Learn Jimmy Page's Secret Distortion Trick

In this video, UA's James Santiago and Dr. Dave Berners show Youtube guitarist Rhett Shull how the UA 1176 compressor was used to create the distorted guitar tone on Led Zeppelin's legendary track, "Black Dog."

But I don't have two 1176s in a rack, you say? No problem!

You can use the UAD 1176 plug-ins to achieve the same effect. Either record through them in realtime with the Console app or place them as an effect insert in your DAW.

Remember, Page was running direct, so a line level signal and these 1176 settings will get you in the ballpark — but the tone is very dependent on the gain levels from your guitar.

Note that for the best results, the Headroom screw should be turned fully clockwise on the first 1176, while the same screw should be turned fully counterclockwise on the second 1176.

Also, make sure that the compression circuit is disabled on the first 1176 by clicking the “Off” label below the Attack knob. This way, only the second 1176 compresses the signal, while the first 1176 only provides saturation and crunch.

For a more straightforward method, you can also use the UAFX 1176 Studio Compressor compact pedal.

Simply put it in Dual compressor mode and turn up the Input and Output controls to taste.

Using two 1176s isn't just for guitar. Try it on drums, vocals, anything when you're looking for serious character and vibe.