In this video, producer Ben Lindell shows what he likes and how to use the UAD Fairchild compressor plugin and talks about its sound, color and mid-side processing capabilities (also known as lat-vert mode).
This plug-in has a wide range of uses and settings and can be used for adding color and character to a track as well as mastering.
If you would like to know more about Ben Lindell, please visit: www.benlindell.com
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00:00:06 Hey how is it going?
I'm Ben Lindell
and today I'm gonna be showing
a couple of my favourite.
00:00:11 features and uses of the Universal
Audio Fairchild UAD plug-in.
00:00:14 The Fairchild plug-in was one of the
first plug-ins for the UAD platform.
00:00:17 But I find myself coming back to it all
the time for a couple of specific reasons.
00:00:21 Mainly its color and being
able to work in mid/side mode.
00:00:24 Let me show you
what I'm talking about.
00:00:26 The original Fairchild is considered
the Holy Grail of audio compressors.
00:00:30 It has fourteen transformers
and twenty tubes in it.
00:00:32 And UA did a great
job on modeling all of this.
00:00:36 So the first thing I wanna show you
is just running audio
through those transformers and tubes.
00:00:40 No compression.
00:00:42 Let's take a listen.
00:00:43 So first I'm gonna start my example
with the plug-in in bypass.
00:00:46 Then after two bars I'm
gonna engage the Fairchild.
00:00:49 Check it out.
00:01:12 So it's a pretty subtle difference.
00:01:14 But keep in mind, all we are
doing is running through
the tubes and transformers
of the Fairchild.
00:01:17 No compression yet.
00:01:19 I'm gonna play it for you
again and this time
listen to the bass drum.
00:01:22 You're gonna hear it get tighter
and get lifted up just
a little bit tonally.
00:01:27 You're gonna loose a little
bit of the bottom end
but it's gonna
feel nice and reinforced.
00:01:30 Let's check it out.
00:01:53 Next I want you to listen to
the tonal change in the vocal.
00:01:56 Now when I engage the Fairchild,
listen to the presence of the vocal.
It becomes a little more pronounced
and also some of the
boominess disappears.
00:02:04 Let's check it out.
00:02:27 So I often find myself
using the Fairchild plug-in
just for its tonal color.
00:02:32 That adds a nice finish to a
lot of tracks by tightening
up the bass and boosting
the presence a little bit.
00:02:37 Now let's have some fun and start
compressing with it as well.
00:02:40 I've setup my Fairchild plug-in
to give me between 1
to 2 dB of compression
over the same section
of the song.
00:02:47 Now when I'm compressing
the entire mix
what I'm really looking
to do is just enhance
and pull out the groove
a little bit more.
00:02:53 The Fairchild has a really fast attack
and a nice slow gentle release.
00:02:58 So in this example its gonna be mainly
listening to the kick and snare drum
and allowing everything in between
to kind of speak out a little bit more.
00:03:05 Let's take a listen.
00:03:28 I'll play that for you again,
and this time listen to how
the kick and the snare
stay at the same level.
00:03:33 And when I engage the Fairchild
everything else - the piano, the
hi-hats, the vocal
all get brought up
just a little bit.
00:03:40 Check it out.
00:04:03 Now I'm gonna show you my favorite thing
about using the Fairchild plug-in,
the Lat/Vert mode,
or Mid/Side as we
like to call it nowadays.
00:04:10 What this allows me to do,
is compress everything
that is down in the middle,
like my kick, snare and vocal,
separately from
everything on the sides,
like my reverbs, piano,
hi hat, etc.
00:04:21 So let's check it out what
that sounds like.
00:04:45 So you noticed that on my mid channel
I'm just compressing 1 or 2 dB again
and gentling tucking away
the kick, snare and the vocal
while on the sides I'm barely
compressing at all.
00:04:56 Allowing them to just remain
free and open.
00:04:58 The overall effect of this two
gives me a nice wide
stereo image
and a nice gentle compression
characteristic to it.
00:05:05 So I'm gonna play this
for you again
and notice how when
I insert the plug-in
it feels like the track
just opens up a little bit
and yet still
feels nice and tight.
00:05:35 These are a couple of the main reasons why
I like to pull up the Fairchild plug-in.
00:05:38 Now whether it's on my 2-bus
or in a mastering session
all I really need is just a
subtle enhancement.
00:05:44 So the Fairchild's got a
nice tone color to it
and allows me to work in mid/side mode
which helps enhance the stereo image.
00:05:50 Those two combined give my tracks a
nice polished and finished sound.
