SAME COMPRESSOR, 4 BUDGETS (Can you hear a difference?)

[@chrisdover8507]

This was one of the best reviews I’ve seen in ages. 6 different units would have been better. Love to see a Pultec shootout. And 1073’s.

[@killer268]

I like the Klark 1176 and la2a, but their pultec has nothing in common with the design of an actual pultec. The warm clone is great though.

[@Kyp031]

Purple audio is in a small mountain town near me. I use to build the sweet ten rack working as a circuit assembler self employed. They are awesome and the owner/engineer really cares about his product.

[@osands]

I have the sweet ten. Its great!

[@glennmorganofficial]

Andrew is a great guy, and everything I have ever used from Purple has been amazing.

[@matthewgray713]

Warm is more distorted, Purple has slightly more attack/upper mid presence, Klark is missing some bottom but otherwise pretty similar to the Purple, the UA sounds a hair more rounder/glued overall.

[@nils2660]

Yes the difference is way too small tho

[@2rosaryfortv]

Exactly. Most things sounded almost identical but on vocals and drums the UAD had a discernible difference

[@calebneff5777]

A buddy sold me a KT-76 for cheap a couple years ago and it's been super faithful. I use it every day, no complaints whatsoever, though I do recognize that other people have had build quality issues. With mine being solid, I have no temptations to replace it with a more expensive 76-style comp.

[@calebneff5777]

Also the Slate FG-116 seems to have the same release time as my KT-76.

[@thmp3r]

This is a cool comparison. I’m quite sure this shows your mixing skills to get all these signals to be affected the “same” and then combine to be so very close in the final result. So, thank you for that. Great representation

[@nolanfoxmusic]

I did this same experiment but with all budget 1176's on my own and really truly found out essentially the same exact things! The Lindell Audio unit was my 3rd unit of testing and the biggest draw back with it was it's IN/OUT ports sucked and it's power supply was terrible. Haha! I chose the cheapest KlarkTeknik unit and it's been doing great things for me!

[@pocket1684]

The Klark Teknik is amazing.

[@onlyfriendyeah]

mc77 has the best feature set imo: bypass button is useful without a patch bay and the sidechain option rules. another feature i liked was turning the attack setting anti clockwise until it clicks downward and turns the unit into a saturation/vibe box. great comparison vid

[@benjaminschultz6501]

I'm seriously shopping for a hardware compressor and you helped enlighten me so much in these 15 minutes. Thank you so much for your tireless work! 🙏

[@darylthisdelle7702]

AudioScape

[@NacekO]

13:21 The face of deep concentration :D You know it's hard to tell the difference when Jordan is really critically listening to the material. Awesome video. Each time I watch these tests my GAS disappears even more :)

[@markguitarsounds]

IMHO - I personally feel that using plug ins on channels within your mix is totally fine and as good as using the hardware. I personally think that using the analog counterparts on the way in is what will make all the difference.

[@Fossiil-Records]

That's how I do it. Preamp>Compressor> EQ> Interface>Plugins.

[@peacefulruler1]

I had the same thought, but I think this might be due to which effects may sound better with analog circuits (preamps) vs which ones sound better digital (delays, reverb)

[@benjaminschultz6501]

Agreed. PLUS, with hardware on the way in, you don't get CPU-induced latency; you can hear the awesomeness in real time! 😎

[@darijorda953]

It's good to get some compression in before your a/d conversion. Can't do that with a plug in.

[@ChristopherJenkins73]

​@@darijorda953who cares! I just saved myself a hundred fifty bucks! 😂

[@LightsandMotion]

Great comparison. I track through a Audioscaoe 1176 (Rev A) and that's where I think hardware will give you the most edge. plugins are so great these days that it's worth it for recall ability alone

[@dubiousdaydream1695]

as an alternative to the cla76, I really like the arturia 1176 plugin. I also like their dbx plugin as an alternative to the ssl g comp on the drum parallel crush bus

[@onomatopoeidia]

Love DBX comps too and Dynamites are a laugh too. Checkout the chandler Zener compressor…it’s absolutely heaven on drums

[@TheStrykerProject]

I so appreciate these comparison videos. These days, we're finding more and more that 'cheaper' doesn't necessarily mean 'worse'. I'm always happy to save a thousand dollars and still get quality sound! 🤑

[@VEVJmMbbRCtufOR0wlxtgQ]

surprised and relieved that I can afford decent gears for cheaper prices, especially good to know that plugins work quite great. I believe that plugins are getting better and better in years.

