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Don’t sell your soul to a creditor to get the gear you need. At AMS, we want to lower the barriers to create. That’s why we offer in-house 0% financing, and you don’t even have to open a new line of credit! Spread out payments on your credit card to simplify financing and avoid hefty late fees or service charges. Cost shouldn’t interfere with your creativity.
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The Empirical Labs EL7x Fatso stereo audio processor bridges the gap between cold digital precision and the warm, harmonically rich glue of classic analog gear. It’s a time machine for your mix, putting the fat, punchy magic of vintage tubes, transformers, and magnetic tape at your fingertips — without the maintenance of spinning reels.
Turning It up to Eleven
Sometimes you need a gentle hug on a vocal, and sometimes you need to slam a drum room mic until it begs for mercy. The EL7x delivers that much-needed versatility, headlined by the coveted "Eleven" ratio. By meticulously emulating the legendary UREI 1176LN, this box hands you the keys to a dynamic powerhouse that keeps your transients punchy while sitting your tracks perfectly in the mix.
The "Eleven" Ratio: This mode meticulously recreates the classic 1176 20:1 setting with a slow attack and fast release. It radically limits the dynamic range of your source while keeping the transients delightfully present.
Spank Mode: Hit the dedicated Blue SPANK LED to engage a subtle knee followed by hard limiting. It acts much like a classic SSL talkback compressor, adding aggressive, musical snap to any dull source.
Classic Knee Compression: Your essential, everyday automatic leveling tool. It provides that smooth, sweet Empirical Labs compression that sits right in your face without sounding overly squashed or unnatural.
Four Flavors of Fat
Digital recording is beautifully precise, but it can also be brutally sterile. The Fatso brings the glorious grime and glow of yesteryear into your DAW with four distinct processing types. You get to play mad scientist, blending harmonic distortion, high-frequency saturation, and transformer emulation to cure the common coldness of modern audio.
Harmonic Generation & Soft Clipping: A Class A circuit that gently rounds off your audio peaks, simulating the highly musical, saturated sound of vintage tubes and overdriven magnetic tape.
High-Frequency Saturation (Warmth): A one-of-a-kind dynamic low-pass filter that intuitively softens harsh high frequencies when they start piling up, acting as the ultimate antidote for brittle digital mixes.
Transformer & Tape Head Emulation: This engages a simulation of the input and output transformers found in iconic older devices. It adds the classic low-frequency harmonics and musical artifacts that fatten up your low end beautifully.
A Smarter Interface for Cooler Operation
Vintage sound doesn't have to mean vintage headaches. The EL7x steps into the modern workflow with a completely revamped logic system that runs cooler and operates smarter. Less heat means a longer lifespan, and a better interface means less time fumbling with buttons and more time actually making music.
Intuitive Interface Navigation: Hold any button for a second to step backwards through parameters. You never have to frantically click through an entire cycle just because you missed your desired setting.
Cooler Logic Circuitry: A modern microprocessor replaces the old discrete logic, dropping the current draw by over 20%. This keeps the power supply and analog circuits running cooler for vastly improved overall reliability.
Advanced Stereo Linking: Hold both COMP buttons to seamlessly lock the compressors and bypass logic together. It creates a foolproof link where either channel's buttons can dictate the settings for the whole stereo pair.
The Ultimate Secret Weapon
The Empirical Labs EL7x Fatso is the ultimate cure for digital sterility. It gives you the brainpower of modern tech combined with the undeniable soul of classic analog hardware. Stop settling for brittle, lifeless mixes and give your tracks the fat, warm, and punchy character they actually deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Empirical Labs EL7x Fatso
What does the Empirical Labs Fatso do?
The Fatso EL7x is a stereo audio processor that adds the warm, harmonically rich sound of magnetic tape and analog tubes to your recordings. It integrates frequencies and transients musically, making digital mixes sound thicker, smoother, and much more alive.
What is the difference between Fatso Jr and EL7x?
The EL7x is a significantly upgraded version of the original Fatso Jr, featuring a new microprocessor that runs cooler and lowers the overall noise floor. It also adds the beloved "Eleven" compressor ratio, improved stereo linking, and a much more intuitive button interface.
What is the Eleven ratio on the Empirical Labs Fatso?
The Eleven ratio is a specialized compressor setting that emulates the famous UREI 1176LN at a 20:1 ratio with a slow attack and fast release. It radically limits dynamic range while keeping transients exceptionally punchy, making it incredible for vocals, bass, and drum room mics.
Can I use the EL7x Fatso for mastering?
Absolutely. Mix and mastering engineers frequently use the Fatso on the stereo buss to add analog tape warmth, tame harsh high frequencies, and glue the track together. It provides that elusive vintage character without the hassle of a physical tape machine.
How does the Fatso Warmth control work?
The Warmth feature is a fast-acting, dynamic low-pass filter that reacts instantly to high-frequency transients. When harsh, brittle highs start piling up in your signal, it softens them musically, smoothing out the top end of your mix perfectly.
Empirical Labs EL7x Fatso Features:
Full analog tape simulation and optimization in a rugged, two-channel stereo unit
New "Eleven" ratio emulating the classic UREI 1176LN 20:1 setting for punchy dynamics
Four meticulously tweaked compression modes, including the legendary "Spank" setting
Class A harmonic generation and soft clipper for authentic tube-like saturation
Seven high-frequency "Warmth" settings to tame harsh digital highs instantly
Switchable transformer and tape head emulation for thick, vintage low-end harmonics
Improved interface with backward stepping for quick, frustration-free parameter changes
Cooler running microprocessor logic for a lower noise floor and higher reliability
Foolproof stereo link functions for perfectly cohesive buss processing
Separate tracking and Spank LEDs for a highly intuitive visual display
Frequency Response: 2 Hz to 60 kHz in clean audio mode (+0, -3 dB)
Dynamic Range: 110 dB from maximum output (20%THDsoft clipping) to minimum output. Greater than 100 dB signal to noise
Distortion: Ranges between .06% and 20% depending on mode and settings
I/O: DC coupled Input and Outputs
Compressor Time Constants: Attack range 1mS - 60mS. Release range .05 sec to 3.5 seconds. Attack and Releases are fixed by the compression type selected
