Since there was a lot of talk about Slate`s 1176 compressors i checked out some sites and you can build yourself the legendary 1176 compressor.They sell DIY kits.
Costs only 500$,all parts included,people love it.
You can also build yourself cheap but great sounding preamps and much more,check out hairballaudio.
http://www.hairballaudio.com/catalog

• All the parts needed to complete the build
• MNATS PCB
• Clear chem-film front panel with blue stripe made in Seattle, USA
• Custom 18 gauge steel powder coated enclosure made in Seattle, USA
• Custom Ed Anderson O-12 reproduction input transformer made in the USA
• Custom Ed Anderson 5002 reproduction output transformer made in the USA
• Custom Bourns T-Pad input attenuator
• Interlocking push button switches with “All Buttons In” mode
• Fully discrete audio path including capacitors selected by ear from Cornell Dubilier (Orange Drop), Kemet, Nichicon, Panasonic, Vishay, United Chemi-Con and Elna
• Bourns trim pots
• 1% metal film resistors
• Matched FETs
• Authentic control knobs

 

Last edited by a moderator: May 19, 2016

Very Nice Share @Von_Steyr Thanks for the Info!

 

In a similar vein, 1176 and LA-2A clones from $599 which people also seem to like

http://www.warmaudio.com/

 

Last edited: May 19, 2016

Nice.
Though with hairballaudio they also send you a free t-shirt

 

That's the deal clincher, where do I sign up

 

The clone market is very interesting, but also very confusing Where to start? Those two 1176 above look quite different on the inside.

 

Indeed,but still an easier decision than choosing between hundreds of plugins

 

Thanks Herr Von_Steyr for the this informative post, I don't think we don't talk enough about outboard around here. So many are totally working ITB that this is glossed over to a great extent.

I have the Warm Audio Wa76 and it kicks ass. I also have the Tonebeast which is also great and I can get lots of tones out of it with the options available, from really clean to a ironed flat transient leveled, soft and fuzzy vocals, to full on guitar distortion if I plug in. When I eventually get the newer Wa2a compressor I will be in hog heaven with my vocal chain (Gefell UMT 70S>Daking Mic Pre One [for my voice] >Wa76>Wa2a) Although I personally haven't used the Hairball, I have heard that that their version is really good. The build quality of the Warm stuff is Ok, nothing spectacular, but I am fine with that because it's the sound that counts for me. Bryce has to cut somewhere to hit his low price point, and he certainly didn't do it buy chucking in schlock components. Buying nicer, heavier and better quality knobs is fine to me as long as the sound is not comprimised, and it certainly is not. The Hairball has better knobs and switches and the like, as far as I can tell.
.

Hairball also sells a few different quality mic pres as well as a few different 500 format compressors. I am a bit 3D challenged and DIY is not an option for me, but they also sell some things fully built like their Lola preamp.

 

Last edited by a moderator: May 19, 2016

The power supply of the Warm Audio Wa76 is a lump transformer (not a wall wart) and is not internal like the Hairball seems to me from the fotos. That is the main difference as it looks as they both use Cinemag transformers.

 

Lola preamp looks very interesting and affordable,especially as a DIY kit.
I very much agree that we truly do neglect hardware here,nothing wrong with the plugins and ITB work,but its nice to at least know there is something out there we could use and it doesnt cost 3k $ per unit.

 

Definitely nothing wrong and a lot right with working ITB. For those of us recording with microphones and especially talking about myself and my creative flow, I would like to make the choices of the sound and how I hear it before I record it and it lands on my hard drive. The only thing I don't do is eq on the way in, and that is because I don't trust myself to make that decision as I definitely do not have golden ears and will most assuredly fuck it up somewhere. The use of different microphones and preamps I can aurally grok, and if something needs a little tweak here and there it is fine to do it later on in the DAW. My greatest dilemma is combining the externally recorded with the vst instruments internally and get the two worlds to jive seamlessly. I am still learning.

 

Built my first hair all audio kit in 2010. Very easy and great documentation to help along the way. Just be good at soldering and resold ring just in case and a be able to read a schematic other than that very easy, until you have to start troubleshooting