Item Reviews for: Warm Audio WA76 Discrete Compressor  -  WAU WA76 LIST
Warm Audio WA76 Discrete Compressor
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Based on the world famous 1176

By: WB      Submitted: 2/26/2024

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Product Rating Product Review This piece of gear needs no introduction. If you are Considering buying this, then you have already done Your due diligence. It is my go to compressor for vocals, drums, and bass. I will be purchasing another Once I get more rack space. If you’re looking for a compressor that can go from transparent to gritty with the twice of a knob, then look no further. You have found your favorite compressor for recording and mixing.
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Love it on my Vocal tracks

By: bgall43      Submitted: 6/25/2023

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Product Review Love it on my Vocal tracks and bass awesome product thanks Warm Audio
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Warm audio wa76

By: Oneil      Submitted: 11/26/2022

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Product Review Warm audio is one my favorite equipment out there on the market price is very good for top quality equipment. When I purchased the warm audio wa76 I was amazed on the quality built,easy to connect knobs smooth hands friendly and sound wonderful tracking vocals with. Please get one or two of don’t have it. Thanks warm audio and Americanmusical.
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Love this piece of gear

By: Jason Z      Submitted: 4/4/2022

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review I use this in my studio to print audio through. It gives a great warmth and character to any audio sent through this compressor.
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Warm WA76 is a work horse

By: Marco Robledo      Submitted: 3/7/2022

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review I used this for vocals, bass, and guitars with great results. From warm thumping bass, articulate punchy guitars, to soaring in your face vocals, it makes that classic album sound to your sources. Highly recommend!
review title:

Sounds like the original

By: Michelle Jones      Submitted: 11/8/2021

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Great unit and would highly recommend it along with AMS. Thanks again for all you do
review title:

Compressor of the Gods

By: Clay      Submitted: 7/28/2021

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Product Review I love Warm Audio. They have delivered on every piece of gear that I own from their company. If you want or need an 1176 without over spending on some classic name get this unit. It delivers the goods. I own the classics, too, and this doesn't miss a beat running right alongside of them.
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Good quality

By: Jay Velazquez      Submitted: 6/29/2021

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Convinced I made the right purchase. I feel the difference in my recordings.
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Gritty smooth character

By: Adam m      Submitted: 3/4/2021

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Product Review I live this compressor. Adds wonderful depth and tone to everything I run through it. Bass instruments with “nuclear” all buttons compressed is wildly fun. This will remain in my studio forever. Couldn’t be happier with this purchase. AMS delivered on time 2 day! and the item was well packed. I highly recommend this unit for anyone wanting to explore outboard gear. You can’t get this sound in the box. You just can’t. Buy it and realize the great potential of professional sounding gear.
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Big explosion comes with small price tag!

By: Gordon      Submitted: 1/27/2021

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review The WA76 compressor is one hell of a compressor compare to other high price ones. There is everything to like about this piece of equipment. I've been using it now for approximately 2 months and I use it on just about every project I do.
review title:

Squash everything!

By: Chris      Submitted: 11/6/2020

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8 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review A great compressor/limiter for every use. Push in all the buttons on a room mic or contact mic and hear sweet sweet distortion.
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Great compressor

By: styxxs2004      Submitted: 11/6/2020

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review American Musical is great to deal with and Warm Audio does a great job with classic designs like the 1176 compressor.
review title:

A step in the right direction

By: Jon Jordan      Submitted: 8/3/2020

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Product Review As soon as I added this into my chain I noticed a change instantly. The warmth it brings while still maintaining a beautiful punch. Very happy with my purchase.
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Great investment !!

By: Jimmy Whip      Submitted: 5/26/2020

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1 person found this review helpful.

Product Review It’s everything it’s advertised to be. Ranks right up there with the super expensive piece it’s modeled after. You won’t be disappointed. ????
review title:

Warm Audio Needs to Improve their Quality Control

By: Jay      Submitted: 12/14/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review I waited a long time to get this 1176 clone to match to my WA73 which I love. I dreamt about the day I'd get to record with this thing and it finally came and well that dream turned into a nightmare very quickly. The unit I received sounds like a tropical rainstorm and to really add in the kicker the VU meter doesn't work. I contacted Warm Audio went back and fourth with their support. Tried different cables, different configurations with different pre-amps and mics and everything unfortunately pointed to something being wrong with the unit I received. I would expect that from a Behringer product but Warm Audio is supposed to make better quality clones than this. I brought into the 5star reviews and I wish mine could count amongst them but man this really got me down. I'm scared to even try a replacement because of all the stress I went through trying to get this one to work.
review title:

Great vintage compressor emulation

By: Astra Studio Chicago      Submitted: 11/9/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.

Product Review Great work Warm audio the Wa 76 is a great sounding compressor!!! Great on multiple sources. True workhorse and a good buy. Nice to be gratified with gear that performs well and doesn't break the bank!!!!
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Warm and inviting control.

