FAIRCOMP 670 First Look with Marc Daniel Nelson
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- AudioScape is proud to announce the release of the FairComp 670 Stereo Compressor, truly a more-real-than-recreated version of the “holy-grail” of vintage analog audio hardware. AudioScape has created the FairComp 670, in painstaking detail, to match the design, spec and componentry of the original 670. It is the first iteration to feature the full eleven transformer and twenty tube complement of the original 670, including its all-tube power supply, for under $10,000.
As the primordial days of studio recording fade in the rearview mirror, it’s become almost an obsession of modern recording engineers and producers to try and capture the visceral feeling of classic recordings like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, the Beatles Sgt. Pepper and others made in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Among the profusion of vintage audio processors that have been resurrected/recreated/remade to try and achieve this, none has the deep legacy and universal appeal of the original 660 mono and 670 stereo variable-mu tube compressors. EMI Abbey RoadTM Studios bought a dozen 660s in 1965; it is the sound of the guitars and vocals on Revolver and Sgt. Pepper, and on countless other bona-fide classics by artists from L.A. to London over the last seven decades. It’s the sound of Rudy Van Gelder’s iconic jazz recordings for Blue Note RecordsTM.
Owing to its very fast attack times and slow release, the magic in the sound of the FairComp 670 is its uber-smooth compression characteristics when used to control dynamics, with no discernible “pumping” or “breathing” artifacts. But, when pushed with lower thresholds and higher ratios (achieved by adjusting the Time-Constant controls), the 670 brings an energy and intensity, alongside its own incandescent box-tone, to every track it touches.
In addition to meeting the original specs, AudioScape’s FairComp 670 features a host of useful new additions like: sidechain high-pass filtering, DC threshold control, gain trims, a single bypass switch, and what may be the world’s most transparent mix control circuit. AudioScape conceded one more modern-workflow touch by adding Stereo and Dual Mono settings to the AGC switch.
Now, the mojo of this vari-mu classic is available to everyone, and to make things even more “Fair,” AudioScape is offering the FairComp 670 at an introductory price of just $6999. If you want a true 670 circuit in all its glory with no corners cut, then AudioScape’s FairComp 670 is essential.
Price: Introductory Special $6999.99
Available late 2024 - Hudba
Marvellous as always Marc and Audioscape! Really enjoyed the video!
Wow, tremendous sounding. Truly exciting!!
Thank you Lisa! We love what you do! 🫶
@@AudioScapeEngineeringCo 🖤🙏🏻🖤
Wow! That’s amazing! Thank you so much!
Wow does that sound GREAT!
You guys are just crushing it. Everything you build has exactly what it needs to be the best in your market. I was wondering when you guys would do a 670…. So glad you are doing this. Thanks you so much and Hallelujah pass the Fairchild!
Ok Marc ... "sneek peek" mad appreciated sir! Beautiful unit with serious character.
Sounds like a vari-mu! Magic on vocals. Buttery smacks on drums, and hit or miss on 2-mix. I think there are enough clones out now that someone could do a shootout on them all, Undertone, Stam's various versions, this, the poorman, EAR, Heritage's Grandchild, Drip, etc.
The trick on the two bus is to unlink the side chain.
Hi guys, I love my 1176D. Great demo, Marc!
I really like how the snare is coming out.
The fire in his eyes... it must sound really phenomenal
I like the glass panel in front that shows the insides, I hope it stays that way!
Thank you!
Loved it on drums!!!
It's by far the coolest piece of gear ever. It was also the first I heard of really. I got obsessed by the sound of Revolver and got to an article where Geoff Emerick and the Fairchild were the the take aways. That article was the most unavoidable and biggest hit of love for audio engineering (and gear) you can imagine. It seriously got me into all of this.
And that thing there sounds stupid.
Was very pumped to see this at NAMM. Congrats Audioscape! Always doing cool stuff!
amazing!
Very cool. I literally just ordered their "260" compressor which is a remake of the classic DBX 160VU in linked stereo form not even an hour before this video appeared in my feed. I love Audio-Scape stuff and find the value to quality ratio to be fantastic. I own several pieces of theirs and still have several on my wish list. Whether or not this will be on that list will depend on its price but someday it would definitely be nice to own a quality 670 repro and based on how smooth and natural the added grit, focus and "pump" the compression this unit added, it seems Audio-Scape once again has done a great job.
that snare is magical!
