Empirical Labs® EL8 Distressor
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Get the colorful sound of the world’s most popular compressor.
The Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor is revered in studios the world over as the modern, “must-have” compressor. Versatile with tons of color, the Distressor picks up where the legendary UA 1176 and Teletronix LA-2A compressors leave off — giving you a modern tool that’s equal parts utilitarian and creative, as heard on thousands of hit records.
Included Versions
UAD Native
Runs on your Mac or PC without UA hardware.Apollo Realtime & UAD‑2
Runs accelerated on Apollo interfaces and UAD‑2 hardware.UAD Native plug-ins run on both macOS 10.15 Catalina or newer and Windows 10 and 11. Go to our UA Support page for system requirements.
- Track and mix with the only authentic emulation of the EL8 Distressor — the world's most sought-after modern compressor
- Radically shape guitars, drums, and vocals with nearly infinite gain reduction variations
- Harness plug-in-only features like Dry/Wet parallel processing and Headroom for user‑customizable operating level
- Creatively color instruments and vocals with famous “Dist 2” and “Dist 3” modes
- Embellish, pump up, or destroy bass, synth, and room mics with custom detector filtering
- Mix with presets from Joe Chiccarelli (The Strokes), Vance Powell (Jack White), Jacquire King (Kings of Leon), Jimmy Douglass (The Rolling Stones), and more
TAKE A LISTEN
Learn how to Add Energy to Drums
Grammy-winning engineer Vance Powell (Jack White, The Dead Weather) and the Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor plug‑in.
Shape with the Only End‑to‑End Distressor Emulation
The EL8 Distressor Compressor plug-in gives you all the features and tone of the original hardware. Simply compare other Distressor emulations for yourself, and contrast the original hardware’s ultra-fast attack time to quickly hear where most plug-ins fail, and the authentic UAD Distressor succeeds.
Find the Perfect Compression Ratio
The crux of the Distressor are its staggering variations in compression — 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 6:1, 10:1, 20:1 and Nuke — each offering unique sounds. Use the 1:1 ratio to gently warm up synths or strings without compression, while adding musical harmonics. Conversely, the Nuke setting gives explosive excitement to room mics or your entire mix.
Add Color with Distortion Modes
The Distressor's iconic Dist 2 and Dist 3 modes give you a wide palette of compression textures, letting you shape sources with even or combined even/odd-order harmonic distortion, from delicate thickening to burnished tape to fully saturated.
Focus Dynamics with Powerful Sidechain Controls
The Distressor’s sidechain control gets rid of unwanted low-frequency pumping — perfect for drum bus processing — while Band Emphasis tames strident vocals and harsh “power region” instrument peaks. You can also harness "plug-in only" features like Dry/Wet Mix for easy parallel compression on a mix bus or instrument group.
“The UAD EL8 Distressor feels just like the hardware, giving me results that I’ve been missing in the box.”
– Jacquire King (James Bay, Kings of Leon, Tom Waits)
“The Distressor is capable of such radical compression tones, that it becomes its own instrument. I’m confident the UAD version will become just as useful as the hardware.”
– Joe Chiccarelli (Jason Mraz, Beck, The Strokes, Morrissey)
“The Distressor is the perfect all around compressor, and no studio should be without a few of them. Now with the UAD Distressor, you can have as many as you need!”
– Vance Powell (Jack White, The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs)
“From subtle compression to destruction, the Distressor handles everything with style.”
– Hector Delgado (A$AP Rocky, Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey)
“The Distressor truly is the desert island dynamics tool, for controlling levels or creatively reshaping instruments into sounds that couldn’t be heard otherwise.”
– Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beach House, Future Islands)Watch The Reviews
5-Min UAD Tip
In this video, learn how the EL8 Distressor compressor can transform your mixes into something truly special.
Customer Reviews
F. Costa
November 26, 2024
My favorite Distressor
This is my favorite 'Distressor' plugin! I use it in all my mixes ! I really like using this plugin on snares or in parallel on drums. I also love using it in parallel on the lead vocal...
