Universal Audio UAD Plug-Ins ver.7.5 - Manual (Page 171)

UAD Powered Plug-Ins Manual - 171 - Chapter 14: Fairchild Tube Limiter Collection
Historical Background
The origins of the Fairchild 660/670 design come from Estonian-born immi-
grant Rein Narma. Les Paul hired Narma to modify his first 8-track Ampex ma-
chine. Later, Narma built consoles for Olmsted Recording, Rudy Van Gelder,
and Les Paul, who then asked him to build an all-new, sonically reliable audio
limiter. In the post-war years, this refugee from Soviet Russia worked for the
U.S. Army as a broadcast/recording tech during the Nuremberg trials, then
later immigrated to the New York and took a job at Gotham Recording.
Narma and others founded Gotham Audio Developments to build recording
gear.
The compressor’s Fairchild connection begins with Sherman Fairchild, the son
of Congressman George Winthrop Fairchild, one of the founders of IBM.
Sherman Fairchild built and designed the first aerial photography equipment
during World War I. After that war ended, he started the Fairchild Aerial
Camera Corporation in 1920. Sherman Fairchild eventually went on to de-
sign a multitude of products, from aircraft to semiconductors, and opened sev-
eral more companies, including Fairchild Recording Equipment Corporation.
After Narma began the limiter project for Les Paul, Sherman Fairchild heard
about it, licensed the design, and hired Narma as the company’s chief engi-
neer. After his time at Fairchild, Narma moved to Northern California and
was a vice-president at Ampex. The Fairchild was advertised as “The World
Accepted Standard for Level Control” back in the 1950s when it was origi-
nally sold. It is still revered for its extremely smooth, artifact-free sound.