HERCHILD Plugin

THE ONLY VARI-MU PLUGIN YOU’LL EVER NEED. PERIOD.

Five years ago, Heritage Audio released what would become one of the most faithful recreations of the classic Model 670 and 660 Vari-Mu compressors. And we didn't stop there. The GRANDCHILD 670/500, a two-slot 500 Series Vari-Mu compressor, and the HERCHILD Next Gen Model 670N proved that when it comes to this revered circuit, one brand has truly mastered its craft.

The secret isn't really a secret: carefully matched NOS tubes, custom-made transformers designed specifically for the job, and every unit hand-built and subjected to the strictest quality control at our factory in Madrid, Spain.

Drawing on all that experience and knowledge, our team has spent the past year developing the ultimate FAIRCHILD-style plugin, complete with a range of never-before-seen features.

THE SOUND OF THE CLASSIC. PERFECTLY MODELED. PLUS MORE... MUCH MORE.

The HERCHILD plugin gets as close as possible to the sound and behaviour of the legendary hardware unit. But Advanced Mode takes its capabilities much, much further.

Blend control: Dial in the perfect amount of parallel compression, from fully dry to fully compressed.

Matching L/R: Keep both channels perfectly matched for a stable, consistent stereo image, or introduce subtle differences in left and right compression behaviour to add movement, dimension and a more organic character to your stereo material.

Matching Push-Pull: Explore the relationship between the push and pull stages of the classic Vari-Mu circuit, moving from balanced operation towards a more asymmetrical response. Experiment with harmonic texture, add extra attitude and introduce a different kind of analogue character to your sound.

7 DIFFERENT TUBES TO CHOOSE FROM

And of course, the tubes: a dedicated selector gives you seven different NOS tube configurations, each individually modelled by our team. Switch between them and explore how each one changes the character, response and tonal personality of the compressor.

Tube List:

Thomson 5749 FSE / 6BA6WB:

The tubes that power our HERCHILD 670 units.

Sonic character: Dense, muscular, forward midrange.

Dynamic feel: Precise, punchy, holds transients.

Best for aggressive vocals, drums, rock guitars.

Brimar CV4009 / 6BA6:

The tubes that power our HERCHILD 660 units.

Sonic character: Warm lower-mids, open and airy top end.

Dynamic feel: Soft-knee, pillowy levelling ("glue”).

Best for acoustic music, jazz, master bus.

GE 5749 / 6BA6W:

The quintessential American military-grade workhorse.

Sonic character: Fat, dark, gritty American warmth.

Dynamic feel: Aggressive clamping, obvious vintage saturation.

Best for rock bass, gritty tracking, vintage vibe.

RCA 6386 Black Plate:

The tubes used on other VariMu compressors such as the 176 and STA level.

Sonic character: Luxurious, 3D depth, silky top-end sheen.

Dynamic feel: Ultra-smooth, fluid, "invisible" liquid levelling.

Best for vocal tracking, acoustic music, main mix bus.

GE 5-Star 6386:

The best choice for the original Fairchilds.

Sonic character: High-definition, clean, transparent, detailed.

Dynamic feel: Consistent, linear levelling, tight low-end.

Best for stereo master bus, mastering, drum subs.

RCA 6BC8:

The tubes used on the classic ALTEC 436.

Sonic character: Weighted low-mids, clean analog weight.

Dynamic feel: Snappy, firm, excellent peak-catching.

Best for upfront vocals, acoustic guitars, tracking.

Mullard ECC82 / 12AU7:

The wildcard. A tube that can’t be VariMu used as VariMu.

Sonic character: Creamy midrange, holographic 3D space, sweet highs.

Dynamic feel: Linear amplification.

Best for driving output transformers, adding vintage depth.

THE HERITAGE AUDIO WAY

Our goal is to create helpful tools to channel creativity and put the focus back on the “music” in music production. That is why we want to reach as many users as possible with a comprehensive and fair pricing scheme:

Therefore, all HERCHILD 670, HERCHILD 660, GRANDCHILD 670/500, HERCHILD Next Gen Model 670N and i73® PRO hardware owners will get the HERCHILD Plugin for free.