I was in search of a new 1176 clone after purchasing a Klark Teknik 1176 (a great clone for Rev D & E.) However, I wanted a Rev A and I stumbled upon three companies who make one: Stam Audio, Hairball, and Audio-Scape.

I decided to go for the Audio-Scape because of everyone said the owner, Chris Yetter, was an amazing guy. And yes he is!!! I emailed him asking many questions about his 76A (specs, audio examples, etc.) and he answered them perfectly and very fast. The price is perfect at $700 and free shipping in the U.S. Amazing! So let's talk about the unit.

First of all, the build is fantastic. Heavy(ish), sturdy, and well-built. Chris even hand builds his units. To quote him, he "puts a lot of love into these units." The silverface is very sleek, the knobs are sturdy, and the buttons just feel "right." The famous Blue Stripe doesn't seem prone to chipping and is very sexy. The VU meter is beautiful, especially with a little "Audio Scape Engineering" tag on it. But how does it sound??

Aggressive, grabby, transparent, crunchy, distorted, and everything in between. Honestly, you can do everything with this compressor. Works amazing on vocals, both tracking & mixing. My favorite vocal setting is the Dr. Pepper setting (Attack at 3, Release at 5, Ratio 4:1) But any setting could work. The 12:1 ratio can really smooth out a vocal. The All-In-Buttons mode is CRAZY. On a snare, it absolutely kills. It brings out all the harmonic goodness that the Rev A is famous for. On bass, it is a monster. Seriously, even turning the compressor off and letting audio run though it makes it sound better.

If you're looking for a Rev A but really don't want to spend $10,000 on a vintage unit, then grab this one. This is by far the best 1176 clone out on the market. Chris is an actual wizard and this compressor will bring your tracks life. Thanks, Chris!

I can't put into words how much a fan of this limiting amplifier I actually am.

I'll keep the review very short and sweet.

first of all, I cut my teeth on an original in an old studio some 40 years ago when I was in junior high and worked as a gopher and helper as much as possible. The Rev AB is my built-in, burned-in reference for what a limiter is supposed to sound like.

I also own a Pro Replicas Rev AB clone which I find fantastic and two Stam 76ADGs which are ok. And a number of other 1176s.

1. The @ AudioScape 76a sounds IDENTICAL to an original except:
2. It has no noise. It's uncanny how clean it is.
3. It is even faster than an original. Attack on 7 on the original is like 5 on the 76a, so you can get it even quicker . . . biut slow it down as well. By the time you get to 3, they're identical again.
4. Release is also faster! And thus recovery time is quicker. IF YOU CHOOSE.

Finally . . .
5. There's a lot less discernable distortion in the sound of it than the Bluey being offered by BLA. Although that is also a tone beast!!

So . . . is it perfect? Yes it is.
Is it perfect for everyone? Yes it is.
Does it shine on bass and snare? Yes it does.
How about room mics? Crushes them if you ask it to
how is it on vocals? Indispensable.