Pendulum ES-8 Variable MU limiter

[Glenn Bucci]

The Pendulum ES-8 is a two channel limiter that uses feedback compression and gain control tubes to control the signal. A Variable Mu (MU=Greek symbol for signal gain in electronic equations) compressor is different from opto, VCA or FET designs as it changes the gain of the unit, not just the signal that is being amplified. Tubes are usually used to perform this operation and most famous unit was the Fairchild. The benefit of this design is with being able to change the gain of the unit, they are generally very fast. This makes them a great option in controlling fast transients while at the same time (with the tube design), they are fairly smooth. It has a soft knee design, and the ratio increases as the signal strength increases. The ES-8 is a modern class A design which provides smooth compression to limiting action. It has independent channels with stereo linking capability. Thankfully there are hard bypass switches for each channel so you can perform A/B comparisons. The limiter has a soft-start warm up which helps maintain a good life of the tubes. A small light on the front panel goes on when the warm up has completed its cycle. The unit feels of high quality as you use it. All the knobs are firm, layout is nice, and VU Meters are large and easy to read. It has gold plated relays contacts and has a custom toroidal power transformer with a shield around it for minimum hum. Amplification is done by Class A balanced transformerless line amps which provide a more accurate and less colored signal path. When it is in link mode, the threshold and attack/release are controlled by channel 1 so there is no concern about matching. I did not find a problem with matching the make up gain on the unit. The unit has an input, threshold, output, meter knob to show input, output, or gain reduction. There is an attack, release, and mode knob. The mode knob has fast, preset, or manual. The presets offer 6 different settings which are similar to those on the Fairchild compressor.

In operation: This unit works best at the mastering stage, though I found it also to work well for vocals, and acoustic guitar when you don’t want the overall tone to be changed but just controlled. When you get a 2 bus mix and hit about -1 to -2dB you may find yourself not noticing any difference in the sound. It is reducing the signal but it does a great job in being transparent. In operation I found it can gently remove low end rumble on a bass or kick and replace its sound with a gentle smoothness. On the vocals and guitars, again it takes this signal and gently adds a smoothness to it without affecting the overall sound. The character is not an obvious compressor as an API 2500 or a Rupert Neve Portico compressor on a mix. The Pendulum is best used after you already used your heavier handed compressors at the mixing stage. The ES-8 works best as a final tune up to control things on your 2 bus. It does not offer the 3D sparkle of the Pendulum OCL-2, but then again the OCL-2 does not add the gentle smoothness to the signal the way the ES-8 does so well. Working with the Fairchild presets can create different responses that offer more flexibility of the unit.

With the unit costing $3,500 and offering a subtle difference to a mix with a -1 to -2dB setting, it may make it hard for some to justify getting one. However at the mastering stage, it’s all about adding the 5% subtle difference with this box and that box. When you combine multiple tools to a mix, the difference can be more obvious. At the mastering stage, you have to ask yourself what effect or process (if any) does your mix need? Sometimes leaving all the dynamics and detail may offer the best result. Other times reducing 2dB to a mix to just control the peaks may be the best option, and other times, controlling the dynamics to achieve a certain tone or character is the way to go. In comparison to the Manley Vari Mu, the Manley offers a more colored high fi sound that many say adds a more "analog" sound to your mix. Not one box will meet the needs of every situation. However if you want a limiter to add a subtle smoothing to your mix, and gently reduce peaks to provide a mix that is a little more even, the ES-8 is worth checking out.

http://www.pendulumaudio.com/6386.html

[Glenn Bucci]

Update: In spending more time with this compressor, when you listen carefully to the 10 percent change it does to a mix it has made a great impression. Its not as transparent as a Cranesong ST8 which some may think is a good thing. On a top 40 ballad mix it took the boomy bass and just controlled it in a nice way while staying more transparent with mids and highs. It has the ability to add a little bit of thickness if you want it or it can just control the transients in a nice way and be more transparent.

There are a lot of good compressor plug ins out there like the TDR Koteilnikov and the Ammunition in Samplitude for mastering. But they can't duplicate what this unit does, and in blind comparrisons, the Pendulum came out on top for me. It has the ability to add this clarity and openness while still controlling the transients that the plug ins cannot replicate. Of course you have to pay a lot of money to get the 10 percent difference, but I found for mastering purposes it was well worth it. If money is too tight for this compressor my favorite plug in compressors for mastering are the TDR and Elysia Alpha plug ins.

The ES-8 seems to have a little high fi added as well as fill in the center of a mix which plug in compressors don't do. Greg at Pendulum explained there is some phase shift and 2nd harmonic distortion that goes on which can help things sit better in a mix and the tube saturation is part of the reason.