1176LN Classic Limiting Amplifier
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Legendary FET compression with tone and attitude — true to the original.
Upon its release in 1967, the 1176 Limiting Amplifier became an instant classic because of its unique lightning-fast attack and release times, musical Class A output stage, and its wide range of sounds, ranging from subtle, near-transparent compression, to all-out drive and distortion.
Universal Audio’s 1176LN Classic Limiting Amplifier is a handbuilt, faithful reproduction of Bill Putnam Sr.’s original visionary design — an iconic piece of audio history that had a hand behind classic recordings from Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, and more.Track and mix with the legendary FET-Style Compressor with custom-made class A output transformers
Record your tracks through vintage UA, "handmade in the USA," circuits
Harness ultra-fast attack time on bass, guitars, vocals and more
Add color, character, and vibe to signals without using compression
A Toneful, Colorful Compressor
Billed as a “true peak limiter with all transistor circuitry and superior performance on all types of program material," the 1176’s major selling point was its ultra-fast attack time — a mere 20 µS (.00002 seconds) at its fastest setting. But engineers soon found out that the 1176 also injected character, attitude, and vibe to anything run through its circuitry. Some even used the 1176 with the compression turned off, just for the distinctive tone it imparts. The unit’s amplifiers and transformers all by themselves give a desirable “hot” quality to anything passing through them.
Rebirth of a Legend
In 1999, when Bill Putnam, Jr. relaunched Universal Audio, a reproduction of the Blackface 1176LN was the company’s first product. Reissued in 2000, it was based on the circuit designs of the C, D, and E revs of the classic 1176. One of the most critical aspects of recreating the sound of the original hardware, was faithfully reproducing the original output transformer, complete with the additional windings that provided the feedback signal to the final line output amplifier circuit. Bill Putnam Jr. found extensive design notes that enabled him to recreate and improve his father’s original design.
Push-Button Magic
One of the 1176’s famous features are its push-button selectable ratios of 4:1 and 8:1 for compression, and 12:1 and 20:1 for limiting. 1176 at 4:1, to its most notable setting, the “All Buttons In” mode, where all the ratio buttons are depressed simultaneously. This allows the 1176 to make a sound unlike any other processor ever heard before. Distortion increases, along with a plateaued slope and a lag time in response to initial transients, creating an explosive sound on drum room mics, fuzzing-out bass or electric guitar sound, or squeezing a vocal to bring it front and center of your mix.
Accept No Substitutes
Carefully trained Universal Audio staff hand build and test each unit at the UA Custom Shop in Santa Cruz, California until it meets our uncompromising standards. This Universal Audio Classic version of the 1176LN captures all the nuance of the original through obsessive attention to detail and delivers that trademark sound. Demand the original.
“I use my 1176 Limiting Amplifier on everything from bass to vocals to snare drums.”
– Tony Maserati (Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Jason Mraz)
“I never track bass without an LA‑2A or drums without an 1176.”
– Billy Bush (Garbage)
“We used an 1176LN to record 50 Cent's vocals, and it sounded great!”
– Adam Hawkins (Twenty One Pilots, Switchfoot, 50 Cent)
“There's a very specific reason why pieces of gear like the 1176 and LA‑2A became ubiquitous.”
– Glenn Rosenstein (Ziggy Marley, U2)Customer Reviews
J. Smalls
November 23, 2023
In my Top 5 for compressions
The 1176 Is one of the best compressions I've ever used and stumbled upon. It's my go-to for mixing vocals and with this...
Read More.
December 2, 2021
NO WORDS TO SAY:)
One of the best compression ever..I am using it during recording, or mixing. 1176 is everywhere in music..Best..
Read Morec. tak
June 13, 2021
Incredibly!
Incredibly wonderful working with these devices. you don't need eq anymore because these give the same color to your sound. I have always found my desired sound very quickly. so it works...
Read MoreJ. V P
May 23, 2021
This reissue is solid!!!
I owned 2 UREI REV E 1176’s for a bit over 13 years before I sold them last year for too much money (vintage prices are out of control!!). I thought I could live without an 1176. I was...
Read MoreG. PINE
November 8, 2019
LEGEND
THIS 1176 IS A LEGEND ALL ABOVE ALL ELSE BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS USED IT I HAD TO GET IT IT IS THE VERY TOP TOP BEST FOR MY REGGAE MUSIC I ACTUALLY HAVE THE HARDWARE ITS IN MY RACK NEXT...
