Pricing and availability
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Average Price: $4,579
High-end/Boutique
$100
$501+
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Budget
Standard
High-end
Price History
Based on price data from 5 merchants for "TUBE-TECH CL-1B". Prices shown reflect NEW condition. Tracking began Apr 2, 2026.
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Description
The Tube-Tech CL 1B Opto Compressor stands as a benchmark in the world of professional audio, revered for its ability to deliver velvety-smooth compression that enhances any recording with unparalleled warmth and transparency. This iconic piece of studio gear, often seen in top-tier studios from LA to Nashville, is celebrated for its intuitive controls and versatile application across a variety of instruments and vocal tracks. Its simplicity belies a sophisticated design that effortlessly preserves the clarity and character of your sound, even under heavy compression.
At the heart of the CL 1B lies a gain-reduction element that is immediately effective, offering engineers and producers the option of fixed or manual time control to tailor the compression to their exact needs. The compressor's all tube-based push-pull amplifier provides up to 30dB of variable gain, ensuring your tracks sit perfectly in the mix. Whether it's vocals, bass, guitars, or keys, this compressor allows you to achieve a polished sound with ease, without unwanted artifacts.
For those in the know, the CL 1B is not just equipment; it's an essential tool that integrates seamlessly into any professional setup, offering balanced connections and linkability with multiple units for expanded processing options.
Key Features:
- Unique low distortion gain-reduction element
- All tube-based push-pull amplifier
- Linkable with another CL 1B via two busses
- VU meter for monitoring input, compression, and output
- Continuously variable attack and release time
- Gain range: off to +30dB
- Variable Threshold: off to -40dBu
- Frequency response @ -3dB: 5Hz-25kHz
- Low noise: < -75dBu @30dB gain
- Clickless bypass switch
- Balanced XLR input and output
Owner's manual
TUBE-TECH CL-1B User ManualProduct specs
| Type | Tube Optical |
| Number of Channels | 1 |
| Controls | Gain, Ratio, Threshold, Attack, Release |
| Threshold | -40 dB to 0 dB |
| Ratio | 2:1 to 10:1 |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz-25kHz (-3 dB) |
| Inputs | 1 x XLR |
| Outputs | 1 x XLR |
| Sidechain I/O | 2 x 1/4" |
| Rack Spaces | 3U |
| Height | 5.25" |
| Depth | 6.7" |
| Width | 19" |
| Weight | 9 lbs. |
FAQs
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What makes the Tube-Tech CL 1B compressor unique compared to other compressors?
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The Tube-Tech CL 1B is a tube optical compressor known for its smooth, musical compression, making it ideal for vocals and bass. Its tube design provides warmth and character, while the optical element ensures a natural, transparent sound.
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What types of music is the Tube-Tech CL 1B best suited for?
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The Tube-Tech CL 1B excels in genres like pop, hip-hop, and R&B due to its ability to transparently compress vocals and bass without adding harshness, maintaining a polished and consistent sound.
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Can the Tube-Tech CL 1B be used for stereo applications?
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The Tube-Tech CL 1B is a mono compressor, but it can be used in stereo applications by pairing two units together, allowing for independent control and processing of each channel.
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How does the Tube-Tech CL 1B handle fast transients?
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The Tube-Tech CL 1B features adjustable attack and release controls, allowing it to handle fast transients effectively while maintaining a smooth compression curve, making it versatile for various dynamic sources.
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What are the connectivity options for the Tube-Tech CL 1B?
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The Tube-Tech CL 1B offers XLR inputs and outputs, along with sidechain I/O via 1/4" jacks, ensuring compatibility with professional studio setups.
