Universal Audio 6176 Vintage Channel Strip

zZounds Gear Experts Say...
The classic Putnam 610 preamp, plus the legendary 1176 compressor, equals one unbeatable channel strip. Warm up vocals, drums, and more with the UA 6176.

Take your tone to a whole other level with the Universal Audio 6176 Vintage Channel Strip, which brings together the warm tube sounds of the legendary Bill Putnam-designed 610 microphone preamplifier with the FET compression of Universal Audio's one and only 1176LN. A fantastic front-end for recording drums, vocals, acoustic instruments, and more, the 6176 Vintage Channel Strip is well-equipped to make your recordings sound like a million bucks -- or at least sound like they cost a million bucks to produce.

Learn more with this video from Universal Audio:


Whether it's used in the personal studio, project studio, or professional recording studio, this UA channel strip delivers the unique characteristics of a classic compressor used in studios around the world, and the smooth tones of the lauded 610 mic preamp design.

2 Essential Pieces of Hardware in 1 Chassis

Two units in one, the 6176 Vintage Channel Strip puts the workhorse 1176LN compressor on one side of the rackmountable unit, and the 610 microphone preamplifier on the other. The 1176 section stays true to UA's original 1176LN design and maintains all the same features, but with the addition of high-tension power regulation for improved bass response and a front-panel 15 dB pad switch. The 610 section offers Mic, Line and hi-Z inputs, and two bands of shelving EQ.

Split or Join -- It's Up to You

What do engineers like Joe Chiccarelli and Vance Powell, and artists/groups like Norah Jones and the Shins have in read more common? They all use the 6176. Offering a flexible, single-channel signal path, the 6176 combines a recreated 1176 with one channel of the 610 mic pre. By flipping a switch for Split and Join modes, you can split the 6176 Vintage Channel Strip into its two parts (preamp section and compressor section), or you can join them as a complete channel.

Features:

- All-tube mic preamp section derived from legendary Bill Putnam-designed 610 modular console
- Signature 1176LN Class A FET compressor section delivers that classic sound
- "Split" or "Join" switch allows separate or series operation of the preamp and compressor
- High- and low-frequency shelving EQ
- Variable impedance input, gain, and output levels
- Mic-level, balanced line-level, and Hi-Z (high-impedance) instrument inputs
- Ultra-quiet operation
- Stereo interconnection via 1176-SA
- Backed by Universal Audio's 1-year limited warranty
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Specifications
Connections:
- Audio inputs - mic pre section
- Microphone: female XLR
- Balanced line: female XLR
- Unbalanced line/instrument: 1/4 in. jack on front panel

Audio inputs - compressor section:
- Balanced line: female XLR for use in Split Mode

Audio outputs - mic pre section:
- Balanced line: male XLR for use in Split Mode

Audio outputs - compressor section:
- Balanced line: male XLR

Front panel controls - pre-amp section:
- Impedance selector
- Mic: selectable - 500 ohms or 2kOhms
- Line: fixed - 13.8kOhms
- Hi-Z: selectable, 2.2 Meg ohms or 47kOhms

HF Shelf EQ:
- Switchable boost/cut at 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, and 9dB
- Corner frequency select: 4.5kHz, 7kHz, 10kHz

LF Shelf EQ:
- Switchable boost/cut: 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, and 9dB
- Corner frequency select: 70Hz, 100Hz, 200Hz

Polarity Reverse Switch:
- 48-volt phantom power
- Join/Split switch for joint or independent compressor/pre-amp operation

Front panel controls - compressor section:
- Input gain
- Output gain
- Attack
- Release
- Compression ratio: bypass, 1:1, 4:1, 8:1, 12:1, 20:1 and "All Button" mode
- Meter Select: Pre-amp output, compressor gain reduction, and compressor output

Additional Features:
- Stereo interconnection - with 1176 SA Network accessory
- Vacuum tubes: one 12AX7A and one 12BH7 per channel
Dimensions and Weight in Packaging
Base Item
Shipping Weight: 17.5 lbs
Shipping Dimensions: 23 x 18 x 8 in
Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): 6176

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 831-440-1176
Web: https://help.uaudio.com/

UA 6176 Vintage Channel Strip

The 6176 Vintage Channel Strip combines the alluring, all-tube sounds of the legendary Bill Putnam-designed 610 microphone preamp, with the signature FET compression of our 1176LN, to create the ultimate recording channel strip. The warm, smooth tones of this mic preamp design -- employed to record everyone from Frank Sinatra to Van Halen I -- and the unique characteristics of the compressor, are two major reasons why the 6176 is found in studios around the world.

