6176 Vintage Channel Strip Reviews

Of all the plugins that could be introduced this month, a historic UA channel strip tops the list. I’ve had the MkII in my rack for over a decade. To now have the ability to use the 6176 in a digital format is fantastic. I was excited to find the Split/Join switch as well as integration with the LA-2A and 1176 plug ins. To be able to use the 6176 Unison tech is a tube driven analog sounding pleasure. Vocals shine as expected. The compression is extremely versatile, with the ability to use a slow to fast release. The coolest part will be taking it on the go and using multiple instances of the plug in. Like many I imagine, this was the first Universal Audio rack unit I ever bought and holds a special place as my first “real” channel strip. Being able to pull it right up and know every nook and cranny of this baby (with a few digital only surprises) is a treat. As it’s native as well, there are so many options. I hope a new generation of users are as excited to have this emulation as I was when I bought the MkII. Enjoy!

Amazing pre amp, versatile but especially good at capturing vintage (but hi-fi) sounds. The gain staging allows the user to finely tune in the sound they want, at higher gain settings such as +10 the sound becomes softer and fuller. I find this exceptional at taming some of the harsher frequencies of my U87AI. The U87 is a mic I can’t recommend enough as a partner for this pre. The warmth of the 6176 and the clarity of the 87 creates such a full and balanced sound. The addition of the 1176 allows for quick tracking and the separate I/O and split/join modes makes it versatile for mixing. 10/10