By: Rodney Comic      Submitted: 11/7/2019

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review If you are looking at this product,Then you Already knows its track record. I really love the control that I'm able to get out of this unit, On top of that a very distinct,and inviting sound. With minimum effort you can dial in just the right of magic. Not too long ago this type of quality was un-accessible to the home studio hobbies. In many ways the sonic playing fields have now been leveled, there's no excuse now. Make it a great life.
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Great 1176 clone

By: Sean      Submitted: 8/6/2019

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11 people found this review helpful.

Product Review Great compressor, soubds very similar yo the orginal. Great for pretty much everything you throw at it
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Warmth for the transistor!!

By: Ervin Dominick      Submitted: 7/5/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.

Product Review The warm ness have gave me a great upper hand on my career when my music was flat now it allows me to have more richness at a amazing price . thanks American musical I would really appreciate it if I won this pay off !!.
review title:

A little extra oomph!

By: Tommy Vargas      Submitted: 6/5/2019

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1 person found this review helpful.

Product Review Just tracked bass through this yesterday. Was happy using the UA plugin but after comparing the two tracks, the hardware wins out! A little extra bottom end, mid definition and just sits in mix a little more naturally. I have come to realize the cumulative affects of tracking via analog hardware. On its own, it may just be a 5% difference, but add that 5% across all your tracks and you start to get the picture.
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Awesome sound! “Love it”

By: Daniel Diaz Alejo      Submitted: 5/6/2019

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Product Review After reading so many good reviews online, I went ahead and bought two of these for my studio! After trying it for an hour, all I can say is WOW what a difference !!! Don't be fooled, this is a 1176! It will make your sound bigger and rich. You cannot beat analog sound in my opinion. I have the Waves plugin and honestly I end up using the wa76! It may sound weird but I use them with my headphones to listen movies and play video games and wow, the sound comig out of this is just amazing. If you are on budget and need a really good compressor, do yourself a favor, go ahead and get not one but two if possible. You won’t regret it!
review title:

Well worth it

By: Jasmine      Submitted: 4/27/2019

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Product Review It works just fine..
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Money well spent

By: La-Jean McDowell      Submitted: 3/5/2019

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4 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review My thoughts on this piece of gear is fantastic. I love the way it sounds running my AKG C414 thru this piece of gear. I'm glad to have it in my rack..
review title:

This is practically gold in tube compressor form

By: John Knight      Submitted: 2/22/2019

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Product Review I was pretty skeptical about the reviews of the Warm Audio WA-76, a budget-friendly, tube compressor based on the original 1176 devices of yesteryear. Mimicking the original 1176's front panel layout (it even preserved the all-ratio buttons pressed trick), it gives you great control over the signal passing through it. After several dry wet A/B comparisons I was amazed at the character the WA-76 added to my recordings. I record mostly from either synthesizers, drum machines, or samplers. I've used the WA-76 on all of them and it's gold. A ratio setting of 4 and it'll add some nice tube saturation to kick drums. A ratio of 20 with shortest attack and release and my synthesizers sound thick and amazing. And the price, it's a steal! The next comparable offering is double the price of this unit. If you're on the fence, buy one. You won't ever be getting rid of it. It's that good
review title:

This is what I have needed for a long time...I just didn't realize it.

By: Jim Sullivan      Submitted: 2/7/2019

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review These guys are great. Warm Audio is giving us what other companies are charging thousands for!
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Great product!

By: Dan      Submitted: 2/4/2019

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Product Review Works great!
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Awsome piece of equipment

By: IIBRA      Submitted: 12/6/2018

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review I used the 1176 by ua and this is a good representation of that legendary piece of equipment. Good job to the guys at warm audio
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WA76 is legit!!!!!

By: Carl Moore Music      Submitted: 10/5/2018

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Product Review I love the personality of solid outboard gear. At a price that’s unheard of, the wa76 provides exactly the imprint of what the product name insinuates. Add it to your chain and I know you won’t be disappointed,
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Totally worth it!

By: Ralph      Submitted: 10/4/2018

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Great piece of gear! Easy to use! Great price!
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The Wa76 is a must have unit!

By: Jamil smith (www.colossalbeatz.com)      Submitted: 9/26/2018

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review The Wa76 by far exceeds its concept. Personally I own an original Ua 1176 and I gotta say that the warm audio 1176 srykebcompressor is spot on and at the same time delivers its own flavors. It adds nice ouch and warmth for several applications and at its price point..well, it’s a no brained! Great unit!!!
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Very good very fast.

