Universal Audio 1176 Studio Compressor

Universal Audio says the pedal "delivers the same punchy, expressive tones of the world-renowned hardware, now in a compact stompbox"¹. Where a typical compressor pedal smooths out a guitar's dynamics quietly in the background, this one reproduces a studio limiter's full behavior, including the aggressive character the original hardware was famous for when pushed.

A digital 1176 in a compact pedal

The pedal is a digitally cloned version of the UREI 1176 compressor/limiter⁴⁵⁶, based on what Delicious Audio calls "in all likelihood the most popular studio compressor of all times (the Urei 1176)"⁵. Guitar.com's take: "Universal Audio managed to cram the exact algorithms of their legendary studio hardware into a compact stompbox"⁷.

For a player, that means the pedal behaves like the studio unit rather than like a conventional guitar compressor. MusicRadar notes the 1176 "has been a go-to for studio engineers since 1967"², and the pedal carries over the hardware's control set and its extremes, from gentle leveling to the gritty, squashed sounds the original could produce. GuitarPlayer's Art Thompson found it "a simple to use and killer-sounding rendition of UAD's 1176 studio compressor," and noted that its Dual and Sustain modes emulate the 1176 setups of Jimmy Page and Lowell George⁸.

The pedal measures 2.29 inches high, 2.58 inches wide and 4.75 inches deep with knobs and protrusions, and weighs 0.66 lbs unboxed. Input impedance is 1 Megohm, output impedance is 500 Ohms, maximum input level is 12.2 dBu, and frequency response is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ±1 dB. A USB Type-C port handles registration and firmware updates via computer¹.

The controls and modes

The control layout mirrors the original hardware: Input, Output, Attack and Release settings true to the 1176, plus a Ratio control¹. MusicRadar lists the full set as Input, Output, a Single/Dual/Sustain mini toggle, Attack, Release, Ratio, the bypass footswitch, a Bypass Buffer/True switch, and a Parallel dry-through on/off switch². GuitarPlayer describes it as "a standard set of comp controls: input, output, attack, release and ratio," with the single footswitch handling compressor on/off⁸.

Single, Dual and Sustain

The three-way mode toggle is what separates this pedal from a straight hardware clone. Universal Audio pitches the Single, Dual and Sustain modes as covering "decades of classic guitar effects"¹.

• Single mode is a traditional 1176, regular behavior²⁵.
• Dual mode simulates running your signal into two units wired in parallel, creating a compressed crunch⁵. MusicRadar describes it as "essentially an overdrive mode, the sound of two stacked 1176s in series," which can be pushed from mild drive into Led Zeppelin "Black Dog" territory; Jimmy Page used two stacked 1176s².
• Sustain mode is also two stacked 1176s, aimed at a rounder sound for sustaining slide work, with compression and without the distortion². Delicious Audio sums it up as longer sustain, great for solos⁵. Universal Audio describes it as a "Lowell George" slide-friendly go-to, and MusicRadar adds "they're not wrong"².

All buttons in

On the original 1176, engaging every ratio button at once produced a famously aggressive sound, and the pedal's Ratio knob includes this "all buttons in" mode, which Universal Audio says delivers squashed, gritty textures¹. Premier Guitar called it the "infamous" all buttons in mode⁹. It is the setting players reach for when they want the compressor to color the sound rather than just control it.

Parallel compression

A Parallel switch blends dry and compressed guitar signal "for an even subtler compression touch," in MusicRadar's words. The blend is set at a fixed ratio of dry to compressed signal and cannot be altered². Universal Audio lists parallel compression mode among the pedal's features¹.

From the 1176 Peak Limiter to the UAFX pedal

The 1176 has been a go-to for studio engineers since 1967². Universal Audio's emulation is based on the 1176LN Limiting Amplifier¹, and GuitarPlayer's Art Thompson specifies that the pedal's selections are Rev E versions, "the early '70s blackface low-noise units designed by Brad Plunkett"⁸.

The pedal arrived on 22 August 2023 as one of four new UAFX models, part of Universal Audio's push into smaller, more affordable pedals¹⁰⁸. Guitar.com reported the launch as the company's most affordable effects pedals yet, with the compressor at $199³. Gearnews reviewed it at $225 in October 2023⁴, and MusicRadar's later review weighed whether the pedal added up to "a $200 investment for guitarists"²; each figure is a point in time rather than a current price.

What reviewers said

MusicRadar's verdict: "The UAFX 1176 delivers on its simple but significant mission statement: a trusted pro studio compressor with wide usability in a compact pedal," adding that it could become a fixture in the signal chain². The same review called the Single, Dual and Sustain modes "a smart move to make things accessible"².

GuitarPlayer's Art Thompson found it simple to use and killer-sounding, with the Dual and Sustain modes emulating the Jimmy Page and Lowell George 1176 setups⁸. Gearnews's Bob Malkowski reviewed it as a digitally cloned version of the legendary UREI 1176 compressor/limiter⁴. On Universal Audio's own product page the pedal is rated 4.4 out of 5 stars based on 5 reviews, with 80% of buyers saying they would recommend it¹.

Players comparing hardware-style 1176 pedals can also look at Universal Audio's larger UAFX Max Preamp & Dual Compressor and the Teletronix LA-2A Studio Compressor, the company's emulation of the other classic studio compressor.

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