Lindell Audio have announced the release of the LiN76 Vintage Limiting Amplifer, a recreation of the classic 1176 FET compressor. Rather than aiming for an exact clone of one of the many 1176 revisions, the manufacturer say they have instead concentrated on taking what they believe to be the best qualities of each, and combined them to create the LiN76.
The device's layout will be familiar to many, with the left side of the front panel sporting a pair of large input and output level knobs followed by two smaller controls for setting the unit’s attack and release times. Ratio control is provided by a set of four push switches, with a second set providing access to the different operating modes of the device’s VU meter.
Attack time is continuously variable between 20 and 800 uS, whilst the release time, also continuously variable, ranges from 50 to 1200 mS. Ratios of 4:1, 8:1, 12:1 and 20:1 are available, and interestingly the switches can be used in any combination. This includes the infamous ‘all-buttons in’ mode discovered on the original units, which affects the way the unit’s controls interact with each other and results in a much more aggressive sounding compression character.
The LiN76’s rear panel is sparse, with a pair of TRS sockets proving the line-level input and output, a socket accepting power from an external 12VAC supply, and an adjustment screw for calibration of the unit’s VU meter.
The LiN76 is available now, priced at $399€499. More information is available on the Lindell Audio website.
