1176 compressor comparisons: UA, Purple, Mohog, Urei

[Hammock Byrd]

The three currently commercially available 1176 compressors are:

UA 1176LN

Purple MC77

Mohog Audio MoFET76



If you have tried all three list them in order of preference and why


What are the sonic differences are between all the different 1176 compressors that are available today? Let's compare these compressors using the following criteria:

Sonic character - smoother or grainier

Frequency Response - flat, bright, dark, mid pushed, more/less low end body

Noise - quietest vrs most noisy

[eleo]

I would like to know that too

[pan60]

i have not tried them, but i like Andrew so if i were to order one today, based on that i would go with the Purple MC77.

[BLueROom]

I have not tried the Purple, but after trying some of Purple's other gear and knowing Andrew is a maniac about his stuff, I'd have to say it's probably great. It's on my short list.

I HAVE had newer UA 1176ln and I currently have a Mohog 76. I liked the UA 1176ln but got bored of it and sold it. Then, I craved the 1176 sound again and decided to try the Mohog because of the different trafo options.. oh and because it looks badass and that matters!

I have to say I like the Mohog a whole hell of a lot. From what I remember, it gives me what I missed about the UA and more (because of the options). I really dig the weight it adds to bass and the sponginess I get on snare. It really just kicks ass on drums. On vox it is equally cool.. it seems to place the vocals right where you need them to be, if that makes sense. Very cool piece, reminiscent of the older UA stuff but has more bells and whistles. OH... and it's quieter

Brandon is a top notch dude, too. Hit him up.

thumbsup

[steffo]

I had two for a while, sold the Purple to friend and moved away from the UA

Purple- More in your face, brighter, more texture, more 3d
UA- darker, more vintage but a little flat/boring sounding.

The only reason that would make me prefer the UA is if I only did retro stuff but there are a lot of compressors I would rather pick that UA1176, The purple can sometimes be to forward sounding but It's a great compressor. I used the originals to, the Purple is more open sounding and the UA is more "boring" sounding.

I guess I grew tired of 1176's as vocal comps, still like them when compressing bass a lot, drum rooms/parallell drums to.

[skybluerental]

UREI 1176 (any revision if you ask me): Beautiful, classic, warm sound that can work on just about anything. can sound great shaving off just a few DB or crushing sounds to bits. Wonderful vocal compressor. Very versatile.
It is a classic for a good reason.

UA 1176: Just doesnt sound like an 1176 should to me. I dunno, the tone and character are just not there at all.......... not worth the price of admission.
It gets dogged a lot for a reason.............

Purple MC77: This one has more character than the UA. For me, it is a little too bright, bordering on harsh, in the high mids. i had one for quite a while and tried it on about everything. I NEVER liked it on vocals. it always made them a little too edgy in a harsh way to my ears. that said, it was GREAT on bass and drums.
I sold my Purple when i heard it next to a UREI 1178 at my studio. the 1178 gave that warm, inviting tone to vocals that i am used to in an 1176 despite NOT having input trannies. On bass i thought the MC 77 and 1178 were about even, but the 1178 sounded MUCH better on vocals to me and the other 3 in the room..........
Not being happy with the way it sounded on vocals was the reason i sold my purple.

Mohog: I havent tried this one yet, but i will. i heard some clips of it which make me want to test it out in my room. the trannies in an 1176 are a very critical part of the tone and it sounds like Mohog got it right with the Carnhill option. i wont know for sure until i get my hands on one in my room, but i am very encouraged by what i have heard so far.
Mohog seems like a very cool new product that will hopefully be more true to the originals than the Purple or the UA which to me, do not quite get there.

[tguy]

I have to agree 100% here as well. I dont own a UREI but I did own a 1176LN and currently have the MC77. I never liked the LN and sold it a while back. It was "boring" for lack of a better word. IMO I like the 1176 plugin from UAD better than the LN! But I love my MC77. I dont like it on vocals either but its fantastic on bass, kick, snare, etc. If you are looking for a 1176 style vocal compressor I would save your bucks for a vintage 1176.

