MS
An 1176 you can afford!
Introduction: as a classic compressor the UA 1176 has been on countless big albums, can the Klark Teknik 76-KT hang with it's inspiration?
Pros: I've had this in the rack for a good while now and it's in regular use on vocals to tame the peaks and keep things sounding nice on the way into the daw it gives you all the functionality you'd expect of an 1176
and does everything you'd expect this type of compressor to do and has served me well,
It's also built like a tank which is a definite plus at this price
Cons: While it gives you all the functionality of it's inspiration
it will introduce some hiss if driven hard enough but set properly with a bit of common sense and good mics and preamps it's negligible in practice
Should you get one?
well I've used this regularly as an insert compressor both while tracking and on mixes and and have had many happy clients,
it makes my workflow much faster with less need for post processing after tracking through it and sounds great on vocals and acoustic instruments
given that it's an affordable and accurate take on
a classic compressor it's really hard to fault,
perhaps it's a touch more transparent than it's inspiration but this is being overly picky and a good thing in my view as more saturation can always be added in post
Overall: it's worth it,
countless plugin emulations exist but tracking through this will save you time and get you to the sound you want faster, the original will always be the most desirable version but this is very very close at a price that wont break the bank :)
Pros: I've had this in the rack for a good while now and it's in regular use on vocals to tame the peaks and keep things sounding nice on the way into the daw it gives you all the functionality you'd expect of an 1176
and does everything you'd expect this type of compressor to do and has served me well,
It's also built like a tank which is a definite plus at this price
Cons: While it gives you all the functionality of it's inspiration
it will introduce some hiss if driven hard enough but set properly with a bit of common sense and good mics and preamps it's negligible in practice
Should you get one?
well I've used this regularly as an insert compressor both while tracking and on mixes and and have had many happy clients,
it makes my workflow much faster with less need for post processing after tracking through it and sounds great on vocals and acoustic instruments
given that it's an affordable and accurate take on
a classic compressor it's really hard to fault,
perhaps it's a touch more transparent than it's inspiration but this is being overly picky and a good thing in my view as more saturation can always be added in post
Overall: it's worth it,
countless plugin emulations exist but tracking through this will save you time and get you to the sound you want faster, the original will always be the most desirable version but this is very very close at a price that wont break the bank :)
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P
Just right for the price
Good piece of hardware for the first 76-like comp. However, first one that arrived almost exploded (problems with power). Thomann swiftly repaired (replaced with a new one?) and that one is still working fine, but has somre problems with VU metering when all the switches are engaged. It sounds good! That is what counts. Can really squash your tracks. Too bad it's not stereo but hey. As I said - good compressor for the price, you can have some fun with room mics, snares, vocals.
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f
Meter is not perfect
Not bad except the fact that the meter has flaws:
1. Recalibrate needed when swith from ratio 4:1 to 20:1
2. Max GR couldn't reach -20db in meter
1. Recalibrate needed when swith from ratio 4:1 to 20:1
2. Max GR couldn't reach -20db in meter
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RS
KT 76 a great starting point in the world of ouboard gear
I wanted for a long time to buy a real hardware compressor for my home studio. So my choices for the budget version of 1176 were either WA76 or KT76. In the end, I chose KT for the price. So far I used it on vocals and a bass guitar. And with no doubt, it sounds better than a plugin. I compared it with the Waves 76 plugin. The difference is subtle but noticeable. I like the simplicity of operation, and in my opinion, this is a good quality build. I cannot tell how it compares to the original but many reviewers are saying it is cleaner and neutral sounding. For some this is a pro, for others, it is a con. You should make your own decision about it. There are plenty of videos online. For me, I can say that it suits my needs. If you want to learn how to use outboard gear in your studio, I'd say this compressor is a good starting point.
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RB
76-KT
Pros
It works well. Price.
Cons
It can become niosy at higher levels including pot movement noise. A wet dry mix knob should have been implemented.
It works well. Price.
Cons
It can become niosy at higher levels including pot movement noise. A wet dry mix knob should have been implemented.
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S
Cheapest 1176 clone available?
This could well be the cheapest 1176 on the market. I purchased 2 units, and when using TRS cables, both sounded like a telephone. XLR cables worked perfectly, and once these were plugged in, the unit worked perfectly. Sounds great.
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L
Not bad at all .
These things sound great - The transformers sound lovely, especially for rock or guitars and stuff that's pretty dynamic and full of content. No so sure they work for me as a drum bus compressor.
Basically they are great tracking units. The attack and release controls are no way as good or sensitive as a real 1176.. however (from memory) the overall sound is probably better
Good gear for not much money
Basically they are great tracking units. The attack and release controls are no way as good or sensitive as a real 1176.. however (from memory) the overall sound is probably better
Good gear for not much money
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m
Slightly upgrade from plugins
I've read and heard a lot about this machine from the Internet and I decided to give it a try. It does what it is supposed to do. I ended up returning the thing back because I am at a point in my experience where I want to deal with hardware only if it has a certain "mojo" you may call it. This machine has not. It works okay but it doesn't bring excitment to me in the process of recording or mixing. On some sources I've liked it better than some plugin emulations. Definetly delivers something on bass, vocals and drum room (especially with the "all buttons" mode). It tends to hash a bit the top. After 1 o' clock the make up gain (output) knob adds some kind of pink noise.
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H
Great sounding compressor.
Affordable with zero fuss. Can adds a nice punch or be more subtle. I use it on different sources and also on a parallel to blend it with the original material. Great value for the price.
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RV
Gives u fast compression like the original
Great for the price. It can catch those fast spikes. I have an original and the only difference i can hear is the lack of Colour in the Klark Teknik version. Very much a good compressor to have handy..
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