Waves Abbey Road RS124 Vintage Tube Compressor is the latest Waves release. The Abbey Road RS124, is an authentic modeling of the ultra-rare EMI-designed RS124 compressor, used in Abbey Road Studios during the ‘60s and ‘70s and heard on practically every Beatles recording.
Known for its silky-smooth, velvety tone, the RS124 has a fixed attack time that isn’t super-fast, allowing even more aggressive threshold settings to deliver pleasing results. It was among the most important pieces of analog gear shaping the sound at Abbey Road and has since become a “holy grail” compressor with almost mythical prestige. In particular, it is said to be responsible for some of the best bass sounds ever captured on tape.
As with everything vintage, each original RS124 was different. Valves can naturally stray away from being “in spec” and morph into a beautiful beast, giving each unit a different character. The RS124 was no exception.
Waves have included two different flavours of the RS124:
Studio:
This one models the original tubes found in RS124 serial 60070B – the favorite unit used at Abbey Road from the late 50s into the 60s. Though these valves varied from the original EMI specs, they turned out to have a “squashed” sound to them, which has since become part of the RS124’s familiar charm.
Cutting
This unit is a modification with a slower attack time. The slower RS124s found their way into the Abbey Road cutting rooms during the 60s.
The plugin also includes a Super-Fuse mode, which matches the attack to the release time and creates a uniquely aggressive compression tone where the compressor feels like its fighting against itself.
In this video for Production Expert, Brent March breaks down the use of the Waves Abbey Road RS124 across a number of instrument tracks.
Bass
On the bass track we’re using a mono instance of the RS124 and driving the input to around 75%, consequently backing off the output attenuator to around -2.5/3dB. We’re using the compressor in cutter mode as it allows for a slower attack time, meaning we have a nicer overall dynamic range. Finally, we have Super Fuse engaged which matches release time to attack time, creating a characterful and more aggressive compression sound overall.
Kick
Here the kick track is being used in Studio mode as the faster attack and release times reveal more of the 2-5k click sound on the kick drum. Studio mode creates a more aggressive and squashed sound, thus enabling us to enhance the transients at play here. Clicking the expand toggle at the bottom left of the plugin allows us to reveal a side chain HPF and a mix knob. With the mix knob we’re able to dial in parallel compression, meaning we still retain some of the original natural sound.
Snare
The snare sound is overall a little a weak and could do with some compression to elongate the sustain and bring some energy to the sound source. Thanks to Super Fuse we’re able to introduce some extra harmonic content and really transform the sound of the snare track. Keeping the unit type in Studio Mode means we can also squash the signal further to accentuate the dynamics of both the snare and the room sound. We then simply dial back to dry/wet mix in the expand panel to taste
Drum Bus
Here we’re using a stereo insert of the RS124. With Super Fuse engaged, the input at 10 and studio mode enabled, we’re able to make our drum bus sound huge. In the expand panel the monitor source in stereo mode and we’re rolling of up to 60Hz with the SC HPF. What we’re trying to achieve here is a bigger natural stereo image without any phase issues occurring in the low end.
Highlight Features
Studio models RS124 serial no. 60070B – A favourite unit used for tracking at Abbey Road from the late ‘50s into the ‘60s, due its faster attack and release times. This is the more aggressive sound of the RS124, which creates a beautiful “squashed” sound on transients.
Cutter is a modification with slower attack and release times. The slower RS124s were favoured for studio reduction mixes and in Abbey Road’s 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. Want it to become more aggressive? The included “Super Fuse” mode matches release time to attack time, creating a brutal compression character that sounds like it’s “fighting against itself.” Try this on your drum bus for complete room destruction.
Expansion Panel: Side-chain Filter, Mix Knob and Mid Side Options.
Final Thoughts
The addition of a side chain key input would’ve been a nice modern twist on this otherwise legendary unit.
Some improvements over the GUI scalability.