WA-76 VS UREI 1176 | HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

WA-76 VS UREI 1176 | HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
What's up nerds. In this video I do a shootout of the Warm Audio WA-76 vs a Universal Audio UREI 1176. Which one do you think sounds better?
RAW AUDIO FILES: www.dropbox.com/sh/2pndcuke9c...
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[@jeffpogan2950]

This is the only comparison I’ve seen that has accurate setting/sound duplication between the two compressors. Nicely done!

[@FoxUncleCharlieKing]

Nice work on this comparison.

[@Sibisi]

Beautifully done. Thanks.

[@beedard3677]

I dig both of these, I found myself leaning further towards the WA for reasons I can’t really articulate. Great video, can’t wait for the next one, would leave to see more about your approach to writing/producing music with a band

[@CodyMWI]

Nice shootout thank you

[@OdinOfficialEmcee]

This is easily the best comparison I have seen between the two and honestly, they are completely interchangeable. Sure there are differences but nothing to write home about imo. Didn't get a good sense of the distortion characteristics offered by each, but based on this and working with Purple's MC77 I have decided on 2 WA's, 2 Purples, and 2 Bluey's from Black Lion Audio. The purples are closer to a real Urei, but the WA works so much better on low end. The Blueys work magic on vocals though.

[@stefanherbst9980]

I orderd a WA76 to compress my Bass. I am excited about the Bass Signal fits into the Input.

[@yoeymusic]

Honestly, I just watch the videos to hear that soothing voice, yum yum

[@User-jk8wq]

Great comparison my dude!

[@corybergeronrecordings]

thank you!

[@Jeffway24]

I like the way the old one softened up the vocal, almost de-essing. Anyone else notice that? I think I prefer the warm on the other instruments

[@rtdrec]

there is the magic!

[@jordancraighead]

very close. i think i hear more transformer thickening making it through in the warm. i think the urei is a bit more transparent. be cool to hear the same comparison with the klark teknik

[@earsonlyaudio887]

I used to work in a studio with a couple old blackface units, loved them, used them a bunch. I have a WA76, love it, use it on every aggressive vocal that needs to be in your face. Use it as a limiter when tracking vocals just bumping it at 20:1, then hit it pretty hard at 4:1 or all buttons on mix down. Track bass with it regularly at 8:1, have tracked pedal steel with my WA76 and in all of these situations, it's never let me down. I'm hoping to buy a few more of them soon.

[@micahflores5313]

Why would you need to be serval more?

[@Balverine]

@@micahflores5313 for tracking I guess

[@corybergeronrecordings]

UPDATE: If you're interested in seeing how I incorporate my UREI 1176 into my mixing process, check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hITCZGWIa9uSq5osi=GR6FAzNQjaKFBxCc 😊

[@Deadite8593]

Just bought a WA76 and waiting for it to come in the mail, it seems to compare very favorably! Overall despite any minor differences....man the 1176 compression in general just sounds good on just about everything!

[@suniso370]

The WA was a bit jumpy on the release with drum room, while UREI was really smooth, but I preffered the agresiveness of WA on the vocal. Have you tried Pulsar audio’s 1178 plugin?

[@nunoharris]

Hi. Is this compressor similar to the old dbx 160 ? Thanks a lot..

[@AlexValliMusic]

The Warm Audio is just a bit cleaner while the Urei has more color and tone flavor. I can even hear this on my laptop speakers. It's not quite night and day, but yeah the Urei definitely has just that little bit more dirt to the sound.

[@mC_DiDiDiDiDi]

I'm looking to find an all rounder for compression, guess this might be it, maybe coupled with an fmr rnc, or dbx 160a, for a bit of colour. Not sure.

[@stefanherbst9980]

I am using the WA76 dir compressing my Bass. I Insert it into the Poweramp over the serial ins. I am a little bit concerned about the Low UV Meter Swing. It is minimal compared to the Swing from the Video. The Input gain is relativ high and in the Edge to Saturation...

[@bobzmuda3940]

gotta calibrate the meter with the small screw on the back labeled “meter”

[@DJDMass]

The UREI sounded more open to me on the vocals (probably attacking the high transients slower) and, room...but the Bass (I'm assuming recorded via DI?) sounded nearly identical...in a blind shoot out it would be hard to pick them apart...especially if used in parallel. And let's not forget how much variance there is between 1176's...

