have at least some insight. There is none. There is almost no real reason to use distressor on drums with no attack/release, i never seen anyone who uses this very coloring device for like nothing? Because it barely works on drums with those settings? Most people will do exactly the opposite - smash the f out of drums then parallel mix it back, because distressor smashes so good, especially with mid detector option? And with harmonics? And then you show it on guitar in mix and there is like 4db of difference in procceced/non procceced signal. Why, guys? Why do you do this? You are fcking among the best, why do you have to make such a non inspiring and blatantly incorrect videos? No, it wont stop me from buying your stuff, it is still amazing. It just totally boggers me - WHY do you have to do that? You had that amazing Vance video with mic placements, you had that crazy well made video with Che Pope playing in a small hall. Those videos are like priceless for working professionals. And those, i absolutely sure, buy most of your stuff. Why videos like this? Just cant understand. Really.

[@GabrielXDrums]

Igor Muller just keeping it on works fine, no need for overkill or smashing something if it sounds lovely at its most neutral settings.

[@RanaudioMusicTV]

😂😂😂

[@kaueto]

stop it

[@future_Victoryofficial]

Sound great on drums but on vocals no

[@Neocortex_x]

Who is responsible for the interface? Fire him! The plugin is 2 years on market and you still didn't make a function to link input and output as Slate Digital did. Yes, you make it big and even made dry/wet buttons - my congratulations! You guys just make a plugin and that is all. The design and usability of old plugins are awful. They cost as hell. Don't you want to invest money in updates? Don't worry. It will do your competitors. Which are closer and in some cases have better sound than yours. knock-knock! Who is there? It is a collapse of your company here! Soon...