You’ve probably read about crushing a source with the “all buttons in” setting, but did you know you can get a heavily compressed sound even with the ratio at its lowest setting of 4:1? You can do so by turning up the input and setting the fastest release time. Then, of course, there are the Ratio buttons. The harder you hit it, the more compression you’ll get. If you want more of the incoming signal to be compressed, you need to turn up the Input knob. One crucial fact is that the 1176 compressor has no threshold knob. Turning it up is one of the ways to increase compression. The Input knob on the 1176 also functions as a threshold control. That said, there are a few keys to being able to control it and get the type of sound and response you want. Getting good results from an 1176 compressor is easy-it’s going to improve almost anything you put it on. But he points out that even at its slowest attack setting, the 1176 always sounds like it’s compressing. Occasionally, he says, he’ll slow down the release and speed up the attack. He points out that for some people, his settings might be a little too “caffeinated.” But for him it sounds right. Many engineers set the attack at 10 o’clock and the release at 2 o’clock, but Greg says he usually prefers the same attack and release settings he’s using for this session. The slowest setting is at 7 o’clock and the fastest at 5 o’clock. Instead of fast to the left and slow to the right like most compressors, it’s the opposite. On the 1176 compressor, the Attack and Release knobs work backward from normal, he explains. The Attack and Release knobs on this UAD 1176 LN Legacy are set the same (slowest attack, fastest release) as they were on the vocal chain for Bryce on “Lucky Number.” That makes it sound more “immediate,” he says. He mentions how vocals sound fat and loud though it, and not “choked.” To help keep the vocals sounding natural, he sets the attack at its slowest and the release at its fastest. Greg talks about what a big fan he is of the 1176 compressor, both for tracking and mixing. However, a little compression on the way in can help with keeping dynamics even and creating a good vocal sound, and it’s certainly common to compress vocals on input, although perhaps not as much as it once was. It’s advisable not to compress too heavily when you’re tracking because if you decide later that you overdid it, you’re stuck with the results. KEEPING IT SUBTLEīecause it’s a tracking session, not a mix, Wells is setting the 1176 to compress pretty lightly, only about 3dB of gain reduction at the most. It’s an 1176 LN, which is one of the models that featured a black faceplate. However, it’s also quite versatile, and in this excerpt, you’ll see how Greg Wells sets it for tracking vocals.įor Bryce Drew’s lead vocals on the song “Lucky Number,” Wells uses a hardware 1176 compressor as one of the processors in his vocal chain. Featuring FET (field-effect transistor) circuitry, it’s extremely fast and can be super aggressive. Of all the vintage hardware compressors, the UREI 1176 is one of the most revered.
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