As with the original, the gain-reduction meter bounces around in the red zone in this mode rather than confining itself to 0dB and below, although what this actually denotes in gain-reduction terms, I'm not quite sure! Since you can't push several virtual buttons at once, this version features an extra 'All' button.Īs on the original, there's also no threshold control. This mode is useful to add a bit of dirt and attitude to drums, bass and even vocals.

Rather than having a variable ratio knob, the 1176 uses four buttons to select ratios of 4, 8, 12 or 20:1, though pressing them all in at once produces an even more assertive effect that has become known as the 'nuke' setting, where distortion increases and the attack and release times are no longer fixed and stable. An Off switch disables the compressor part of the circuit, for occasions when you just want to hear the coloration imparted by the virtual input and output electronics. This software version allows settings to be saved, can operate in mono or stereo, and features a reset button that toggles between a factory default setting and your current settings. Various revised designs were created to reduce circuit noise, and it is one of these versions, denoted by the letters LN after the model number, that is modelled here. It has a sound that can be flattering on both voices and instruments, adding clarity and definition to vocals and guitars, and also works well for beefing up drums without killing the transient detail. The original 'blackface' 1176 was available both under the Universal Audio and UREI brand names, and was an early class-A FET and transistor design, developed by Bill Putnam in the mid-'60s.

Sampling rates up to 192kHz are supported. They function in stand-alone mode or as plug-ins supporting all the common DAW platforms in RTAS, AU and VST formats on both Mac OS and Windows. IK Multimedia are the latest plug-in manufacturers to bring us their take on two iconic compressors.Īvailable as individual plug-ins or as part of the new 64-bit T-Racks suite, there's little doubt as to what IK Multimedia's Black 76 and White 2A are based on: the classic Universal Audio 1176 and Teletronix LA2A hardware compressors.

Ik multimedia mixbox review