[@vacuumelite2065]

Your approach to this comparison is superb. Very revealing. Thank you for the effort you invested. 😎😊♥️

[@KvancCansever]

Would be great to see the comparison between the UAD plugin version and the hardware.!

[@woolrich020]

Just, wow. We are living in a golden age of audio processing. Factoring in that the CLA76 was released almost 15 years ago and plugin technology has skyrocketed since then, the amount of quality that can be had for a tight budget is unparalelled.Thanks for a great review!

[@SexyLeaForYou]

When you know the difference between the peak levels (Plugin vs HW) its a whole different Story

[@lo-dose]

@@SexyLeaForYoumeaning?... do you have an example?

[@SexyLeaForYou]

@@lo-dose Yeah...0,5 to 1 db digital lower peak level with HW!

[@SexyLeaForYou]

@@lo-dose All Plugins are not able to shave of the peaks like hw ...also most of them are not fast enough even the uad attack times are to slow!

[@peacefulruler1]

@@SexyLeaForYouwhich plug ins have you found to be faulty? Did you report this to UAD?

[@blueleafstudio]

Great review. I'd love to hear them compared to say the UA plugin rather than the old waves one too.

[@FacPhoto]

Love the additional distortion on the Warm especially on the bass. The CineMag transformers traditionally give body. Probably not great for vocals but bass is ace!

[@McdowellBaptistChurch-js2pn]

This is bar none the absolute best comparison video which shows what I have told equipment snobs since the early 90s. Bravo

[@MyThelema]

There's something about the low mids on the plugin that sounds very off putting. It's not a huge difference, but it's something that i've found with pretty much every single compressor emulation from the 1176 to the distressor. The real thing sounds more balanced in the low mids for some reason.

[@TGFalk]

I use the Waves dbx compressor for Kick/Bass. Really snappy and aggressive.

[@richardpenrose1968]

Thanks for your comparison. I have the 76-KT which cost me £185 new. I've been using it for around 4 1/2 years for tracking and it has been great. I have many excellent vst compressors but this still sounds a little more 3D and adds something that I haven't been able to get with my software comps. I have had a look at all the various other 1176 clones and I have considered upgrading the KT but just can't justify the price difference. The only models I would consider changing to are the Wes Audio and Black Lion compressors due to their enhanced features. I really like the look of the WES NG76 as it is possible to control and recall it from within your DAW! It also has the side chain features with HPF+LPF's, Mix knob for parallel type compression and adjustable THD. However, it costs almost 6x the price of the KT! The BLA Seventeen is another candidate I'm considering which has virtually the same features as the WES NG76 but without the digital recall but still costs almost four times the price of the KT! In this shootout I wasn't a fan of the saturation on the Warm WA76. I can hear a small difference between the KT and the UA and Purple but there is no way I could possibly justify the price difference between the two!

[@joeyf808]

Would have been nice to hear the UA 1176 plugins.

[@onomatopoeidia]

Yeah the UAD plugs are the closest to the original 1176. Closer than other clone hardware. I have an original rev h 1176 here and regularly combining it with the UAD plugs and they behave as expected. Really impressive.

[@CLCyber]

Perfectly timed video! I'm actually looking into getting myself a 1176 clone. Thanks Jordan!

[@joesalyers]

I just picked up a Lindell 2 weeks ago and its pretty good and around the same price as the Klark. I own a 1178 and 4 1176s but the Klark and the Lindells are pretty much just as good. Also ART makes a stereo FET compressor called Transy and its the same price as the Klark/Lindell at $399 the ART is a stereo unit with a jensen transformer. So if you want it for stereo track the ART is very Nice. Best of luck in finding the right FET comp!! Cheers!

[@mariomaslik]

Let me know which one you have decided for. Im also looking to buy a 1176 clone

[@richardaling5278]

I bought a Lin76 too, best buy in my opinion!

