Recording - October 2013 - 45

Make-Up Gain there are a highpass filter
(0–150 Hz) and a mix knob that allows
for in-the-box parallel compression.
I found the Slate version a touch beefier in the low mids and a hair less bright
than I remember the hardware being,
and this was especially true in side-byside comparisons with a few of other software emulations. This slight tonal difference might be related to the classic British
transformer that Fabrice added, presumably as a nod to Neve.
I also found it tricky to match the attack
and release response between the Slate
and the others, with the FG-Grey being a
touch less forgiving and quicker to dig in
and pump. This gives the FG-Grey a very
aggressive edge to its behavior.
The Slate version also has an intangible air and grit that the other plug-ins
could not match. It reminded me of the
Virtual Console Collection, in that it saturates nicely as you push into it in a very
non-linear and analog way.
FG-Red
The FG-Red is a model of the Focusrite
Red 3 which was a VCA-style compressor/limiter, although the FG version does
away with the limiter section. The original
Red, while long discontinued, is still in use
by engineers like Chris Lord-Alge as well
as mastering engineers like Howie
Weinberg; both use it not so much for outright compression but rather for its easily
saturating output transformer at low ratios.
When I interviewed Howie last year
(November 2012) while he was mastering an album for one of my clients, in one
of our many off-interview tangents he
spoke fondly of the Red 3 as one of his
secret weapons.
Interestingly I found the FG-Red to be
the most transparent of the three FG units
when just running a signal through it without compression, until I started boosting
the makeup gain. The problem in plug-in
land is that if you boost the makeup gain
too much, you can digitally clip your
channel’s outputs. To compensate for this,
Steven had the idea to add a Drive control which would apply the output transformer’s characteristics, while keeping
the output level untouched.
The FG-Red has the same controls as
the FG-Grey, plus a Drive control. The
only other difference is that there are two
VU meters for separate monitoring of left
and right signals. As on the FG-Grey, the
FG-Red’s controls and parameters mimic
the settings of the hardware unit.
As you push into the compressor, the
high mids are noticeably more forward,
and the lows tighten and grow. The high
end also gets a bit of hair on it when
pushed. I should mention that the Drive
control is not an overdrive knob, it is a

subtle effect that you notice the most as
you bypass the plug-in.
Compared to the FG-Grey’s forward
aggression, the FG-Red has a fuller and
more even sound.
FG-MU
According to Steven, the FG-MU is a
tube compressor that combines most of
what he loves about the classic Fairchild
units as well as modern units like the
Manley Vari-MU.
The FG-MU is the most noticeable of
the three when signal is run through it.
The whole mix thickens up and spreads
out in a very smooth way. Its feature set is
also the most unique of the three. First,
like most vintage compressors, it has controls for input, threshold and output, and
while it does have attack and release settings, it does away with a ratio control.
The FG-MU is the only one of the bunch
to offer individual control over left and
right channel, with separate VU meters to
match. You can change it from stereo to a
Mid/Side setting where the center and
outer channels of the music can be compressed individually.
In use it is the most forgiving of the three
and you can dig in much deeper before it
sounds too pumped or overdone. While
the FG-Grey and FG-Red are great on the
2-buss and for drum-buss work, the FGMU is also versatile enough to be used on
a mono channel for bass, vocals and electric guitar. It has the most vintage vibe of
the bunch and was great on a minimal
miked Stones-ish drum groove.
Taken as a whole
Each unit would have been a hit on its
own if released separately, but the real
magic starts as you run two or three at the
same time where they offer great transient
and tonal shaping of any mix. Learn each
unit individually before diving into the three,
as you can go overboard fast. When you
use them together, minimal compression settings and subtlety yield the best results.
All in all, Steven and Fabrice have done
it again, these compressors are about as
“analog” as you can get in the digital box.
My hands-down favorite is the FG-Red. It
has a weight and force that holds a mix
together nicely, especially with the combination of the Drive knob and makeup gain.
My second-favorite is the FG-MU, where
you can dig the deepest and still carve out
a great sound. The FG-Grey is great for
harder rock and hip-hop, and I like that it
is a new take on the venerable SSL Buss
compressor without being a straight copy.
Ultimately what I look for in a buss compressor is not so much a squish and slam,
but a subtle gelling and a lift to the music,
and the Slate Virtual Buss Compressors
do that in triplicate!
RECORDING October 2013

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Recording - October 2013

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