Waves PuigChild Compressor

Rare, expensive and effective, the Fairchild 660 and 670 were the pinnacle of 1950s compression technology. Their open, warm sound and fast attack made them ideal for creative transient shaping and for ‘gluing’ mixes via stereo bus compression.

PuigChild brings you this classic sound, modeled to the last sonic detail under the close supervision of Grammy®-winning producer/engineer Jack Joseph Puig, from his own favorite units.

Glue Mixes without “Squashing”

As a bus compressor, PuigChild’s pristine compression opens up a mix. Many modern compressors constrict the sound with more aggressive compression amounts, but the PuigChild maintains its open sound, even with fairly heavy compression.

Modeled from Expertly Maintained Hardware

The original Fairchild units are incredibly rare—just finding one is almost impossible. We were fortunate to work with renowned engineer Jack Joseph Puig, who owns perfectly maintained “golden” hardware units of these extraordinary vintage processors, and supervised every step of the modeling.

Compression Like No Other

The original units’ sound is pure tube, and can’t be duplicated by any other technology. Compression takes place in the audio path of the tube itself, rather than being routed to a separate gain control circuit like a FET, VCA, or Opto compressor. The plugins impart that uniquely sweet sound—even when not compressing.

From Vocals to “The Ringo Drum Sound”

When set aggressively, the Fairchild was at the heart of Ringo’s “pumping” drum sound. But when dialed back, the 660 was a mainstay on the vocals of that era, thanks to the way it provided transparent support to the voice. Push the 660 or 670 hard, and they still sound natural.

Fast, Easy Operation for Superb Sound

Stay creative instead of getting lost in parameters—the simple controls make it easy to dial in superb sounds in seconds. Simply set the 10-step Threshold, and turn the 6-step Time Constant to control attack (200-400 ms) and release (from 300 ms to a super-slow 25 seconds).

Different Modes for Different Sources

Treat the 670 as two mono compressors, a linked stereo compressor, or mid/side (“lateral/vertical”) compressor. For mono tracks, the 660 mono version delivers single-channel sound, with half the CPU power.

Features:

1. Smooth warm analog sound with clean, transparent character
2. Perfect as a bus compressor for ‘gluing’ your mixes
3. Smooths harshness yet preserves attack & strengthens sustain
4. Multiple compression modes: mono, dual mono, stereo, M/S
5. Accurate circuit modeling with total harmonic distortion
6. Exceptional tonality for vocals and for transient-heavy instruments
7. Classic ‘pumping’ drum sound when used aggressively
8. The warm compression heard on classics from the Beatles onward
9. 6 selectable choices for attack / release times
10. Add original hum and noise floor (50/60 Hz) for full analog authenticity

Requirements:

• mac
  • cpu:Intel or Silicon Architecture
  • ram:8
  • disk:16
  • version:macOS Catalina 10.15, Big Sur 11, Monterey 12, Ventura 13, Sonoma 14
  • additional_requirements:Minimum: 1024x768
    Recommended: 1280x1024 / 1600x1024
    USB displays are not supported as the primary display.
• windows
  • cpu:X64 compatible Intel or AMD CPU
  • ram:8
  • disk:16
  • version:Windows 10 64 bit and Windows 11
  • additional_requirements:Minimum: 1024x768
    Recommended: 1280x1024 / 1600x1024

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