[@joesalyers]

@@richardaling5278 The Lin76 is really good, I picked it up and the ART PWM Dual Limiter from Sweetwater and I was shocked at how good the ART Dual limiter is. I always wanted a Pie compressor but the cost is too high for 50 year old used units so the ART is the only reasonable PWM compressor on the market. If you have $200 to spend I recommend it and you won't be disappointed.

[@gregrodrigueziii8075]

why is the klark sounding darker, not much, but you could hear the air going out somewhere when you test it out in 13:03? Is it probably there was an intentional mistake in matching the gain? I mean if im hearing it in youtube, you definitely heard it when you are making it. I was hoping it wont be noticable. well it may just be theres a bit difference somewhere in each mix.

[@1erwayne]

I've done this test with my 1176's. AudioScape, Hairball, Stam Blue, Lindell 17xs and Warm 76. Very similar as well but all beat my plugin 1176's. Distressors with the 1176 settings too. My Lindell has a very bright tone so there is no hiding that one. Nice video.

[@TheRealFreekBos]

This is one of the best shootouts ever!.. can you do one on Pullec's and SSL style buss compressors?

[@joeyramonelookalike]

Great video I would love to see more videos like this!!! (I've always wondered the same about the LA2A and the CL1B!!!)

[@ItsKyleMan]

Crazy how good the plugins sound when compared side by side

[@Starcore-Studio]

Yes and the plug-ins are much cheaper.

[@cellarroom1580]

@@Starcore-Studio Yet considering it´s not sure you can even use the plug-in ten years from now I would go for the Klark. Almost as cheap as the plug in, but it will last longer and you get some money for it if you need to sell it. I have one, and it´s gone up in price since I bought it.

[@agentviktor3297]

It's not that crazy, if you consider that developers are trying to get it right and they have the right the technology to capture all the meaningful details :)

[@HansHammer]

@@cellarroom1580well the hardware uses extra electricity, and costs more and will definitely be broken in 10-15 years, plugin is definitely waaay cheaper

[@natemoore6760]

@@cellarroom1580plug in currently going for $30….so if by nearly as cheap you mean 10x more expensive…..sure.

[@walterworrall]

The warm audio is doing its own thing in a very pleasant way.

[@GoodmanRecordingsTokyo]

First, I really enjoy these kind of videos. I use an 1176LN and was surprised in the intro how "clean" (no color) yours sounded, but then relieved to see it was the KT, as I reach for the 1176 specifically for its color and saturation. So I did hear a difference in the full mixes that I think is the work of the transformer.

[@chinmeysway]

then did you like warm’s better that the LN? given that it seems to have more saturation. or are u going off confirmation bias too much to know lol.

[@NEEDSHES]

For the snare and kick 👉revision AE limited edition plug-in has (slo attack) and also additional ratio 2:1 👊👊👊

[@Martin-kn6vc]

Had a WA76 that went faulty on me twice before I sold it. I also had a Lindell 7X-500, which was pretty cool. Now I use the Pulsar 1178 to get that grabby 1176-style thing and haven't looked back. So happy to have gotten rid of my hardware and gone for an uncluttered setup where everything serves a genuine purpose.

[@MixingMAN]

Pulsar 1178 pretty close

[@marcvanhie4425]

Thanks! Good to know how little difference there is between the most and least expensive one.

[@arizonanorte3180]

I was going to buy an La 2 and a 76 warm audio" I guess im heading the klark Tek way" And thanks alot for this amazing vid, probablly one of the best ive seen.

[@choppie61]

Very nice review. For plugin 1176 i would recommend the plugin alliance Purple Audio MC77. 😉

[@DrProgNerd]

I thought the lower mids on the cheaper one were lacking - less body. When I went back to listen again, I couldn't hear what it was I heard the first time - confirming that I don't know what the heck I'm talking about. Is it too late to take up golf?

[@scottykomer9992]

Our brains are dinks

[@jediae]

no ur right but im listening on iphone speakers 😂😂 im with you on golf we could also try tennis?

