Fairchild Recording Equipment 670 Compressor

Telefunken CEO Toni Fishman made waves at last year’s AES convention when he announced the formation of Fairchild Recording Equipment, LLC and the launch of its first product, a reissue of the legendary Fairchild 670 tube compressor. 

With its lightning-fast attack and variable release settings, simple but versatile controls, and flattering tonal character, the Fairchild 670 has been a staple of high-end studios for decades. The venerable 670 and its sibling, the Fairchild 660, have inspired modern clones like the UnFairchild, HERCHILD, and Mercury 666 as well as plugin emulations from Universal Audio, Waves, and others, but never before has the unit seen a licensed reissue. 

From its new-old-stock tubes and custom-designed transformers to its painstaking hand-wired assembly, the reissued Fairchild is as close to the original as possible. Words like “punchy” and “warm” don’t do this iconic compressor justice, so Vintage King Audio Consultant Nikhil Suresh put the unit through its paces at Vintage King’s L.A. showroom and recorded a variety of “before” and “after” samples for comparison.

A Look at The Fairchild 670

For a 65-pound, eight-rack-space behemoth, the 670 is surprisingly streamlined. Just three main controls per channel affect the compression: the Input Gain and Threshold work in tandem to control the amount of compression, which can vary between smooth, even leveling to thick, pumping compression. The Time Constant control affects the attack and release times simultaneously, with six options combining attack speeds of .2 or .4 milliseconds and release speeds ranging from .3 to 5 seconds or automatic.

Because the Fairchild was originally used as a limiter in the vinyl cutting process, the two channels can be linked in “Lateral/Vertical” mode for matrixed signals (although today, this function is usually used for mid/side processing). Additionally, the VU meters can be switched to calibration mode (BAL), and several small trim pots are used to adjust the unit’s headroom, threshold, and meter accuracy.

Behind the empty space of the faceplate, the Fairchild 670 is packed with 20 vacuum tubes and several custom-designed transformers, providing ample operating headroom and slightly coloring any signal that passes through with a flattering low-midrange thickness. But the best way to understand the Fairchild’s magic is to hear it for yourself.

Fairchild Recording Equipment 670 Compressor Audio Samples

To test out the unit, Vintage King’s Nikhil Suresh put it to work in two different mix sessions, trying it out on vocals, bass, guitars, drum busses, and mix busses. But these are not raw, isolated samples—every track includes EQ and other processing before and after the compression, allowing you to hear the effect within the context of a real mix. The Fairchild 670 proved useful on all sources, but it really shined on vocals, bass, and guitars. 

Vocals

The Fairchild did a fantastic job of amping up a powerful lead vocal by keeping louder syllables and consonants in check, smoothing out the overall dynamics, and adding body. The first pass features moderate gain and time settings, while the second features cranked Input Gain, faster attack, and slower release for a more aggressive sound. Both are useful, especially for differentiating verses and choruses.

Original Vocals

Compressed Vocals (A)

Input Gain: 10 

Threshold: Maximum

Time Constant: Position 3

Gain Reduction: 10-12 dB 

 

Compressed Vocals (B)

Input Gain: Maximum 

Threshold: Maximum

Time Constant: Position 4

Gain Reduction: 12-14 dB 

 

Bass

For the busy, melodic bass track, maximum Input Gain and Threshold settings paired with the fastest Time Constant helped tighten up the dynamics of alternating staccato and legato passages with 8-10 dB reduction. The Fairchild also brought out some extra midrange growl, making the track even more assertive.

Original Bass

 

Compressed Bass

Input Gain: Maximum 

Threshold: Maximum

Time Constant: Position 1

Gain Reduction: 8-10 dB 

 

Distorted Guitar

The heavily distorted guitar needed only minimal compression (1 dB maximum) for a slight leveling effect, but the natural warmth of the signal path was perfect for fattening up the tone. The original track had a beefy tone to begin with, but the Fairchild adds an extra “chugginess” that makes it hit even harder.

Original Guitar

 

Compressed Guitar

Input Gain: 8 

Threshold: 2

Time Constant: Position 1

Gain Reduction: 0-1 dB 

 

Drums

The Fairchild was very effective at tightening up a punchy drum groove, but the compression isn’t subtle by any means. The slightly slower attack and automatic release of Time Constant 5 brought out the smack of the kick and the thud of the toms while making the cymbals bloom nicely. Time Constant 6 clamped down aggressively with faster attack and longer automatic release, completely squashing the drums. The Fairchild doesn’t have a slow enough attack setting for milder drum compression, but it’s a fantastic option for parallel processing.

Original Drums

 

Compressed Drums (A)

Input Gain: 6

Threshold: Maximum

Time Constant: Position 5

Gain Reduction: 5-7 dB 

 

Compressed Drums (B)

Input Gain: 6

Threshold: Maximum

Time Constant: Position 6

Gain Reduction: 5-7 dB 

 

Mix Bus

Nikhil tested out the Fairchild as a mix bus compressor on two very different songs: the pop/R&B banger “Fire and Desire” and the hard-hitting rock track “Dive.” Both examples feature moderate Input Gain and maximum Threshold settings to dial in an average of 4-5 dB of gain reduction. Time Constant 5 provided slightly slower attack and automatic release between 2 and 10 seconds, achieving a good balance of peak limiting and smooth, consistent leveling. 

On “Fire and Desire,” the Fairchild brought the bass to the fore and clamped down on the transients, making the track bump as if it were blasting from a radio or pumping through a club’s PA. The SSL compressor gave the mix a more polished and dynamic sound, but the Fairchild definitely made it slap. Hard.

“Fire and Desire” with SSL Compressor

 

“Fire and Desire” with Fairchild Compressor

Input Gain: 4

Threshold: Maximum

Time Constant: Position 5

Gain Reduction: 4-5 dB 

On “Dive,” the Fairchild definitely added some girth in the midrange, but at the cost of punchiness, especially in the kick and snare. The SSL compressor was much more flattering on the dynamics, but the intro guitar riff sounded just a bit thinner before the bass and drums came in.

“Dive” with SSL Compressor

 

“Dive” with Fairchild Compressor

Input Gain: 4

Threshold: Maximum

Time Constant: Position 5

Gain Reduction: 4-5 dB 

In both cases, the Fairchild imparted great tone and energy to the mixes, but the compression was quite heavy-handed compared to the SSL. It can work magic on the mix bus when used tastefully, but it might get you a stern email from your mastering engineer.

Final Thoughts

Given its legacy, it’s no surprise that the reissued Fairchild 670 sounded amazing on everything that went through it. The simple controls make dialing in the right amount of compression a breeze, and there’s plenty of room to experiment with driving the Input Gain at different Thresholds. Even when you don’t need compression, it’s often worth running a track or a bus through the unit just for its unique tonal signature. 

While the Fairchild’s ultra-fast attack characteristics make it excellent for grabbing peaks and squashing tracks when you need to, it can’t work slowly enough to provide more transparent compression. It may not be the right tool for every job, but it’s certainly one you’ll reach for again and again.

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Fairchild Recording Equipment 670 Dual-Channel Compressor/Limiter
Fairchild Recording Equipment 670 Dual-Channel Compressor/Limiter
$ 35,000 .00
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