[Mr. Light]

I own a pair of the mohogs along with a bunch of other comps and these get a ton of use, versatile workhorses they are. The switchable transformer is a great option, the carnhill is great at smoothing out brittle highs, edcor is great on drums, fast transients........very usable comps on just about anything.

As mentioned before, their customer service is top notch. I had a small problem with one of the units, they had it turned around in a matter of days, no charge. People always comment on the wood face, nice touch. You'd have to pry these from my cold hands to trade them for a reissue, even an original blackface. No personal experience with an MC77

[cosmik_debris]

I'm sorry that I won't be offering any advice, but there are multiple threads on this topic already. Use the search option on the site.

Short answer (based on what's been written a million times here)

UREI is the best, you can't get better, it's the real deal, it's the best, nothing can touch it, i think Jesus used this in his vocal chain.

PURPLE is good, brighter, not a UREI, is brighter than the UREI, is really good, I actually have an MC76, it's brighter, it's bright, sometimes it's a little bright.

Never tried the Mohog, but why would you. Jesus used UREI...

[superburtm]

vintage Urei is the way thumbsup

[Hammock Byrd]

Thanks for the replies guys

Seems like the concensus is:

UA - not 1176 sounding enough and boring

Purple - closer to the original 1176 sound but sometimes too bright and harsh

Mohog - better than UA at doing the 1176 thing but not necessarily better than the Purple or the originals.

Urei 1176/1178 - the best, no parts available and prone to repairs these days



I think for now.....I am just going to keep using my distressors in 6:1 and that will likely get me just as close to the 1176 sound than buying an imitation Mohog or Purple.

Agreed?

[Mr. Light]

Yah if you already have a distressor (or pair) your money might be better spent elsewhere

[Mr. Kelly]

Originally Posted by Hammock Byrd

I think for now.....I am just going to keep using my distressors in 6:1 and that will likely get me just as close to the 1176 sound than buying an imitation Mohog or Purple.

Agreed?

For clarity, and for interest: What is it that you're contemplating, and why? Are you not getting what you think you want from your Distressors?

[superburtm]

Not true... I did just have my vintage early 70's 1176 services and replace some caps and such for the 1 st time in it's existence by Dave Kulka and all is well. Wouldnt trade it for the world thumbsup

Originally Posted by Hammock Byrd

Urei 1176/1178 - the best, no parts available and prone to repairs these days



I think for now.....I am just going to keep using my distressors in 6:1 and that will likely get me just as close to the 1176 sound than buying an imitation Mohog or Purple.

Agreed?

[steffo]

Originally Posted by Hammock Byrd

I think for now.....I am just going to keep using my distressors in 6:1 and that will likely get me just as close to the 1176 sound than buying an imitation Mohog or Purple.

Agreed?

No, the distressor is not close, It's a good compressor but I have never heard something close to a 1176 coming from it..

The Purple is way closer..It's close

[trustyjim]

Originally Posted by cosmik_debris

I'm sorry that I won't be offering any advice, but there are multiple threads on this topic already. Use the search option on the site.

Short answer (based on what's been written a million times here)

UREI is the best, you can't get better, it's the real deal, it's the best, nothing can touch it, i think Jesus used this in his vocal chain.

PURPLE is good, brighter, not a UREI, is brighter than the UREI, is really good, I actually have an MC76, it's brighter, it's bright, sometimes it's a little bright.

Never tried the Mohog, but why would you. Jesus used UREI...

Rofl! I think this pretty much sums it up

[Ricey]

i have two MC77s and am seriously eyeing a third.
they're bright, but i mix to tape, so maybe that's why i don't mind it?

