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The Pulsar 1178 Black Friday deal lists Pulsar Audio's FET compressor plugin at $49, which is 67% off, and it runs until Dec 7, 2026.
The maker describes it as a compressor that eats transients for breakfast. It recreates the 1178 hardware unit, which Pulsar Audio calls cleaner and more versatile than the older 1176.
The original hardware has been used by Chris Lord-Alge, Bob Clearmountain, Yvan Bing and Nigel Godrich, according to the maker.
Pulsar Audio built in the extras you would expect from a current plugin. The maker lists these:
A resizable GUI with draggable handles streamlines itself based on the output configuration.
The saturation modes sit inside the gain reduction system. The maker says that gives a vibe you cannot get from saturation placed before or after the compressor.
Pulsar Audio describes it as fast and bright, built for unruly transients in tracking and mixing. It is more transparent than an 1176, with very quick control over transients. Switch on the all-buttons-in mode and the saturation models and the tone gets more colour.
The extended attack range also allows gentle dynamic contouring. The maker says that can bring mid-band definition and intelligibility to a vocal.
On drums, the sidechain EQ lets the kick and the snare each trigger the right amount of gain reduction. Smashing a drum room for a rocky bounce is another use the maker names.
For bass, the saturation circuits add grit so the part survives on smaller speakers. On acoustic guitar, the maker says the fast action tames lively picking while the natural release keeps the tone.
The maker also points to bus and master compression, noting the 1178 was used on Robert Plant's album Angel Dance. The sidechain EQ keeps the detection from reacting only to heavy bass.
The plugin comes as AAX Native and VST 3 on Windows and Mac, with VST 2.4 on both and Audio Unit on Mac. Windows needs 64-bit Windows 7 SP1, 8.1 or 10. macOS 10.9 or higher is supported, including M1 Apple Silicon.
Both platforms call for 4 GB RAM, 1 GB free disk space and an OpenGL 2.0 compatible GPU. You need an account at ilok.com to activate Pulsar software.
Yes. The Pulsar 1178 Black Friday deal takes 67% off Pulsar Audio's FET compressor plugin, bringing it to $49. The offer ends Dec 7, 2026. It is a software plugin, so it runs inside your DAW.
It has four: Tape, Warm, Triode and Clip. The maker says they are fully integrated into the gain reduction system, which gives a result that pre or post saturation cannot reach. They add grit and drive to the usually transparent 1178.
On Windows it comes as AAX Native, VST 2.4 and VST 3. On Mac you get AAX Native, Audio Unit, VST 2.4 and VST 3. Mac support covers M1 Apple Silicon, and you need an ilok.com account to activate it.
Yes. It has a sidechain EQ for tailoring the detection response, plus an external sidechain input. The maker lists ducking, de-essing, filtering the sidechain with your own EQ and applying dynamic processing as uses for the external input.
Prices and end dates are checked at publishing time and can change, so confirm them at the store before you buy.