Price History
Product Overview
The 1176 Classic Limiter Collection represents Universal Audio's definitive digital implementation of the FET compressor that fundamentally shaped modern recording. Available across Mac and PC platforms, this plugin suite models three distinct revisions spanning four decades of hardware evolution, offering engineers access to the sonic DNA of countless classic records.
The Rev A "Bluestripe" captures Bill Putnam's original 1960s design with its characteristic higher distortion and unique FET gain amplifier behavior - the sound heard on Neve 1073 preamps and early Nashville sessions. The Rev E "Blackface" reflects Brad Plunkett's 1970s refinements, introducing lower noise floors, transistor-based gain stages, and altered program dependence for more predictable behavior. The 1176AE, UA's rare 40th Anniversary Edition, includes exclusive modifications featuring a lower 2:1 compression ratio unavailable in standard hardware units.
What distinguishes the 1176 remains its legendary speed. The 20-microsecond attack time - still unmatched by most competitors - makes it indispensable for taming transient-rich sources: drums, bass, vocals, and percussive instruments. The interface distills compression to its essentials: Input controls both threshold and drive, Output manages makeup gain, while Attack and Release dial in response timing. The VU meter clearly indicates gain reduction or output level.
This plugin suits mix engineers seeking transparent dynamic control with punch, mastering specialists requiring surgical limiting, and producers chasing the compressed character integral to classic records. Among available compressor plugins, the 1176 Collection remains the benchmark for FET modeling accuracy and the most thoroughly documented compressor design in professional audio. Its continued ubiquity across studios worldwide reflects neither nostalgia nor marketing dominance, but simple sonic superiority.