If Marc is excited about it, you know it's good!
Getting my first piece from Audioscape❤
Thats aweosome
That extra octave.. so good man...
Very Warm and Punchy
This is great! Marc where’s the mustache? 😂
How big is that room you are in? I’ve always wondered. I have many AS pieces and none of them disappoint. Thanks for all the great videos.
Sounds great
Looks beautiful
Are you using brand new UTC transformers or new/old stock?
No, Marcus. I talked to an old guitarist and he said that it wouldn't matter what we tried to do today, because we couldn't ever replicate the power and the sag from old equipment down to the wiring. The guy used to play out Gil Scott Heron. Smiling and he said he jammed out with Parliament a bunch. So what do you think about power and sag? By the way your show is very cool and thanks for letting us steal tips.
wow this so cool Marc May you please do a tutorial on the delays and effects on the vocals
Yep
Delays & fx mofo vokalz 💁🏾♂️🏆
Knock it outta the park, I said, and you did.
Smiling
It does something to the stereo field. On the drums only example listen to the snare drift around to the right.
Mark, what patchbay is that that you are using? Really curiois
i think i don't have the ears yet, its okay but i think its some plugins that can get you these results pretty easily. could be youtube im listening on focal evo twins
Nice demo. How much difference to the sound does the tube PSU actually make?
There is no technical gain keeping the tube psu. I'd rather have a better and more stable SS psu any day of the week and not deal with tubes in a PSU. We're in 2024 and not in the 1950s anymore.
@@MartinMartin-yi9to That was Stam’s philosophy too as a way of keeping the price down. Paying up front and the cost of ownership of maintaining tubes that don’t add to the sound…. I’d rather put that money into something else (personally). I’m happy enough with a 98% close Fairchild clone at 50% of the cost.
Wowwww!!!!
I HAVE THE UAD 670 PLUGIN..AND USE DIFFERENT FAV PRESETS ON EVEREYTHING!! MAJOR GAME CHANGER FOR ME!! :)
I like to think i love old tubey gear.. but either i don't like a Fairchild or have never heard the right one. Love me some retro 176's though
I always hear about people using the SSL Gbus compressor in the main mix bus for 'glue', but it seems like a 670 would be a better choice, no?
holy cow
Great video and review ! Faircomp sounds great and the build quality is obviously fantastic! But is it me, - but i,ll be honest : i liked the drums much more without compressor on it. Much more breath in the sound. Another aspect : i feel,like the same quality can be easily achieved with the plugins.
A lot of really great engineers don't particularly favor compression - especially in regard to instruments like drums with a lot of transient info - and tend to use compression _very_ sparingly and when they do, only use it to solve specific problems. Not as a "I put that sh*t on everything" sauce. That's not me knocking or endorsing one approach or the other as I've heard fantastic recordings from both ends of the spectrum (lots of compression/very little compression). That's just me saying that your take is certainly not invalid and to definitely trust your ears.
Two of my favorite engineers ever and two engineers who on the surface would seem that they'd be diametrically opposed in style and approach if you made assumptions based on the music they recorded and mixed but who I actually find to have a lot in common insofar as their approach to recording and mixing and in particular, their minimalist use of compression are Bruce Swedien (Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Roberta Flack, Mick Jagger etc) and Steve Albini (the Pixies, Breeders, Nirvana, Page and Plant, PJ Harvey, Iggy and The Stooges, Bush etc).
Both engineers are on record saying (and I'm of course paraphrasing but their comments on the subject are quite easy to find online) that they don't particularly "like" compression and see it simply as a tool to solve specific problems. Further saying that transients and dynamics are foundational parts of music and naturalistic, exciting recordings as well as serve to propel the rhythm and "groove" of a song. Bruce Swedien famously repeated in many an interview "compression is for kids." Saying he'd only rarely use in his words a "smidge" of 1176 compression on Michael Jackson's vocals and he'd blend it in using the parallel compression technique. Albini is on record saying he almost never puts any compression on his mix bus unless he's mixing a record he didn't record that has some specific issue that can only be addressed with compression. He'll rarely use anything on his mix bus and _if_ he puts anything, it's usually just some gentle, passive, "Pultec" style EQ. When it comes to using compression on specific instruments, he again never does so as a matter of "taste" but only to solve a specific issue like a particularly wild and audibly distasteful transient spike. One usually inherent to a performer's playing that they could not fix with re-takes. His first instinct being to try and fix problems at the source; i.e. performance and/or microphone placement.