[@chrischoir3594]

it sounds more compressed but somehow sounds more open ? makes no sense

[@ARCASIAUK]

Great video! Newbie here when it comes to analog hardware. Can you use this within your daw on vsts as opposed to just recording ? Thank you

[@CodyMWI]

You can use any outboard gear as in insert on your daw. Hard wire it to an input and output on your soundcard. Send the track you want to compress to the output and set the input to a new track. You will want to solo the track and print it (record just the track you are compressing) because there will be latency in real time. This will give you a raw track and the compressed as two separate tracks. You may want to experiment with blending the two together :) have fun

[@PlasticFarmMusic]

1176 is a classic but I have to say I preferred the sound of the WA-76 in this case. Great video!

[@corybergeronrecordings]

thanks for watching!

[@abhisheksrivastava3787]

I did a calibrated shootout of Slate vs All these hardware with the file. In Blind Test, difference were so mimimal. Just comrpession felt a tad more smoother with UREI. Sticking with Slate!

[@Excellent2009able]

Wondering which is the highest end clone of the 1176’s ? looking for a really good one, could afford to pay over half the new price of a LN if something close to it is available? :) I’ve tried a few cheaper clones and preferred the Spark plugs tbh :)

[@producedbyramson1436]

Easy answer: WA-76 wins!!! Way cheaper, guarantee, sound is awesome. The fact there is a tiny difference means not that the other is better. Just different. If you miss a little topend in the vocals just use your eq and push it 1db. I had a urei, the new universal audio edition and switched to plugins. In a todays pop master nobody can tell the difference, really!!! To be honest, we all have so much processing on our tracks to come close to the modern production sound. Todays pop vocals are always a combination of recording chain and your magic plugin mixing chain.

[@GentandHimself]

I've only used the BF that comes with pro tools so far, and I've been wanting to expand into analog gear, this definitely helped a bunch

[@Etherealtheband]

Thanks, thinking about getting an analog compressor and this helped. If you need any rock tracks for videos, feel free to contact us.

[@JoeyDemers]

hmm very little difference, the WA on vocals had a more "brighter" sound imo but very minimal. A great product all around.

[@yoeymusic]

Still waiting on part 3, otherwise great vid!

[@corybergeronrecordings]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rn6Tk4Zvopp3jLM ;)

[@yoeymusic]

@@corybergeronrecordings :O

[@gunluv96]

I wish you could have thrown the distressor into this shootout in the 1176 mode just to see if it is worth adding the 1176 to my compressor line up or just stay with my distressor. Lol

[@corybergeronrecordings]

stay with your distress or

[@brianstephenson984]

the WA-76 sounds awesome!

[@corybergeronrecordings]

thanks for watching!

[@donnythompson408]

Prefacing my comment to say that I listened through studio monitors (JBL 8”) and in an acoustically treated room, and that I’ve used many Urei 1176’s over the years... The Urei here in this vid has the mid range/top end sheen that every single 1176 I’ve ever used has delivered. This is one of the the things that the 1176 came to be known for. This is perhaps most evident in the comparison using vocals; the WA accentuates the harsh sibilants (S’s) on the vocal, where the Urei does not - instead, the 1176 gives them a very pleasing “smoothness”. And, while many compressors, both HW and plugs, “can” boost the upper mid range -and make the upper mids/highs sound harsh when heavier amounts of gain reduction are used... No Urei 1176 I’ve ever used has done this. You can also hear this difference in the drums comparison; again, in the upper mids/highs, on the cymbals and hi-hat. The WA’s response was peaky and harsh in the upper range, where the Urei, is far “silkier”. (And further, while I did critical listening through good studio monitors and in my treated room, I can STILL hear those peaky, harsh mids on the WA76 even through my cheesy iPhone speakers)... I’m not saying that the WA “clone” is necessarily terrible, I wouldn’t go that far... if time was taken to adjust its settings in context with the source it’s being fed , it would probably be a useful FET comp/limiter to have for certain applications. But... it’s not going to sound like a real 1176. Then again... the other side of the coin... the WA76 isn’t gonna cost you a lung and a kidney to buy, either; and while I’ve never really been a fan of the phrase, “great for the money”, I would go as far to say, that I think the WA76 would be an affordable option for “decent” sounding HW FET compression. IMO. 🙏

[@iqi616]

Thanks for this. I'm tight on budget so it's handy to know what to listen-for and mitigate with the WA76.

[@Fillemon]

Would you mind sending me your email?