Read MoreE. Starzhynskiy
November 13, 2024
Tip for developers
Excellent performance from UA. Excellent sound from the original. The only minus is the design of the plugin. Personally, I want the legendary things to remain in the design of plugins in...
Read MoreT. Sekler
November 8, 2024
great for voice
As a voice actor this is an awesome tool. I am only starting to discover the possibilities. Adds organic power to my voice, very granular...
Read MoreR. Robertson
October 23, 2024
Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor
Just got this one and need to have more time with it. Put it through presets after I watched the training videos. Happy - happy - I purchased it....
Read Morej. hill
October 20, 2024
Perfect hybrid.
One of the first plugins I've put on my drums and thought, "I don't wanna be without this." Can get really close to an 1176, but can get really slow and punchy. Awesome on kicks...
Read More -
Customer Reviews
Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor
H. Krocke
Great plugin !
Sounds great, just like a Distressor does !
F. Costa
My favorite Distressor
This is my favorite 'Distressor' plugin! I use it in all my mixes !
I really like using this plugin on snares or in parallel on drums. I also love using it in parallel on the lead vocal when I want a sound that's a bit more transparent than the 1176, for example.E. Starzhynskiy
Tip for developers
Excellent performance from UA. Excellent sound from the original. The only minus is the design of the plugin. Personally, I want the legendary things to remain in the design of plugins in their forms. As, for example, a plugin was made in the design 1176. Because people who cannot buy the original want to see as much of this original as possible in the plugin (this only applies to the design). And adding various goodies to the plugin, here we cannot restrain the chef). I hope the UA team listens to the advice, because they do good things, and I want them to be even better.
T. Sekler
great for voice
As a voice actor this is an awesome tool. I am only starting to discover the possibilities. Adds organic power to my voice, very granular
R. Robertson
Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor
Just got this one and need to have more time with it.
Put it through presets after I watched the training videos.
Happy - happy - I purchased it.j. hill
Perfect hybrid.
One of the first plugins I've put on my drums and thought, "I don't wanna be without this." Can get really close to an 1176, but can get really slow and punchy. Awesome on kicks and snares.
j. king
Very transparent plugin
This plugin is try good on vocals very easy to use gives you upfront vocals with no hassle,I do recommend it to anyone who can get to buy the real thing sounds very close
s. etzel
Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor
I've got a million compressors, but this one is top five,
beautiful on anything!S. Apted
Super versatile
This plug-in is super versatile and works on everything including mastering. We use it on almost everything we record. It’s really the only compressor you need if you only want one! An absolute must for anyone recording at home.
h. Shin
Usual for me
Will be usual for me insturment
B. DESAULT
Truly effective
Very amazing...it's radical, pure or nasty in the cuts, and has a grain of folly. One of the most originals from all the uad's that I have.
D. Rudnytsky
Distressor decision
Wasn't sure whether this EL8 would be a real improvement to my studio or simply "another piece of gear" but it's rapidly proving to being essential, & far more flexible than I expected.
Highly recommend!S. Datskevich
The best
The best of all emulations of this device from Empirical Labs
G. Spiridion
NICE SOUND
Good plugin, good sound and I like it.
D. Gill
Adding bite
Getting used to this plugin, but sounding promising. Many hours of fun to be had getting that sound you want. My strat sounds excellent when compressed (all four buttons pressed down)
A. Ellis
Great Tool
Brilliant compress that does that little extra!
D. Ayala
One of a Producers best plugins
Drums, bass, and vocals sizzle with this amazing plugin. Its reputation is monumental in past and current praises.
D. Leftridge
Most Musical Compressor Plugin
Hands down the most musical compressor in my arsenal. It has become my go to for everything. Especially as the parallel compressor right on the drum bus thanks to the mix knob.
I. Bisbal
Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor
Very interesting and high-quality compressor.
Many thanksA. Navarro
todo en uno
Desde siempre quise adquirir, esta maravilla de compresor, y no me ha decepcionado. Lo aprovecharé para todo. Maravilla de trabajo por parte de UA.
