UNIVERSAL AUDIO / 1176LN

The limiter sound is loved by many people, both now and in the past. It remains a standard compressor in studios today. From natural limiting for vocals and acoustic guitars to hard limiting with input distortion and the press of four buttons, the 1176 is a sound that can only be produced with the 1176.

■ Compressor

Introduced in 1967, the 1176 Limiting Amplifier offers incredibly fast attack and release times, a musical Class-A output stage, and a wide range of sounds, from subtle, transparent compression to driven, distorted sounds. Universal Audio's 1176LN Classic Limiting Amplifier faithfully recreates the original, distinctive design developed by Bill Putnam Sr., making it a part of audio history, having been used on recordings by Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, and more.

A Rich-Tone, Colorful Compressor
The 1176's main selling point is its ultra-fast attack time—just 20 μs (0.00002 seconds) at its fastest setting. This provides excellent performance for all types of programs. However, engineers soon discovered that the 1176's circuitry imparted character and vibe to their sounds. Some engineers even used the 1176 with compression turned off to capture its unique tone. The unit's amplifiers and transformers add a ""hot"" quality to everything that passes through them.

Rebirth of a Legend
When Bill Putnam, Jr. re-established Universal Audio in 1999, the company's first product was a recreation of the blackface 1176 LN. Re-released in 2000, it was designed based on revisions C, D, and E of the classic 1176. One of the most important aspects of recreating the sound of the original hardware was increasing the number of windings in the final line-out amplifier circuit, which supplies the feedback signal, to faithfully reproduce the original output transformer. Bill Putnam Jr. found extensive design notes that allowed him to recreate and improve upon his father's original design.

Pushbutton Magic
One of the 1176's famous features is its pushbutton selectable ratios: 4:1 and 8:1 for compression, and 12:1 and 20:1 for limiting. You can set the 1176 to a wide range of settings, from 4:1 to ""All Buttons"" mode, which presses all ratio buttons simultaneously. This allows you to achieve a unique sound not heard in other processors. Its stable slope and lag time respond to early transients, increasing distortion, can create the distorting sound of a drum room mic, or it can reduce the bass, electric guitar, or vocal sound and place it in the center of the mix.

Irreplaceable
Trained Universal Audio staff build and test each unit to uncompromising standards. This Universal Audio classic version of the 1176LN meticulously captures the nuances of the original and reproduces every nuance of its unique sound.

Key Features
- Design, manufacturing, and performance faithful to the original 1176
- Models the 1176LN, blackface, revisions D and E
- Ultra-fast attack time - 20ms to 800ms
- Class A line-level output amplifier
- Custom-built Putnam-designed output transformer
- Stereo operation

Specifications
Input Impedance: 600 Ω, Bridge-T Control (Floating)
Output Load Impedance: 600 Ω, Floating, Damping Factor 20
External Connections: Jones Barrier and XLR
Frequency Response: ±1dB 20Hz to 20kHz
Gain: 50dB
Distortion: Less than 0.5% THD (with limiting) 50Hz to 15kHz
S/N Ratio: Greater than 70dB at +10dBm
Attack Time: 20µSec to 800 μSec
Release Time: 50 mSec to 1.1 Sec
Stereo Interaction: Using the 1176 SA Network Accessory (sold separately)
Meters: dB Gain Reduction, dB Output
Power Supply: 120V
Operating Environment: Maximum operating humidity 160°F
Dimensions: 48.26 (W) x 8.89 (H) x 31.12 (D) cm (2U)
Weight: 5kg

Note: The adjustment trim below the VU meter is for fine-tuning 0VU in +4 and +8 modes.
Note: This product is designed for 120V, but will also operate on 100V.