[@ferabra8939]

Perhaps the Urei sounds rounder...(specially on bass). But for the price difference (thousands of bucks), the Warm is clearly the way to go. I just got the EQ and couldn't be happier. Warm's big selling point is that we are all expecting them to raise prices...So I'll get the 1176 and WA47 before they do (which they eventually will if demand increases as it should...it's a steal).

[@annekedebruyn7797]

The UREI on the room mic was the most revealing to me in terms of difference. Other then that, pretty close.

[@user-zr5qs3bw7g]

🔥🔥🔥

[@inreachent.4981]

Don’t have a wa 76 but I do have the wa bus comp and LOVE IT

[@taylorharris7213]

More shootout vids plz!!!!!

[@whenvioletsturngrey9597]

Sound like the WA76 could have used a little hotter input, as well, for a fair comparison. It doesn’t sound like it’s compressing the same amount.

[@edwardpan576]

The difference is especially clear at around 3k and 10kish. If you listen closely, the "shimmer" of the snare is slightly different; and the buzz of the bass guitar is also different. It all depends on what sound you're going for. WA76 did a fabulous job creating a great sounding compressor! :)

[@kellerasselmusik]

The UREI sounds old, opener, pumpier and the WA-76 sounds more modern, warmer, more clear to me. I actually like the WA-76 more. Just on the vocals the UREI was a little bit more "exciting" for me

[@corybergeronrecordings]

Agreed! Thanks for watching!

[@TheSickNeeds]

To me I felt like the vocals were dramatically better on the warm actually. They sounded small and dark with the UREI. With all of us likely having different speakers results are bound to be different.

[@docsmusictheorylab838]

The Ueri sounds flat, needs boosting in the 1-2khz range, or attenuating in the 2-5 kHz range, first of all to notice any other differences well.

[@MrWilgates9]

I have to agree 100% the Ueri came off a bit flat in comparison to the warm audio in my ears. Now where you would boost and cut is preference but the Ueri did sound a bit flat in comparison to the warm audio.

[@ginob615]

I hear an openness and more mojo with the Urei. The difference is small but every little bit helps on our pursuit of recording excellence! I preferred the Black Lion Seventeen on a similar shootout compared to the WA 76. I bought two used Black Lion Seventeen's and really like them although notice that the outputs are not matched. So I have to tweak a little to match them for stereo applications. Neuman U87 ai > Vintech X73i to > Black Lion Seventeen = $$$$ but now I want a Urei lol. I will say this though, fwiw the WA 87 Microphone is absolutely incredible and has its own mojo. Not quite a U87 AI but I don't have the heart to return or sell it because I trust I'll find some use for it. Horses for Courses. Great shoot out!

[@ArguZ72]

I have a Klark and Warm and Wes here on the bench and the differences are phenomenal... While the Klark and the Warm do what they should , they both lack character, action and panache. The Wes is insanely good... both the Klark and the Warm lack modern features like a bypass (douhh) sidechain , transformer switching or dry/wet, but that not all. They have no balls...the Warm is marginally better than the Klark, but not double the price better... If you can, try of you can test a Wes....it's the real deal.

[@samchoate1719]

There are differences, but to me, not enough to warrant the price difference, because either one could be favorable over the other on a number of things.

[@sharadvarma1347]

Wud be more fun if you throw in uad ,slate 1176 as well as

[@corybergeronrecordings]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHLEZZKOecp0Z80

[@billesposito2112]

I think the original had a touch more high end a bit more air . But I don't think the price difference is justified.

[@sundancekidjames8002]

Of course it’s pretty close? Isn’t that the point of a clone? What’s the difference between a 1959 Les Paul standard and a Gibson custom shop r9? 90% of it will be the same, but theirs that 10% lift on a 59’ that just makes it 10% better! Two critical things are what kind of a 1176 is he using? Is it a rev E, H, F or G because even within Ueri 1176’s their are different versions. The Warm Audio is copy the Ueri rev E. So let’s say he’s using a rev G, which its sounds like to me, the warm audio is a cloned after a different model of the 1176 anyway.

[@bobbyhofermusic]

oat?

[@dombernardo9738]

Very close

[@floatpointmusic]

They both sound great. I had trouble hearing any difference for the vocals, other than the 1176 sounding a bit smoother and consistent than the WA-76 for vocals.. Idk if I'm imagining this, but for the 20:1 drums, it sounds like the warm audio sounded to have a bit darker (warmer) of a colour and more pleasant cymbals than the 1176, but I found the UREI had a more natural response with a bit brighter of a punch. I couldn't really tell any difference for the bass. If I had to pick between both, I'd definitely pick the WA-76 because come on, it kills in both sound and affordability. Thanks for another solid video Cory!

