Stam SA-78T+ Dual Peak Limiter – The UREI 1178 stereo compressor has been for decades the secret weapon of countless renowned engineers around the world for overheads, acoustic guitars, room mics, backing vocals and parallel drum mixes.
After several requests to manufacture this unit, we thought it was time to bring this unit back to life with all premium parts BUT with critical improvements to overcome the “shortcomings” of the original design.
Despite being extremely popular amongst experienced engineers, the UREI 1178 had two major limitations that prevented it from being as popular as their mono sibling, the 1176:
- The lack of a slower attack time for Mix Buss Duties Perhaps the most important shortcoming of 1178 was the lack of a slower attack setting to utilise this stereo unit for drum bus and mix bus duties. We grabbed the famous super slow attack mode from 1176AE and added it to the SA-78T Plus at 15ms giving it the perfect attack time to be used on drum bus and mix bus duties. This new feature opens a world of possibilities that were previously impossible while preserving the original audio path and timbre of an old 1178.
- The lack of a side chain high pass filter Music and audio engineering has changed a lot in the past 50 years. With music becoming so bass heavy, it was critical to add a side chain high pass filter to this stereo compressor. We decided to grab the five-position sidechain HPF used on our popular SA-4000 and integrate it into the SA78 giving you 5 different frequency options.
Introducing the SA-78 Iron MOD
While the Stam SA-78T+ is a glorious sounding unit thanks to its rich output transformers it can be further enhanced by adding back the missing UTC 0-12 input transformer which was replaced by an IC circuit on the 1176 from Rev G onwards. This input transformer was found on the famous 1176 Rev A, D and F and imparts a unique character adding a beautiful coloration, low-end and harmonic distortion taking this unit to a whole new level.
For those who chose the Input Transformer MOD we have given you the option to select it at the flip of a knob simply called Iron. The Iron MOD can be added for 200USD
Further upgrades
On top of the super slow attack and the 5-position high pass filter we also added a much needed Dry-Wet blend control. This feature is key for parallel drum bus duties and when used in conjunction with the slower attack time opens a whole new level of sonic capabilities. The Stam SA-78T+ also comes with a true bypass and a GR bypass to pass audio through the unit without compression for coloration.
Premium Components
Each Stam SA-78T+ is hand made at our lab in Chile with UK made Carnhill output transformers, Vishay capacitors, Alpha potentiometers, custom VU meters and Carbon comp resistors respecting the original components that gave this unit its famous sound.
Its unique stereo design and new flexible controls for coloration and time constants will make it the perfect stereo compressor for tracking and taking over mixing duties that were previously not possible.
At Stam Audio we believe that making a 1:1 replica is great but just not good enough. We want to offer customers not just a great sounding unit, but the best sounding replica on the market at the best possible price as well as the most flexible one.
Taking the brave decision to make everything by hand at the lab instead of mass-producing units takes time to manufacture and it’s no secret that there are waiting lists. However, this also allows us to tweak each unit to perfection so that every single Stam SA-78T+ and jFET compressor that leaves our lab not only sounds the same as an old UREI, but also will last for decades to come.