Features:

- All-tube mic preamp section derived from legendary Bill Putnam-designed 610 modular console
- Signature 1176LN Class A FET compressor section, as heard on countless hit records for more than 30 years
- "Split" or "Join" switch allows separate or series operation of the preamp and compressor
- High and Low frequency shelving EQ
- Variable impedance Input, Gain, and Output levels
- Mic, balanced Line, and Hi-Z inputs
- Ultra-quiet operation
- Stereo interconnection via 1176-SA
- Hand-built in USA; backed by 1-Year limited warranty

Thanks to its straightforward controls and hallmark sound, the 6176 is the signal path of choice for engineering heavyweights like Vance Powell and Joe Chiccarelli, plus artists including Chris Martin of Coldplay, Norah Jones, Wyclef Jean, and James Mercer of The Shins. The ability to "Split" or "Join" the preamp and the compressor sections via a simple switch gives the 6176 added flexibility. This is truly UA's premier channel strip, and among the world's finest.

610B Mic Pre

The 2-610 microphone and instrument preamplifier has received praise from many corners. Michael Cooper, in his review for Mix Magazine, called it "hands-down, the most dimensional mic preamp I've ever heard". Peter Wade, engineer/producer who has worked with acts ranging from Wyclef Jean to Jennifer Lopez, said simply, "This box rocks." The 6176 mic preamp sections maintains the quality and character of the 2-610 while adding high-tension power regulation for improved bass response and a front-panel 15db pad switch.

1176LN Limiting Amplifier

As legendary engineer/producer Andy Johns put it, "The 1176LN is the workhorse compressor." The 1176LN may well be the most loved compressor in history. Its trademark lightning-quick attack and release times and the tone of it's Class A output amplifier have enhanced countless recordings over the last thirty-five years. UA has recreated the 1176LN for the compressor section of the 6176 with the same exacting, attention to detail and tradition used on the 1176LN. The resulting character, heritage and tone simply cannot be found on other channel strip units.

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (2 ratings)
Submitted November 17, 2021 by Johannes L in New York, NY

"A singer's perspective"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
The problem with writing a review like this is that you can’t describe musical experiences in words. But I thought it might interest some people like me to hear my 6176 story. People like me, that would be singer-songwriters who record themselves at home. Does a $3000 expense really make sense for someone like that? Of course not. I have read and dreamed about this device for over a decade. I’ve watched all the YouTube reviews, googled the term “affordable alternative” a hundred times without success. I’ve also spent a few hundred bucks on plug-ins that promised to recreate the magic. Can they? Who knows! I guess the most honest answer is that a first rate engineer could coax the 6176’s sort of complexity out of a few pieces of software after a long, tedious process of tweaking virtual buttons. In other words: For a simpleton like me with limited time it amounts to a crapshoot. A few times I thought I had “it”, then it was gone again. Enter an unexpected little windfall, three glasses of Malbec, and you got yourself a late night impulse buy. (What really made me go for it is zZound’s interest free installment plan, to be perfectly honest.) And now I have “it” at my fingertips, packed in a shiny, heavy, solid box with those impossibly cool huge dials. What is “it”? I can’t describe it in technical terms. Let me give it a shot in musical terms, then. The 6176 sort of holds you. It catches you. It props you up, makes you feel like you can do no wrong. read more Especially as a singer. It controls the dynamics of your voice in such a way that you find yourself whispering or belting, feeling in control in both instances. And everything in between. That overused word “warmth” seems to be the only apt one to really describe what this tube preamp achieves. It’s similar to what happens to your voice toward the end of a gig, when you’re nice and loose, and it all becomes effortless. There’s a bit of grit, or a lot of it, if you so chose. The very simple EQ does all you need to do, given you’ve found the perfect mic for your purposes. In my case, that’s a U47 clone, or sometimes a simple 57. The compressor is a legend for good reason. I keep the ratio low, the attack fast and the release pretty quick as well. That’s all I need. In closing, the answer to the question whether you’ll be happy or not about dishing out the big money on something your interface can, in theory, already do … depends. It depends on how much of your idea of hearing music is really about FEELING music. Depends on how sensitive (or crazy? Or both?) you are. Depends on whether or not the rest of your rig, especially the mic, is already perfect for what you need. Depends on your years of experience. Guitarists know that there are magical guitars out there, instruments that make you play better. Well, this is like that.

Musical Background:
25 years of tinkering, more recording than live

Musical Style:
Singer songwriter, mostly acoustic, guitar, some bass
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