Read More -
Key Features
True to the original in design, manufacturing and performance
Modeled after 1176LN, blackface, D and E revisions
Ultra fast attack time -20 microseconds to 800 microseconds
Class A line level output amplifier
Custom built Putnam-designed output transformer
Stereo interconnect operation
Hand-built in USA; backed by 1-year limited warrantySpecifications
Input Impedance
600 ohms, bridges-T control (floating)
Output Load Impedance
600 ohms, floating, damping factor 20
External Connections
Jones Barrier terminals and XLR connectors
Frequency Response
± 1 dB 20 Hz to 20kHz
Gain
50 dB
Distortion
Less than 0.5% total harmonic distortion from 50 Hz to 15 kHz with limiting
Signal to Noise Ratio
Greater than 70 dB at +10 dBm
Attack Time
20 microseconds to 800 microseconds
Release Time
50 milliseconds to 1.1 seconds
Stereo Interconnection
via 1176 SA Network accessory
Meter
dB gain reduction and dB output
Power Requirements
120/240 V
Environmental
Maximum operating temperature 160°F
Dimensions
19" Rackmount chassis, 2U
Weight (unboxed)
11 lbs.
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Customer Reviews
1176LN
N. Ninkovic
Incredible!
The 1176 is true to the ears as the original
J. Smalls
In my Top 5 for compressions
The 1176 Is one of the best compressions I've ever used and stumbled upon. It's my go-to for mixing vocals and with this compressions aggressive nature in tone, pairing with with the LA-2A give it such a unique sound. This compression stands TALL on it's own and I highly recommend this Plug-In. BUY IT!
M. Zinga
I need this
Please
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NO WORDS TO SAY:)
One of the best compression ever..I am using it during recording, or mixing. 1176 is everywhere in music..Best..
c. tak
Incredibly!
Incredibly wonderful working with these devices. you don't need eq anymore because these give the same color to your sound. I have always found my desired sound very quickly. so it works really fast too. sounds excellent and definitely 5 stars!
J. V P
This reissue is solid!!!
I owned 2 UREI REV E 1176’s for a bit over 13 years before I sold them last year for too much money (vintage prices are out of control!!). I thought I could live without an 1176. I was wrong. I decided to look for a clone or the UA reissue. Despite internet claims of the reissue sounding dark and “2D”, I can verify that it sounds every bit as good as my well maintained UREI units. I am more than happy with my purchase. It’s “that” sound!!
G. PINE
LEGEND
THIS 1176 IS A LEGEND ALL ABOVE ALL ELSE BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS USED IT I HAD TO GET IT IT IS THE VERY TOP TOP BEST FOR MY REGGAE MUSIC I ACTUALLY HAVE THE HARDWARE ITS IN MY RACK NEXT MY 5052, NOT EVER GONNA SELL IT NEVER....
M. Casa Rara
Punchy vocals for anyone!
1176 is my all time favorite UAD product. Punchy vocals is sugar! another great UAD emulation!
r. avni
GIVE ME
TANK YOU
R. O'Donnell
The sound you've always wanted !!!!
such a great sound!! i can't believe i didn't get one of these first thing when starting to buy studio equiptment! my go to for everything, i use to chase my tail trying to get my vocals, Bass you name it, to sound the way i wanted them to. not to mention now my time is cut in half!!! Buzz Records Music www.buzzrecordsmusic.com
S. Musteata
My frend 1176LN analog
The best !!!
S. Musteata
My frend 1176l
Best of the best
S. Musteata
My frend 1176
Best of the best
T. Hinterholzinger
a ture classic
The 1176LN is indeed a true classic. The special "british" settings where you'd push more than one ratio button at a time are definitely the highlight of this device, since I have the strong feeling that no software solution comes cloes to this particular sound. It's not that standard drum destroyer thing - that can be done with a Valley People Dynamite much more efficiently. But if you want to get more depth out of crunch guitars, more consistency from drum room mics or simply more level and punch from lead vocals, nothing comes close to a real 1176! Only drawback on my unit: it seems to have an electrical issue - sometimes audio simply stops passing through I had it at a repair shop two times already, they couldn't find the culprit yet... Sad, since UA is known for good build quality otherwise... Hoping for a solution in the near future... One last word: 1176 are not everybodys darling. Eighter you love it or you can't get a good sound from them. I love it!
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super duper fet-comp
Easy Of Use!!! But Perfect Sound Quality!!!
L. Malaguti
1176, what else??
UA write me for a review of this unit...
LOL
Ehi guy, this is a 1176....One of the Compressor with the "C".
Is a wonderful unit.......what else?A. Santana
1176!!
This unit makes anything sound great!!
Z. Valentin
The best?
Do I have to say anything about 1176 ?
Amazing!
m. nebinger
I use it as Mastering Comp
Very punchy, sounds warm for rhythm sections with basses
l. manosalvas
Radio ready for vocals
The ua plugins of this version are really nice and very useful, but once you hear the real deal trust me you'll see why the hype of this specific and legendary piece of gear. Buy one if you have a pro studio set up dont waste your money if you only have a computer and two monitors!
