UA WebZine "UAD-1 Feature" August 03 | The 1176 Comp-Distortion Trick

In the past we have mentioned how the 1176 is more than just a compressor; its very unique characteristics make it a tone shaper as well. One of it’s features is ultra-fast attack and release times, and used correctly (or incorrectly depending on the way you look at it), you can add distortion to an otherwise pristine audio track.

“This trick also sounds great on vocals, giving a male or female rock vocal track an in-your-face sound that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Running most sources through a distortion plugin can cause the signal to loose some of it’s definition as you increase the effect. Also, distortion plugins can add a great deal of noise. With the 1176, you can compress your signal, and add distortion, and not lose definition, while minimally amplifying any noise. Since the attack and release can happen so fast, set at their fastest values, they impart minute level fluctuations over the audio. The result is a special kind of distortion not available through any other means. This distortion can be adjusted to taste by adjusting the attack, release, and compression ratio. Of course, you can adjust the input gain to control how often the source will go into this distorted compression. Probably the most distorted sound you’ll get out of the 1176 is in all-button mode, with the attack and release set to their maximums. By simply backing off on the attack and/or release control, you can lessen the effect.

Below are some .mp3 examples of this effect on an electric bass. This was done using the 1176LN (but you can do this with the1176SE as well!).

Original Bass (mp3)
Slightly Dirty (mp3)
- This is same bass guitar track running through the 1176 with the controls set as they are in this screen shot:
- Notice that the bass is much fatter and warmer, and is slightly distorted.
Super Dirt (mp3)
- Here is the bass again, running through the 1176 with the controls set as they are in this screen shot:
- Notice that the bass is very distorted and compressed, but still retains its definition
  - Press <shift> while clicking a ratio button to press all the ratio buttons in ("All-Buttons Mode")

This trick also sounds great on vocals, giving a male or female rock vocal track an in-your-face sound that you can’t get anywhere else. And of course, the hardware does it too!

--Dave Crane

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