[Space Station]

Originally Posted by Hammock Byrd

Urei 1176/1178 - the best, no parts available and prone to repairs these days

Why do think every man and his dog has cloned and DIY'ed the 1176? Well apart from it sounding great, it's a pretty simple design, and all the parts are easy to get.

And it's simple enough for any experienced studio engineer worth his salt to be able to get running again if they go bad.

All 1176's vary sonically, even two with consecutive serials..hence the stereo box never working right...but all mentioned will get you in the ball park, because they all copy the Urei design...most copy the D revision(purple, Universal etc)..although some of the less popular revisions are now being cloned...like the Mohog 'clone' of the F revision.

Just pick one and go for it. They will all get you there.

[delcosmos]

This are my opinion on each of the 1176 I have.

1176 Blue stripe: Its all about the nice distortion you get with this guy, the color of this one is very special and agressive, but again, the secret is in the distortion, on Rock Vocals or an IN YOU FACE kind of sound.

1176 C: This one has a nice character, it's a bit noisy and I don't like it that much on vocals, usually its on my snare or aux send for paralel compression.

1176 Rev D: This is one of my favorites on Vocals, the sound is detailed, with a nice color and the response its just perfect on most vocals.

1176 G: Love them on guitars, I have a pair always on my electric guitars.

1176 UA: I have them for some years, they sound good, but they never make me smile. I used to rise the input too much to get a nice compression, altough I have a very strong philosofy of not sell anything of my gear, I sold them, I don't need them and they were accumulating dust.

1178: I like to track electric guitars with this guys, I have 3, one for my Over Heads and 2 for tracking, I like to have different amps already miced each with its own Mic pre and compressor, the 1178 is handy for this task.

Retro 176: I love to mix vocals with this guys, a lot of control and for some reason it CUTS on a dense mix like no other, Phil Moore is a genius and an amazing person.

Purple Audio MC77: In my opinion this one is very aggressive and sensitive, some times is too much on vocals, I would never track with this guy, mine usually works on Rock Bass guitar where I want the bass very controlled or on a mono Room.

Mohoh MOfet 76: Lately I've been recording vocals and Bass with this one, my main tracking 1176 rev D failed and while in repair, I replaced it with the Mohoh, I didn't notice any difference, the sound was perfect and the option of switching transformers is great, this guy knows what he's doing.

Best regards.

delcosmos.

[Space Station]

Do you not use your Inward TSL-3 much?

I use it much more than any 1176's on vocals these days.

[warhead]

I agree where many 1176 or 1176 style compressors are hit and miss on vocals...the Mohog seems to offer up great detail / tone / depth but with an action you expect and can nicely predict. Great on voice, among other things.

War

[delcosmos]

3 years ago I over used my TSL 3's on vocals, I'm letting rest a little bit that sound, I really love my TSL3, right now I'm using them on Background Vocals and some times acoustic guitars.

[Hammock Byrd]

Originally Posted by delcosmos

This are my opinion on each of the 1176 I have.

1176 Blue stripe: Its all about the nice distortion you get with this guy, the color of this one is very special and agressive, but again, the secret is in the distortion, on Rock Vocals or an IN YOU FACE kind of sound.

1176 C: This one has a nice character, it's a bit noisy and I don't like it that much on vocals, usually its on my snare or aux send for paralel compression.

1176 Rev D: This is one of my favorites on Vocals, the sound is detailed, with a nice color and the response its just perfect on most vocals.

1176 G: Love them on guitars, I have a pair always on my electric guitars.

1176 UA: I have them for some years, they sound good, but they never make me smile. I used to rise the input too much to get a nice compression, altough I have a very strong philosofy of not sell anything of my gear, I sold them, I don't need them and they were accumulating dust.

1178: I like to track electric guitars with this guys, I have 3, one for my Over Heads and 2 for tracking, I like to have different amps already miced each with its own Mic pre and compressor, the 1178 is handy for this task.

Retro 176: I love to mix vocals with this guys, a lot of control and for some reason it CUTS on a dense mix like no other, Phil Moore is a genius and an amazing person.

