uchDeveloper Analog Obsession has released MuChild, a free Fairchild 660 emulation for macOS and Windows.
This latest release is MuChild, Analog Obsession’s take on the legendary Fairchild 660 Vari-MU compressor.
MuChild is available in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS (10.11 or later) and Windows (10-11).
Many people consider the Fairchild the Holy Grail of compressors, and that’s reflected in the obscene cost of original hardware units.
Luckily, we have developers like Analog Obsession providing a taste of that vintage magic for free.
MuChild is the result of meticulous black box modelling, rather than component-level modelling. This data-driven approach is a time and cost-efficient way to capture the fundamental character of analogue hardware.
Although MuChild accurately mirrors the Fairchild, Analog Obsession has introduced a few new additions to give it a modern twist.
Starting with the expected, we have the Input and Threshold knobs, followed by the familiar Time Constant selector.
The Time Constant selector is one of the defining elements of the Fairchild because it offers six preset attack/release time combinations, rather than independent controls that you’d find on most modern units.
The fastest available release time is 300ms, and that’s part of the compressor’s smooth musical appeal.
It will certainly add punch to drums, but you might not achieve the rawness or pumping effect on a busy percussion track that you’d get with a compressor that returns to zero faster.
Lots of people talk about the Fairchild on vocals, and that’s definitely an area where it shines.
But, as a fan of really dense strings or horns, I love what the Fairchild does to bring a section together without squeezing the life out of it.
The new additions from Analog Obsession include an external side-chain function, a side-chain filter (HPF up to 1kHz), and a wet/dry Mix knob.
Some other plugin emulations, like the UAD Fairchild collection, also include a side-chain filter and Mix controls. However, Analog Obsession always brings something interesting to the table, and I’m looking forward to comparing MuChild to some other emulations.
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Last Updated on May 6, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
