Urei / Jbl

I've owned the Silverface and Blackface versions. Their sounds slightly differ: the Silver favors high mids, while the black is richer in the low mids, but it's really, really subtle! What's nice with such pieces of gear is how simple they are: you only tweak the ratio, threshold and output level and it always sounds right. The problem with them is... how simple they are! Either it gives you straight away what you expect, or it no use insisting and you'd better gat after something else. Its sound remains quite neutral colorwise, the release setting is rather slow. Compared with other gear I have I mostly use it for a transparent sound treatment and "technical" compression so as to only keep the signal without a real impact on the sound itself. I's been my first "serious" compressor and I like it, it's a nice little unit.

The Urei / JBL 7110 is a limiter/compressor from sometime in the 1980's. It's an analog piece of gear and I'm not sure what types of connections it has since the studio that I used it at already had it hooked up. It will only take up a single space in your rack case. UTILIZATION The make up of the Urei / JBL 7110 is more in depth than your average compressor/limiter, but still there's not too much more than normal to be aware of here. The parameters at play here include knobs for threshold, detector, attack, release, ratio, and output level. I don't think a manual is necessary here, but I'm sure you could find one somewhat easily if you need it. SOUND QUALITY The sound of the Urei / JBL 7110 is pretty decent, and will do a good job for you if you're using it on some things, but overall it's nothing too special in my opinion. They are the kind of compressors that you might want to have in your studio, just so there are options and if someone wanted to compress a lot of things going into tape, would have extras to work with past your main guns. These do sound good, but I would probably only compress a little with these on things like tom tom drums and other more heavy hitting sounds, as opposed to using them overheads and vocals. OVERALL OPINION I'm not sure how easily you could get your hands on a Urei / JBL 7110, but unless you've already got some killer compressors and are just looking to add to the collection, I probably wouldn't recommend buying this as your main compressors. Maybe in a small home studio I could see it, but even so I think you could get some plug-ins that would be good enough when compared to the 7110. I don't know what these will run you, but I wouldn't spend too much money on them personally. They'd be good to have in a professional studio as just-in-case compressors, but other wise I don't know if they're worth having this day and age.

The Urei 1178 is a stereo compressor that is made up of all analog components. Since the one that I have used was already racked up in the studio that I used it at, I'm not 100% sure on the connections, but it is probably safe to say that it at least has XLR connections, depending on when it was made. The unit is rack mountable and will take up two rack spaces in a traditional rack space. UTILIZATION Although different in look and is a stereo unit, the Urei 1178 has the same parameters as the famous 1176. Each of the channels has leveling knobs for input and output, and then there are attack and release knobs that control both of the channels simultaneously, and this is also the case with the ratio buttons. Like the 1176, you've got ratios of 4, 8, 12, and 20. Both channels have their own VU meters, with a variety of options to control what you are actually metering. I've never seen the manual for this unit, but never felt I needed one anyway. SOUND QUALITY The sound quality of the Urei 1178 is very similar to the 1176, and although I haven't compared them side to side I would bet that they would be very familiar to each other. This of course is a good thing as this is a great sounding piece of gear that is suitable of compression just about anything that you would want to consider using compression on including guitars, drums, and vocals. Since it is a stereo unit I often try to pair it up in instances that I might want to compress a stereo signal like drum overheads or an electric piano. This being said, I would bet that a hundred different engineers could find a hundred different uses for the 1178. OVERALL OPINION All in all, the Urei 1178 is a great sounding piece of gear that I can't say a bad thing about. If you've used this or the 1176, you know what I'm talking about. These models have great reputations for a reason and this one has definitely lived up to it in my opinion. Since they no longer make these, they aren't all that easy to find but if you've got your heart set on one I would think that you'd be able to find one to buy at the price that you would expect a high end piece of gear like this to be at. The 1178 is definitely a piece of gear worth looking into if you are unfamiliar with it...

The Urei LA3A is an analog compressor that will fit in half of a rack space. I'm not sure what kind of connection types there are. UTILIZATION The configuration of the LA3A is as simple as any compressor. Like the LA2A, it has a knob for gain and a knob for peak reduction. For this reason, it is extremely easy to get a good sound out of this compressor. The large meter also makes it easy to monitor your level. I've never had access to the manual but I also never had a need to look at one. SOUND QUALITY To me, the LA3A is one of the best compressors out there. It is clean and just about anyone could get a good sound out of it. I use it mostly on electric guitars but it also sounds good on vocals and keyboards. The Urei LA series of compressors are widely considered some of the best of all time and the LA3A is no exception. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the LA3A for about four years and whenever I have access to it I will always use it. There are two reasons that this compressor is above the rest - the first is the clean and full compression sound it adds to my tracks. It adds something to a mix and adds a brilliance that not too many compressions will add. The second is the ease of use - with only two knobs it is to get a great sound out of this. Like all top end compressors, the LA3A isn't cheap. That being said, if you are in the market for getting a top end compressor you probably already know that you will be spending a good amount of money. The LA3A is a classic compressor that some of the best engineers rely on and is a great piece of gear to have in any recording rig.