[@BeatyB]

Thanks you so much for this comparison, it’s really fascinating! 12:21 you can actually hear the hi hats character opening up as you go up in price :)

[@johnsnyder4949]

i think this tells the tale that the ears and skill of the mixer are still the most important. you see more and more prominent mixers going all in the box because its still them mixing. and thiers always going to be gear snobs but what can you do.....as always thanks for the content jordan. and happy holidays to you and your family

[@barwixmusic]

Can you do this but with the LA2A? I know warm and klark teknik both have clones! All the best and great video!:)

[@vkay121]

the UAD is adding 2nd and 3rd order harmonics that the kt and plugins are lacking, what i realised in my testing is that a good compressor adds variable/dynamic saturation depending on how hard you hit them but the cheaper units/plugins dont do that as well.

[@leonardojobst6784]

nice video!! more of that! I usually use my real 1176 for bass and snare and then I print it out it gives it a little something extra in the lows I think the biggest difference between the plugin and the real thing is when you saturate the output.. saturation is great always in analog it gives it that touch of grandeur and warmth

[@matthewotooleis]

This is a great comparison video mate. I’m thinking about buying the Klark Teknik and this has been very useful.

[@arkaitzcarrasco2216]

I think the overall closest ones are the UA and the Klark. And it was impressive when you play the plugin version of the full mix, how close to the two units was.

[@dariuseviltwin]

The Warm Audio definitely got some mojo going on, but KT can take my money if I wanted a hardware unit..... That bass was sweet! However, as much as I loved hardware, plugins have consistently surprised me in recent years and justifying that amount of cash on one unit would sting a bit especially after this comparison. Great video!

[@cgollimusic]

I actually love the Warm Audio stuff for that saturation specifically. I used them back in Uni and I thought using them on the vocals sounded fantastic when tracking.

[@wynnstudios2873]

I like that you included the MC77, however that one is a bit different because I find that it is much more aggressive on the attack times. Great comparison though man!

[@Guitarisforgrins]

I could definitely hear that.

[@bradrice9576]

Been looking for a video like this!!! Thanks so much for this bro!!! The klark and warm do sound slightly thinner but the warm i have owned and had problems with it not working a lot of the times. But the warm dose saturate and distort easier. Which might work on some sources. I think thats due to the cheaper build. I got rid of the warm and im going to purchase the purple 1176. Thanks again for the awesome video man!!!!

[@thorntoneaudio5939]

Great video. Last year I Shot out the warm, the Klark and the BLA bluey and went with the bluey, because of the mid forward grittiness a-la CLA. I tried the purple at a buddy’s studio but the PA Plug-in is so close it’s not even funny. Great video as always, Jordan!

[@oskarwroniewicz]

would be interesting to hear the MC77 plugin too, it's $20 on sales all the time

[@ettiennelane9173]

I personally prefer the MC77 plugin over the CLA76. Well, MC77 on main vocals and CLA76 on BVs so the CLA76 is still great. There is just some polish, sheen, harmonics I get from the MC77 I can't get with another compressor. What it does on the kick drum is extraordinary.

[@oskarwroniewicz]

@@ettiennelane9173 have to try it out on kick drum then, my current fav for that was Klanghelm MJUC but I'm interested what the MC77 will deliver with it's super fast 1176 attack

[@tommy9951]

That plug-in is awesome - I had a hardware lindell 17XS that was incredible for years and only sold it when I compared it with the MC77 plug (and a host of other emus). I generally don’t think plug-ins can match hardware when it comes to compression but that plug-in is one of a few exceptions. Sounded and felt virtually identical to the 17XS to my ears.

[@oskarwroniewicz]

@@tommy9951 curious to hear what are the other exceptions?

[@ettiennelane9173]

@@tommy9951 I actually compared the MC77 plugin to one of these cloud services where they had a real 1176. The plugin sounded better in my opinion.

[@houseofjesseworship]

Great video! Really awesome to hear all of these versions next to each other. But here's my question... whats the band? Sounds fire!!!

[@LAghemo]

Oh! I just bought a Klark Technic like 20 days ago, I'm sooooo happy for what I've seen in this video 💪

[@palsheldon6520]

The UA is a little more open in the top end. The Warm... is Warm,,, that is how they sound... all very small differences though... nice vid, thanks

[@thaddeuscorea]

nice video. You are smashing these tracks, a valid test, but maybe there is more of a difference between the units at lighter levels of compression (like only scraping off a few Db). I love my UA 2-1176, but had no idea how similar the Klark-Teknik was!

