While audio plugins can be indiscernible from the real thing, for some the only way to get mojo is to get some electrons moving… With some seriously impressive parentage, we check out Chandler Limited’s RS660 valve compressor.
In Summary
Distilling elements of the EMI RS124 and Fairchild 660 units, Chandler Limited’s RS660 valve compressor brings together a more efficient design plus three modes of operation to serve up authentic Abbey Road dynamic control with an unmistakable character.
Going Deeper
Chasing Imperfection
Despite the wealth of audio plugin recreations out there, there remains a sizeable enclave of engineers seeking out ‘imperfect’ sounds with real gear, such as those slightly cooked and massaged by the sound of electrons in a box.
On the flipside, these can absolutely be recreated successfully by audio plugins, and it’s probably true to say that the virtual hardware can sound more like a particular hardware example than than any adulterated, modded, multi-owner piece on the used market. Added to that, there is the small point of how a given processor is used. Some might agree that the engineer’s skill deployed with an audio plugin wins over a misused hardware equivalent.
Although some maintain that there is an audible difference between a given unit and its software recreation, most would concede that these differences can arise by design rather than by the medium itself. Even when these are virtually indiscernible from each other, for many clients, their faith in the recording (rightly or wrongly) is guided by a visceral need that cannot be replicated in software: authenticity.
Chandler Limited RS660
Recreating the sounds of some of the gear used at one of the industry’s most famous addresses during the 1960s and 1970s is Chandler Limited’s Abbey Road line analogue processors. The latest in this range is the company’s RS660 compressor, with a name many will recognise as a nod to some serious hardware inspiration from the studio during the 1960s.
During this time, EMI ran its own modified Altec 436B units under the EMI RS124 moniker. Also at this time was the studio’s use of perhaps one of the most coveted compressors of them all in Fairchild’s classic 660 units; the RS660 is a distillation of the two.
In the video we patch in the RS660 across drums, bass and piano in a track that cries out for an injection real analogue mojo. Starting out in Limit mode on drums, when then switch to Comp mode on bass. As a great antidote to virtual cleanliness, we then set RS660 to THD mode to infuse some of its valve and transformer goodness on a plugin piano. Rounding off proceedings, we go super-retro for generous treatments on some mono mix action.
Chandler Limited On RS660
The Chandler RS660 compressor is a single-channel valve compressor inspired by the iconic EMI RS124 and Fairchild 660 compressors used at Abbey Road studios in the 1960s. It is a mono/linkable vacuum tube compressor and limiter packaged in a dual rack space configuration with an internal power supply. The Chandler RS660 Compressor is not an imitation of existing equipment; instead, it represents an innovative approach to the design of recording-studio equipment. Centred around a 6386 vacuum tube, the RS660 Compressor is tuned to reproduce the classic sound of its predecessors, achieving this through a more efficient design.
Controls And Features
Input, output.
Time constant.
THD, Comp, and Limit modes.
Link (bypass).
Selectable output impedance.
Stereo-matched pairs and stepped I/O controls are optionally available.
RS660 Final Thoughts
One word springs to mind as soon as you patch the RS660 in- Wow! I have an open mind when it comes to software versus analogue processing, but the last time a sound grabbed me like this was on my last analogue compression outing a few weeks back. Yes, it’s hard to put this down to electrons sounding better than code, but RS660 delivers loads of vintage character which (to stay on completely objective ground) is definitely real!
I was interested to get some of the ‘backwards’ cymbal sounds available, however for this to work the music needs to be slow enough for the RS660 to recover quickly enough. This is compressor is slow, but that’s part of its charm. A bypass switch would have been great, as Pro Tools’ Inactive switching is hardly seamless on my system.
In case you’re wondering what the “BAL” button is, this allows the engineer to recalibrate the two amplifier blocks (RS660 is an AB design). Pressing the button generates audible pulses through both and inverts the polarity of one. Turning the screw above until they cancel rebalances the system. Clever, and a nice authentic hangover from the 1960s which was apparently developed to reduce downtime by keeping Abbey Road’s lab-coated technicians out of the control room…
With many classic records (and quite a few modern ones) enjoying the elixir of analogue warmth, those who need imperfection with authenticity need to have deep pockets. Most reading this will be aware of the hallowed Pultecs, Altecs, and Fairchilds of this world, but the remaining examples are rare and often unobtainable. Chandler Limited RS660 does exactly what it sets out to do; at a price reflecting its handbuilt bespoke design, it serves up bags of tasty analogue charm with a heritage that makes it hard to ignore.
A Word About This Article
As the Experts team considered how we could better help the community we thought that some of you are time poor and don’t have the time to read a long article or a watch a long video. In 2023 we are going to be trying out articles that have the fast takeaway right at the start and then an opportunity to go deeper if you wish. Let us know if you like this idea in the comments.