So yeah, I know that's a randomly long winded answer but you're definitely not "wrong." That said, of course I own literally about 12 different compressors and will likely buy another dozen before I'm done but the advice of Swedien and Albini is something I've taken to heart. I haven't taken it as a _maxim_ and if I think compressing the hell out of something sounds cool, I'll do it but much more rarely now do I just instinctively insert a compressor on every kick, snare and vocal track and my on drum buss like I used to.
Very nice. What is going to be the price?
$7k
@@RhugginsHmmm. Not obscene.
How does it compare to the analoguetube AT101?
Oh Snap?!
We love our Audio Scape Madness! Wicked Job Marc!
Any info in the price??
I dig it but for anyone interested in purchasing, I'd watch Eric Valentine's video on why this isn't a good idea and the tube selection changes were very purposeful.
Link?
IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!! H.$. I'm in man....WHEN???
Behringer is coming out with theirs for $699
Explains a lot.
"Under $10,000" = $9,999
Intro pricing $6999 🙌
Sadly way out of reach for most of us, but a nice effort to resurrect an old relic.
Take my money.
5:17 If you're going to do an IN/OUT comparison match the levels otherwise the comparison is invalid
Dees demo mate, cool. Having used the originals many times this does sound close, but of course it's not IT.
Thanks for commenting. As far as tubes and full circuitry goes for a true to form 670, this has IT. This is the first “budget” range 670 to include the full tube power supply and full sidechain circuitry, which is no small feat. That’s awesome you’ve used originals! Nothing like using an original fairchild in person. Same goes for checking out a Faircomp 670 in person vs a YT vid ;)
A critique? Your In/Out game needs work. You need to give people more time with both the dry and the processed versions, not only to mentally adjust to both the engaged and disengaged states, but to actually analyze the audio material. The video's fine if you're listening to what it's doing generally, as a whole, but I'm listening more for what it's doing to individual elements or, more specifically, different frequency ranges and the behavior of dynamic elements that are in them. Still, a nice overview of a promising piece of hardware.
Appreciate the video offering for sure, but I agree to not only have less talking during the in/out for us but longer measures of both,....And ideally more level matched. But again thankful to have a glimpse of it and I can understand why if this is still in proto stage, why not to dive in deeper.
I can see your point. This is also just a prototype so it’s not a proper review that someone would use to inform a possible purchase.
First !😉
weight
Please ...
Could you do a more professional demonstration of your audioscape Asa 6a
and your faircomp 670 . This is more of a commercial presentation with too much talk and in no way shows the qualities and possibilities of your device . its really frustrating . Thanks . Sorry for my english😊
Someone gives you a cup of coffee and you complain that you didn't get any half and half with your free coffee, so you ask that they go make a new pot but better this time.
Not even going to entertain this… I did not hear a difference 😂😂😂😂
You won't it's in their heads to get you to buy something
To get that last 5% gotta spend the cash,Audioscape is amazing ❤
You need better ears
Not sure what you're listening to this on, but maybe try to focus on the snare drum in the drums example. It's very noticeable.
@@kevinbatchelor9566 what is it that you hear? Elaborate. Cause I have a very trained ear. And there was nothing. I’m sorry. I’m not going to lie to myself.
Buddy you know what it sounds like we don't know what it sounds like shut up it's too much talking we know where engineers we want to hear it can we hear it or we going to hear
Lot of money for minimum improvement. At least from this demo.
Have all 3 76 comp models from Audioscape and a VComp, so i know the quality. Also have vintage units to compare (eg 1176 rev E, etc.). The Audioscape 76Ds are literally indistinguishable form their vintage counterpart on ATC monitors, in a well treated room.
Trying to ignore this video is not easy. Audioscape as a company is amazing, specially in this day and age where prices for just about anything are through the roof.