The UREI 565 Filter Set is a unique equalizer that has four bands and a variety of parameters not seen on most EQs. It is an analog unit and I'm not sure what type of connections it has as the one that I have used was already racked up in a studio. I do know that it has 1/4 inch connections in the front if you want to plug your instrument directly into this. It is indeed rack mountable and will take up three rack spaces in a traditional rack. UTILIZATION Using the UREI 565 Filter Set isn't all that hard, but it did take me a little while to get used to everything going on because I've never really seen an equalizer like this one. The bands are easy enough to use as you simply set the frequency, and then there are a variety of knobs including parameters for range, fine frequency, and balance, appearing more than once for the different sections of the frequency spectrum. If you are a beginner with EQ, this probably isn't for you, but if you know about equalization I think that you'll be able to figure this out without a manual. SOUND QUALITY The sound of the UREI 565 Filter Set is overall quite impressive. I knew from the start that I would be using a quality EQ as I've never used a piece of gear made by UREI/Universal Audio that I didn't like. This is a suitable EQ for just about any application, but I've only used it on guitars for the most part and it definitely does the job for this. Beyond using this as a traditional EQ, it is great for getting creative with. In fact, I would recommend this more as a creative EQ than a traditional one... OVERALL OPINION I first used the UREI 565 Filter Set about a year ago or so and have found it to be a very cool sounding EQ. While it can be used for traditional EQ means, I love getting creative with this as it opens up new doors in terms of filtering. This isn't an easy unit to come by and unless you find one in a recording studio like I did, you're going to have a hard time finding one of these. However, if you do stumble upon one of these definitely look into it as I don't think it will cost too much for what you're getting. All in all, the 565 is definitely one of my favorite creative filters out there.

The Urei/JBL 535 is a stereo set of outboard graphic equalizers. It is made up of analog parts and is generally very simple in make up. It has XLR inputs and outputs for each of the two channels, as well has speaker cable connections, as keep in mind that it is an older piece of gear. It is indeed rackable and will take up two spaces in your standard rack case. UTILIZATION Using the Urei/JBL 535 is just about as simple as it gets for an equalizer in general. Even if you don't know too much about how equalization works, graphic EQs are very simple and easy to understand. Each of the two channels on the 535 has ten bands to work with, each with the same frequencies on both channels. It would definitely be hard to find a manual, but most users won't need one anyway. SOUND QUALITY In general, the Urei/JBL 535 does a great job for basic graphic equalization. It has a good amount of precision available, although in general I do think that it could be a bit cleaner sounding as you do get some noise with it. However, this is to be expected when using older pieces of equipment, and the noise isn't all that distracting anyway. The 535 is suitable for use on all sorts of different instruments, as I wouldn't say that it is better for one application over another. While you don't get as much versatility as you would with a parametric EQ, for a ten band graphic equalizer it does the job very well. OVERALL OPINION Getting your hands on a Urei/JBL 535 would probably be a pretty tough task as they definitely aren't all that readily available. It isn't the type of gear that I looked for in anyway, as I happened to have it on hand at a professional studio that I was at and decided to give it a try. Generally I will use parametric EQs, but being that this has the Urei label on it, I decided to try it out. I'm glad that It did, as I found it to be up there with the best graphic equalizers I've used. While I can't say I'd recommend going out and getting one of these if you're a home studio owner or a smaller professional studio owner, but if you're a larger studio looking for a vintage graphic EQ, the 535 is at least doing some research for to see if it is something that you might be interested in.

The Urei/JBL LA-4 Black is a single channel hardware compressor. It is an analog pedal and I'm not sure what type of connections it has. It is a rackable unit but only takes up half a side of a 2U rack - they look great in pairs! UTILIZATION The setup is simple and easy to follow. The configuration of the pedal is as easy as any compressor as it has two knobs - one for threshold and one for output level. It also can be used with another LA-4A as a stereo pair and there is a switch for stereo. I've never seen a manual for this unit but it is very easy to use and anyone with some experience with a compressor should be able to figure this thing out. SOUND QUALITY The LA-4A is a great sounding compressor. It is clean and it adds some body to signals that I run through it. Having only two knobs, it is easy to get a great sounding signal in just a minute or two. I use this compressor mostly on electric guitar, but sounds great on a number of different instruments including vocals, bass guitar and acoustic guitar. It also sounds really great on kick drum and snare drum and in certain situations I like it a lot on overhead drum mics and electric keyboards. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the LA-4 for about four years and I use it whenever I have access to it. It is real clean sounding and its ease of use makes it even more appealing. While it is priced high, it is a high end compressor from a company with a great track record in signal processing. I would compare these to the LA-3s, as they are both in a similar class. Anyone looking for a high end compressor in a compact case, should definitley consider the LA-4!