Videos
TUBE-TECH, LYDKRAFT
TUBE-TECH CL1B Demo: Sound and Controls. Simple Voice demo
TUBE-TECH CL1B Demo: Sound and Controls. Simple Voice demo
TUBE-TECH, LYDKRAFT
Tube-Tech CL 1B | Compressor | Vintage King
Vintage King
Slate Custom Opto vs Tubetech CL1B Hardware Comparison
Christian Svedin
Tube-Tech CL1B Tube Compressor
Retrosonic Pro Audio
Reviews
PROS
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Superior warmth and smooth compression ideal for vocals
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Unmatched transparency, hard to make it sound bad
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Provides rich, creamy audio enhancement like no plugin can
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Excellent on a range of sources: vocals, bass, keyboard
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Simple controls, even for beginners
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High-quality components and design justify the price
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Versatile use in studio and live settings
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Can effortlessly achieve professional recording/mixing results
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Benefits from tube upgrades for custom sound preferences
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Regarded as the industry standard and best vocal compressor
CONS
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High price point may be prohibitive for some
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Knobs could offer more resistance to prevent accidental adjustments
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about TUBE-TECH CL-1B.
Comparisons
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Kiive emulation is noted for its versatility and is perceived by some users as sounding closer to the original CL-1B than the UAD version.
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Compared to the LA-2A, the CL-1B is noted to be faster, which is beneficial for capturing quick transients in genres like rap.
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The Softube CL1B plugin is noted to closely emulate the hardware version, particularly when compared to other plugins like the UAD, which uses the same Softube code.
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Softube's CL1B v1, while close to the original hardware, is noted to lack the hardware's "lift" and saturation characteristics, requiring users to adjust their processing approach.
Source
Software and compatibility
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Issues with UA Connect include forced auto-updates that may disrupt plugin functionality if they conflict with the operating system, requiring internet for operation.
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UA's DSP-based CL-1B is essentially a Softube emulation, highlighting the distinction between UAD's platform and native plugin availability.
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Users suggest that the Softube CL1B MKII is an excellent native plugin choice, with some indicating that UAD's delay in adopting MKII demonstrates its quality.
Source
Use cases and applications
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The UAD CL-1B is appreciated for its smooth compression, particularly effective on vocal tracks, though some users prefer it for adding a "smear" effect on acoustic buses.
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The CL-1B is favored for its transparency and is frequently used on vocals and bass, though some users also apply it successfully to acoustic guitars and percussion.
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The compressor is popular in Nashville studios for country vocals, although some users find it less forgiving with dynamic singers, requiring careful management of the threshold.
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The CL-1B's tube design subtly smoothens the low and top end, making it especially appealing for vocal work where a natural, transparent sound is desired.
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The CL1B is praised for its ability to soften transients without losing clarity, making it suitable for preserving the "air" in vocal recordings.
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For achieving CL1B-like results, combining a plugin with high-frequency saturation or a de-esser is recommended to mimic the hardware's analog warmth.
Source
Features and functionality
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The CL-1B offers more control with its additional parameters compared to the LA-2A, making it a versatile choice for those who want less character from their compressor.
Source
User experience
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Owners report a learning curve with the attack knob, cautioning that small adjustments can significantly impact the sound, but achieving the right settings yields exceptional results.
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Owners highlight the variability in sound among different CL1B hardware units, especially with tube gear, suggesting careful listening over reliance on reviews.
Source
Critic Reviews
5.0 out of 5
Based on 5 Reviews and 14 Ratings
198
Unoticed when compressing Vocals
I use this compresor because its lack of coloring. Love it on vocals and acoustic guitars!
The Industry Standard Tube Tech
It is the industry standard. It is the real deal. It is a Tube Tech. What more is there to say?
Artist usage
Add artist
In the studio tour video by Rock Feed, titled "Inside M. Shadows’ AVENGED SEVENFOLD Studio (Full Tour)," the TUBE-TECH CL-1B can be clearly seen within a rack gear behind M. Shadows at 0:25. This is further confirmed at 0:35 when the camera angle changes to reveal the other half of the rack.
I can't say he still uses it but his late engineer (Seth Firkins, rip) confirms this is the compressor used while recording Future.
Used for Luv Is Rage 2, as stated by mix engineer Kesha Lee in this December 2017 Sound on Sound article.
