What makes the UA 1176 compressor so good?
- Why Audio Compression is Important
- What are the DIfferent Types of Compressors?
- The History of the 1176 Compressor
- Why the 1176 sounds so Special
- Explore Reissue 1176 Hardware
- Emulating the 1176: Capturing an Iconic Compressor
- The 1176: Used on your Favorite Records
- Add the Legendary Character of the 1176 to your Productions
Learn the secrets behind the go-to audio processor used by Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, and Radiohead.
If there were ever such a thing as a "magical tone box," surely the UA 1176 compressor is it.
Released in 1968, the 1176 compressor went on to become ubiquitous in world-class studios, making everything that runs through it sound better.
From Led Zeppelin to Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin to Radiohead, Pharell, and thousands more, the albums that relied on the 1176's analog magic are impossible to count.
But what exactly is it that makes the 1176 so special? And why do you even need compression when working with audio?
Why Audio Compression is Important
At its most basic, compressors and limiters reduce the span between the softest and loudest parts of an audio signal. When used properly, compression will give your tracks a punchy, balanced, and loud sound, while also injecting coloration and tone for album-ready results.
But over-compressing can squeeze the life out of your recordings. So having a good grasp of the basics will ensure that you are getting the most out of this essential tool.
Read: Learn the Basics of Audio Compression
What are the DIfferent Types of Compressors?
Audio compressors typically fall into three categories — tube, optical, and solid-state.
Famous tube limiters include the Farichild 660 and 670, and the Universal Audio 175B and 176.
For optical compression, the legend is the Teletronix LA-2A.
Iconic solid-state limiters — which includes FET and VCA designs — with hit-record pedigree include the Empirical Labs EL8 DIstressor, API 2500 Bus Compressor, dbx 160, and of course the UA 1176.
So why would you use one over the other?
Because they sound different.
Tube and optical limiters compress your source material with different color, tone, and texture, whereas solid-state units impart an equally appealing, faster compression character.
For example, use a solid-state compressor like the 1176 to deliver punchy drums, aggressive vocals, or fat acoustic guitars.
Conversely, use a tube or optical compressor like the LA-2A to add more gentle warmth and texture to vocals or perfectly sit a bass in the mix.
Read: Tube vs. Solid-State Compression Basics
The History of the UA 1176 Compressor
In 1966, Bill Putnam began using new solid-state technology in his Universal Audio preamps and compressors, replacing the "old" technology of vacuum tubes.
He had already redesigned his original 108 tube microphone preamp (taken from his UA/United Recording consoles in Chicago and Hollywood), into the new 1108 — using the recently invented Field Effect Transistor (FET).
Subsequently, Putnam redesigned the UA 175B/176 tube compressors using FETs, and thus was born the 1176.
The 1176 also offered contemporary design, featuring knobs with clear surrounds, pushbuttons, and a brushed aluminum face panel with a blue stripe near the VU meter — the 1176 looked fast, just sitting in a rack.
Why the 1176 Sounds so Special
Billed in the 1968 press release as a “true peak limiter with all transistor circuitry and superior performance on all types of program material," the 1176’s ultra-fast attack time — 20 µS (.00002 seconds) at its fastest setting — was unheard of.
Engineers quickly discovered that the 1176 sounded unlike any other processor before it.
Distortion increased, along with a plateaued slope and a lag time in response to initial transients, creating an explosive sound on drum room mics, making an incredible grungy bass or electric guitar sound, or squeezing a vocal so it sat right in your face.
Even without compression engaged, the 1176's amplifiers and transformers gave a desirable “hot” quality to anything passing through them.
Explore Reissue 1176 Hardware
In 1999, when Bill Putnam, Jr. relaunched Universal Audio, a reissue of the black 1176LN was the company’s first product, based on the circuit designs of the C, D, and E revs.
One of the most critical aspects of recreating the sound of the original 1176 was faithfully reproducing the original output transformer, complete with the additional windings that provided the feedback signal to the final line output amplifier circuit.
Thankfully, Putnam Jr. discovered a trove of extensive design notes, allowing UA to recreate and improve on the original design.
Like the vintage hardware, the reissue 1176 unit is point-to-point handwired at UA's Custom Shop in Santa Cruz, California, with every component carefully evaluated for authenticity.
As a result, today’s 1176 gives your recordings the same legendary punch and tone of the vintage hardware.
Emulating the 1176: Capturing an Iconic Compressor
In 2001, Universal Audio set the standard in analog emulation with the original UAD 1176 plug‑in — single‑handedly launched the UAD platform. This landmark plug-in quickly became a go-to for engineers and producers who were starting to work exclusively "in the box."
Fast-forward to 2013, UA’s engineers redesigned the 1176 plug-in from the ground up, with extensive emulations of the entire electronic path — including transformers and FET and transistor amplifiers — giving everything you run through it the colorful tone and sonic magic of the vintage hardware.
The 1176 Classic Limiter Plug-In Collection also provides three distinct 1176 revisions, representing over 40 years of design iterations to the original 1176 — each with their own distinctive sonic attributes.
- The Rev A “Bluestripe” represents the original Putnam FET limiter design, complete with its higher distortion and unique FET gain amplifier characteristics
- The Rev E “Blackface” covers the early '70s Brad Plunkett “LN” (Low Noise) era, with variations including a more linear compression response, transistor gain amplification, and a change to the program dependence
- The 1176AE provides UA’s rare 1176 40th Anniversary Edition, complete with exclusive mods — including its lower 2:1 compression ratio
The 1176: Used on your Favorite Records
Showing up on "Best Compressor" and "Desert Island plug-in lists consistently, the 1176 compressor is used by legendary engineers and producers in every genre, from hip-hop to rock, R&B to dance and country music.
An avowed 1176 fanboy, Grammy-winning engineer Michael Ilbert uses both hardware and plug-in versions extensively on albums by Taylor Swift, The Hives, In Flames, and more. While Stuart Price swears by the 1176 to lock in a lead vocal from Madonna.
Producer Louis Bell relies on the 1176 for Post Malone's vocal chain while Beck and Radiohead engineer, Grammy-winner Darrell Thorp says, "I use the 1176 on everything."
But perhaps the most famous example of the 1176 — and what it can do from drums and guitars — are the tracks "When the Levee Breaks and "Black Dog from Led Zeppelin VI.
"I couldn’t have done it without the 1176s" said the late great Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones), "There is not another compressor that will do that."
And the list goes on. From Tycho to super-producer Diplo, soundtrack legend Mark Isham to the jazz-funk of Snarky Puppy, chances are your favorite albums of all time are knee-deep in 1176 tone.
Add the Legendary Character of the 1176 to your Productions
One of the best features of the 1176 is its simplicity. Very quickly, you can be up and running with a great sound.
Watch these videos and learn how to add the unmistakable tone, punch and energy of the 1176 to drums, vocals, and acoustic guitars. You'll quickly hear why the 1176 is considered a "must-have" studio processor.