Klark Teknik 76-KT

I don't know how Klark Teknik does it with such a price point. It is a very well made and great sounding unit. Of course it will never compete with the high end sound due to the high end parts in the internals of the real thing but it does come pretty darn close. I've purchased 2 of these units and they did not disappoint. Firstly what I done was pull up every plug in emulation I had in my disposal. I've had Waves, Native Instruments, IK multimedia and even the fairly new Arturia emulations. I also had a buddy of mine lend me his Warm Audio units for comparison but unfortunately no UAD plug ins which I heard were unbelievably close nor did I have an original 1176 (But have worked with them). I dialled in the exact same settings and getting the gain reduction and the usual gain matching spot on. Bare in mind that every unit will have their own characteristics depending on what unit the company emulated on the day of production.

On mil compression settings I wouldn't consider Waves, Native Instruments and IK multimedia in the same ballpark when it comes to the depth of the sound but they are still fairly usable, sounding flat, thin and very lifeless. The Arturia actually came so close that I started to doubt my ears but in deeper inspections these units introduced sub harmonics that the plug ins just couldn't quite capture, with that said the plug ins are heaven sent for recalls and automation but once you use these units you will understand what people mean about depth. The Warm Audio were excellent too producing a somewhat "sizzly" and brighter high end. I would consider using both Warm audio and Klark Tekniks anyday on a mixing session anyday.

On medium, high to extreme settings is where they really come out of the speakers. The depth and the grab of these compressors are absolutely beautiful. You can slam this compressor to full and try to destroy your dynamics and still come out with a not so ideal but listenable audio (not that you would crank everything all the way anyways) The plug ins just COULD NOT compete. The plug ins gave me a horribly mangled up audio. Again the Arturia surprised me but nothing like on the unit. These units grab and introduce such a high end sound and harmonics that you would question why you were mixing ITB to begin with. Especially with these prices!

ALL IN MODE is an absolute godsend and has to be heard by everyone.

BOTTOM LINE -
These are a great addition to any studio whether Hobbyist, Amateur, Semi Professional or even Professional. At these prices you could justify buying 10 units instead of one original one but with that said if I was a millionaire I would more than likely buy 10 originals :))

Buy them and try them, for €200 the performance/price ratio is an absolute bargain to introduce you to the analogue world without breaking the bank!

Unbeatable for the price. Components for a DIY project would be more expensive.

I would highly recommend it. I have 76KT and not 1176KT. Mine is probably the older version.

Before buying I was very sceptical about the noise issue in this specific unit. Gearslutz has mixed reviews and many with this unit were complaining of the noise on output knob. But there were many who had no issues at all. I noticed most issues were related to 1176KT but the one here I had eye on was 76KT so I pulled the trigger.

Arrived well packed and it was 76KT. Immediately put to test. To my joy there was no noise, and the only issue was my untreated room giving me my wall clock clicks in recorded samples through my 3u audio Teal CM1, the quietest mic I ever had. I cranked the output up past 12 (3 O'clock) and there I noticed some introduction of noise which was perfectly fine because firstly it was not too loud and secondly even the original 1176 compressor is noisy at some point. For those who are interested, my signal chain was mic--Midas 500 series pre--umc1820--76KT--umc1820--Cubase 9.5 pro. I also tried the built in umc1820 pres and M-audio dmp3. As I own KT2A as well, I tried 76 and 2A trick on vocals and the results were amazingly fat and full sound.

All in all, there are people who consider KT clone superior than Warm Audio and there are people who returned the unit only due to the noise issue. Performance wise you will love it. If you have hands on iron, it can be modded. I like it very much and you will too as it is cheaper than many plugins and even good plugins gives you dry, dull and digital sound.

Great compressor for virtually nothing. 10/10

Bought this as an anniversary present for my husband.