The standard for Atlanta seems to be to use Yamaha NS10s or Augspurger monitors,” Lee explains, “and the recording signal chain consists of an Avalon VT-737sp mic pre and a Tube-Tech CL 1B compressor. The microphone is normally a Neumann U87 and the headphones are Sennheiser HD280s. We briefly used the U87 when we got back from LA, because that’s what’s in Means Street Studio A, but Uzi likes the Neumann TLM103, which is in Studio B, and which we use most of the time.”
In a photo taken in the control room at Tottenham House in September/October 2006, during the recording of Radiohead's "In Rainbows," a Tube-Tech CL-1B can be seen in the equipment rack used by music producer Nigel Godrich. This image serves as proof of Godrich's use of the CL-1B, alongside other equipment such as a blackface UREI 1176, three silverface 1176s (Rev H), and an Esoteric Audio Research 660. Additionally, an Elektron MachineDrum and an early-2000s Apple iMac are visible in the studio setup.
You can see Chris using the Tube-Tech CL 1B in this Youtube video
In a YouTube video discussing Dua Lipa's vocal chain, audio engineer Ivan Meshcheriakov confirms the use of the Tube-Tech CL 1B Opto Compressor, stating it is employed as a replacement for the Universal Audio 1176LN.
"'Some songs were to a new Telefunken USA U47, a lot of songs were to the Blue Bottle, and some were to an old Neumann U 47,' Chiccarelli says. 'The preamp was always either a Neve 1073 or a Neve 1081; the limiter was a Tube-Tech CL1B, and then there was also a Tube-Tech EQ as well.'"
In a thread of tweets regarding the choice to track vocals that have already been run through a compressor, Tumay states that he prefers to "use a Neve/CL-1b and compress until it sounds right with nothing on Pro Tools" before making in-the-box adjustments. Tumay's reasoning for this is that "no software compressor can touch any hardware compressor in [his] experience" (source)
Edit: Alex also recently bought his own CL-1B as of the 28th of December, 2018 to use going into 2019!
In this video at 12:19 René from Black Sun Empire uses this plugin to compress the drum bus.
"I've got a Mutronics Mutator here as well, so if I do wanna go for some weird filtering then I'll send it back out of the box, into that, and back in again. My vocal chain is the 1084 and Tube Tech CL 1B compressor; that's a winning combo for me."
Album Usage
The TUBE-TECH CL-1B has been featured on the following albums:
Speak Now (Taylor's Version)
Taylor Swift (2023)
Good News
Megan Thee Stallion (2020)
Rain On Me (with Ariana Grande)
Ariana Grande & Lady Gaga (2020)
Old Town Road (Remix)
Billy Ray Cyrus & Lil Nas X & Mason Ramsey (2019)
Call The Comet
Johnny Marr (2018)
Eastside (with Halsey & Khalid)
Benny Blanco & Halsey & Khalid (2018)
![TUBE-TECH CL-1B as heard on Eastside (with Halsey & Khalid) [Acoustic] by Benny Blanco & Halsey & Khalid (2018)](https://images.equipboard.com/uploads/album/image/506578/eastside-with-halsey-khalid-acoustic.jpg)
Eastside (with Halsey & Khalid) [Acoustic]
Benny Blanco & Halsey & Khalid (2018)
EVERYTHING IS LOVE
THE CARTERS (2018)
Don't Take The Money (Organized Noize Remix)
Bleachers (2017)
Gang Signs & Prayer
Stormzy (2017)
Luv Is Rage 2
Lil Uzi Vert (2017)
Humanz (Deluxe)
Gorillaz (2017)
Lemonade
Beyoncé (2016)
Closer
The Chainsmokers & Halsey (2016)
VERY RARE FOREVER FREESTYLE
XXXTENTACION (2015)
Turn It Around
DubVision (2014)
Repave
Volcano Choir (2013)
channel ORANGE
Frank Ocean (2012)
Rolling in the Deep
Adele (2011)
Nightmare
Avenged Sevenfold (2010)
Speak Now
Taylor Swift (2010)
In Rainbows
Radiohead (2007)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use TUBE-TECH CL-1B, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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