A is based on Putnam’s original design, and became known for its distortion characteristics and its ability to “slam” drums aggressively. Revision A: sometimes referred to as the “Bluestripe” due to its faceplate, Rev. The Classic Limiter Collection comes with three revisions of the 1176, each of which have their own unique sonic characteristics. It’s no surprise that the Universal Audio plugin emulation of the classic hardware unit is a standout.
It’s known for its character and aggression. UAD 1176 Classic Limiter Collectionīill Putnam of Universal Audio designed the original 1176, which went on to become the most popular compressor of all time. Here are some of my favorite compressors to use when mixing music, and tips on how I use them. As with equalizers, you’re not likely to be able to find a major music release over the past 60 years that didn’t utilize compression at some point in the production process, whether it be during recording, mixing and/or mastering. They are now far more feature-laden than they were in the early days. Over the years technology advanced and so did the capability of compressors. Additionally, because many early hardware compressor units were tube (valve) based, engineers utilized the fact that they had a rich tonality to them, making them great for adding harmonic content to recordings. They can also manipulate transients so that the attack of kick or snare drums are more or less pronounced. Compressors can even out the dynamic range of signals, making them easier to balance against one another. Originally used in the broadcast industry to prevent the over-modulation of radio waves, music engineers gradually realized that compression could be used for other purposes.
They are loved and used for that to this day.Perhaps aside from equalization, there is no type of processor more essential to the audio engineer than the compressor. Whilst basic, these compressors had a brutal and hard-hitting nature that their more sophisticated counterparts just couldn’t muster. However, some of the plugin’s inspiration actually goes back in time as well, particularly to the affordable DBX units of the 80s and 90s. optimized for loudness and impact, without a loss of clarity. The plugin is designed especially with modern genres in mind – i.e. It can even go into full-on saturation mode as you apply the ‘Harmonics’ control. Just like its predecessor, IHNY-2 offers its own, unique sonic signature: Its style of compression is clinical and aggressive, combining the precision of a digital algorithm with a touch of analog-inspired non-linearity. Where V1 offered just one core compression sound, IHNY-2 gives you much more flexibility to tweak it for specific purposes – while still keeping the workflow fast and simple with the XY pad being the plugin's main control 95% of the time. There's also a "punch" parameter to help bring out transients, even at very extreme compression settings. Compared to its predecessor, IHNY-2 offers a range of new features to shape your wet signal – such as gain-reduction linked harmonic saturation, lo/hi preservation filters and the ability to tilt the compressor's detection signal to over-compress low or high frequencies.