Pulsar 1178 FET compressor plugin interface by Pulsar Audio

Pulsar 1178: FET Compressor Plugin by Pulsar Audio Free Download

Rated 4.8/5 on Plugin Boutique (630 ratings)

Pulsar 1178 is a FET compressor plugin by Pulsar Audio that emulates the 1178 hardware unit. It adds a sidechain EQ, four saturation modes and a detailed metering section, and runs as VST3, VST2, AU and AAX on Windows and macOS.

VST3VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

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Free trial available from the developer

01Overview

Pulsar 1178 models the FET compressor of the recording studio classic 1178, a cleaner and more versatile successor to the 1176. Pulsar Audio says the plugin recreates the original hardware's tonal colour and compression character. Beyond the hardware, it adds a full sidechain EQ, an optional saturation stage and precise metering, so it works for tracking, mixing and bus compression alike.

Best for

Drum transient control
Vocal compression
Bass saturation
Acoustic guitar dynamics
Bus compression
Mastering compression

Developer: Pulsar Audio
Category: Compressors
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Emulates the original 1178 hardware's tonal colour and compression character
Four saturation flavours: Tape, Warm, Triode and Clip
Mid-Side processing with separate mono and stereo settings
Look-ahead up to 20 ms or look-behind up to 10 ms
Full sidechain EQ for tailoring the detection response
External sidechain input for ducking and de-essing
Metering for gain reduction, input level and output level
Resizable interface that adapts to output configuration

03In depth

Sound, Character and Saturation Modes

The 1178 is known for fast, bright compression. Pulsar 1178 can rein in unruly transients on drums and percussion, and its extended attack range also allows gentler dynamic contouring on sources such as vocals.

The saturation stage adds grit and drive with four flavours: Tape, Warm, Triode and Clip. These modes are integrated into the gain reduction system rather than placed before or after it, which Pulsar Audio says allows a tone that pre or post saturation cannot reproduce.

Sidechain, Stereo Processing and Metering

A full sidechain EQ lets you shape the detection signal so each part of a groove, such as kick and snare, triggers compression by the amount you choose. An external sidechain input supports ducking, de-essing and dynamic processing of the sidechain signal.

Mid-Side processing lets mono and stereo information be processed separately. Look-ahead or look-behind delay stages offer up to 20 ms or 10 ms respectively. The metering section shows gain reduction, input level and output level in different ways, and the interface resizes to suit the output configuration.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Pulsar Audio
Type	Plugin
Category	Compressor
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit
Free trial	Yes

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats and operating systems does Pulsar 1178 support?

Pulsar 1178 is available as VST3, VST2, AU and AAX. It runs on Windows and macOS and is 64-bit only.

Does Pulsar 1178 require an iLok account?

Yes. You need an account at ilok.com to use Pulsar software.

What do I need to run Pulsar 1178?

On Windows, you need Windows 7 SP1, 8.1 or 10 (64-bit), an Intel Core i3 or better or AMD Quad-Core CPU, 4 GB RAM, 1 GB free disk space and an OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU. On macOS, you need macOS 10.9 or later, and Apple Silicon (M1) is supported.