Empirical Labs EL-7x User Manual
USERS MANUAL
FATSO EL7x
empiricallabs.com
Technology for the Artist
FULL
ANALOG
TAPE
SIMULATOR &
OPTIMIZER
WITH KNEE COMPRESSOR
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WARRANTY AND FACTORY SERVICE
Technology for the Artist
This Empirical Labs Inc. product is covered by a limited warranty covering full parts and labor for 3 years
from the purchase date. The warranty is only effective if the owner has returned his or her warranty card.
See warranty card for further details.
Should problems arise, contact the factory at EmpiricalLabs@gmail.com or use the “Contact “ button on our
website. If it becomes necessary, pack the unit up well*, enclose a note explaining the problem and return to
Empirical Labs for repair. Include your name, address, phone, and the date of purchase. Send the unit with
freight prepaid to the address below.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Warranty and Factory Service 2
Table of Contents 3
Empirical Labs Inc. (Attn Service)
41 N. Beverwyck Rd. Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034
*Please pack the unit in original carton if possible. Otherwise, pack with bubble pack and/or foam in a thick
corrugated box. Shipping people are absolutely brutal to large packages and you must take every precaution
to prevent damage to the edges of the front panel. We are not liable for products damaged during shipping.
www.EmpiricalLabs.com
OTHER EMPIRICAL LABS PRODUCTS
• Distressor EL8 - Classic Knee Compressor. Used on thousands of major records!
• Distressor EL8X - The original Distressor on Steroids. Image Link and Brit Mod
• Lil FrEQ – An EQ with 8 Sections of unparalleled tonal contouring & De-essing.
• Mike-E – Digitally Controlled Mic Preamp with compression and saturation.
• DerrEsser – De-Esser and high frequency fixer for the API 500 format.
• EL500 – Versatile Powered Horizontal rack for 2 API 500 compatible modules.
• DocDerr – API 500 Compatable EQ, Compressor/Saturator, & Instrument Preamp.
• UA FATSO Plugin – Acclaimed emulation of our FATSO, from Universal Audio.
UPGRADES
There are several elements inside the FATSO which were designed to be “modifiable”. Empirical Labs
may release information and hardware options that will allow owners to alter the curves and other
important performance parameters of their FATSO. Most of these modifiable elements will not improve
the performance, but will offer other very cool compressor variations. It may be possible for user to safely
modify the FATSO and create unique sets of curves and filter options. The UBK FATSO is an example of simple
compressor modifications. Check our Website from time to time for news: www.EmpiricalLabs.com
Features & Specs 4
What is the FATSO? 5
Using for the First Time 5
Example Settings 6-7, 10
Recall Sheet 8-9
Section Details 11
The Saturation & Warmth Circuits 12
The TRANNY 13
Block Diagram 13
Basic Wiring and Stereo Linking 14
Pet Tricks 14
Troubleshooting 15
Fuse Replacement, AC Voltage Select 15
Attempting to modify or make adjustments to your FATSO may void warranty unless you have approval
from Empirical Labs. There are a number of critical adjustments that cannot be made properly without the
calibration tools we have here at the factory. Any sign of internal adjustment by the user will void your
warranty with the exception of changing the fuses or line voltage selection. Empirical Labs Inc. takes no
responsibility for the safety of anyone opening the FATSO for any reason. There are dangerous voltages
present when unit is plugged in. Refer unit to properly qualified service center or return to factory.
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FEATURES
Technology for the Artist
DIGITALLY CONTROLLED ANALOG – Allows unique features and control to be packed into a single height unit.
The new EL7x has improved logic, with “Button Hold” function, to compare settings.
SOFT CLIP FEATURES modeled after broadband tape saturation. WITHOUT THE NOISE! Smooth clipping up to 20% THD.
This is “organic” analog saturation extending above 100KHz.
USER PROGRAMMABLE HIGH FREQUENCY SATURATION, simulating the “softening” for which analog tape and
phonographs are known. This is the “Warmth” control on FATSO.
SWITCHABLE TRANSFORMER CIRCUITS, which can add the musical artifacts generated by classic devices like NEVE, API,
etc. These artifacts include frequency “rounding”, low order clipping & intermodular distortion, transient clipping...
and some other very musical non-linearities.
FOUR COMPRESSION MODES - One for TRACKing, one 1176 emulation, one “BUSS” compressor, and SPANK (see below).
All LINKABLE! Classic knee compressor sound that really grabs.
SPANK!- An additional limiter that musically smashes the dynamic range, and can be used to stop clipping before
digital recorders. There is a subtle knee followed by hard limiting.
HUGE “DISTRESSOR” KNOBS with high resolution numbering - For easy readability and repeatable settings.
They also go to 10 ½!
DISTORTION INDICATOR LIGHTS - A 0 VU LED and a “Pinned” (3%) LED. No hard clipping until a few dB past “Pinned”.
SIDECHAIN JACKS - Allows for eq-ing or processing compressor control signals.
CALIBRATED OUTPUT LEVEL - Allows speed in setting tape and live mix levels.
FOOLPROOF OPERATION - it’s almost impossible to get a bad sound.
SINGLE HEIGHT AND PACKED FULL - Two channels of classic sound in a small, extremely reliable package.
Stereo or Dual Mono operation.
DISCRETE AND INTEGRATED COMBINATION - The best of speed/linearity with repeatability. Hand tested & selected
components. All metal film and Roederstein resistors in the audio path - top quality components, most being high
temperature parts.
SWITCHABLE 115/230 VOLT OPERATION - Extra fuse provided inside unit.
