Gear Overview: EL-8X Distressor

Personal experiences have led me to conclude that every audio engineer passes through a “gear slut” phase - a variable period of time spent ogling and comparing audio gear.  A silver lining of sorts from this phase is the exposure to the spectrum of gear selection the world offers.  In my case, one of these items is the EL-8X Distressor, a compressor whose name is short for “Distortion Compressor.”  Not only was it visually unique, but closer inspection revealed functions not present in any other compressor I’ve come across.  I won’t dawdle any further; let me show you what it can do:

The Distressor lacks a knob for ratio, instead offering pre-selected ratios in the form of buttons.  Interesting to note is that the 10:1 ratio uses an optical detector not featured in the other modes, and the “Nuke” ratio is a variant of the 20:1 ratio that features a different knee and envelope shape.  Other unique features the Distressor offers include buttons to change the detector, which changes the way the Distressor works by altering how it detects audio, and buttons to add either 2nd order or 3rd order harmonic distortion to allow tape saturation and tube distortion, respectively. 

The Distressor is unique in that it can emulate other iconic compressors with the right knob-tweaking.  Compressors such as the Teletronix LA-2A and LA-3A, as well as the UREI 1176LN, each of which cost several thousand dollars, can be easily emulated by the Distressor, with its much more promising price of $1,500.  Even more unique is that the standard Distressor has a variant with two new features: British Mode and Image Link.  British Mode emulates the 1176’s “British Mode” (or “All Buttons In” mode), and Image Link allows for an alternate mode of linking Distressors.

In short, the Distressor is a nifty tool to have, offering different compression modes and emulating Holy Grail level compressors for a fraction of the price.  Moreover, its distinct distortion qualities make it a must-have, even after acquiring the compressors it emulates.  It’s a must-have for any studio, and one that I’ll certainly own in the near future.  For those who are interested, a review and comparison test between the Distressor and the compressors it emulates can be found here, and the Sweetwater page for the Distressor with British Mod and Image Link (my personal choice over the default variant) can be accessed here.