Empirical Labs EL-7x - Manual (Page 4)

6 7
(Using the first time on Vocals, Continued)
Try the Warmth control for less subtle high end softening. This circuit is a unique dynamic filter not too far removed
from de-essing except it is above most sibilant freqs and works on a different principle and filter type. (...ok, so it is far
removed!). This circuit is really useful on vocals that are bright or have 10KHz and above boosted heavily with EQ. In fact
warmth is really useful used in conjunction with high freq eq boost, as it will only grab the parts that are excessively bright
or “plasticky” and get out of the way in less than a millisecond. Use it as an EQ tamer.
As you progress from 1 - 7 on the warmth control, more and more high freguencies will be “grabbed” and eventually you
will start muffling the signal. DON’T DO THAT! Be very careful not to overuse the warmth control... 1 - 5 dB of Warmth is
a lot. By now that distant, thin, vocal should be HOT and in your face. When using the compressor and warmth together,
remember the interaction. Apply this same type of thinking to other sources/instruments. Don’t be afraid to use the warmth
without any other processing, or just the compressor, or just the TRANNY (to fatten low end). Also remember the unit is
always passing the signal through the saturation circuits, with no LED’s on whatsoever. Don’t feel like you have to use all
the FATSO processing, when you may only need high frequency softening, or tightening on the low end, etc. SEE EXAMPLE
SETTINGS BELOW.
EXAMPLE SETTINGS
DIGITAL MUSIC & BUSS FATTENING - This was almost the original intent of the FATSO. That is, it was a two-channel
device that could make a stereo digital signal sound “analog” and integrate the different frequencies in a musical way.
It could be used as a stereo device thru which one could mix or transfer to or from a digital medium to make it sound very
analog tape-like. For those who aren’t used to the Jargon... A “Buss” is usually a pair of channels that have pre mixed
instruments or stereo music on them. The Left & Right outputs of your CD player could be considered a 2 channel buss.
In the recording studio, it is more often applied to the final left and right channel mix, or to something such as all the drums
mixed down to 2 tracks (a “submix), so that instead of moving 12 faders at once to move drums up or down, you only have
to grab those two. 􀂉
MIXDOWN BUSS PROCESSOR - By placing the FATSO immediately before a digital mixdown recorder such as a Hard Disk,
RAM, or CD recorder, the recording engineer should be able to get the sweet high end and low frequency fatness that he
could mixing to an analog tape recorder. Compression should usually be the BUSS type, use the warmth to soften the high
end and the TRANNY to add some definition and warm harmonics to the low frequencies. 􀂉
CD PLAYERS & OTHER DIGITAL RECORDERS - If the player has RCA output connectors, you’ll need an adapter cable
to get into the FATSO. A common goal is to make that CD player have the warmth and softness of the old tape recorders
and records. Usually you won’t use compression for this task, but if you do, set it up first since it interacts with the other
settings. Set the input until the 0VU LED glows on peaks from time to time. This will set up the saturation to emulate some
nominal tape-like distortion. Try experimenting with the warmth control. Allow 1 - 10 dB of warmth to occur on peaks.
When AB’ing it to the original signal, a new softness and fatness will be noticed immediately, making loud listening easy
on the ears. The TRANNY may be useful for focusing sub frequencies. 􀂉
DJ LEVEL CONTROLLER AND MASTER PA PROCESSOR - Place the FATSO at the output of your DJ mixer before your
power amps to level and fatten up the whole show. The BUSS compressor can level out volume differences while keeping
the “smack” intact. Some house engineers use more aggressive FATSO compressors. The TRANNY may help on smaller
systems to get the low freqs clearer, but it does gently roll off subsonic content, whereas many venues want to “show off”
subs below 40Hz. There are dozens of clubs around the world warming their House PA systems with FATSOs. 􀂉
DISTORTION DEVICE - Folks have already used the FATSO as a distortion box with great effectiveness and musicality.
The warmth can roll off some harsh distortion grit if it crops up, enhancing the lower harmonics. The TRANNY can
drastically distort sub frequencies below around 50Hz, as it adds 2nd and 3rd harmonics that can add clarity on those low
tones. Keyboards are fantastic through the FATSO, and can be plugged directly in the rear inputs. Guitar and bass have
been plugged directly in with great results for some applications... although the impedance and gain structure are more
suited to line level, or a direct box output. See Example Settings. 􀂉
EFFECTS WARMER - Try using the FATSO as an analog effects simulator by putting it after a digital delay, reverb, etc.
The Warmth can tame the edges so they don’t conflict with the source, and soft saturation will bring an analog vibe. Try the
BUSS compression. The TRANNY can roll off subs and pump harmonics into the low frequencies.