TRUE BYPASS - Know what it’s really doing. All contacts doubled up for maximum reliability. No internal audio connectors.
XLR AND 1/4” PHONE INS AND OUTS -
NO INTERNAL CONNECTORS, High reliability parts and military grade switches and relays. Three year unlimited warranty.
INTERFACE AND FEATURES FOUND NOWHERE ELSE.
HAND WIRED AND CALIBRATED IN USA.
XLR fully balanced, transformerless design, pin 2 hot. Changeable by user to pin 3 hot.
SPECS
Freq. Response is 2 Hz to 60 kHz, +0,-3dB, no TRANNY
Dynamic Range - 110 dB from maximum output (20%THDsoft clipping) to minimum output.
Greater than 100 dB signal to noise.
Distortion Ranges between .06% and 20% depending on mode and settings.
DC coupled Input and Outputs - High quality audio caps used internally.
Compressor Time Constants - Attack range .04mS - 60mS. Release range .05 sec to 3.5 seconds.
Attack and Releases are fixed by the compression type selected.
Power Consumption – Less than 28Watts Max. .25A @ 115. Original Fatso was 30Watts.
Shipping weight 13.25Lbs. Empirical Labs
WHAT IS THE FATSO?(Hmm, Not such an easy question!)
The EL7 FATSO is a modern digitally controlled analog device that offers many of the “musical non-linearities” exhibited
by the older tube, class A discrete, and magnetic tape mediums. This two channel audio processor will musically integrate
frequencies and transients, increasing the apparent volume without actual increase in peak levels. In addition, two
channels of famous Empirical Labs compression are provided. There are several compressor “types” with fixed attacks
and releases (if you want a fully controllable compressor, you will need the Empirical Labs Distressor!).
Users can enhance & soften the sound of digital mediums such as DAWs, Hard Disk Recorders, CD players, MP3s etc.
Mixdown engineers will have an option not to use bulky, expensive, (and often flaky) analog tape recorders to get the
warmth and sweet high end they’ve come to rely on for so many decades. Owners of modern digital recorders can finally
put a stop to complaints about the “coldness” and “brittle edge” of their mixes and instruments with the “rounded” and
“musically non-linear elements” of vintage analog. Audiophiles can bring back the warmth and cuddly sound of LP’s and
tapes to their digital audio mediums.
FATSO’S FOUR TYPES OF PROCESSING
1) HARMONIC GENERATION AND SOFT CLIPPER (DISTORTION GENERATION) - Anytime you pass a signal thru the
FATSO, it passes thru a smooth, “organic” saturation circuit, except in bypass. This processing is useful to softly but
instantly round peaks and transients, allowing a higher average level. Analog Tape was known for this.
2) HIGH FREQUENCY SATURATION - WARMTH! - This circuit is meant to simulate the softening of the high end that occurs
with analog tape. Basically as the warmth is increased, overly bright signals and transients will be quickly attenuated. The
time constants are nearly instant, so the high freqs return very quickly after a loud, brittle burst.
3) TRANSFORMER & TAPE HEAD EMULATION - This provides the effect of input and output transformers of older devices
and adds the low frequency harmonics that characterize analog tape. This is extremely useful on pure low frequency type
tones that don’t cut thru small speakers. It adds upper “warm” harmonics to frequencies below 150Hz, especially those
even lower such as 40Hz, the low string on a bass guitar, helping it to cut thru on smaller speakers.
It is an actual transformer circuit.
4) CLASSIC KNEE COMPRESSION - Empirical Labs Style. This is your automatic leveling device that you find used on
just about every modern instrument and vocal track, as well as on the overall buss. And it’s Empirical Labs Compression smooth, warm and in your face. See the compression guide on page 11 for description of the 4 compressor types.
USING THE FATSO FOR THE FIRST TIME
Hookup is straightforward. Either the XLR’s or phone jacks can be used. In relation to the phone jack tips, pin 2 is wired
“hot” on the XLR’s. But if you’re using the XLR’s in and out, it doesn’t matter which pin is hot, as long as you’re cabling is
in phase. If you use a single ended XLR output, leave unused pin floating! Connecting all input pins is preferred, but the
unit will operate fine if unused Input pins aren’t tied to ground. Hookup directions are also located on the rear panel of unit,
near the connectors. See page 14 for more detailed wiring instructions.
It’s advisable to mount in a cool rack position, as the FATSO can run quite warm. FATSO is ideal for sources that sound
brittle, bright, or pointy or have excessive dynamic range. You will probably find so many uses for the FATSO as we did, but
...let’s just go over a couple quick scenarios here. Let’s say you have a vocal either live or in the studio that seems lifeless
or needs presence and intensity. First lets set the compressor up. In fact you should always set the compressor up first
because it interacts with the other processors in the FATSO.
For excessively dynamic vocals I would go right to the TRACKING compressor with the Red LED lit in the compressor
select area. The ELEVEN is also excellent, but a bit more aggressive than the TRACKING compressor. Adjust the input til
you get 5 dB of GR to start with and adjust the output knob until there’s not a great difference between the bypassed
and un-bypassed levels. The Bypass switch is multiplexed and to cycle bypass, click twice quickly on older units, or hold
button for 1 second on new units to cycle backwards. Next decide if the vocal has a brittle edge on the top end. If so, you
have two other ways to soften. The most subtle is the TRANNY which engages a specially tweeked transformer circuit
that enhances the midrange while softening extreme transients and fattens 200 hz and below. That may not be what one
needs on vocals though. (Cont’d)
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