UAD Fairchild 660 Time Constants — My Quick Reference

After reluctantly letting the demo of UTA’s UnFairchild expire, I decided to take a deeper dive into the UAD Fairchild 660. Like many engineers, I usually reach for a compressor based on the feeling I’m after rather than memorizing every control.

After adding a hardware Manley Variable Mu to the studio, I started looking for plugins that could deliver a similar sweet, transparent, gooey character throughout a mix. The Fairchild quickly became a favorite.

While experimenting, I inserted it on a pair of drum overheads. Massive cymbal crashes made it incredibly easy to hear how each Time Constant shaped the release. Instead of just controlling dynamics, each setting subtly changed the feel, sustain, and movement of the cymbals.

Normally, I scroll through the Time Constants until one simply feels right. But I wanted a faster way to get there, so I put together these simple descriptors as a personal quick reference.

Fairchild 660 Time Constants

1 – Transparent

2 – Round

3 – Quiet & Sustain

4 – Smooth & Push

5 – Snappy & Punchy

6 – Fat & Sustain

These aren’t technical definitions—they’re simply the words that help me quickly choose the character I’m after when mixing.