Lauren Audio Aerocomet
The preamp section of the most recorded compressor in history — extracted from the compression circuit and put in a pedal. God tone. Welcome back to Edge of Breakup.
In this episode the Lauren Audio Aerocomet takes center stage — a guitar preamp built around the preamp stage of the UREI 1176 Rev. A Blue Stripe compressor, featuring the Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model, into the Benson Amps Monarch.
A note on the name: Lauren Audio is a small independent pedal builder — not related to Lauten Audio, who makes the LS-208 microphone in my recording rig.
The UREI 1176 is one of the most recorded pieces of audio hardware in history — the FET-based peak limiter used on countless records across every genre since 1968. Its compression is famous, but a closely held studio secret is that many engineers use the 1176 with the compression circuit bypassed entirely, running the signal through the preamp stage only. The preamp imparts a specific mid and low-frequency coloration, harmonic saturation, and girth that is difficult to describe and immediately recognizable once heard. That specific quality — the 1176's preamp coloration without any compression — is what the Aerocomet delivers in pedalboard format.
Three controls. Gain takes the preamp from warm saturation up through increasingly fuzzy distortion — the 1176 preamp stage was not designed for guitar-level signals and it saturates in a uniquely musical way as gain increases. Filter is a variable low-pass filter for dialing back high-frequency content as needed — essential when pushing Gain hard, as the saturation adds upper harmonic content that can become harsh without it. Output sets the overall level. The tonal character is mid and low focused with increased harmonics throughout the sweep — it adds girth and color to anything, and pushes an amp's input stage with a unique quality that no conventional overdrive circuit produces.
Built by James with premium audio-grade components. Limited production.
🎛️ Lauren Audio Aerocomet: https://www.lauren.audio/products/aerocomet
🎸 Giordano Guitars: https://www.instagram.com/_giordanoguitars_/
🔊 Benson Amps: https://www.bensonamps.com/guitar-amplifiers
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🎸 Giordano Guitars '60s S-Model
🎛️ Lauren Audio Aerocomet | UREI 1176 Rev. A Blue Stripe Preamp | Gain / Filter / Output | 3 Knobs
🔊 Benson Amps Monarch
Recording: Universal Audio Apollo x4 | Lauten Audio LS-208 | Royer R10 & R121 | Sennheiser E906 | Ableton Live 11
