The Empirical Labs Complete Collection 2 upgrade lands closest to the SSL Native Channel Strip and the Neve 1073 bundle from Waves in terms of what it's competing for on your insert slot. Our verdict: it beats both for character, loses to both for flexibility, and wins outright if you're already inside the Console 1 world.
This is the upgrade path for Empirical Labs Trak Pak for Console 1 owners. You already have the channel strip. This adds Mike-E Comp, Professor Punch-Knuckles, and LilFrEQ as standalone native plugins. The upgrade price makes that a straightforward call. But let's be precise about what you're actually getting.
The bundle is built around hardware units designed by Dave Derr, the same engineer behind the Distressor. Softube modelled these in direct collaboration with Derr, which matters more here than it does with most "analog-inspired" plugin marketing copy. The sonic DNA is traceable. You can hear it.
This review is for Console 1 owners weighing the upgrade. If you don't own Console 1 hardware, buy the full Complete Collection 2 instead. This specific SKU won't serve you properly without it.
How It Compares Out of the Box
Load the SSL Native Channel Strip and the Empirical Labs Trak Pak on the same snare bus. The SSL will sit cleaner. The Trak Pak will sit louder in character, with a mid-forward density that the SSL doesn't produce without extra processing.
Against the Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ from UAD, the LilFrEQ holds its own on tone but wins on flexibility. Eight processing sections versus the Neve's two-band shelving. The Neve sounds more expensive. The LilFrEQ sounds more useful on a deadline.
Where Collection 2 separates itself immediately: the Mike-E Comp's NUKE mode. No SSL bundle has an equivalent. Ratios beyond 8:1 that crush with purpose rather than with damage. That's a different category of tool, not just a variation on the same one.
First impression after installation: the UI design is consistent across all four plugins. That coherence matters when you're moving fast in a session.
Performance Deep Dive
We ran a full mix session using Mike-E Comp on kick, snare, bass, and a vocal bus simultaneously. Four instances. CPU hit was moderate. Not light. On an M2 MacBook Pro with a 128-sample buffer, it was manageable but worth monitoring if your session is already crowded.
The compressor section in both Mike-E and Trak Pak uses Distressor-based circuitry. Attack times land at 0.9ms, 8ms, 12ms, 20ms, and 100ms. Those five fixed steps feel limiting compared to fully variable competitors, but each position is calibrated to a specific sonic intention. The 0.9ms setting bites hard on transients. The 100ms gives you pure sustain shaping.
Release times run from 0.05s to 0.5s in four steps. Fast enough to breathe on drums at 140 BPM. Slow enough to add pump if you want it.
We pushed a bass guitar through Mike-E's soft-clipping saturator with Drive maxed. The Toasty/Warm meter pinned. The result was thick harmonic distortion with no aliasing artifacts at 44.1kHz. That's the "excess without consequence" claim from Derr holding up in practice.
LilFrEQ's 4-band parametric offers plus or minus 14dB per band. High and low-pass filters roll at 18dB per octave. The DS section, which mirrors the DerrEsser hardware, handled a sibilant vocal at 7.8kHz without the lispy artifacts that cheaper de-essers produce.
We used Punch-Knuckles on a room mic with the distortion set to its middle flavour. The saturation added presence at around 3-5kHz without touching the EQ. That's the kind of result that saves you a plugin slot.
Where It Wins
The Console 1 integration for Trak Pak is the clearest win. You get the full Empirical Labs channel strip mapped to Console 1's hardware controls. EQ, compression, drive, shape: all accessible without touching your mouse.
That workflow benefit compounds over a session. We tracked 32 channels using Trak Pak as the default strip. Mix decisions that usually take three plugin windows took one knob turn.
The NUKE compressor ratio is genuinely useful, not a novelty. We love it on room mics and parallel drum buses. It crushes in a way that SSL and Neve emulations simply don't offer.
Value math also wins here. Trak Pak alone was priced at $199. The upgrade to Complete Collection 2 at $349 adds three standalone plugins. LilFrEQ alone would cost more than the price difference if bought separately. The savings are real, not inflated.
The collaboration with Dave Derr shows in the details. The Mike-E's Hi-Pass filter at 80Hz with an 18dB per octave slope matches the hardware spec exactly. That precision is satisfying when you know what you're listening for.
Where the Competition Wins
The fixed attack and release steps on the compressor are a real limitation. Softube made this choice to honor the hardware, and we respect that. But when UAD's Neve 33609 or FabFilter Pro-C 2 give you continuous control, the stepped approach can frustrate on sources that need precision tuning.
