Authentic FATSO Tape Warmth for Your Whole Mix
Few analog units have left their mark on as many mixes as the Empirical Labs FATSO. The UAD Empirical Labs FATSO tape simulator puts that character into your sessions, with the very sound that thickened the records of AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and more. You essentially get two plugins in one: FATSO Jr sticks to the sound you know from the hardware, while FATSO Sr adds more ways to shape the compressor. Moreover, four compression modes let you glue drums, buses, and full mixes together with as much or as little attitude as each song calls for. On top of that, Universal Audio (UA) took the design beyond the original hardware with sidechain filtering and variable transformer saturation. You also get the signature Warmth control, which smooths out harsh top end on vocals and guitars. With the UAD Empirical Labs FATSO tape simulator, you receive genuine FATSO sound, ready to glue every track in your mix together.
Note: This product requires that you have an iLok account for authorization, although it does not require a physical iLok key. Please contact your Sweetwater Sales Engineer if you have questions.
Related Videos: UAD Empirical Labs FATSO Tape Simulator Plugin
Saturation for every source
Empirical Labs built the FATSO to fold several styles of compression, Class A circuitry, and the behavior of magnetic tape into a single unit, and this plugin brings that character to every source in your session. A light touch on the Input knob rounds off transients and adds pleasing harmonics. Cranking it past the Pinned LED turns a drum bus dense, gritty, and far more aggressive. On bass, the FATSO builds up the body and overtones that keep a low end present on small speakers. Transformer saturation adds grit to electric guitars, while the Warmth control rounds off their top end and takes the edge off bright, sibilant vocals. Whatever you send through the FATSO comes back sounding fuller and more finished.
Four compression modes
The FATSO’s compressor gives you four classic curves to choose from. Buss uses a soft-knee 2:1 ratio to gently bind a mix together, and G.P. quietly holds levels steady on just about any source. Tracking takes its cue from the 1176 for vocals and instruments, while Spank channels the slammed sound of the talkback compressors in ’70s SSL consoles. FATSO Jr keeps you close to the hardware’s familiar sound, and FATSO Sr adds more compressor shaping when a source needs more precise handling. According to Sweetwater studio engineers, these four modes give you a compressor for everything from tracking to the final mix.
Goes beyond the original hardware
UA didn’t stop at simply re-creating the FATSO. The plugin adds features you won’t find on the hardware unit, starting with sidechain filtering for more control over what the compressor reacts to. Variable transformer saturation lets you decide how much transformer color lands on a track, and deeper compression parameters give you room to fine-tune the response. You also get to run it natively on your Mac or PC, with or without an Apollo interface. It’s the FATSO sound you know, with the extra control that modern producers demand.
Universal Audio UAD Empirical Labs FATSO Features:
- Authentic Empirical Labs FATSO tape saturation and compression in a UAD plugin, developed with Empirical Labs founder Dave Derr
- The same tape and saturation processing heard on recordings by AC/DC, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and many more
- 2 plugins in 1: FATSO Jr for the iconic hardware tones and FATSO Sr for deeper compression control
- 4 compression modes: soft-knee 2:1 Buss, steady-leveling G.P., 1176-style Tracking, and SSL talkback–style Spank limiting
- Input drive takes drums, bass, guitars, and vocals from soft peak clipping to thick, crushed distortion past the Pinned LED
- Warmth control and variable transformer saturation blend in tape tone, smoothing harsh top end and taming vocal sibilance
- Sidechain filtering and deeper compression parameters take control beyond the original hardware
- Runs with or without a UA Apollo interface