00:05:54 So till next time.
Once logged in, you will be able to read all the transcripts jump around in the video.
Ben is a NYC based producer/engineer who has worked with artists from MGMT to Soulja Boy, Bebel Giberto to Lloyd Banks, Ryan Leslie, Olivia, Tony Yayo, Red Cafe, Edie Brickell, Carole Pope and hundreds of other artists from around the world. He grew up in Iowa and then attended the University of Miami.
In addition to being a fantastic musician he is also a tremendous geek when it comes to anything technical, be it software, plug-ins, microphones or outboard gear. It's this marriage of musical creativity and technical know-how that makes him an in demand producer/engineer.
I was struggling to hear that difference in the kick drum at first, but the mids I heard very clearly being enhanced...BUT..the mid/side...that was a wow-moment! Incredible. Thank you!
Tazmanian Ninja
2020 Mar 06
Good, short and concise tutorial. And I can vouch for what he says: it's all correct:)
Not that I'd expect wrong info here on pureMix, but the net is so full is bad or ill-conceived advice by people who just do and say what they've heard (or misunderstood) somewhere else.
One example is, some recommend using the Fairchild as a bus(s)-compressor. But they don't mention its very fast attack. That's important info re: bus-compression!
So it's great this guy mentions it:)
beau.s
2018 May 20
I really appreciate you going through one of my all time favorite plugins. Recently, I've had the UAD 2 670 plugin loaded on many of my vocal tracking sessions with no compression engaged. What I have found is that is really helps to reign in harsh tone and give it a bit of silk without sounding processed. Going to try this mid side mode on my 2 bus!
alekvila
2018 Apr 26
I enjoyed this video. I appreciated your format of playing the audio a few times with guided listening instruction and no gaps or words between the bypass and active states. I was really impressed with what the plug-in did to the sound without any compression. I'm going to have a closer listen to my IK Multimedia version. I wonder if it works as well.
lush1
2015 Mar 17
The first studio I worked in had Fairchilds and Pultecs. At the time I hated them. UREI graphic EQs and LA2s were coming out. I wanted more bands on my EQ and small compressors that didn't live in a rolling rack that made the room 10 degrees hotter. What did I know? Pearls before swine for a newbie like me. But as I got better and had newer gear, I learned to appreciate the brilliance of those old gems. Finally I have credible plug-in versions. If only I knew then what I know now. Thanks to you guys, I'm still learning how to use them more effectively. Kudos
Frans
2015 Mar 05
Very subtle use. Although I'm also doing the Golden Ears course which has minute db differences to train your listening , this is subtle. Any chance you guys could do the NEW Fairchild 670 as well ( non-legacy with the mix and side chain controls) ?
ByronBay
2014 Sep 14
Great demonstration. Thank you
jimibott
2014 Sep 08
It's cool but I'd like more detailed instruction as to what all the controls do and how to use them. thanks Jimi
DONXrapper
2014 Aug 23
can you upload a free video of kick EQ ?
berkland
2014 Jan 02
great
benlindell
2014 Jan 01
@j2fly it's the song "Magic" - by Vincci and Sam Nulton https://soundcloud.com/vinccioath/vincci-its-magic-featuring-sam
j2fly
2013 Dec 31
I'd love to know the song/artist featured in this video. Sounds like a cool track.
rainbox
2013 Dec 08
Nice presentation of the fabulous UAD FairChild, with a clear example of how Lateral/Vertical (Mid/Side) compression works.
bwells
2013 May 07
Great! I was playing with this plugin the other day and was kind of lost..time to go back to it!
Kjell159
2013 Feb 28
I only hobby record/mix/master for a couple of months and I got my first studio monitors around Christmas so I am not the best engineer but still I can hear a (not sooo big) differnce in the tonal quality of the higher(-and midrange) frequencies (like the piano-track) and the overall the stereo image of the mix.
Like Ben actually said. :)
android
2013 Feb 11
Nice tip. This made me revisit some of my own plug-ins that attempt to emulate vintage gear to be sure that I wasn't overlooking subtle nuances like this.
Shazamone
2013 Feb 10
Great video thanks ! What is the track used for the exemple ? Shazam didn't recognize it...
cheers
Tkandrews
2013 Feb 09
At Hadassah Studios in Italy you are described as a Revered Saint. This video demonstrates why they so much respect you.Thanks for sharing your gifts with us.
Lupez
2013 Feb 06
this video is so great and so depressing at the same time...my ears are too closed! thanks Ben.
