each hardware can sound different, but 1176 really???

[DCrown]

Have you ever compared different 1176 comp emus? I did today and I know that each hardware unit can sound different or give slightly different results.
Today I compared some 1176 plugins:
Waves CLA 76 black
IKM Black 76
Arturia FET 76
Analog Obsession Fetish (with att and rel, though)

I tried it on drums to smash them.

With equal settings , completely different results, you couldn't even achieve similar results by trying with different settings.
I can't imagine real 1176 hardware can be so different, what is wrong with the emus?

Btw I liked Waves best, but not sure whether it would be my 1st choice on a different track, too.

[thievedletter]

I think that these types of comparisons don't really have much purpose. I suspect they all have different ways of achieving the non-linear part of the analog emulation (i.e. saturation) That and the fact analog components all have tolerances, so two units are unlikely to be identical, without meticulous calibration.

At the end of the day, it's still just sound, so use what sounds good and mix till it sounds right.

I ran a bunch of my compressors through a test and they all have differences, but they all work. 1176 specifically could have different outputs, meaning maybe one emu emulates the output distortion, maybe another adds saturation at the input, maybe another does both. Some add no saturation at all. Some might emulate a particularly harmonic model, other's might try for the most well-oiled and maintained version possible.

I use the Softube FET-Comp fairly often, which gives you options to take out/adjust the level of FET-Saturation and Transformer saturation, for example.

[zerocrossing]

Have you ever compared different 1176 comp emus? I did today and I know that each hardware unit can sound different or gove slightly different results.
Today I compared some 1176 plugins:
Waves CLA 76 black
IKM Black 76
Arturia FET 76
Analog Obsession Fetish (with att and rel, though)

I tried it on drums to smash them.

With equal settings , completely different results, you couldn't even achieve similar results by trying with different settings.
I can't imagine real 1176 hardware can be so different, what is wrong with the emus?

Btw I liked Waves best, but not sure whether on a different track, too.

I've done this too, but not with CLA or Fetish and with NI VC76 (which I believe is Softube) and I did find that I could get them sounding similar at basic settings, but often when pushed they all did a bit different things. My favorite by far was the Arturia, mostly because of the thoughtful extra bits added. All sounded good, though, and like @thievedletter said, "use what sounds good and mix till it sounds right." I've long given up thinking that emulations are going to be accurate, and I don't really care. I only care if they're good.

[djanthonyw]

I like Arturia one a lot as well. Their effect plugins are top notch.

[DCrown]

Have you ever compared different 1176 comp emus? I did today and I know that each hardware unit can sound different or gove slightly different results.
Today I compared some 1176 plugins:
Waves CLA 76 black
IKM Black 76
Arturia FET 76
Analog Obsession Fetish (with att and rel, though)

I tried it on drums to smash them.

With equal settings , completely different results, you couldn't even achieve similar results by trying with different settings.
I can't imagine real 1176 hardware can be so different, what is wrong with the emus?

Btw I liked Waves best, but not sure whether on a different track, too.

I've done this too, but not with CLA or Fetish and with NI VC76 (which I believe is Softube) and I did find that I could get them sounding similar at basic settings, but often when pushed they all did a bit different things. My favorite by far was the Arturia, mostly because of the thoughtful extra bits added. All sounded good, though, and like @thievedletter said, "use what sounds good and mix till it sounds right." I've long given up thinking that emulations are going to be accurate, and I don't really care. I only care if they're good.

To me it is never important whether a plugin sounds like real hardware gear, the only thing is whether plugin improves my mix.
I just noticed there are huge differences.
I think I must still have NI/Softube 76 ,too, but never liked it, I know Softube is a popular dev, but their plugins are not for me for whatever reason, I always found better options.

[_leras]

UAD have excellent 1176s, and have three variations. One is a bit more edgy, another smoother and the other has. 2:1 ratio and a slower attack.

They do all sound slightly different. Is just one enough? Maybe, but you know if you keep trying different versions you get a feel for the difference and can then just choose one for certain types of things.

The UAD legacy 1176 is also really good and is more CPU friendly.

[Deisss]

Have you ever compared different 1176 comp emus? I did today and I know that each hardware unit can sound different or give slightly different results.
Today I compared some 1176 plugins:
Waves CLA 76 black
IKM Black 76
Arturia FET 76
Analog Obsession Fetish (with att and rel, though)

I tried it on drums to smash them.

With equal settings , completely different results, you couldn't even achieve similar results by trying with different settings.
I can't imagine real 1176 hardware can be so different, what is wrong with the emus?

Btw I liked Waves best, but not sure whether it would be my 1st choice on a different track, too.

Having quite a bit of hardware vs software to compare (but not 1176 specifically), I will simply say: software is good, and often VERY close to the original, when it's not pushed hard.

When its becoming a very noticeable effect and/or when you smash hard on it, you start seeing quite a bit of difference between hardware and software, and usually it's drastic. Doesn't mean hardware is better, but you will see they react in a completely different way, and small diff become huge and quite obvious.


