The revision history went from the original 1176 Revision A through Revision H (final version) and a special LN (low noise) edition that reduced the noise by 6 dB and an AE (Anniversary Edition) that added a 2:1 compression. It was a full solid state design, with no tubes and featured four different compression ratios 4:1, 8:1, 12:1 and 20:1, all available via a front panel push button. The original hardware first came out in 1968, introduced by a company called UREI and designed by Bill Putnam. With that in mind, let’s take a quick historical look at this classic piece of studio gear and hear then what it can do to a single drum mic in a room. However, the fundamentals behind the knobs and meters are the same. The original units had many revisions, hence there are various models with slightly different characteristics and faceplate covers.

Aside from the hardware, there are some great 1176 style plug-in compressors available from the likes of Waves, Universal Audio, and Bomb Factory/Avid.

Uad 1176 compressor plugin