Offering 1176-style compression along with commonly requested enhancements the WesAudio Beta76 provides musicians, engineers, and producers with a classic single-channel FET compressor fit for present-day workflows. The improvements start at the input stage, which can be set for a traditional IC-based circuit or pass through a tone-rich Carnhill transformer at the push of a button. The addition of a frequency-selectable sidechain filter allows the Beta76 to avoid overcompression caused by substantial lows in the signal.

To accommodate operation on stereo stems or full mixes, a second Beta76 can be linked using a specially wired 1/4" TRS cable. As expected with units of this style, standard controls are present—knobs for input, output, attack, and release, four ratio buttons, and all-button mode. Additionally, it offers true bypass and a selectable metering source. Outfitted with a stainless steel housing and a brushed aluminum faceplate, the Beta76 occupies 2 RU of rack space.

Enhanced 1176-Style Compression
The introduction of several significant improvements against the original version allows the Beta76 to meet common requests made by engineers and producers. Some of these enhancements include two input modes, true bypass, sidechain filters, and stereo linking.

Input Modes
One of the most important changes is the mode switch, which selects the input circuit. Modern mode is an IC-based electronic circuit, exactly the same as the previous version of the compressor. Vintage mode utilizes a Carnhill input transformer for special tone.

Sidechain Filter
The compressor's sidechain path has a high-pass filter with three cut-off frequency selections (60, 90, or 150 Hz), enabling the Beta76 to be less sensitive to low frequencies. The filter is particularly beneficial to the operation of two compressors in a stereo pair, which are easily connected with a specially wired 1/4" TRS cable.

Class-A Design
The entire system operates in Class-A. The element responsible for the gain reduction is an FET transistor, giving the effect of rapid and pure compression. There is a high-quality Carnhill audio transformer on the output, favorably affecting the final sound of the compressor.

Sturdy Chassis
The housing is made from high-quality brushed stainless steel, whereas the panel is 4mm-thick brushed aluminum.