[@DJayFreeDoo]

Heard another test in another video and the KT attack and release times and curves seemed to not match the other ones tested there. It was not as controlled. Not bad, just a bit boring and loose.

[@BeGoodNow5]

Very good video, and very useful to us who are looking at enhancing our setups with some hardware. Some audio downloads would be even better. Perhaps you could consider that next time, Oh, and the main difference for me between plugins in general and hardware, is the 3-DIMENSIONAL element! For the most part plugins have the eq down, but they cannot copy the spatial characteristic!

[@quaz3294]

I had the warm 76, the seventeen (yes diff but similar) and i own the stam audio 76adf. Ive used a ua 76 and klark version from my experience: The klark and the warm are def better than plugins...but to me in the same league. Good hardware pieces that def get the job done. The black lion audio seventeen is less colored than all mentioned...but is more versatile than them all. The options on it are amazing... its that lack of color i didnt like. The ua and the stam (rev d) are almost identical. The stam having all 3 revisons is like 3 different compressors. They each have a sound all thier own yet they each compress faster than the ua. And the 2:1 ratio is cool too.

[@ghostakablackpanther]

The Klark sounds just as good. just wondering why you took out the reverb to make it appear different.

[@terry2315]

I go the Krak Technic LA-2A clone. I put in the Black Lion Mod and it is great.

[@CarstenGoeke]

Man, super interesting. Agree, its a slight difference with the plugin. The hardware is often described in the same way. "Better low end, crisp, and so on". Perhaps there are also differences between the Wave and UAD plugins, which would be interesting. Thank you for the comparison. ✌🏼

[@jacksmith4460]

I thought the UA and the KT actually sounded the closest, but the differences were below minimal across all 4 units, I thought it showed the limitations of the plugin a little but each sounded good

[@Dane_Riazer]

11:40 UA: Purple: little less saturation in the middle, but just as wide as UA WA76:a little bit less saturation than purple , slightly less wide KT76: less saturation in the mids, less wide (less saturation while things are pan will give less perceived width) Definitely would recommend a rme ADI 2 Pro FS while listening to this Thank you for the video!!This is amazing stuff, most people wouldn't have the budget to review all of these 🙌🏾

[@leifd381]

I have the Warm Audio 1176 and i can't believe how the original pulverizes it. I instantly recognized the distortion in the demo from my unit. I have to admit that I dont like it and never really have. Maybe its finally time to sell it. But great Video! The original sounds incredible! I hear big differences on the vocals. I had expected way more differences in the complete mix though.

[@michaelwirth6843]

I think it's the opposite, Warm has more mijo.

[@joelvandam]

I had the Warm audio one but it always broke down. The Klark Teknik isn't that cheap anymore so I build my own Hairball Audio 1176 kit. Love it!

[@rok_koritnik]

I also built Hairball about 10 years ago. It's the closest to the Rev D, Purple coming 2nd. But Klark Teknik sounds very much like the Hairball. The modern UA sounds quite different than Rev D. Purple has that upper mid bump which may or may not be desirable. I'd recommend Klark to anyone, especially considering the price.

[@joelvandam]

@@rok_koritnik is it not going to break down? I'm scared to buy any cheap stuff after the Warm Audio situation.

[@quiquepuche6393]

I have a old Warm Audio WA76 (the one with the wall wart adapter) and never had any issues with it. I also have a KT76 and an Audioscape 76D. All three sound very good , although the WA76 behavior to me is different from the other two. I have used the WA76 to record bass in the past and the KT to control peaks when recording vocals. I still have not used the 76D on a session (bought it recently) but I always end up using the opto and vca compressors more than the 1176. I have two Art TransY and they are really good. I've used them on acoustic guitars and as a parallel drum bus.

[@brianmclendon1647]

With you 100% on the hairball comps

[@rok_koritnik]

@@joelvandam even a boutique $5000 piece of gear can break down. And it hurts far more than when a $300 piece breaks.

[@jlharris4830]

Thanks I have a UA 6176 but have been eyeing the Audioscape units.

[@DJayFreeDoo]

Yep the warm audio adds more distortion. and the UA had softer transients. the PA appears to grab the overall dynamics better as if its attack and release curves are better matching the attack and release time. Would be cool to hear the UA hardware compared with new the UA plugin version.

