KVR Audio

Basstyra · Post by **Basstyra** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:54 pm

I recently came across this compressor. It seems it's a classic.

http://uaudio.com/products/analog/1176LN/index.html

I haven't tested it much for now, and to be honest, I'm more interested in its electrical caracteristics than its sound. Of course I would happily plug it to see what it has to give, but I don't really have much stuff at hand rigth now, to test it. But anyway.

So... It's a compressor, using FET as a variable resistor to compress. It has no threshold control. It's the input gain control which controls how much the sound gets compressed.

But the main issue I have with this item are the attack times. The manual says 20 to 800 microseconds (µs). Which means 0.02 to 0.8 milliseconds (ms). I found this is quite fast, so I wonder...

I looked a bit on the reviews I could found, and I found only one that share the same feeling about that, at Harmony Central.

So, am I quite the only one surprised by this ?

beej · Post by **beej** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:08 pm

Go and search the Universal Audio site, there is *tons* of in-depth technical stuff on the 1176. If you search google, you will also dig up some papers on the electrical characteristics. And yes, it *is* fast.

It's one of the most indispensable and used pieces of pro-audio gear *ever*.

sloworm · Post by **sloworm** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:11 pm

give it to me

pilgrim_heart · Post by **pilgrim_heart** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:15 pm

Yeah, that's pretty damn fast. However the 1176 sounds really good on a lot of stuff despite (or maybe because of this). Just push all the ratio buttons in and rock (mmmmmm, 1176 stir-fry mode, really makes me wish I owned one).

joshhunsaker · Post by **joshhunsaker** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:24 pm

i'll give you 100 bucks for it if you find it doesn't suit your tastes

beej · Post by **beej** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:38 pm

I'll give you a couple of hundred bucks for it...

Killvehicle · Post by **Killvehicle** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:45 pm

I think the OP is trying to pull some dicks here!!haha I think my mom knows about the UA 1176.. BUt yes it is fast!! IM telling you these old compressors are lightning quick and they are so good on drums. I have a DBX 165 that can do AMAZINGINGLY fast attack and release. Perfect for the snare drum..

Grain Bastard · Post by **Grain Bastard** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:47 pm

$220......

I use a UAD-1 card and it has UA's own DSP plugin version of an 1176LN which gets pretty close to the hardware and its a true masterpiece IMO. I would love a real one.

Seriously, forget what the specs say and 'listen'. Much more important than worrying about whether something looks wrong on paper.

Go on then $230......

beej · Post by **beej** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:56 pm

Everyone's pulling your leg - it's a piece of shit.

And $250...

Kingston · Post by **Kingston** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:08 pm

for about 200-300 I would be able to build one, 400 for a stereo unit. and no I'm not kidding, the parts are dirt cheap.

Basstyra · Post by **Basstyra** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:14 pm

Grain Bastard wrote:Seriously, forget what the specs say and 'listen'. Much more important than worrying about whether something looks wrong on paper.

Of course

The thing is :

* First, it's not mine. So I could sell it 300 bucks, but then the owner will kill me, I guess...

* Secondly, I got it more to study it, electronically speaking, than to use it for musical purposes. So of course, sound is all that matters, but right now, I'm more on the tech stuff.

Plus, I'm quite new in the studio thing (I've been doing more my job as a musician than a sound tech until now), so I try to understand all this stuff. Learning how to set up a compressor is not this easy, and until now I understand some tricks including slower attack times. This really fast attack just blew away all I think I understood...

This is indeed really interesting...

EDIT : and Kingston is right, except the transformers, all parts are common and cheap. The main problem being the variety of schematic available on the web : I found not less than 3, all different...

beej · Post by **beej** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:33 pm

Yes, there are a variety of versions, the most popular being the blackface LN. Again, all this stuff is on uaudio.com, and it's them that make the thing...

living sounds · Post by **living sounds** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:51 pm

Good schematics are availible here: gyraf.dk (DIY section).

BTW, you can get much longer attack times with a bigger pot. I built additional 5 Meg pots into my dual 1176 because I like what it does with longer attacks on many sources.

Universal Audio 1176LN Compressor