The Urei/Jbl teletronix LA2A is a leveling amplifier also known as a compressor. It is an analog piece of equipment and cannot be controlled by any digital means. I believe that there are XLR connections in the back and set up is as easy as setting up any piece of outboard gear. It is a rackable unit and will take up four rack spaces! UTILIZATION The setup of the LA-2A is as easy as it gets - 2 knobs! One for gain and one for peak reduction. This is the simplest form of compression in terms of what parameters there are to set. I've never had access to the manual but unless the unit was broken I would never have a use for it as it is very easy to use. SOUND QUALITY The LA2-A lives up to its legendary status as one of, if not the best compressor out there. It has a certain full sound mixed with a slow attack that transforms vocals! I would use this on every instrument that called for compression if I could, but I typically use this on vocals of all types but also on kick drum, snare drum, bass guitar and electric keyboards, however, this is a great compressor for all applications. It has a unique quality that is hard to replicate with anything other than an LA-2A. OVERALL OPINION I first used the LA2A about four years ago and I use it a great deal whenever I have access to it. It is one of the cleanest sounding compressors I have used, and has the reputation as being one of the best compressors. I would compare it to an 1176, an LA3A, or any of the other high end compressors made by Urei. I trust their products because they are built with high quality parts and all have a special sound to them. Like most, the reason I do not own my own LA2-A is because of price. While it is pricey, if you are looking to pick up a high end piece of gear in terms of an all around compressors, the LA2A is one of the best in the market. Someday I hope to own one and not just be able to use it on occasions!

The Urei 1176LN is a rackable analog compressor, widely considered one of the best compressors around. There are XLR connections in the back of it. The effects can be edited with the control knobs and buttons, and can't be edited through any digital form as it is a strictly analog unit. UTILIZATION The set up of the compressor is pretty standard and is easy to set up if you have any experience with setting up outboard gear. Its also got standard compressor controls like the compression ratio, input, output, attack and decay. If you know how to use a compressor this is as easy as they come to use. I never had a use for the manual so I can't say if its helpful or not, but if you have any experience at all with compressors you'll be able to figure out how to use the 1176 without a manual. SOUND QUALITY The 1176 is one of my go to compressors for drums and guitars. I love the way it adds a little crunch to it when set right. It also sounds great on electric keys and vocals, although it wouldn't be my first choice for vocals. OVERALL OPINION I first used an 1176 LN 3 years ago. I love how easy it is to get a great sound out of this. I use many other compressors fairly regularly and this one holds its own. It has a reputation for being a sturdy machine that is easy to use and that produces a clean signal. In terms of price it is probably a bit pricey for the home studio budget but it would be hard to find a professional studio lacking at least one of these. All in all I love using the 1176 and I will probably continue using it as long as I am makig recordings.

The Urei / JBL 527 A is a simple graphic equalizer that consists of 27 bands and is best suited for use in the recording studio. I've only used it in the studio, and I don't think that I'd recommend using it elsewhere since it isn't your typical cheap graphic equalizer at all. This is an all analog piece of equipment, the types of connections of which I do not know. It was connected to the patch bay of the recording studio where I used it, so there was no need to make any connections in the back of it. This is indeed a rack mountable piece of gear that will take up two spaces. UTILIZATION If you are at all familiar with graphic equalizers, you'll be able to understand the Urei / JBL 527 A without hesitation. Either way, graphic EQ's are really very simple and self explanatory anyway. The 527 A has 27 bands of sliders, ranging from 40 Hz on the low end to 16 kHz on the high end. It also has a gain knob for setting your output level, but besides that there aren't any other parameters. Because of this extremely simple make up, a manual isn't necessary. SOUND QUALITY The frequency selection of the bands on the Urei / JBL 527 A makes it a great graphic EQ with a lot of room for getting the proper equalization done. I will always choose a parametric EQ over a graphic one, but the 527 A is a lot more versatile than most graphic equalizers as it has more bands than most out there. It has a very clean tone quality that doesn't color your sound at all beyond the EQ moves that you'll make. I've used the it on electric guitar, drums, and bass guitar thus far in my time using it, but I definitely think that it will work well for any application. OVERALL OPINION The Urei / JBL 527 A isn't the most popular piece of gear made by Urei, as it definitely seems like these are hard to find, but if you do get a chance to use one I think you'll like what you hear for sure. I'll pretty much always recommend going with a parametric equalizer over a graphic one, but this is definitely an exception when it comes to the 527 A as it's really as good as most equalizers out there and can do the job just as well for sure. Urei makes top notch gear for professional engineers, and the 527 A graphic EQ is definitely no exception.