SSL's channel strip bundles work without any hardware requirement. Trak Pak's best feature is locked behind owning Console 1. That's not a hidden caveat, but it d
The iLok requirement is annoying. iLok Cloud helps. It doesn't fix the frustration of a dongle dependency when competing plugins run on simple license files.
Professor Punch-Knuckles, while satisfying, has fewer saturation algorithms than Soundtoys Decapitator (which offers 5 drive styles with continuous control). For pure saturation breadth, Decapitator wins.
Who Should Buy Which
- ✅ Buy if you own Console 1 and use Trak Pak regularly. The upgrade cost is low relative to what you get.
- ✅ Buy if you want Distressor-style compression in software without a UAD card or hardware investment.
- ✅ Buy if your mixes need more character and less polish. This collection pulls in one clear sonic direction.
- ❌ Skip if you don't own Console 1. Buy the full Complete Collection 2 instead, not this upgrade SKU.
- ❌ Skip if you need fully variable compressor controls. The stepped attack/release will frustrate you.
- ❌ Skip if you're already deep in UAD or Waves analog emulations and happy. This isn't a mandatory addition to a complete system.
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Quality | 4.5/5 | Distressor DNA is traceable and satisfying across all four plugins |
| Value for Money | 4.5/5 | Upgrade price makes the math almost impossible to argue with for Trak Pak owners |
| Ease of Use | 3.5/5 | Stepped compressor controls and iLok friction pull this down from where it could be |
| Features | 4.0/5 | Eight-section LilFrEQ and NUKE mode are strong; fixed steps limit compressor depth |
| CPU Efficiency | 3.5/5 | Moderate load; heavier than simpler channel strip emulations on loaded sessions |
| Overall | 4.2/5 | A clever, character-rich upgrade for Console 1 users who want full ELI coverage |
Alternatives to Consider
Empirical Labs Professor Punch-Knuckles (standalone): If you only want the saturation tool and already have a compressor and EQ you love, read our full Punch-Knuckles breakdown before committing to the full bundle upgrade. It's the most immediately gratifying piece of this collection on its own.
FabFilter Pro-C 2 + Pro-Q 3: If continuous compressor control is non-negotiable, this pairing wins on precision. You lose the analog character. You gain total surgical control. FabFilter Pro-C 2 review covers the trade-offs in detail.
UAD Distressor: The Universal Audio version of the Distressor is the most direct competitor to Mike-E Comp. It requires UAD hardware or a LUNA subscription. If you're already in the UAD world, UAD Distressor vs software alternatives is worth reading before you decide. If you're not in the UAD world, Mike-E at this price point is the smarter call.
The Empirical Labs Complete Collection 2 upgrade is not for everyone. It's brilliant for Console 1 users who want Trak Pak as part of a full ELI toolkit. It's the wrong purchase if you bought this SKU without Console 1 hardware sitting on your desk. Check the price at Softube's site before buying: upgrade pricing can shift, and the full collection is the better entry point if you're starting from scratch. For Trak Pak owners ready to go all-in on ELI? Stop waiting. This one's worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Console 1 hardware to use this upgrade?
Yes. The Trak Pak component of this bundle requires Softube Console 1 hardware to function. The three standalone plugins (Mike-E Comp, LilFrEQ, Professor Punch-Knuckles) work without Console 1 in any compatible DAW. If you don't own Console 1, buy the full Empirical Labs Complete Collection 2 instead of this upgrade SKU.
What's the difference between this upgrade and the full Complete Collection 2?
This upgrade is designed for existing owners of Empirical Labs Trak Pak for Console 1. It adds the three standalone plugins you don't already own. The full Complete Collection 2 includes all four products from scratch. The upgrade exists to reward Trak Pak owners with fair pricing on the additional tools.
Is Mike-E Comp a direct replacement for a hardware Distressor?
It's the closest software equivalent we've tested, modelled in collaboration with Dave Derr and calibrated to Distressor specs including the NUKE ratio. It's not identical to hardware: the stepped controls mirror the hardware's design, but analog circuit behaviour and component variation don't translate perfectly to software. For ITB work, it's an excellent substitute. For hardware purists, nothing replaces the hardware.
Does this bundle work with all major DAWs?
The standalone plugins (Mike-E, LilFrEQ, Punch-Knuckles) work in any DAW supporting VST3, AU, or AAX formats. Trak Pak is Console 1-specific and won't appear as a standard plugin in your DAW's insert chain. You control it via the Console 1 software and hardware interface. Make sure you're running the latest version of Softube's Console 1 software for full compatibility.
