Vintage Tube Compressor/Limiter Model 670 is a tube-based compressor and limiter plugin from IK Multimedia, modeled on the Fairchild 670 hardware unit. It is designed to work on stereo buses, drum submixes and vocal tracks.
The Model 670 is a Vari-MU style compressor/limiter built from the Fairchild 670, a hardware unit widely regarded as a reference for the type. IK Multimedia reproduces each control of the original and models its tube signal path and gain reduction behavior. The plugin contains two independent limiters that can work on left and right channels for standard stereo use, or on the vertical and lateral components of a mix through a decoding M/S matrix. It is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats.
IK Multimedia says the tube circuitry enriches timbre and adds presence and harmonics, particularly on vocals. The developer also describes the gain reduction mode as a key part of the sound, shaping how the compressor reacts to the signal.
The plugin uses a stereo M/S approach that mirrors the original hardware, letting you treat the mid and side content of a mix with the same controls used on the Fairchild unit.
The extremely fast attack time makes the Model 670 suitable as a peak limiter. By choosing among its variable release times, you can reach heavy limiting without obvious pumping, according to the developer.
On a drum submix, the plugin is described as helping the individual kit pieces blend into a cohesive sound. On a stereo bus, it is intended for mixing and mastering work.
Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.
| Developer | IK Multimedia |
|---|---|
| Type | Plugin |
| Category | Compressor |
| Formats | VST3, VST2, AU, AAX |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS |
| Architecture | 64-bit |
The Model 670 is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats, in 64-bit versions.
It supports Windows and macOS. The macOS version requires macOS 10.15 or newer, and the Windows version requires Windows 10 (64-bit) or newer.
You need 8 GB of RAM and 9 GB of hard drive space. Windows systems need an ASIO-compatible sound card and an OpenGL 2 compatible graphics adapter for the EQual processor. An internet connection is required because the Custom Shop operations are web based.
Yes. Its two independent limiters can operate on the vertical and lateral components of a stereo mix through a decoding M/S matrix, as on the original hardware.
