Nashville, TN (August 16, 2024)—If you venture into Nashville’s revered Blackbird Studio and come across co-owner/country star Martina McBride’s personal Fairchild 660 in the racks, you’ll find it has a warning label:
Naturally, that would make anyone want to get in touch with their inner five-year-old and start messing with the legendary vintage compressor, just because, much less due to the fact that Fairchilds improve the sound of anything that passes through them. Well, few of us will ever be in the vicinity of that compressor and clearly no one will get to touch it, but now you can anyway with today’s release of KIT Plugins and Blackbird Studio’s BB F66/67, the studio’s first-ever Fairchild compressor emulation.
Selected from John McBride’s personal collection of vintage gear for use in Martina’s personal chain, McBride hand-tuned and manipulated the frequency response himself. The BB F66 plug-in is said to capture every characteristic and detail; the BB F67 offers the same 660 sound with the addition of a 670’s mid/side processing and individual stereo controls, providing more flexibility and creative possibilities.
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“The Fairchild 660 has always been my go-to for Martina’s vocals because it delivers that unmistakable warmth and musicality that you just can’t find anywhere else,” said John McBride. “It’s not just about compression—it’s about capturing the emotion and depth in a way that resonates with the listener. The 660’s unique harmonic character is what makes it irreplaceable in her vocal chain. The F66 gives me that same feel whenever I need it.”
The Fairchild 660 and 670, designed in the 1950s, are famed for their tube-based design providing smooth compression and unique time-constant settings, offering a warm and harmonically rich sound that few modern compressors can replicate. The BB F66/67 is KIT Plugins’ first analog modeled compressor, and is being released as a set, running $99 but with an introductory sale of $69.
