Mixer/Engineer Michael Brauer on the ADL 670 
We didn't have Fairchilds at Mediasound (where I trained to become an engineer), so I wasn't familiar with the sound. It was used all over records that I was listening to during it's hay day. The music would pump in a glorious way on the bottom end. Drums would be kicking ass yet the meters didn't pin. I didn't know at the time that the 670 was so instrumental in getting that sound.
Anthony DeMaria spent a lot of money and a long time R&D'ing the unit to make an exact duplicate of the Fairchild 670. Several copy 670's have been released over the past several years but this is the one I like best. It's a bit punchier and not quite as dark as the original but for today's music, that suits me fine. I spoke with a couple of people that I consider kings of the Fairchild 670 and they gave the ADL their blessing.
I had a certain sound in my head for months and I was unable to reproduce it from the millions of compressors I own. I can hear tiny violins in the background, poor little me... no really, I do hear them. I better get that checked.
Anthony built only five units. He had one left when I called him. He let me play with it for a couple of weeks, the bastard. After trying it for a week, I wasn't sure if it was the sound I was looking for. I decided to really pump the f*cker up one day and in the process I realized that it automatically does its own gain makeup so as I add compression it adds gain to bring me back to unity (I come out of the main L/R of the desk into the 670, then directly out into the two track machine). Damn! The monster woke up and I'm out eighteen grand.
It pumps like no other toy I've ever heard. Fell in love with it, had to have it. First time I used it is on the Athlete CD "Tourist." Check it out.
Michael Brauer has mixed such records as the Stones' Steelwheels, New Radicals, Tony Bennett's Grammy Album of the Year Unplugged, and ColdPlay's Grammy Alternative Album of the year Parachutes. Recent projects include Paul McCartney's Live Back in the USA, Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue and Grandaddy. Read more about Michael Brauer's and other industry professionals' favorite gear in Vintage King's "Producer's Corner."
