Universal Audio 2-1176 Dual 1176LN - Manual (Page 14)

Insider’s Secrets
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Jim Scott, who won a Grammy for Best Engineered Album for Tom Petty’s Wildflowers, adds, “I use
1176s real conservatively and they still do amazing things. I always use them on vocals.... I’m always
on the 4:1 [ratio], and the Dr. Pepper [Attack/Release settings]—you know, 10 o’clock, 2 o’clock, and it
does everything I need... They have an equalizer kind of effect, adding a coloration that’s bright and
clear. Not only do they give you a little more impact from the compression, they also sort of clear things
up; maybe a little bottom end gets squeezed out or maybe they are just sort of excitingly solid state...
The big thing for me is the clarity, and the improvement in the top end.”
One important secret weapon when using the 2-1176 on vocals is its rear-panel Input-Z switch. As
reviewer George Shilling pointed out in the May/June 2004 issue of Resolution magazine, “... [the]
15kohm position... adds a lovely touch of added brightness in some instances—just when you are
looking to make that vocal cut through the mix a bit more.”
Last but not least, if you’re trying to get an extra dose of attitude in a lead vocal, try using a channel of
the 2-1176 in ALL Ratio with fast attack and release times. Not recommended for the faint of heart (or
for balladeers), but it can definitely give a male or female rock vocal track an in-your-face sound that
you can’t get anywhere else.
Drums
In the world of recording, there’s probably no greater challenge than getting powerful and precise
drum sounds. The 1176 has long been the compressor of choice for engineers for kick drum, snare
drum, and overhead or ambient mics.
“I’ll always place one big mic, like a U47 (Neumann) or a ribbon mic such as a Coles or Royer, five or
six feet in front of the drums,” confides Grammy-winning engineer Jay Newland (Norah Jones). “I try to
get the whole drum set to sound good through that one mic and then put it through an 1176. That’s
the secret weapon track. The 1176 compresses and makes it sound bigger and more present and a lot
more exciting without having to crush it. I just it give a healthy 3 - 5 dB of compression and turn up
the gain a little bit—it sounds great! If I have that mono track, where the whole drum kit sounds
balanced, then I can build a decent drum sound with whatever else I have.”
“The 1176 is standard equipment for my sessions,” adds
studio owner / engineer and well-known industry “golden ear”
Allen Sides (Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day). “I mult the left and
right [drum] overheads and bring them back on the console,
then insert a pair of 1176s [in All-button mode] into a pair of
the mults. (This, of course, can be easily accomplished with a
single 2-1176.) [That] puts the unit into overdrive, creating a
very impressive sound.”
Engineer Andy Johns employs a similar technique. “What you do is, you run your room mics through a
couple of 1176s (or a single 2-1176), just so that they are nudging a bit. This brings up the decay time
of the room when your guy hits the bass drum or the snare. If it’s a very quick tempo it won’t work, but
at medium or half-time tempo it brings up the room. It’s wonderful and there is not another
compressor that will do it the same way as an 1176.”
“
The 1176 is standard
equipment for my sessions
”
— engineer Allen Sides