[@dpmadness6179]

Great comparison! I own the KT 76, it's really good for a clean 1176 sound without much distortion & coloration. One could argue that it could be replaced with a plugin, but I would disagree...the plugin struggles to accurately model transformer gain and has inconsistences across a collection instruments when compared to the hardware, this is a common flaw with most impulse/response modeled plugins. The hardware could be used just for the purpose of driving the transformers...which adds weight to the signal hence helping things to sit better in the mix.

[@BrofUJu]

That's awesome. Any concerns about it breaking down or anything? I've always wanted to get a hardware compressor, it sounds fantastic and is totally affordable

[@dpmadness6179]

@@BrofUJu No concerns so far, I've had it mounted in a rack for about a year now...I use it on a mix almost every other day.

[@alexlechanteur3606]

the klark seems to affect more highs thant the other units, sounds a little like there is a little blanket on the sound. the warm saturation on vocal is really nice though. ! I have one here and I like it, but I never compress as much as you did, maybe i'm affraid to compress to much XD

[@DaftFader]

I'd love to see a null test done on these. I know analogue will never fully null even against it's self ... but it can still show you if there's physically a huge difference or not in how it's processing the audio (even if you might not be able to hear a concerned difference by listening. Would just be interesting to see.

[@elruso7524]

For snare, the waves SSL channel strip compressor was always my favorite. Honorable mention for the dbx 160 of waves as well

[@seamusmcsorley7638]

I didn’t love the warm audio in solo but really enjoyed how much aggression it brought to the full mix. I can see why Will Putney still uses his

[@sickmessiah]

The warm audio is special sounding. The punch of the analog ones is definitely better

[@Fossiil-Records]

They're all analog.

[@sickmessiah]

@@Fossiil-Records I’m aware. In general the analog ones just have a punch that the plugins smear a little.

[@Jrel]

Thank you for your hard work! Outside the mix, I thought either the Purple and 1176 sounded better depending on the sound. In the mix, UA1176 had more low mids than the Purple -- which had more higher mids. Surprisingly, the Warm -- which sounded like a "flat" plugin on individual tracks, sounded better than the Klark on a full mix. Also, surprising to me because I thought the Klark sounded better than the Warm on individual tracks, and close to the Purple or 1176 on individual tracks. So yeah, I'd prefer the Purple or the Warm on a full mix, depending on the song. I'd like to have both, and a wallet for multiple copies of both. We can't really tell if the Purple or 1176 is a full winner unless we had more copies of those units since the same hardware units can differ from each other. Once the majority of consumers get the song though and listen on their crap playback systems, I don't really think buying the hardware units matter much -- in that context. It would still matter to me though.

[@shanesplanetshane3795]

I sold the majority of my outboard units. I had some mc77's and enjoyed them. However, I was losing too much clarity on the simple trip the audio took, during the send from daw to gear and back. Adding the extra conversions was negating the gains. I now am primarily in the box, cept for tracking. During mixdown I only send out the box, for eq use into my pultecs and xfilter. During tracking I am particular about the preamps, but have begun to track mostly clean nowadays.

[@christopherventer6391]

Interesting. I thought the KT sounded pretty similar to the UA and Puple in isolation, but on the full mix it seemed a bit darker. Warm was a bit more distorted and kind of fuzzy. Purple and UA sounded very similar to me, though the Purple seemed to have a bit more satisfying low end on the Bass. I think I'd go Purple overall, personally. However, I am quite happy with the Hairball FET Rack comps I built as kits a few years ago.

[@chandeleerjet5637]

Its a feel thing more than a hearing difference. I definitely felt the excitement especially in the vocals with the UA hardware and the Purple. Could be a mind trick by seeing them on screen but it felt more exciting like those vintage rock vocals from the past. “That sound”

[@alexcampos7953]

I got the same feeling, asked my wife to come here and do a blind test, she thinks the UA one soundes slightly more open as well.

[@justaguy3515]

Purple had the most depth/3D/analog mojo. Little bit of magic dust.

[@PineHillSoundStudio]

This is the best 1176 comparison on KZbin. Thank you!