VOCALS - There are so many ways to use FATSO here. During tracking, the initial recording of a source, try the Tracking
Compressor which lights the Red LED in the compressor area. This is a pretty safe LN1176 type knee compressor with a
pretty quick attack and release. That might be all you need. Using up to 10 dB of compression should be fine with really
dynamic vocs during tracking. The BUSS is almost invisible on vocals unless you get over 5dB on peaks. It starts to saturate
over 5 – 7 dB of compression. Alternately, you can try ELEVEN which is a steep curve, but good for skimming peaks during
tracking. While tracking, be careful over-compressing with these compressors, especially ELEVEN and SPANK, as they are
pretty aggressive. But even SPANK is useful to grab occasional peaks and then quickly get out of the way. During mixdown,
you can get crazier and put on 14 to 20dB of compression on vocal peaks. Just be careful as there are records that are
ruined from over compressed vocals.
If the top end is too sizzly or spitty, you can try the warmth control, maybe adding up to 6dB of warmth on the peaks. This
is not a de-essing function since it affects freqs above the most trouble-some sibilant freqs, nonetheless, you may find it
helps take some of the hissy sound out of a source.
TRANNY may be useful on exceptionally low vocals as it will warm the low tones to some degree. It will also roll the super
subs off but generally, TRANNY will not radically affect most vocal sources.
PIANO/KEYS - Acoustic pianos often need less attack & more sustain to fit into a mix, but there are millions of exceptions.
As far as the compression part... Old Beatle records started using drastic amounts of compression to keep a piano sitting
inside a busy arrangement. Bruce Hornsby-ish pianos are often real or samples of real pianos with medium attack and
medium release, that achieve a “bite” followed by sustained body. If you find the BUSS type compressor a bit gentle and
too hot, and distorting some of the peaks, try the TRACKING or ELEVEN COMPRESSOR with the fast releases. If you have
a dense mix and really need to make it take up a finite spot in the mix - go for the SPANK. This will slap the dynamic
rangedown smoothly and quickly. It won’t be an unfamiliar sound.
The saturator or soft clip part of the FATSO will be very useful also on piano and keys. Pianos and synths can have quite
a peaky transient and the instantaneous nature of the saturator can often give you 6db more peak headroom before your
ear detects clipping. Synthesizers and samplers can benefit enormously since their envelope generators often create
huge front peaks. The Warmth is also very useful here since it can soften the edges and also take care of the sharp trebly
plastic edge without affecting the low frequency amplitude. You will find subtle use of the Warmth on keys to be extremely
pleasing once they are dropped back in the mix. Often you can take a thin lifeless keyboard part and bring warmth and
reality to it with the FATSO.
Electric Keys can usually be plugged directly into the FATSOs rear connectors without a DI.
BASS - FATSO is great on bass. Bass is notoriously hard to round out and clarify sometimes, but the FATSO has many
ways to help. First, if a low bass tone is too pure and sine-wave-like, it will “fall off” on small speakers. By this we mean,
it will not be audible because most of the bass frequencies are below the range of the speakers. The TRANNY is one
solution, combined with the saturator circuits. These will generate upper harmonics that will be musically related. These
harmonics will be reproduced on small speakers and the human ear (and mind), will psycho-acoustically fill in the lower
fundamentals. Great on direct bass.
The FATSO compressors are fabulous on bass too. The BUSS compressor is good for an already compressed or very evenly
played bass, since it will leave the transients and remaining dynamics in. It will also allow you to use varying amounts
of grunge since it is such a gentle compressor that wont really nail the bass level in place. Just by turning the input up
or down, one can add or remove distortion because of its low ratio. The TRACK and ELEVEN compressor are favorites
again for bass (the Yellow or Red LED lit), and can be used subtly, or to totally squash. The TRACK compressor is the most
Distressor-like compressor in the FATSO with a fast attack and release, along with a smooth knee. SPANK is useful for a
super aggressive level control on Bass, and can be used to distort low frequencies because of its speed.
As you can see, there are lots of options here. The WARMTH control may be useful for some trebly, over eq’d basses, but
generally it may find limited use here. Again, be conservative when tracking. You can always blend the FATSO’d signal with
the dry signal, to mellow out the effects and keep dynamics.
ELEC. GUITAR - A wide range of settings can be used. To get rid of edgy attacks, use the quick attack, fast release of the
Tracking (TRACK) or ELEVEN compressor. If the guitar is too dynamic, the compressor combined with the saturator and
TRANNY circuits may be the answer. Sometimes the guitar just needs a touch of fatness without losing attack. Try the
BUSS compressor to maintain transients. Watch overwarming guitars with the saturators and the warmth circuits. Crunchy
guitars which are full of harmonics, are notoriously sensitive to tonal changes. Over saturating or warming can take away
the clarity or bite needed to cut thru. Other times, it’s just what’s needed to let the guitar be louder in a mix and stay out of