The Fairchild 670 carries an air of mystique as if it were the recording engineer’s “Pick of Destiny”. We explore Fairchild alternatives.
The Fairchild was invented by Rein Narma in the 1950s when the inventor was commissioned by Les Paul to build a recording console and compressor/limiter unit for his studio.
Fairchild Alternatives: The History
The business magnate Sherman Fairchild happened to be a friend of Les Paul’s and got wind of the project through him. Once he discovered its incredible design, Fairchild Recording Equipment Company (Est. 1931) then licensed the design from Narma, and the legend was born.
The original Fairchild design began as the mono 660 version, and once the project got off the ground, Narma expanded the design with the two-channel model, the 670. The 6 rack unit monstrosity weighed nearly 30 kg, consisting of 20 tubes, 2 inductors, and 11 transformers.
The Fairchild had a major impact on music throughout the 1960s, being used in the recording and production of artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, and many more.
Fairchild Alternatives
Today, if you find an original Fairchild 670 you’re likely to pay between $250,000-$300,000 on the collectors market which makes owning one a pipe dream for most. However, the Fairchild was in fact reissued earlier this year, so the market demand must surely warrant its return to production.
These new Fairchild 660 and 670 reissues go for $25,000 and $35,000 respectively, but are there other more affordable ways to get the sound of this classic tube compressor? Let’s find out.
Fairchild Alternatives: Universal Audio Fairchild Tube Limiter Collection
With Universal Audio’s carefully recreated Fairchild plug-in, you get the 660 and 670 tube limiters depending on whether you’re using a mono or a stereo channel in your DAW.
Every effort has been made to reproduce the sound and character of the original, with a few added touches relevant to modern workflows. These include a variable sidechain high-pass filter, mid-side processing capabilities, and wet/dry mix control.
In addition, the UA Fairchild plug-in features a useful headroom control. This allows you to increase the headroom for mastering applications, or decrease it to add more texture to any instruments you’re working with.
Overall, it’s a versatile option giving you as much vintage sound as you desire. Alternatively, as a more affordable option, be sure to check out the Waves PuigChild, which also offers mid-side processing.
Fairchild Alternatives: WesAudio RHEA
There are a few Fairchild alternatives available in the 500-series format, including formidable options from ISG Audio and Heritage Audio. However, the WesAudio RHEA is the best value option by far and it brings 670-style compression into a modern context.
The RHEA has a few advantages including a wet/dry control for parallel compression, two harmonic distortion modes, A/B switches for comparing settings, and a sidechain high-pass filter with three settings (60, 90, and 150 Hz).
However, the most exciting aspect about the RHEA and many of the other WesAudio processors is that they offer digital recall and DAW automation. Simply install the plug-in, connect the USB, and you have complete control from within your DAW.
Apart from the creative possibilities, the RHEA can instantly recall the settings from each project, and you build up your own collection of your favourite settings. However, if you only plan on doing mono processing, check out the IGS Audio TubeCore 500.
Fairchild Alternatives: Chandler Limited RS660
Inspired by the classic EMI RS124 and Fairchild 660 compressors installed at Abbey Road Studios during the 1960s, the RS660 is an intuitive single-channel vari-mu compressor for tracking and mixing.
The RS660 is designed without a multitude of controls so you can get your sounds quickly, which suits most professional engineers. For flexibility, there are limiter and compressor modes, and there is also a unique THD mode.
This Total Harmonic Distortion effect uses a diode network like the TG1 limiter and allows you to use the RS660 as a colouration processor without compression, for a more subtle effect. Meanwhile, there are seven time constant settings, with that determine the attack and release times.
Believe it or not, the RS660 is actually pretty well-priced for a mono 660-style comp/limiter. The other option worth exploring in this price range is the ISG Audio TubeCore, but this is a stereo unit that is aimed at mastering.
Fairchild Alternatives: Manley Variable-Mu
The Manley Variable-Mu has been produced for over 30 years, a legacy that more than justifies the fact that Variable-Mu is a trademark of Manley Labs. When it comes to tube-based audio gear, Manley is held in the highest regard by top producers, as well as mixing and mastering engineers worldwide.
To refer to the Variable-Mu as a Fairchild clone, would be more than reductive and inaccurate, for the most part. For starters, its design was originally inspired by a Danish broadcast limiter called the Disa Elektronik 91N02.
With this in mind, it’s no surprise that the Variable-Mu developed its own sonic identity and legacy within the music industry. Although it shares similarities with the Fairchild and can be fitted with the same 6386 tubes, it’s a far more versatile professional tool rather than a ‘vibe’ compressor.
The Variable-Mu is also available in a mastering version with high-precision stepped switches. Otherwise, for a more accessible modern approach to Vari-Mu compression, check out the Nu Mu.
Fairchild Alternatives: Undertone Audio UnFairchild 670M II
No one said that building a compressor with an array of tubes and transformers was going to be cheap. However, UnFairchild the 670M II has become the most sought-after modern iteration of the famous compressor.
Rather than simply being a more accessible and reliable reproduction of the juggernaut Fairchild 670, the UnFairchild expands on the vintage design to create a more versatile studio tool for a wider musical scope far beyond classic Rock ‘n Roll.
Additional features include 4 variable time constants with attack and release controls, an external sidechain that allows you to use feed-forward compression, and adjustable DC threshold controls.
At $11,000, the UnFairchild is only accessible to series pros, with the closest alternative, the Heritage Audio Herchild 660 and 670 providing more vintage-orientated options.
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