Audio + Design (Also known as Audio & Design, or Audio and Design, or Audio Design Recording- hf. ADR) is a British firm that was responsible for the first FET-based limiter. Their ‘Vocal Stressor’ dynamics processor has long been rumored to be the the kit limiter used on many Led Zeppelin recordings. For readers who have not spent much time in recording studios: John Bonham’s drum sound on the Zeppelin records is still, 40 years later, regarded as a benchmark of rock drum sound, by both drummers and producers/engineers. And by rock-music fans in general. A lot of time gets spent daily in recording studios around the world trying to ‘get that Bonham sound.’ So this rumor is somewhat significant.
Other well-known users of the ADR compressors include Mike Chapman, producer of The Sweet and about a million other seminal 70’s groups.
Anyhow. The unit featured at the head of this post is module from ADR’s ‘Scamp’ line of plug-in modular audio processing equipment. From what I have been able to tell, various units in the Scamp line were available between at least 1976 and 1984. Modular racks of audio processing equipment were very popular during this period. The concept is a good one: users can purchase a single rack-case with slots that accept the manufacturer’s modules. The Rack-Case has a built-in power supply which provides the voltage(s) that the units need in order to operate. In this way, a single chassis/powersupply can support up to 17 pieces of processing gear, rather than each little compressor, EQ, etc., each having their own. Since the current draw of these items is so low, it makes a lot of sense. It saves a lot of space in the studio, and it saves money.
Of the other contemporary manufacturers of modular processing set-ups, The DBX 900 series is perhaps the most widely-seen. Valley People, Aphex and API also made these types of product lines. The API 500 series has survived, and in fact become a contemporary standard in recording studios, with dozens of independent firms currently making a huge variety of processing units to fit the API-500 spec frame/voltage. I have a DBX 900 rack and an API 500 rack, and they are some of my most-often used pieces in the studio.
There is a lot of documentation on the web regarding the DBX 900 series and the API 500 line. The ADR Scamp line-up is not as well-represented. Click on the link below to download 18-pages of 1976-1984 SCAMP paper.
DOWNLOAD:
7 replies on “Audio + Design Scamp Outboard Modules”
Thanks for the nice pdf! AFAIK, the “Led Zep drum comp” was built into the Helios desk used, but nevertheless it’s the same F760 circuit that is probably most know as the “CompEx” from the rack mount stereo compressor/expander, but also incorporated in the VocalStressor (along with preamp and EQ) and in the SCAMP S01 module.
I’m no Zep historian, but after the first album IIRC they recorded in quite a variety of locations, trying to keep up with demand for more product while out on tour. So that drum sound must have been somewhat independent of any particular device, more the result of a certain approach. I assume that it was 85% the drummer!
Well, it’s the big front room in Hedley Grange….with a binson echorec, two m160’s and quite sure, an ADR F600 limiter. (this was before the time of the compex, etc.) In an interview with Andy Johns, i’m quite certain I remember him saying that is was crushed with a limiter…not the F700, which was the compressor!
Well, “the” Led Zep drum sound is what can be heard on “When The Levee Breaks”, and the recording of that is two beyer m160 mics, ADR “compex” compressor and Binson echo, as explained by Andy Johns himself in this excerpt from Recording Engineer/Producer no. 31:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8sqowu1ohsxnlr6/Drums%20When%20the%20levee%20breaks.jpg
BTW this post should be tagged with ADR as well..
It’s not an ADR compex….compex came way later. It was the F600 limiter.
ADR was probably not the first FET based compressor as you say above. 1176 was from 1967. ADR were maybe first in UK but 1176 prob first in USA.
I’m looking for 2x ADR EQ S04 modules.
BTW if I’m right zep used F600 limiter !!!