Universal Audio 2-1176 Dual 1176LN - Manual (Page 13)

Insider’s Secrets
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Whatever you can do with an 1176LN, you can do with a 2-1176... two times over. In addition, Link
mode allows the 2-1176 to process not just monophonic signals, but stereo signals such as drum or
backing vocal submixes. You can even strap the 2-1176 across the stereo bus, using it as a
premastering tool.
Vocals, Vocals, Vocals
The 1176 has long been considered the preeminent device
for recording vocals. Veteran engineer Andy Johns (Led
Zeppelin, Rolling Stones) says flatly, “For vocals there really
isn’t a better compressor.” Bruce Swedien is another
legendary engineer who is a die-hard 1176 fan. “I love them
on vocals,” he says. “All of the Michael Jackson and James Ingram vocals that everyone has heard so
much were done with at least one of those 1176s. I couldn’t part with them for anything. They sound
fabulous.”
Added reviewer Hugh Robjohns, writing in Sound on Sound magazine in June, 2001: “The 1176 is
judged by many to be unsurpassed as a vocal compressor, and I would certainly agree that it can be
extremely effective. It can be surprisingly transparent when used fairly gently on a 4:1 ratio, a setting
whose warm, [tube]-like quality can be sublime on softer voices. Yet it can also accommodate the
raunchiest hard compression demands too, which can be fantastic on strong, belted-out rock vocals.”
Reviewer Trevor Curwen, writing for The Mix in August 2000, reported that “When recording vocals, the
1176[LN] was... used with a low ratio, resulting in a very natural, smooth sound and even performance
being captured. Strapping the compressor across the vocal when mixing, and adding just a little more
squeeze, gave it the presence it needed to sit consistently in the mix, with a nice top end to the
sound.” And Michael Cooper, writing in the November 2004 issue of MIX, reported that “Set to a 20:1
ratio and fast attack and release settings, the 2-1176 was an outstanding limiter for male vocals,
providing a really firm lid without squashing the track's timbre or pumping.”
Producer/engineer Mike Shipley (Def Leppard, Shania Twain) says, “I grew up using 1176s—in
England they were the compressor of choice. They’re especially good for vocals... most anything else I
can do without, but I can’t be without at least a pair of 1176s and an LA-2A. The 1176 absolutely adds
a bright character to a sound, and you can set the attack so it’s got a nice bite to it. I usually use them
on 4:1 [ratio], with quite a lot of gain reduction. I like how variable the attack and release is; there’s a
sound on the attack and release that I don’t think you can get with any other compressor. I listen for
how it affects the vocal, and depending on the song I set the attack or release—faster attack if I want
a bit more bite.”
Producer/engineer Mike Clink (Guns N’ Roses, Sammy Hagar) agrees. “I find that I actually use 1176s
more now than I ever did,” he says. “I like them because they bring out the brightness and presence of
a sound—they give it an energy. It seems like when I’m mixing I end up using an 1176 on the vocals
every time.”
“
For vocals there really isn’t
a better compressor
”
—
engineer Andy Johns