Technology and music have always followed along with each another, with each inspiring the other to push beyond the boundaries. But despite that, the classics still remain for a reason, and the 1176 style compressor is one of them.

Like many others, I got into recording at an early age. I would window-shop through music catalogs and scour the pages of rack mount gear that I barely understood. Back then, my understanding of compression was very basic and I really couldn't tell you the difference between a hundred dollar compressor or a thousand dollar compressor, it all did the same job right? Certain catch-phrase words like “tube” might catch my eye more than the important words like FET or Optical or Mu. The truth of the matter is that it does make a difference, and ever piece of gear has it's place.

Buying a piece of Analog gear is a commitment to a sound, to a philosophy, to something much greater. The gear you choose should be able to solve a problem and inspire creativity. Likewise, your gear should aid in expressing ideas and creating music in a way that emphasizes the feelings you aim to convey. My old understanding was that compressors were used to level out a performance, which is true; but they are also so much more than just a leveling tool. The term dynamics processor might be the best descriptor, yet there still is more to these devices. And that is why today I wanted to share a little bit about the journey to the 1176.

The 1176, Possibly a Swiss Army Knife (but not meant to be)

There are many different types of compressors that exist and they all excel at different tasks. Some are smooth, some are aggressive, some are transparent, some are sonically colorful. The 1176 was one of the first designs to implement the Field Effect Transistors (or FET). One interesting thing about FETs is that can achieve many of the desirable effects of Tubes in a solid-state circuit, but that is a story for another time and not the significance of the design in this case. The predecessor to the 1176 was the 176 and 175 which were tube designs, and much like fashion, tubes were going out, at least for newer designs of the time. As technology evolved manufacturers tried to get away from tubes when they could, for many reasons, and one of them was the quest for cleaner sonics and less harmonic distortion. Thus, one of the side-effects of the 1176 using FET transistors is the ability to be extremely fast.

Why does fast matter? Compressors are reactive, meaning that they do not begin to do their job until after the sound has already passed through. The relationship to the compressors reaction time has a sound to it, which can actually improve the sound when used properly. Fast compressors can bite down on a signal and create an energetic sounding performance. Also, the compressor can more easily address problem areas. Lastly, with the utilization of feedback design in the side-chain circuit, fast attack times often times feel more transparent or with little notice than it would on other compressors with aggressive speeds.

Just focusing on that last statement, might be the biggest reason why an 1176 could feel like studio's swiss army knife, or your dessert island compressor. Even though it is a very specific compressor, the way it handles sound makes it more versatile than perhaps it should be. This type of compressor might not always be the best choice for every single source—but it’s rarely a bad one. This is also the reason why I decided for this to be the first serious compressor I would buy.

The Audioscape 76A

It was 2019 and I was long overdue for something that could get me the sonic characteristics of that 1176 sound. I stumbled upon Audioscape — honestly, I don't even remember how I found them — and my gut feeling told me “yes” as I made an impulsive decision to buy two of their 76As. Now, it actually wasn't just THAT easy either. I was not used to it, but they had a system in place where they would hand build their inventory and then the items would go on sale on select days times. I continuously missed the opportunity. Eventually after a few failed attempts on my part, the guys were cool enough to let me place my order by sending me an invoice.

I chose the 76A because it had the most vintage flair that I could get, plus who cannot deny how cool it looks to have a chrome rack with a blue stripe? Looks do not affect sound, but they do affect vibe, and having the right kind of vibe and energy in your creative space is important too. As far the sound goes, the Revision A models were the earliest of designs, known to have added character and also added noise. The later models, like the most popular Revision D and beyond all were low noise and have slightly different characteristics. I can't comment on the noise of an original Blue Stripe 1176, but I can tell you Audioscapes Revision A sounds pretty low noise to me with the sonic vibe I was looking for.

The build quality of the 76A also impressed me. Having a knowledge in electronics and also a healthy curiosity for part quality, I appreciated the attention to detail in their designs. They used Carbon Composition Resistors in the audio path to give a touch of vintage character, while keeping Metal Film Resistors in the other areas of the circuit to maintain stability. It is a best of both worlds situation, that kind of thoughtfulness speaks volumes. For those who just became completely lost with my last statement, as I mentioned a few times about technologies role in music and sound, the Carbon Composition resistor is very period specific for very loosely but similar reasons to why transistors replaced tubes. The Carbon Composition resistors almost have an effect of giving a sense of texture to the sound, which may not be great for non-audio circuits, but in audio circuits where you want a little vibe they are great!

