The Fairchild vari-mu compressor is such a hallowed piece of gear that even a mere utterance of its name can invoke involuntary groans of joy in gear-lusty engineers. However, original units in good condition can sell for eye-watering amounts — often in excess of $50,000. That's one of the reasons the driving force behind Undertone Audio, producer/engineer Eric Valentine (Songs For The Deaf, Slash), took it upon himself to create his own version of the classic. We talk to Eric about his compressor, the newly updated and unveiled UnFairchild 670M II, which adds a few most welcome improvements for modern studio users. The compressor looks set to be priced at around one fifth of an original, at under $10,000 — still not cheap — but much more within the realms of possibility for professional engineers.
Published 30/9/16
Updated high-end vari-mu compressor unveiled at AES
http://www.undertoneaudio.com/products/unfairchild
