Relab 176 Tube Compressor/Limiter

Relab 176 Tube Compressor/Limiter | Hardware-Grade Tube Compressor Derived from 1960s Classics

Beyond Emulation: Infusing the Soul of Legendary Tube Dynamic Processing into Your Digital Audio Workstation

Relab 176 is the ultimate homage and digital recreation of the classic 1960s studio benchmark, the 176 compressor. Utilizing real-time circuit solver technology, we have meticulously modeled every audio circuit detail of the original hardware—from the tubes, transformers, timing networks, to the power supply interactions—with unparalleled precision. This is not merely an algorithmic imitation, but a complete restoration of the hardware's soul. This tube compressor plugin retains the original unit's warm tone, musical timing response, and unique dynamic behavior, addressing the challenge of achieving analog saturation and vitality in a digital environment. Whether you're processing vocals, drums, mix buses, or mastering, Relab 176 delivers an irreplaceable classic texture and depth to your productions, making it an essential dynamic processing tool and a powerful mixing plugin for modern music producers.

Product Features

• Hardware-Grade Precise Emulation: Through real-time circuit solvers, every tube, transformer, timing network, and power supply interaction of the classic 1960s 176 compressor is precisely recreated, fully preserving the original hardware's tone, timing, and dynamic behavior.
• Musically Interactive Compression Characteristics: Features a fixed threshold, variable gain design. A complex interplay between compression ratio, drive amount, and source material collectively shapes unique timing, curve, and harmonic characteristics.
• Real-time Tone and Transient Control: Offers switchable interstage transformers, asymmetric detection, and calibration trim functions, allowing you to quickly alter tonal characteristics and transient processing.
• Program-Dependent Timing Response: Attack and Release times are determined by RC networks directly coupled to the tube gain stages, automatically adapting based on signal level, transient magnitude, tube non-linearity, and other factors, rather than fixed millisecond values.
• Unique Polarity-Selective Detection: The Sidechain Polarity control allows the detector to react to the positive half-wave, negative half-wave, or both, enabling precise control over specific transient edges, such as suppressing kick drum impact without affecting the low-frequency body.
• Dual Interstage Coupling Paths: Switchable between "Transformer" and "Resistor" modes. The former provides faster Attack and a classic "smiley curve" coloration, while the latter retains a flatter tone and vintage low-frequency thump.
• Powerful Calibration Function: A single knob simultaneously adjusts internal tube bias and balance, thereby altering threshold, harmonic distribution, and dynamic feel, simulating multiple trim operations during hardware maintenance.
• Pro-Grade Rear Panel Trims: Offers independent hardware-style trims for 6BC8 bias, 6BC8 anode balance, and 12AX7 bias, along with reference level control, enabling ultimate customization of tone and dynamics.

Core Features Explained