Slate Digital / Eiosis FG-116 + Air & Earth
As if the Virtual Mix Rack system wasn’t already abundant with dynamics-tweaking and frequency-fiddling modules, here’s four more
Following the release of the Virtual Mix Rack (9/10, 214) modular channel strip, new modules have brought us new EQ, dynamics and saturation flavours. Rather than plugging obvious holes in the lineup, Slate are sticking to their guns with two twin-packs of freq-tweakers, in VST/AU/AAX format, running in the VMR shell.
The Air & Earth Modules bundle ($49, or free if you already own AirEQ) brings you the filters and bass/treble-enhancing shelves from Eiosis’ superb AirEQ (see Elementary filters for more).
The snappily titled FG-116 Blue Series FET Compressors Bundle ($149) packs in two modules: FG-116 Modern and FG-116 Vintage. VMR’s stock lineup of compressors includes the ‘standard’ FG-116, and all three are based on the most famous FET compressor of them all, the Urei 1176. While FG-116 models the black-face units of the 70s, its Vintage cousin models the revision A from 1967, with its silver faceplate and blue stripe. Modern is a custom design, blending “old-school tone with new-school topology”.
Like a real 1176, both have four Ratios (4:1, 8:1, 12:1, 20:1 – no ‘all buttons in’ option, sadly) and fixed threshold, so you turn up Input to add compression, and balance the level via Output. Attack/Release work the other way round to most compressors: increase for faster response.
The other controls are not available on an actual 1176. Mix blends the dry and compressed sounds, allowing you to totally smash the signal, then blend in just a touch of it, to add flavour without wrecking dynamics. The HP switch is not even on Slate’s own OG FG-116, enabling a sidechain high-pass filter so that the compressor reacts less to bass. These features make the units far more versatile than a standard 1176.
The final control is the Circuit 1/2 toggle, again not part of the stock FG-116, and it flips between two underlying model variations.
Blues with soul
The Blue compressors quickly impress. The Vintage model adds a touch of upper-mid air and reacts well to vocals, with a smoother sound than the original FG-116. It’s ideal for the usual 1176 targets: close and room drum mics, guitars and bass. The Modern unit impressed us most though, living up to its promise of cleaner sound with the same highly reactive vibe. It’s almost VCA-like at times, capable of greater punch than its Vintage bro, and is even suitable for master bus use. If you’ve ever struggled with the unruly side of the 1176, FG-116 Modern could be your saviour.
We know the superb sonics of the Air & Earth Modules well from the ace AirEQ. Pairing just the Air/Earth bands with their filters turns out to be a surprisingly flexible combo, however. A great trick is to apply a strong boost on the main Air/ Earth control, then use the filters to roll off the excess top/bottom, shaping the tone in a way that neither shelf nor filter could manage alone. There’s no low-pass filter in any other Virtual Mix Rack module, and the existing high-pass filters are limited compared to Earth’s, so VMR addicts should welcome these additions.
While not breaking new ground, the Blue compressors and Air & Earth Modules deserve a place in the ‘go-to’ folder of all mix connoisseurs. But how about a gate/expander next time, fellas?