Relab 176 - Circuit-Modelled Tube Compressor/Limiter Plugin

Relab 176 - Circuit-Modelled Tube Compressor/Limiter Plugin

The Relab 176 is a software recreation of a 1960s 176-style valve compressor and limiter. The whole audio circuit is solved in real time — valve stages, transformers, timing networks and power supply interaction — rather than sampled or approximated, which is what preserves the tone and the way the unit moves under level.

The design is fixed-threshold and variable-gain, with four ratios (2:1, 4:1, 8:1 and 12:1) whose knee position and slope change with each setting. Attack and release come from resistor-capacitor networks coupled to the gain stage, so timing is program-dependent rather than set in milliseconds, and the Fixed/Auto switch changes how release adapts. Sidechain polarity, stage coupling and calibration each change the character in a way that matters on drums, bass and vocals. A sidechain high-pass filter, dry/wet mix and stereo sidechain link are added for modern workflows.

• Real-time circuit model of the full 176 valve signal path
• Four ratios: 2:1, 4:1, 8:1 and 12:1
• Program-dependent attack and release, Fixed and Auto modes
• Sidechain polarity and stage coupling switching
• Calibration control for bias, harmonics and threshold
• Sidechain high-pass filter, mix and stereo sidechain link

Supplied as a digital download with a perpetual licence. After purchase the licence is deposited in your iLok account; authorisation can be to a local computer or to an iLok USB key (v2 or later). An iLok account, an internet connection and the current PACE drivers are needed to activate; no hardware dongle is required. Formats: AAX, AU and VST3 (64-bit) on macOS 10.15 or later, and AAX and VST3 (64-bit) on Windows 10 or later.