[@corybergeronrecordings]

Awesome. Thanks for watching Paolo :)

[@RedlightBlue]

haha idk what these are

[@corybergeronrecordings]

music

[@metatron333ascension]

UREI is darker, warmer sounding than the WA-76

[@GimmeDangerRecords]

2:43

[@cliffnboyzy]

Thank you.

[@TheKevbe]

It feels like WA-76 has faster attack compared to UREI

[@666beatsatan3]

The urei is rich and phat. The warm is small and tiny sounding.

[@certainty2958]

I’m not a nerd. Thank you.

[@corybergeronrecordings]

No, you are a nerd

[@randy206]

You are here, you are a nerd.

[@SamIntharaphithakSamSonic]

The UREI is way smoother in tone.

[@HeavyHearts]

You are handsome

[@Nick-eo2ol]

Not even remotely close! Thanks for the video

[@mikoajdobber2425]

WA76 better at lower ratio, 1176 better at higher :)

[@Jordannofun]

heinz diffusor

[@DjKeeper]

"intro" ends at 2:45

[@Amanda-iq5jd]

ketchup

[@corybergeronrecordings]

respect

[@RobCoates1]

Uri--eye? WTF??

[@roodsound]

Ureee

[@roodsound]

@@cripesalmighty4744 I know this. I'm providing a pronunciation because some people can't pronunciate. (Yer-ee)

[@user-xs2js5dd9h]

James Brown

[@corybergeronrecordings]

yes

[@user-xs2js5dd9h]

3:38

[@corybergeronrecordings]

I now understand

[@user-xs2js5dd9h]

On the contrary, because of your video, I'm the one who now understands

[@polyphonicgroove]

they both sound great....but man, for at least half the cost.....you can't beat the Warm Audio 76. Great job with the comparison, thanks for sharing.

[@blazethablunt]

The difference is in the transformers

[@ezeerb]

They both use Cinemag I believe

[@LEXRAPS]

The WA76 is noisy! Too much hiss

[@dab7963]

Pronounced Uree lol

[@MrSHIN335]

First thanks for the great review wa76 sounds urei. It's sinking warmly This is a huge difference The wa76 is brighter and clearer, so it might look good. Hanging plug-in If you take care of it. Sounds very difficult to control urei magically is a plug-in Sound that can be done. Wonderful That's why we desperately need vintage equipment Why? It's a little bit bitter and warm, but these sauces are You can do it all with a plugin Brightness, sharpness, sharpness. All possible wa76 doesn't work. It's just calibrated and it comes out. It’s just a pity

[@nashvillehitmachine-offici7936]

Warm is week no bottom or fullness, probably due to cheaper parts and was designed to be built at a lower cost. in my opinion its not a 1176 and should not be called a comp only. use plugin or buy the real thing. when you due audio for years you can fell and hear the difference, its a big difference.

[@pkub9713]

I know this is a false comment because it's not based on fact. Just about every comment gives WA credit for being great sounding or very close etc...While you may prefer the sound of the Urei, I think you are one of the folks who just can't admit that there are less expensive pieces of gear that can do the same job flawlessly. Now, I do like and appreciate original gear for it being what it is and for the legacy that it has built, truth be told though much of the cost associated with vintage gear is just hype. Once you have it in your mind, that the original is far superior, you already have made a decision and won't be objective. The 1176 circuit is a fairly simple, well engineered circuit, so not much to cheap out on except for transformers. To say WA is weak with no bottom or fullness is not accurate.

[@mededmoon6265]

@@pkub9713 I think you're one of those folks that can't admit that the less expensive plugin or gear doesn't match up to the real thing because you don't have the money to buy the real thing. Think of each piece of gear you use as a small part of a painting. A little difference in quality here, a little there, all of a sudden you have created a magnificent painting because all the subtle nuance that didn't seem to matter at first all came together to create something amazing.

[@blessthefall808]

sounds the same

[@corybergeronrecordings]

meow

[@83Myles]

it pronounced "ur-eee" not "ur-e-i"

[@mylesturney8411]

Nope

[@mylesturney8411]

No doubt a narrator reading a promo might say something differently. A good example of something you pickup working in studios everyday is terminoloy. One of those things you cant learn online. Kinda like the singer walks in and says “new-mann” mic...😂

[@RBBlackstone]

Yep. As heard at the companies booth at AES back when they were showing there.