A recreation of the 176 vari-mu tube compressor, a studio staple since the 1960s that is based on technology long out of production.

Tube 176 can tread lightly, but when pushed to its limits it can also brickwall your sound; its tube design guarantees warm harmonic saturation whatever the amount of compression, so it always sounds rich and musical. It works especially well as a mastering or bus compressor, but also works its magic on drum transients and gives bass lines the desired punch. Four ratio modes and deep attack and release options make it a flexible tool for a wide range of sources and instruments. The variable-mu dual triode gain reduction that made the original a classic is recreated too.

Features

• Recreation of a quintessential studio unit long out of production
• Versatile, from smooth compression to hard limiting
• Enhances both sonic depth and detail
• Adjusts tone in a way equalisation cannot
• Well suited to lifting vocals through a busy mix
• Punchy drum compression classic

Technical details

• Type: Native plug-in (vari-mu tube compressor and limiter), runs without additional hardware
• Operating systems: Windows, macOS
• Plug-in formats: VST3, Audio Unit (macOS only), AAX
• Architecture: 64-bit
• Licensing: Perpetual licence, iLok (iLok Cloud or iLok USB key), internet connection required for activation
• Content: Also a licence for the real-time version on compatible Synergy Core devices, assigned to your Antelope account when the code is redeemed

System requirements

• macOS 11 Big Sur or later (recommended: macOS 14 Sonoma or later)
• Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit with the latest Microsoft updates
• Processor (Mac): Intel or Apple Silicon
• Processor (Windows): Intel i3 or AMD Ryzen 1st generation or newer
• RAM: 8 GB
• Disk space: 1 GB
• Stable internet connection required for download

The licence is registered with the manufacturer at https://en.antelopeaudio.com/get-started-native/. You will receive your serial number and the download link by e-mail immediately after purchase.