Klark Teknik 76-KT

Introduction: as a classic compressor the UA 1176 has been on countless big albums, can the Klark Teknik 76-KT hang with it's inspiration?

Pros: I've had this in the rack for a good while now and it's in regular use on vocals to tame the peaks and keep things sounding nice on the way into the daw it gives you all the functionality you'd expect of an 1176
and does everything you'd expect this type of compressor to do and has served me well,
It's also built like a tank which is a definite plus at this price

Cons: While it gives you all the functionality of it's inspiration
it will introduce some hiss if driven hard enough but set properly with a bit of common sense and good mics and preamps it's negligible in practice

Should you get one?
well I've used this regularly as an insert compressor both while tracking and on mixes and and have had many happy clients,
it makes my workflow much faster with less need for post processing after tracking through it and sounds great on vocals and acoustic instruments
given that it's an affordable and accurate take on
a classic compressor it's really hard to fault,
perhaps it's a touch more transparent than it's inspiration but this is being overly picky and a good thing in my view as more saturation can always be added in post

Overall: it's worth it,
countless plugin emulations exist but tracking through this will save you time and get you to the sound you want faster, the original will always be the most desirable version but this is very very close at a price that wont break the bank :)

I bought this compressor to use with the Klark Teknik KT2A, as I need 2 outboard comps to track vocals in series. I've had both units for a short bit of time, but for what it's worth, I think they're truly fantastic!

Pros: Right of the bat, SOLID and very sturdy construction. The knobs all feel pretty damn good, the VU meter is great and the whole thing just feels like it could survive quite a beating.

I've had the opportunity to try a UA1176 before, and while the Klark Teknik doesn't yield identical results, it delivers way more than you'd expect from a 200€ 1176 clone. I would love to see this thing compared to the Warm/Stam/Heritage units!

Compared to most 1176s I've tried, the KT76 does feel a BIT more clean than what you'd expect from a character compressor, but there are some subtle qualities it brings out from sound, especially if paired with a solid mic and preamp.

Cons: It is worth mentioning that while the unit performs very well, it can get a bit noisy. Cranked hard enough, there is a audible hiss coming trough and while 99% of the time, I won't be cranking the unit that hard, it's still there and can be bit of a pain.

Another thing I'd like to mention is that for those who don't know what a fixed threshold compressor is, this might be a bit of a pain to learn, since I couldn't really find anything in the manual to indicate that.

Overall, I'm very happy with my KT76, and would recommend it to absolutely anyone. It's great value for money and will give you fantastic results if you can't afford a UA.

I'm utterly amazed at the quality you get for the price and if I did not know about this compressor, I wouldn't be surprised at all if someone told me that it costs double or more the price it sells for.

The compression is very, very close to the real thing, a bit on the cleaner side and doesn't distort as easily but it's incredibly useful for tracking.
The sound remains punchy and present throughout the frequency spectrum no matter how hard you push it.
I initially intended to use it as a tracking compressor only, but I'm definitely finding it very useful while mixing.
All of the knobs have a surprisingly sturdy feel to them.
Again, the quality build is insane for the price.

Highly recommend it!

I wanted for a long time to buy a real hardware compressor for my home studio. So my choices for the budget version of 1176 were either WA76 or KT76. In the end, I chose KT for the price. So far I used it on vocals and a bass guitar. And with no doubt, it sounds better than a plugin. I compared it with the Waves 76 plugin. The difference is subtle but noticeable. I like the simplicity of operation, and in my opinion, this is a good quality build. I cannot tell how it compares to the original but many reviewers are saying it is cleaner and neutral sounding. For some this is a pro, for others, it is a con. You should make your own decision about it. There are plenty of videos online. For me, I can say that it suits my needs. If you want to learn how to use outboard gear in your studio, I'd say this compressor is a good starting point.