Universal Audio 2-1176 Dual 1176LN - Manual (Page 3)

A Letter From Bill Putnam, Jr.
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Thank you for purchasing the 2-1176 Dual 1176LN Limiting Amplifier.
My father designed the original 1176 back in 1966, and he was very pleased with his accomplishment.
He was equally gratified by its reception by his peers in both the recording and broadcast industries.
As a recording engineer, the 1176 was a device he himself used extensively. In making our version of
this legendary piece of gear, we have taken great care to manufacture a compressor/limiter that my
father would have been proud of. Throughout the development of this product, our philosophy has
remained clear: Stay true to the original. There are good reasons why certain pieces of gear have
become classics, and we wanted to make sure that we captured the feel and sound of the original
1176 accurately. The 2-1176 provides a true stereo version of the 1176LN—one which retains all the
features and trademark sound of its ancestor, but with fully matched components. In addition, the 2-
1176 can be switched easily between dual mono mode (with independent gain reduction controls,
including attack and release times) and stereo link mode, all without the use of any additional
components or connecting cables.
There were actually many versions of the 1176 produced throughout the years. The 2-1176 is patterned
largely on our modern 6176 Channel Strip, which utilizes gain reduction circuitry designed to evoke the
highly recognizable blackface sound of the original D/E versions of the 1176. Those versions were
characterized by their transformer input stage, LN circuitry, and a Class A (1108 style) output stage.
Later versions replaced the Class A output stage with a push-pull Class AB output stage, and
eventually replaced the transformer input with a differential op-amp circuit (which was the case with
the short-lived stereo 1178), but most engineers agree that the D/E versions best represented the
“vintage” sound that has become treasured the world over.
Most of us at Universal Audio are musicians and/or recording engineers. We love the recording process,
and we really get inspired when tracks are beautifully recorded. Our design goal for the 2-1176 was to
build a stereo compressor/limiter that we would be delighted to use ourselves—one that induces that
“a-ha” feeling you get when hearing music recorded in its most natural, inspired form.
Developing the 2-1176 —as well as Universal Audio’s entire line of quality audio products designed to
meet the needs of the modern recording studio while retaining the character of classic vintage
equipment—has been a very special experience for me and for all who have been involved. While, on
the surface, the rebuilding of UA has been a business endeavor, it's really been so much more than
that: in equal parts a sentimental and technical adventure.
We thank you, and we thank my father, Bill Putnam.
Sincerely,
Bill Putnam, Jr.