[@Wstarlights]

I have a different scenario: use case test, in 'double blind' would the use case settings be different for hardwar vs. Plugin comps ?? Not sure how to double blind this. But'd be interesting to know the natural gravitation to use settings and the difference between various hardware/plugin units. I'm curious if there are 'human tendancies' when using plugins vs. Hardware, if one gets 'overused' etc..

[@nathanclave]

The Purple sounds a little bit nasally? Warm Audio certainly had more saturation. I’m impressed with the Klark Teknik!

[@OVERSSG]

So I have the WA76 and I love it for that saturation. I don't know if they made it on purpose, but you cannot get the same grit out of plugin or original 1176. I was thinking about modding it, but I don't want to lose the natural saturation. Anyone has any ideas, what to swap, just to maybe get lower noise ? Thanks

[@NEEDSHES]

Great video thanks!!! Plug-in sounds great and I think it's a main thing to admit😅

[@DERAILENTERTAINMENT1]

With extra youtube compression and my cheap LG TV, the different is noticeable on the stack.. Great job, Keep Jammin, Bro💯

[@drdelewded]

Yeah, people need to realize we can't really hear what these sound like because of KZbin.. Im going through a Lavry Blue DA into Neumann speakers here in my studio and its still pretty much a non real life comparison..

[@T00nMusic]

the UA76 sounds the cleanest, I have the KT-76 and use it everyday so definitely I hear the difference with the UA76, it just sounds so smooth to the ears

[@_B_E_A_D_G_C]

So glad I saw this review! I just ordered the KT , and am glad I did! Seems like it punches way above it’s weight for the price point

[@jonathanrodriguezechevarri8404]

If you could make a video comparing those units to Arturia's 1176, T-Racks, Slate Digital, the one that comes free with Pro Tools, Overloud GEM 1176 Plugins Alliance's 77, UAD Spark Native 1176, and Waves Scheps Omni Channe 2 FET Compressor that sound amazing. Big low end on Over Heads All those Plugins sound very different from the waves version and I would like to know how close they are to the Hardware. Thank you very much for creating this video. very instructive.

[@johnbaymore6113]

Very useful analysis. Thanks. Waiting for the Klark Technic I already had on order to arrive. Now even happier with the potential of that choice I made.

[@hummarstraful]

Fantastic video! Short story and warning about buying expensive hardware. I bought a 2019 UA1176 for $1800. I was always very careful with it but about 2 years later the output knob began to fail and crackle. I had to ship it back to Universal Audio and get a new knob put in. It cost me $400! So then I had $2,200 in it. Another couple of years later I was moving and had to sell it to raise money. I'm only two and a half hours from Nashville and I put it on Craigslist and Reverb and I could barely find a buyer! It took about six weeks for a buyer and I only got $1,500 out of it on Reverb. Minus the taxes the fees and shipping I made $1,300. So the value went from 2,200 to $1300. I then swore I would never buy hardware ever again. It is going the way of the horse buggy.

[@DVNT]

I actually like the tone of the Warm Audio the best. Waves wasn't bad at all for a plugin (although I think maybe the T-racks is better)

[@loopaxerecordsmusic]

Firstly, thanks for doing this review, must of been a mission. I personally like that bit of extra saturation in the WA-76 but I also like the cleaner UA..imagine a 76' with a saturation button or control. Anyways, amazing review, very insightful! Thanks

[@stevenrayphoto1280]

Really great review! I think once you are at line level the differences will be minimal. I believe you will hear more difference on the way in during tracking. You need to get an isolated splinter and see how much difference each compressor makes then. I would do this for all equipment tests including mic prep and eq's. Thanks again!

[@chrisdover8507]

This was a great comparison. I’d go for whatever you can afford, gotta have at least 3 in the studio imo

[@AdamZiokowski666]

I liked the Purple and Warm the best. Something nice happened in low mids of Purple and the sidechain option is cool. Surprised by how close the plugin and Klark are.

[@ononearts]

The Universal audio has more depth, and is cleaner. I’m surprised that Warm Audio comes in bottom, just above the software plugin. To my Ear, the Purple Unit is only slightly less good than the Universal. Yes, in context of the entire mix they are all close, but there is an undeniable edge in the subtler qualities that place the Universal at the top of this pile. If your budget permits, always go for the best. These differences may seem ineffable, but minute choices are sometimes what place material at the top tiers of quality: that which stands the tests of time and to which people return to listen to year after year. I listened with Sony MDR 7506’s. Thanks for sharing this test!

