The Rocket, however, I bought for $49 US. You can buy a current model hardware UA 1176 for around $3,500 in Australia and a vintage one could set you back thousands more than that. The attack time of the Rocket can be set as quickly as 5 microseconds, which is so fast it’s virtually instantaneous.īear in mind that most compressors’ attack times are measured in milliseconds, not microseconds. Faster than anything except The Stillwell Rocket, that is. These qualities mean that the 1176 can be used as an artistic tool for it’s sound character, as well as a more conventional and very handy leveller that can jump on naughty peaks quicker than anything else. This is because there are 4 choices of compression ratio on push buttons, at 4,8,12 and 20dB and it was discovered that all 4 buttons could be engaged together, so combined with the right attack and release settings and all buttons in there’s some serious squashing and distortion going on. The other characteristic of the 1176 is that it can also be pushed into super aggressive territory, which is not so cuddly. The 1176 is known for it’s ultra-fast attack time (20 microseconds) and combined with the sound of the FET’s and transformers in the circuit, which can give a very “cuddly” result, it’s always been a favourite in top studios. The Rocket is somewhat based on the hardware classic Universal Audio 1176 FET (field effect transistor) compressor leveller. Some are industry standards, like my Waves compressors, but the one I find myself reaching for in many projects I tackle is The Rocket by Stillwell Audio. Many others are freeware offerings that are surprisingly great quality.
#Free 1176 compressor plugin for free#
Many are included for free with my D.A.W. Usually valued at €149.I have a lot of compressor plugins. Look ahead and look behind compression offset Add the all-buttons-in mode and Pulsar’s added saturation models, and you can access characterful, colourful tones as well. More transparent than an 1176, the 1178 allows incredibly fast control over transients when compared to other compressor models. Peak meters allow insight into overall dynamics RMS meters let you monitor loudness and match levels and a scrolling view helps visualize how the attack and release settings are affecting the gain reduction.Īdd grit and drive to the usually-transparent 1178 with four flavours of saturation: Tape, Triode, Warm and Clip modes open up new ways of managing dynamics and spectral envelope. Pulsar 1178’s accurate and modern metering section helps in this important task. Keeping an eye on dynamics is key to a well balanced mix. With Pulsar 1178’s full-featured sidechain EQ section, you can make each one hit just the right amount of gain reduction. The dynamics of a drum groove hinge on how compression is triggered by both the kick drum and the snare. When it comes to compression, having more control over the sidechain signal can bring a mix to the next level. While these qualities make it the ideal choice to smash the transients of a drum room to get a nasty rocky bounce, the extended attack range also allows gentle dynamic contouring, and can provide unique mid-band definition and intelligibility on a vocal.
Pulsar 1178 has a fast and bright character, making it great for dealing with unruly transients in tracking and mixing. The plugin version adds all the features you would expect from a modern, versatile plug-in, including a sidechain EQ for added control, an optional saturation stage for warmth and character, and precise metering.
#Free 1176 compressor plugin software#
The 1178 software recreates the original 1178 hardware in its tonal colour and compression character.