And it's not just these units. Since getting the 76As I have noticed the same high standard of quality and care across Audioscapes lineup.

Eleven Seventy Six Best Practices

1176-style compressors are deceptively easy to use, but like all things personal experience becomes the beacon of mastery. You've got the Input and Output controls, which controls how much signal hits the compressors and how much comes out — generally you might aim for the levels to be set so the sound perceptively sounds unchanged (RMS volume) when it comes out, this also allows you to more easily compare how the compressor is affecting the signal when A/Bing. Then, there are the Attack and Release knobs — that is where the magic happens.

The Attack times on these can be as quick as 20 microseconds, with the Release times stretching as high as 1200ms. These numbers are important because they dictate how the compressor “feels” the sound. The compressor will only begin reducing the volume of the signal after the signal has exceed the threshold and the attack time has occurred. Likewise the compressor will ease off of this action over the course of the release time once after the signal has gone below the threshhold. If the signal is clipping the threshold, before or during the release stage, the compressor will continue to hold down. This push-pull action can have a very musical effect, which is why there are no presets to any compressor and it is very important to listen for what it is doing.

One of the coolest design aspects of these compressors is how the Ratio control interacts with all the other settings. On many compressors changing the Ratio will have an effect of changing the perceived volume. On the 1176, the level stays fairly consistent, but the behavior changes. The Ratio controls how much the compressor will compress the signal, so 4:1 will yield less compression than 12:1 or 20:1. On some other types of compressors, it might not be easy to compare the differences between ratios, but on the 1176 comparing ratios is no problem. The perceived volume might feel the same but you will see the needle interacting differently with the music.

It is always best to navigate with you ears and learn what to listen for, but that doesn't mean there isn't a good starting point are to work within.

The are quite a few common starting point settings for the attack and release, which allude to setting the attack somewhere between 3 and 5 and the release between 5 and 7. This sets the Attack a little longer and the release towards the faster side. You might be able to dial that in, get by with it, and never touch it again. Generally a slower attack and a fast release will be the most musical sounding on most types of compressors, but if you stick too close to what is safe and never allow yourself to deviate than you may not get the most out of your compressor.

Generally lower Ratios are safer and something like 4:1 might be the most popular choice, but there are many times where I will pop around the different ratios to check to see if I like what the compressor is doing better at a higher one before committing to a lower one.

Push it... Or Don't

How much gain reduction is too much? It depends. While dialing all these settings in and listening, the needle will be moving about back and forth to show you how it is reacting to the sound. How far do we take it might be the question and sometimes in a creative sense the question could be a matter of how far can we get away with taking it! Usually 5-7dB of compression is considered a decent amount of compression. On these kinds of units you can often times get away with doing that amount and sometimes even more. However, everything comes down to context, musicality, and taste. While we may be able to get away with an amount of compression that high, do we need to, or can we get a similar effect with less, or maybe we pair an 1176 compressor with something like an LA2a so we compress it in two completely different but equally appealing ways?

With the high-end sonic quality and the easy to use settings, these are pretty hard to screw up. What might be overdoing to someone might be perfect for someone else. The general consensus leans to the conclusion that as experience is gain, we compress less, dialing in things more deliberately, and planning our recording process so we can compress less.

Still these units are very forgiving and can take a lot of signal while still maintaining an integrity of the source material, to the point where even the most attuned and astute listeners may not be able to tell how hard you pushed it.

The choice is yours and these might be the perfect units to push a little further than you should. So with that, I say you can't make cool thing without getting your hands dirty. Have a go at it, twist the knobs, and don't be afraid to get it wrong because how people come up with new sounds.



Final Thoughts

For me personally these were and still are the first kind of compressor I would recommend anyone to buy if they are looking to record music and use hardware compression. They are the most adaptable, they are easy use, and will work on nearly anything you put into them. These are one of the most favorite compressors in all of recording history for a reason.

My journey to the 1176 came after taking a deep dive into the world of gear. These may not have been the first compressors in my rack, but they were the first compressor I invested into that I would consider to be professional level. Since then, I have grown my studio base into having multiple types of compressors (and still growing) to be able to dial in the different types of sounds that are available.

The Audioscape 76A remains in my rack and are one of my most used units for both tracking and mixing. Sometimes I go out of the box and try to get a little creative with them. They have a nice sonic imprint that they add to whatever I run through them, and as long as the compression is value-adding, I will keep it, otherwise there is an bypass switch in ease of access if I don't.