KVR Audio

soulata · Post by **soulata** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:50 pm

Hi

I had a meeting in a studio today and took a look at the equipment there (and asked a few questions).

Is there anything here that'd compare to Fatso and Distressor?

I think some of the Voxengo plugins might come close in function, don't know about the sound.

Anyway, I'll have a chance to try them out next week (+Manleys, Tubetech Gear, real EMT plate reverb...), I really look forward to it (although I'm not too sure I like the music I'll have to record).

k

optimo · Post by **optimo** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:44 am

Sony Oxford Inflator sounds like the same thing as Fatso from the description on their site. I love the Inflator but have never used a Fatso?

jmh · Post by **jmh** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:52 am

soulata I'd suggest staying away from them, you'll just end up wishing and hoping that software sounded the same

Half-seriously though, I fell in love with Fatso after being exposed to one. Though I feel it's kind of limited in what it does at the price, the sound... and so far I haven't found any software solutions that would be really close - I don't simply have the time nor the energy to try out all the possible combinations of saturators and compressors and whatnot to find out if something does it

... and the first one to suggest VintageWarmer will get a serious spanking!

Regards,

JMH

Silent Mind 2005 · Post by **Silent Mind 2005** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:56 am

Do you have any soundexamples of what it does?

JeffSanders · Post by **JeffSanders** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:02 am

The only thing close is the compressors in the UAD-1.

jmh · Post by **jmh** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:33 am

I have an unfinished tranceish-technoish-whatever track somewhere in my archives that was put through a Fatso - we tested Fatso on a number of things with bManic and from my material, this particular track gained most from the processing... I could but that online (original and Fatso version) but that doesn't necessarily do enough justice to what Fatso can do.

Regards,

JMH

martian · Post by **martian** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 10:43 am

jmh wrote:I have an unfinished tranceish-technoish-whatever track somewhere in my archives that was put through a Fatso - we tested Fatso on a number of things with bManic and from my material, this particular track gained most from the processing... I could but that online (original and Fatso version) but that doesn't necessarily do enough justice to what Fatso can do.

Regards,

JMH

yes please

Funkybot · Post by **Funkybot** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 1:00 pm

From what I understand the Distressor in British mode is based on or quite similar in sound to an 1176 only with more controls so there's always the UAD-1.

Also if you want to hear a Distressor in action check out the Eels Daisies of the Galaxy, Souljacker and Shootenany! to hear it on vocals. I read somewhere that E's vocal path always had a Distressor on it. Not sure how much that'll help but...

bobby yarrow · Post by **bobby yarrow** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:11 pm

I hunch that the distressor is all over a lot of records recorded the last couple of years; it's definitely the kit-du-jour, and I know a lot of touring acts are even bringing them out live.

It's a very versatile compressor. It can sound a lot like an 1176, and so can the UAD-1. Even setting aside the hardware vs. software thing, I don't know of any software compressor that covers all the ground the distressor aims for.

Something like the Voxengo analogflux thing sets out to do exactly what the fatso sets out to do. I haven't a/b'd them, and in my little studio I don't generally use any hardware on the 2-buss. I do really like the voxengo on the master buss, use it pretty much on everything. It's about $2,100 cheaper than the fatso, and I reckon you never get more than you pay for, only sometimes less . . .

soulata · Post by **soulata** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:03 pm

yup, the analogflux does sound nice (I only demoed it though) but:

the guy at the studio told me he uses fatso right after the preamp, before going to computer, rarely afterwards.

the thing is (he said) he captures the tape-like signal to disk that way - it sounds fatter because it's not peak compressor but acts like overloaded tape (almost - he's got tape machines there too) - and he can drive the signal harder because of it.

I admit I don't understand all of it - esp. the difference between the usual compressor and fatso but he claims there's a world between them.

k

Jaeson Merrill · Post by **Jaeson Merrill** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:09 pm

i have a one ping only preset for fasto.

Jaeson Merrill · Post by **Jaeson Merrill** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:13 pm

also, i think behringer is making the

"fatsoe"

martian · Post by **martian** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:35 pm

sqeezetone

soulata · Post by **soulata** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 7:43 pm

bmanic · Post by **bmanic** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:11 pm

soulata wrote: Anyway, I'll have a chance to try them out next week (+Manleys, Tubetech Gear, real EMT plate reverb...), I really look forward to it (although I'm not too sure I like the music I'll have to record).

k

.. prepare to ditch the plugin world after this. It might shock you how good serious gear can sound.

And to answer your question, no, I don't think there is a plugin that can replace/mimick neither the distressor nor fatso. You could approximate the fatso sound with certain combinations of voxengo plugins (like warmifier, lampthruster and tapebus, all combined) but it really is difficult.

Be sure to check out the fatso's ability to tame harsh high's, it's really neat for that.

Cheers!
bManic

Distressor and Fatso - is there a sw like this?