Best 1176 Clone
A comparison video showing the differences between the SZR76 Rev A and Rev D. To download the individual comparison files or purchase a compressor, visit htt. A studio staple for the best part of five decades, it has found a new generation of retro-loving fans in any number of plugin reproductions, from Waves’ CLA-2a and Cakewalk’s CA-2a to Native Instruments’ VC 2a and Universal Audio’s own official LA-2A. The plugin versions prove just how relevant the LA-2A remains to this day. I agree with most of what Benny has said, having owned a Cali76-TX, CD and sliderig compact and used a WA76 (warm audio clone) in studio a lot. One thing I would add I have heard several 'real' 1176 users say they liked the stock 1176 pro tools plugin; and when I A/B'd that with my Origin Effects versions, the pedals came out on top for me.
Gearshoot - Gear Comparison Review - The 1176 - Original, Clone, Plugin
Urei Rev F vs UAD 1176 Rev E Plugin vs Warm WA76
The 1176 is one of the most famous compressors on the planet. We are going to take a new approach to our review as there is lots of history and reviews on the 1176 that cover that side already (see some handy links at the bottom). Many remakes have been made of it over the years - both in the analog and plugin world.
What we thought would be useful is to begin to get an understanding of why these alternate versions of the gear can sound different to the original. That way you can start working knowing which one will give the feel you need for any mix and hopefully learn to get the best out of each type.
What we think . . . from our listening tests on ATC SCM110ASL Pro’s and Extreme Isolation EX-29 Headphones.
We’ve made a number of presets that you can compare to listen and learn, click the link to open it in a new tab, and then check them out in relation to what we found (below).
Urei Rev F vs UAD 1176 Rev E Plugin vs Warm WA76 Drums Shootout
Playlist
Urei Rev F vs UAD 1176 Rev E Plugin vs Warm WA76 Vocal Shootout
Playlist
There’s a few things that you can notice comparing the Urei 1176 to the Warm WA76 as you play the drum samples -
At 4:1 the Urei has a slight extension in the lower end and a smoothness, the WA76 is a little more ‘forward’ but the difference is relatively subtle - you might not notice the difference so much in a mix.
At 8:1 these differences become more apparent - this is where the Urei and the Warm WA76 diverge more in character (in that the WA76 starts to distort much more which can be really useful if that is what you need).
At 20:1 the WA76 provides much more crunch and distortion than the original 1176, there are still similarities, but at this level of compression each is clearly its own beast with some useful tones that you can get from both to suit your purpose. The UAD 1176 retains more of the character of the analog 1176 than the WA76, but still has notable differences.
Comparing the Urei 1176 to the UAD 1176 we find a greater overall similarity across the ratios in the sense that they diverge less in tone at the higher compression ratios (although we must always remember that these two are different revisions, E and F which could also influence somewhat). There is a difference in the low end between the Urei and UAD (with the Urei seeming to be a bit tighter and less distorting espc at high ratios).
Other useful stuff -
Here is a graph of a 100Hz tone through the 3 pieces of gear with settings at 20:1 ratio with Attack and Release set to fast achieving 18dB of compression.
Blue - Urei 1176
Yellow - Warm WA76
Orange - UAD 1176
The solid line is the main signal, the heavier dashed line the second harmonics and the lighter dashed line represents the third harmonics. The big divergences between our test 1176’s really seem to happen in relation to the third harmonic distortion and this happens more at higher than lower frequencies. But even at the frequency tested (100Hz) there is still some important differences (although much less so as you can see).
Here’s another graph of harmonic distortion as a percentage that really shows differences between the Urei, UAD and the Warm.
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Handy Links -
Extra info for those interested in how we make our calls on what stuff sounds like -
Listening tests and assumptions are determined, double checked or signed off at Gearshoot HQ on ATC110ASL Pro monitors. We reckon that they give us a pretty good chance at getting it pretty well in the ballpark of what it is going to sound like on most other people’s monitors.
Disclaimer - The world being what it is, virtually every 1176 has its own particular characteristics, even within revisions (they are old!). So what holds for the 1176 we have used as our test model may not hold for others 100% - but hopefully it should be close enough to others to help you understand more.
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1 – Teletronix/Urei/Universal Audio LA-2A
And finally… The number one spot goes to a piece of outboard that has surely graced more hit records than any other: the deceptively understated, flexible and silver-fronted LA-2A.
Originally introduced way back in 1965 by Teletronix, the LA-2A went out of production in 1969, returning for a couple of short production runs before being reissued by Universal Audio in 2000.
Best 1176 Clone
A studio staple for the best part of five decades, it has found a new generation of retro-loving fans in any number of plugin reproductions, from Waves’ CLA-2a and Cakewalk’s CA-2a to Native Instruments’ VC 2a and Universal Audio’s own official LA-2A. The plugin versions prove just how relevant the LA-2A remains to this day. It’ll happily work its magic on synth bass, 909 kick drums, claps and snare samples.
What is it that makes this unit so special? Is it the valves used for input and output gain (and the lush warmth they impart)? Is it its famed ability to take a good sound and return something better? Is it its simplicity? Or is it the unique compression curve imparted by the optical compression circuit?
It’s all of those things and more. The simple fact, demonstrated time and time again, is that the LA-2A can generate wonderfully musical results on a hugely wide range of material.
Top producers revere the LA-2A for its subtle warming characteristic – it can be as transparent as you want on vocals – but it can also be hit hard to yield a sizzlingly overdriven signal. It’s also frequently used as part of a vocal compression chain, working in series with another compressor such as an 1176 to yield silky-smooth vocals. The LA-2A can be hit hard to smooth off the biggest peaks before running the signal into the 1176 to tidy up what’s left, or vice versa.
When valve gear went out of fashion in the late ’60s, the LA-2A was superseded by the solid-state LA3A. But the 3A never enjoyed the same status (or sales) as its predecessor, which still – five decades since its inception – stands supreme among the finest boxes in the business.
Best 1176 Compressor Clone
Simply the best.
1176 Compressor Vst
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