Long story short: use whatever gives the results you wanted. Don't care and don't matter if it's accurate 1176 or not.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I've got a Stam Audio 1176-ADG. Years back, I noticed that several software 1176's would completely fall apart and distort in nasty ways if you'd stick them on a Rhodes DI and just play sustained 4 note chords in the middle register with a bass note. Like, really basic task. My hardware didn't do that but several plugins completely collapsed doing basic compression with not insane amounts of reduction on that task.

Around that time TrackComp was in beta, and the beta did it too. I reached out to Dave Gamble and he confirmed and looked into where in the model that might be happening. From what I recall, it turns out it was some resistor he left out of his circuit model because it isn't even in the audio path, but it was regulating something in the power supply or side chain (I don't remember the exact details but something like that).

Anyway, within a day or two he updated the model and had a new beta out and from then on, TrackComp could be set extremely close to my hardware. To the point I almost never turn the hardware on. UA's were and are good too.

My point: good models will be close to hardware and each other. Not all models are good. And DMG does quality work.

[zerocrossing]

I've got a Stam Audio 1176-ADG. Years back, I noticed that several software 1176's would completely fall apart and distort in nasty ways if you'd stick them on a Rhodes DI and just play sustained 4 note chords in the middle register with a bass note. Like, really basic task. My hardware didn't do that but several plugins completely collapsed doing basic compression with not insane amounts of reduction on that task.

Around that time TrackComp was in beta, and the beta did it too. I reached out to Dave Gamble and he confirmed and looked into where in the model that might be happening. From what I recall, it turns out it was some resistor he left out of his circuit model because it isn't even in the audio path, but it was regulating something in the power supply or side chain (I don't remember the exact details but something like that).

Anyway, within a day or two he updated the model and had a new beta out and from then on, TrackComp could be set extremely close to my hardware. To the point I almost never turn the hardware on. UA's were and are good too.

My point: good models will be close to hardware and each other. Not all models are good. And DMG does quality work.

The lesson they should get from that is, look at the schematic, but trust your ears.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Sure, that's another. But for some reason, it was crazy dependent on the source material. On transient sounds like snares, or vocals/guitars, they'd all behave somewhat similarly as far as I could hear. But really basic DI Rhodes really killed some models. I think it is a combination of a lot of bass and low mid frequencies combined with polyphony resulting in something that drove some models insane.

[Uncle E]

Have you ever compared different 1176 comp emus? I did today and I know that each hardware unit can sound different or give slightly different results.
Today I compared some 1176 plugins:
Waves CLA 76 black
IKM Black 76
Arturia FET 76
Analog Obsession Fetish (with att and rel, though)

I tried it on drums to smash them.

With equal settings , completely different results, you couldn't even achieve similar results by trying with different settings.
I can't imagine real 1176 hardware can be so different, what is wrong with the emus?

Btw I liked Waves best, but not sure whether it would be my 1st choice on a different track, too.

PM me and I'll give you a free license for the Universal Audio 1176.

[Uncle E]

I think it is a combination of a lot of bass and low mid frequencies combined with polyphony resulting in something that drove some models insane.

If someone made a Tonex or NAM capture of the O-12 input transformer, I bet that would even out a lot of the differences between 1176 plugins.

[DCrown]

Have you ever compared different 1176 comp emus? I did today and I know that each hardware unit can sound different or give slightly different results.
Today I compared some 1176 plugins:
Waves CLA 76 black
IKM Black 76
Arturia FET 76
Analog Obsession Fetish (with att and rel, though)

I tried it on drums to smash them.

With equal settings , completely different results, you couldn't even achieve similar results by trying with different settings.
I can't imagine real 1176 hardware can be so different, what is wrong with the emus?

Btw I liked Waves best, but not sure whether it would be my 1st choice on a different track, too.

PM me and I'll give you a free license for the Universal Audio 1176.

Thanks. I demoed several UAD plugins, but it is not for me. I mean they started selling native plugins way too late and I am used to Waves plugins for years and some other plugins. It is strange, but some devs like UAD, Roland (love Boss pedals, though) or Softube just don't click with me.
I just noticed that every 1176 plugin is different, there are also other options than 1176 to smash drums on parallel bus.
Thanks for your offer, that's very nice.
But if you have a free Pultec emu license (no UAD), I will take it haha

[HenkDeWegWeg]

Some peoples think 1176 is a good compressor. They are the worst. It is all had back then that was faster. if you like nonsense meter moving with no relation and strange compressor then maybe you enjoy 1176. Now this is old time and 1000 times better comp existence.

put all to trash.

[zerocrossing]

One thing that I've found is that a lot of developers play fast and loose with parameter ranges, so if you think that similar settings are going to translate between plugins, you're likely to be disappointed. The only way to do it, and it's tedious and difficult, is to use a combination of your ears and a scope to try and match things. This often leads to finding out that what you once thought was two very different sounding emulations, sounding pretty close. I was trying to match UAD guitar amp models with IK models, and it was hilarious. Not only do both companies seem to take liberties with amp controls, but the entire process of how the cabinet-mic relationship works is impossible to replicate.