Waves Audio has announced it is now shipping the Abbey Road RS124 Compressor plugin, a classic tube model that’s the only software emulation of the rare RS124 approved by Abbey Road Studios.
Custom-built RS124 compressors were a “secret weapon” of Abbey Road engineers during the 1960s and were also a popular choice for mastering in the facility’s cutting rooms.
Abbey Road engineers would typically push the input of the RS124 deep into 15 to 20 dB of gain reduction in seeking to produce lush results on numerous sources. Since its rediscovery in the early 2000s, this compressor in still being used at Abbey Road Studios today.
The RS124 was actually an extensive in-house modification of the Altec Lansing 436B compressor. It is believed only 25 units were ever created, and each unit/serial number was hand-built by Abbey Road/EMI technical gurus Bill Livy, Len Page and Mike Bachelor.
No RS124 unit sounded exactly the same. Each had different sonic qualities and attack/release times, due to constant tinkering of the components used. As a result, some units were more suited for tracking, others for bus compression and disc cutting/mastering duties.
Accordingly, the Waves Abbey Road plugin offers two distinct RS124 flavors, modeled from the original hardware. Studio models RS124 serial no. 60070B were used for tracking from the late 50s into the 60s, due to its faster attack and release times. It’s the more aggressive sound of the RS124, which creates a pleasing “squashed” sound on transients.
Cutter is a modification with slower attack and release times. The slower RS124s were favored for studio reduction mixes and in cutting rooms during the 60s. The more relaxed attack made these units suitable and more forgiving for bus compression and mastering purposes.
The RS124 is a feedback compressor with a variable recovery. The included “Super Fuse” mode matches release time to attack time, creating a stronger compression character that sounds like it’s “fighting against itself.”
Mirek Stiles, Head of Audio Products, Abbey Road Studios, states, “The RS124 left a massive sonic fingerprint on Abbey Road Studios’ 1960s sound. This rare beast is a thing of beauty for any genre in the modern production chain. Inserting the RS124 plugin instantly creates vibes hard to emulate in other ways. It pumps beats and glues synths quite unlike anything I have ever heard in the studio. It’s unique, crunchy and lush – it will not disappoint.”
Mick Olesh, Waves EVP of Sales and Marketing, adds, “Since the beginning of our collaboration with Abbey Road Studios in 2011, we have developed an impressive line of over a dozen exclusive products including this new release – the Abbey Road RS124. Waves is delighted to offer musicians, producers and engineers accessibility to this unique tool, enabling new and innovative sonic capabilities. This exciting release is another step in our ongoing policy of offering distinctive and creative tools for enhancing the artistic creativity and workflow of Waves users.”
The Abbey Road RS124 Compressor is included in the Waves Abbey Road Collection bundle. Go here for more specifics.
