Z&H Designs 1178 Stereo Peak Limiter

This UREI‑inspired compressor includes some useful features for modern hybrid studios.

Z&H Designs started life in 2019 when Jaky Zheng, an audio engineering instructor and studio owner, gathered together a team of designers, engineers and co‑creators from around the globe to flesh out and develop equipment designs and prototypes to work in real‑world studio sessions. The final designs that are now coming to market are all hand‑built in Shanghai by an experienced team who, they say, are now able to manufacture not just the devices themselves, but also many of the components used in them. Some of those, including op‑amps and transformers, are available through their website. The idea is that Z&H can have full control of the quality of their designs, as well as the ability to build custom units to order.

Two 1176s?

We were invited to test one of Z&H’s takes on a classic studio processor: their 1178 Stereo Peak Limiter is clearly inspired by one of the less‑well‑known 1176‑style FET compressors, the UREI 1178. Intriguingly, for this particular model, Z&H claim to have exclusive access to the remaining stocks of some discontinued components used in the original UREI 1178, including the NPD5566 FET transistor, which they say makes it possible to build a faithful recreation of the original signal path.

Released in 1979 (around the time of the Revision H 1176), the 1178 was UREI’s solution for engineers who wanted to use two 1176s as a stereo pair. Previously, getting two 1176s to behave as a stereo device wasn’t straightforward, and involved a battery‑powered adaptor being connected to each device. The 1178 was conceived from the outset as a true stereo device, so the two channels shared a set of attack, release and ratio controls (making it less versatile when operating on two different mono signals than an 1176). Long since discontinued, Universal Audio briefly returned to the idea of a stereo 1176 in the early ’00s, with the release of the 2‑1176. Unlike the 1178, this model features fully independent controls for each compressor. I’ve had a 2‑1176 at my studio for well over a decade, and it gets heavy use as a dual‑mono device with the bonus of stereo operation if needed, though stereo operation requires more manual control matching than on an 1178.

When it first arrived at my studio, I was impressed with the aesthetic qualities of the Z&H 1178. With a solid build quality and a nice finish, it gives the impression of being a ‘full‑fat’ professional audio product. I especially liked the two large, slightly dimmed ’70s‑style VU meters, and the various knobs and push‑switches felt authentic too. But while it might appear very familiar, it’s worth looking more closely at the controls, because Z&H have sensibly decided not to remain slavishly faithful to the original 1178 design. For instance, the user can configure the device for stereo or dual‑mono operation, and there’s even a Mid‑Sides mode. Z&H have also included other features that have become popular in modern...