By: Babbylon Sound      Submitted: 9/7/2018

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Product Review Wa76 is fast like a 76 is supposed to be. The Wa76 adds some grit to the signal also. It’s a great sound. The distortion can be overbearing if it’s pushed hard but getting the input and ratio together provides an outstanding sound on just about anything. I would personally say that the overdrive characteristics of the wa76 are not the same as an 1176. Not bad just different. The Wa76 smokes any plugin any day of the week all the time. The thing that isn’t my favorite is the orange paint and the smaller knobs. It’s built well but an upgrade would be an internal power supply. For the price it’s a definite winner.
review title:

Just like butter baby!!!

By: Donyia Lovell      Submitted: 9/5/2018

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Product Review I have 2 of these WA76s and it makes everything from my drum busses to mix bus sound just like silk....Kudos Warm Audio.
review title:

Big Bang For Your Bucks

By: ariel e ramirez      Submitted: 7/23/2018

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Product Review This compressor is everything I hoped for. This is part of my vocal chain and let me tell you that it is wonderful. I am a big fan of Warm Audio for their top quality at affordable pricing. You cannot go wrong with this unit.
review title:

Jolly good piece of gear!

By: Brian      Submitted: 7/21/2018

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review This is one of those “I hear a difference” pieces of gear! Adding this to the vocal, electric guitar and snare drum chains just made it come alive! The CineMag added such a great tone to the sound! I will buy a second one for sure! Get one you won’t be disappointed!
review title:

Well worth the money

By: Marcus      Submitted: 4/6/2018

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review This compressor is great for vocals...if u ever used the cla1176 plugin it sounds just like it it’s amazing
review title:

Worth the money!

By: Damien HIS502 Williams      Submitted: 3/26/2017

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review I love this compressor! I have never heard the original 1176 in person but can't imagine that it would sound too much better than this. Sounds way better than any of plugin compressors that I own. Brings a warmness to my vocal chain. Great buy!!
review title:

Buy It

By: ROCK GIRANDI      Submitted: 11/9/2016

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review Just buy it, you can't go wrong at all. Worth Every Penny Spent.
review title:

Fantastic

By: Chris      Submitted: 5/13/2016

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review This is a fantastic outboard compressor. I've never had the luxury of using a UA 1176. I do have UAD 1176 mkii plugins which are good, but this sounds much better to my ears. Also... being able to track by controlling the signal on the way really effects performance in a positive way. And there's a certain realness you feel with hardware. Things just get recorded fantastically. I tend to use a UAD LA2A plugin to level the vocals in my rough draft mixes. I pair this with a ToneBeast. I'm absolutely considering grabbing the new Warm LA2A. Mic is a sm7b. Everything gets sent to a BLA Sparrow Red II. This is hands down the best sound I've ever achieved... and it's achieved easily. Just make sure you're in a good recording environment.
review title:

To absolutely love this piece

By: Don (MrRiteNow) Mckethan      Submitted: 6/17/2015

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1 person found this review helpful.
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Product Review To be honest I didn't think that the WA76 would sound this good. Being as though I fell in love with the UA version. It really surprised me. I have to grab a couple more of these as well. Buy it. You won't be disappointed.
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Go Warm via China

By: Burr      Submitted: 4/8/2015

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Product Review This seems to work and sound like the UA 1176 for less than half the cost. A true win-win.
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Yes! Pro quality, consumer price!

By: Dave      Submitted: 8/11/2014

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4 people found this review helpful.
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Your general opinion of this product. A $2000 limiter/compressor at less than 1/3 the price. Sounds fantastic! Will now be involved in 80-90% of the tracking done in my studio. Paired with an ISA One this makes a killer professional quality input chain into my DAW. I had previously been in the camp that in today's world you don't need outboard compressors. But while recording someone with a wide volume range, I found that I had to lower the pre gain to stop ADC clipping and then bring the volume of the quiet parts up in the DAW. But that added too much noise to the quiet parts. With the WA76 in place, I can keep everything in those very dynamic tracks nicely in the low noise range. Yes. Internal components are high quality, Warm Audio saved some cost on the chassis, knobs, and power supply design but none of those affect the sound which is the only real important thing on this unit. Haven't had it long enough to know about dependability. Very easy, didn't need the manual. Just select 'GR' to adjust the input level to the desired amount of gain reduction, then set your output level. Attack and release settings are unique per track, but the "Dr. Pepper" setting (Attack @ 10 O'clock;l Release @ 2 O'clock, Ratio @ 4 O'clock) works well on a lot of things. The sound quality is the best feature. Pure smoothness. Allows me to use higher gain in the mic pre without worrying about clipping in the ADC, this results in cleaner sounding tracks for dynamic content with wide ranging volumes. Too early to tell.
review title:

I love it!

By: jcm from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma      Submitted: 2/28/2014

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2 people found this review helpful.
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Your general opinion of this product. This is the real deal. I had toyed with the idea of getting the kit for quite awhile and then the wa76 became available for even less than the kit. It's well worth the investment for not much more than a plugin pack of compressors