[@CreativeMindsAudio]

Waves 1176 clone was never my favorite, mainly because i've used real units before the plugin (which i never bought because of that) and it just didn't feel right to me. i couldn't really articulate it other than just feeling different, but i think you nailed it. release was different. it always felt a bit more compressed than i'm used to and things felt more pushed back, but i just thought that was cause the settings were different or something, but i think you may be right that it's specifically the release. From the samples you showed: The klark teknik feels a bit muffled/lofi just having audio go through it. it's subtle but definitely something going on. it's being like pushed back into the mix. maybe something with transients? as soon as you switched to the UA from the KT, it just jumped out to me. is it a 2k+ difference? no but honestly i wouldn't pay 350 for this. i feel like a UA 1176 plugin can do better. Warm audio feels better than i thought it would fair, but like you said it distorts easier. not a fan of this. purple audio, i honestly barely hear a difference here with the UA unit. feels punchy and crisp and clean. UA: just feels as it should. clean, clear, crisp. so i think it really depends on what material you put the compressors on. like on bass, i can barely hear a difference. it's subtle stuff like the way the string noise hits on the bass. the purple audio was my favorite here, UA second warm, audio 3rd and KT last. but as i said, we're splitting hairs here, any one of these would work just fine on bass. good on you to do the all buttons in mode, it's this kinda stuff that really shows why the more expensive gear is worth it. "you'd almost never be using them like this" ummm... this is my #1 reason for wanting to buy a hardware 1176: room crush mics all buttons in. plugins get close but not 100% that sound. just sounds huge in these examples. the purple audio is great too. mix wise the biggest difference i noticed was with the snare. purple audio and UA definitely had it more punchy and upfront. felt more open and cleaner. the warm and KT just i don't know didn't have as much of that. but yeah once again subtle stuff. something you feel more than here. was really expecting a bit more in the mix after showing the solo'd stuff. If warm audio didn't have that saturation difference I'd say it's the best deal. the klark just isn't as clean and clear. but honestly even the KT one is probably 99% or so as good as the UA. it's less about it being like 'oh this is 99% as good, why should i pay nearly 10x the price for the real thing" and more if you want the sound of the real thing, buy the real thing and invest in it. at the end of the day the higher quality and that 1% does add up in a mix and if you are like me and track with compression and EQ and such, it'll make mixing a lot easier. still they're all better than waves plugins. imagine spending money on the hardware only to find out it sounds no different than the software that you spent $30 on 😂. Anyway great video (probably my favorite i've seen from you) hope you do more like this. We need honest comparison videos in the audio space vs showing off one unit at a time.

[@NatureSleepSerenity]

On vocals and room/all buttons I noticed more high end sheen on the purple. The UA in general seemed to be smoother with more lows/low mid, the warm was the most distorted and seemed the least cohesive. Surprisingly, the KT was very good on most everything. I think I'd honestly and shockingly pick the KT over the warm. I liked the UA better than the purple. Amazing video and thank you for this so much!

[@bunker5tudios495]

Great video🎉 I have 1176 in hardware, and im surprised about Softube FET (the plate one), and the UA. Its so dificult to know which one is the hardware… i think it would be interesting a video of that. Nice channel 🙌🏻

[@jeremythornton433]

I was expecting a huge difference but I didn't hear enough to justify buying the expensive unit. Can you do a comparison with the ART VLA 2 and something more high end? Great video! Glad you showed up on my stream. I subscribed.

[@galentucci-boissonneault]

The UA version is definitely the cleanest, but I have to say that after listening to a couple of videos of the WA76, I kinda like its saturation. It feels very hi-fi and in the context of using outboard analog gear to color sound, that's actually quite a boon.

[@MaxTovstyiMusic]

I used to own a WA76, was pretty happy with the quality

[@evanmcdonnal]

Very much agree on the snare. The plugin is pulling out the bodies resonance while the hardware was not. The KT is an amazing value for hardware which I also prefer for other reasons, namely avoiding messing with stuff endlessly in software in post. Even if you use a send to retrack with hardware it will discourage endless minute changes to your mix as it requires a lot more effort/commitment.