Recording - May 2020 - 20
Review by Paul Vnuk Jr.
Chandler Limited
Germanium
Compressor
by Softube
One of the most unique
'elemental' compressor designs,
now available in plugin form
Iowa-based Chandler Limited is rightly recognized as the torchbearer of the
EMI legacy of Abbey Road-inspired products. It's also home to Wade Goeke's
original designs, such as his unique line of germanium-based devices.
Germanium is a grayish-white semi-metallic element used briefly in early 1950s-era
transistor design. This initial tube circuit alternative was short lived due to shelf life
and stability issues. On the plus side, in audio devices germanium offered a unique
harmonic saturation and tonal thickening of the sound when driven.
In 2005, Chandler Limited launched its germanium-laced series with the
Germanium Preamp/DI, quickly followed by the Germanium Tone Control EQ
(reviewed October 2007) and the Germanium Compressor. Reviewed in March
2008, a pair of these units, along with matching Germanium Tone Controls,
quickly found pride of place in my production desk, being in almost constant use
for twelve years and running.
Now Softube continues its modeling of Chandler-based wares such as the
Zener Limiter and Curve Bender. Note that as I write this, Softube has released
the Zener-Bender that combines both units into a single plugin.
Digging into the Germ Comp
As always, Softube starts with a 1:1 model of the original and then adds some
well-chosen software-only features. The Germ Comp is a FET compressor, and true to
many Chandler designs, Wade dialed in the ratios and curves by ear, to his taste.
Across the front
The hardware kicks off with a hard bypass switch. On the plugin, this has been
relocated to the bottom of the GUI. Next up is a vintage-styled blue backlit gain reduction meter.
Clean Comp/Dirty Comp
Next to the meter is a switch labeled Clean Comp/Dirty Comp. When set to Dirty,
second and third order harmonic distortion is introduced into the signal path. The
effect is subtle and cumulative instead of inducing any sense of overdrive.
20 RECORDING May 2020
Come on in
The Input control (labeled 1 to 11) is the
first of five yellow vintage-style chicken head
knobs in the GUI. Like a classic compressor,
as you push signal into the unit it hits the
threshold. Rather than getting louder, the signal gets more compressed and can be much
lower in level than the bypassed signal. The
more you compress, the more extreme and
tighter the compression curve.
Through the pass
Next is a stepped six-position sidechain control with settings of Off, 30, 60,
90, 150, and 300Hz-the only control
on the unit showing numerical real-world
values. Any frequencies below the chosen setting will pass through the detector
circuit without clamping it down, yielding
a more open, non-pumped sound. Most
modern compressors offer similar controls now, but when the Germ Comp was
released twelve years ago, a sidechain
control with this many choices was rare.
Ratio?
Germ Comp ratios do not adhere to any
strict settings; Wade chose them and tuned
them by ear. This eleven-position stepped
switch starts gently at around 1.5:1, maxes
out at about 10:1, and the overall compression effect is dependent on the next control...
Recording - May 2020
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - May 2020
No label
Fade In
Fast Forward
That One Instrument Mic
Plugin Outlet: Chandler Limited Germanium Compressor by Softube
Incidents in The Sound Lab: Recording and Mixing The String Cheese Incident
Peluso P-28 Pencil Tube Condenser Microphone
Austrian Audio Hi-X55 Professional Over-Ear Headphones
Creative Miking Techniques for Flute, Snare, Piano, and more!
The Do’s and Don’ts of Flute Recording
Stereo Snare and Fun Room Miking Tips
Recording Piano Wrong
Plugin Outlet: Silo Soundlabs Trident EQ plugins
Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: miking and making Nick D’Virgilio’s
Samar Audio Design AL95 Passive Ribbon Microphone
Heiserman H47tube Microphone
Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Microphone and Preamp Modeling
Readers' Tracks
Plugin Outlet: Polyverse Comet
Recording - May 2020 - No label
Recording - May 2020 - Cover1
Recording - May 2020 - Cover2
Recording - May 2020 - 1
Recording - May 2020 - 2
Recording - May 2020 - 3
Recording - May 2020 - Fade In
Recording - May 2020 - 5
Recording - May 2020 - 6
Recording - May 2020 - 7
Recording - May 2020 - Fast Forward
Recording - May 2020 - 9
Recording - May 2020 - That One Instrument Mic
Recording - May 2020 - 11
Recording - May 2020 - 12
Recording - May 2020 - 13
Recording - May 2020 - 14
Recording - May 2020 - 15
Recording - May 2020 - 16
Recording - May 2020 - 17
Recording - May 2020 - 18
Recording - May 2020 - 19
Recording - May 2020 - Plugin Outlet: Chandler Limited Germanium Compressor by Softube
Recording - May 2020 - 21
Recording - May 2020 - 22
Recording - May 2020 - 23
Recording - May 2020 - Incidents in The Sound Lab: Recording and Mixing The String Cheese Incident
Recording - May 2020 - 25
Recording - May 2020 - 26
Recording - May 2020 - 27
Recording - May 2020 - 28
Recording - May 2020 - 29
Recording - May 2020 - 30
Recording - May 2020 - 31
Recording - May 2020 - 32
Recording - May 2020 - 33
Recording - May 2020 - Peluso P-28 Pencil Tube Condenser Microphone
Recording - May 2020 - 35
Recording - May 2020 - Austrian Audio Hi-X55 Professional Over-Ear Headphones
Recording - May 2020 - 37
Recording - May 2020 - Creative Miking Techniques for Flute, Snare, Piano, and more!
Recording - May 2020 - 39
Recording - May 2020 - The Do’s and Don’ts of Flute Recording
Recording - May 2020 - 41
Recording - May 2020 - Stereo Snare and Fun Room Miking Tips
Recording - May 2020 - 43
Recording - May 2020 - Recording Piano Wrong
Recording - May 2020 - 45
Recording - May 2020 - Plugin Outlet: Silo Soundlabs Trident EQ plugins
Recording - May 2020 - 47
Recording - May 2020 - Inside the Studio with Mark Hornsby: miking and making Nick D’Virgilio’s
Recording - May 2020 - 49
Recording - May 2020 - 50
Recording - May 2020 - 51
Recording - May 2020 - 52
Recording - May 2020 - 53
Recording - May 2020 - 54
Recording - May 2020 - 55
Recording - May 2020 - Samar Audio Design AL95 Passive Ribbon Microphone
Recording - May 2020 - 57
Recording - May 2020 - Heiserman H47tube Microphone
Recording - May 2020 - 59
Recording - May 2020 - Inside the Box with Joe Albano: Microphone and Preamp Modeling
Recording - May 2020 - 61
Recording - May 2020 - 62
Recording - May 2020 - 63
Recording - May 2020 - 64
Recording - May 2020 - 65
Recording - May 2020 - 66
Recording - May 2020 - 67
Recording - May 2020 - 68
Recording - May 2020 - 69
Recording - May 2020 - Readers' Tracks
Recording - May 2020 - 71
Recording - May 2020 - Plugin Outlet: Polyverse Comet
Recording - May 2020 - Cover3
Recording - May 2020 - Cover4
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