Purple Audio MC77: In my opinion this one is very aggressive and sensitive, some times is too much on vocals, I would never track with this guy, mine usually works on Rock Bass guitar where I want the bass very controlled or on a mono Room.

Mohoh MOfet 76: Lately I've been recording vocals and Bass with this one, my main tracking 1176 rev D failed and while in repair, I replaced it with the Mohoh, I didn't notice any difference, the sound was perfect and the option of switching transformers is great, this guy knows what he's doing.

Best regards.

delcosmos.

Thanks so much. This really is a great summary of the varieties of 1176 units.

I am wanting to ask you one question after getting all this great information from you!

What is your opinion of the distressor?

Do you think the distressor is as good a compressor as the Mohog or the Purple for tracking compression on guitars/bass/vocals?

See, I currently own a distressor and I have been happily using it for the last 5 years without even thinking about other compressors.

However, recently I have aquired some really great mics and preamps - Wunder CM7, Coles 4038, AEA R84, Royer R122, etc and two AMS-Neve 1084's and two API 512C mic preamps.

I am starting to think that with that quality of this stuff I am now using, is the distressor now the weakest link in my chain? I like tracking with compression, not too much but I like to compress to get the sound closer to sounding finished. I wonder if something like the Purple or the Mohog is going to be better or just different than the distressor for tracking compression?


I also got the Dramastic Audio Obsidian for compressing my mix buss which it is really awesome for. I use lynx Aurora 16 conversion and Focal Monitors. I take the mix to an SSL studio that I go to for mixing.

I'm just wondering if the Purple or the Mohog are going to improve my Guitar, bass, vocal chain at all or would I be just as good to stick with the distressor. I do like the distressor and I don't hear anything wrong with it.

My brain just wonders if there is something better because I don't want to sacrifice any sound quality.

If the Purple or Mohog offer no obvious improvement or increase in quality over the distressor then I might just buy another distressor to have a strero pair. I don't currently have the room for a strero pair of Purple's or Mohogs.

Let me know what you think of this dilema

[delcosmos]

Originally Posted by Hammock Byrd

Thanks so much. This really is a great summary of the varieties of 1176 units.

I am wanting to ask you one question after getting all this great information from you!

What is your opinion of the distressor?

Do you think the distressor is as good a compressor as the Mohog or the Purple for tracking compression on guitars/bass/vocals?

See, I currently own a distressor and I have been happily using it for the last 5 years without even thinking about other compressors.

However, recently I have aquired some really great mics and preamps - Wunder CM7, Coles 4038, AEA R84, Royer R122, etc and two AMS-Neve 1084's and two API 512C mic preamps.

I am starting to think that with that quality of this stuff I am now using, is the distressor now the weakest link in my chain? I like tracking with compression, not too much but I like to compress to get the sound closer to sounding finished. I wonder if something like the Purple or the Mohog is going to be better or just different than the distressor for tracking compression?


I also got the Dramastic Audio Obsidian for compressing my mix buss which it is really awesome for. I use lynx Aurora 16 conversion and Focal Monitors. I take the mix to an SSL studio that I go to for mixing.

I'm just wondering if the Purple or the Mohog are going to improve my Guitar, bass, vocal chain at all or would I be just as good to stick with the distressor. I do like the distressor and I don't hear anything wrong with it.

My brain just wonders if there is something better because I don't want to sacrifice any sound quality.

If the Purple or Mohog offer no obvious improvement or increase in quality over the distressor then I might just buy another distressor to have a strero pair. I don't currently have the room for a strero pair of Purple's or Mohogs.

Let me know what you think of this dilema

Well, IMHO an 1176 is a must have in a studio, I love them and think the mohog is a nice affordable option.

