RSR489 - Dave Derr - Empirical Labs Creator of the Distressor, Arouser, BIG FrEQ, Fatso, and Pump

Recording Studio Rockstars

"The Distressor is an iconic piece of gear." Dave talked about his journey from musician to audio engineer, creating the iconic Distressor compressor, the role of distortion, harmonics, and thoughtful gear selection in achieving masterful audio mixing and production, and offered practical advice for aspiring recording engineers.

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My guest today is Dave Derr, a musician raised in a family of engineers destined to rock and make his mark on the recording industry. Dave started with studying classical piano, composition, and theory as a Music Major in college but still loved ripping solos on his '67 Gibson SG Special. This passion for music led him to a 12-year journey with the band Jack of Diamonds, touring the Philadelphia, Delaware, and Maryland areas.

But Dave wasn’t just rocking the stage—he was also the guy fixing the band's guitars, keyboard rigs, and PA systems. This hands-on experience sparked his path to becoming an Electronics Technician and eventually a studio engineer.

Dave landed a gig at Eventide and worked alongside industry giants, contributing to the design of iconic gear like the H3000, H3500, and DSP4000. And after hours? He ran his own recording studio at home, refining his craft night and day.

In 1994, Dave’s talents culminated in the creation of the Distressor—a modern classic that’s now a staple in major studios worldwide. Empirical Labs now has over 42,000 Distressors sold and an entire line of analog processors and digital plugins and their latest creation, the PUMP, a powerful 500 Series compressor based on the Distressor is breaking new ground for getting killer sounds in the studio or out in the field.

I am super excited to have Dave Derr joining us on the podcast today. This is a big day for me, the show, and definitely a bucket list interview!

PS Go to empiricallabs.com to find the Arousor and BIG FrEQ plugins where you can use the coupon code RSR10 for 10% off.

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