Regarding your question about the distressor, it depends: 98% of the times the 1176 work like charm, my distressors are always on my snare tracks but... on one specific kind of vocals (Powerful female), for some reason, the 1176 just don't work, in that specific case, the distressor was the ticket.

If you can afford to have different compressors, great, if not, a distressor can make miracles, I have a good friend who has mixed wonderful mixes with a distressor on main vocals.

Best regards.

delcosmos.

[syra]

I think the UA 1176 is one of the best reissues available. Color-wise much closer to the real deal compared to the MC77 IMO. I've had 3 over the years... one of them was just as good as my D's...

[The Beatsmith]

I think i might have been swayed towards a Mohog (away from the Purple)...

[drmmrboy]

Originally Posted by syra

I think the UA 1176 is one of the best reissues available. Color-wise much closer to the real deal compared to the MC77 IMO. I've had 3 over the years... one of them was just as good as my D's...

Yup. I have a UA, early serial, proper input atten, & it gets used side by side with our UREIs.

[skybluerental]

Originally Posted by Hammock Byrd

Thanks so much. This really is a great summary of the varieties of 1176 units.

I am wanting to ask you one question after getting all this great information from you!

What is your opinion of the distressor?

Do you think the distressor is as good a compressor as the Mohog or the Purple for tracking compression on guitars/bass/vocals?

See, I currently own a distressor and I have been happily using it for the last 5 years without even thinking about other compressors.

However, recently I have aquired some really great mics and preamps - Wunder CM7, Coles 4038, AEA R84, Royer R122, etc and two AMS-Neve 1084's and two API 512C mic preamps.

I am starting to think that with that quality of this stuff I am now using, is the distressor now the weakest link in my chain? I like tracking with compression, not too much but I like to compress to get the sound closer to sounding finished. I wonder if something like the Purple or the Mohog is going to be better or just different than the distressor for tracking compression?


I also got the Dramastic Audio Obsidian for compressing my mix buss which it is really awesome for. I use lynx Aurora 16 conversion and Focal Monitors. I take the mix to an SSL studio that I go to for mixing.

I'm just wondering if the Purple or the Mohog are going to improve my Guitar, bass, vocal chain at all or would I be just as good to stick with the distressor. I do like the distressor and I don't hear anything wrong with it.

My brain just wonders if there is something better because I don't want to sacrifice any sound quality.

If the Purple or Mohog offer no obvious improvement or increase in quality over the distressor then I might just buy another distressor to have a strero pair. I don't currently have the room for a strero pair of Purple's or Mohogs.

Let me know what you think of this dilema

the distressor is NOT a weak link in your chain!
it is a great tool for shaping sound.

[rhythminmind]

I just went thru the "what 1176 to purchase" quest this last month.
I wanted a stereo pair for my drum bus. I ended up with something that hasn't been mentioned & I'm more then pleased!

I started off thinking ok the ua 2-1176.
Went down to check one out & a/b'd between the LN & purple. Both sounded better then the 2-1176. But I wanted a truly matched stereo pair. So still no go.
Mohog seems great. The design is topnotch & great features. The dual transformer thing is wonderful & they are visually stunning & a great price
I see no reason not to go with Mohog honestly. I have one on my soon to get list.

But what did I end up with? The Studio electronics C2s
Really great sounding box. Highly recommended. Tim Caswell did a great job (known for the slate comp as well).
It's a true 1176 design with a much improved Neve output stage. Love his choice of Jenson input & Sowter outputs (for those that like the sound iron in your path).

Quick drum bus example.
C2S 8:1
http://soundcloud.com/rhythm-in-mind/hardware-8-1/s-EEjN7

C2s "all in"
http://soundcloud.com/rhythm-in-mind/hardware-all-in/s-EEjN7

No comp
http://soundcloud.com/rhythm-in-mind/drum-bus-no-compression/s-2bnY9

[the fxs]

^
funny thing is that the 8:1 sounds like a joke next to the no comp example . . . at least from the soundcloud player.
did you level match the files?