Make Believe Howie's 179 — Free Download

Purpose and Heritage

Howie’s 179 is a plugin recreation of the NTP 179-120, a hardware compressor/limiter used by Howie Weinberg throughout his long mastering career. The model focuses on the particular behavior of his specific pair, including the subtle dynamics processing, boxtone (the unit’s inherent tone), and distortion characteristics that shaped countless albums. This is not a generic emulation but a tribute to the quirks and strengths of Weinberg’s own units.

By working closely with Weinberg, the developers distilled his preferred settings and usage patterns into the design. The result is a tool that aims to provide mastering, mixing, and recording professionals with the same smoothness, weight, and glue that Weinberg achieves in his work. The plugin’s streamlined interface prioritizes usability, allowing the user to dial in the compressor/limiter efficiently without needing an analog loop or hardware maintenance.

Key Capabilities

The core processing of Howie’s 179 is its detailed model of the NTP 179-120, offering authentic compression and limiting behavior. It also includes the analog saturation qualities of Weinberg’s specific units, letting users add warmth and character to their audio. These capabilities make it suitable for adding cohesion to a mix bus, controlling peaks in mastering, or adding weight to individual tracks.

The plugin’s UI is adjustable in size, which aids workflow across different screen resolutions and personal preferences. This flexibility is complemented by a built-in preset manager that supports cross-platform presets, making it easier to save and share settings between different systems. The combination of accurate sonic modeling and practical controls positions Howie’s 179 as a versatile tool for professional audio work.

Workflow Integration

Howie’s 179 is designed to fit into modern studio workflows. With its streamlined layout, engineers can quickly access the essential controls for compression and limiting. The ability to recall settings means that projects can be reopened with the exact parameters, a significant advantage over hardware units that are difficult to replicate precisely. Furthermore, the plugin is not restricted to a stereo pair, allowing for use on individual tracks or buses as needed.

For mastering engineers, this plugin offers a way to apply the signature processing of a legendary engineer’s hardware in a digital environment. Mixing engineers can use it to add glue to submixes or the main mix, while musicians might use it during tracking or production to achieve a polished sound. The cross-platform preset support streamlines collaboration across different studios and systems.

Practical Applications

In mastering, Howie’s 179 can be applied to the stereo bus to add final polish, controlling dynamics while imparting analog warmth. It can also be used on individual stems during mastering, such as drums or vocals, to add weight and cohesion. Mixing engineers might use it on drum buses, guitars, or even the entire mix, leveraging its saturation and compression to glue elements together.

Recording engineers may appreciate its ability to add flavor during tracking, although the plugin is designed for post-production use. For musicians, the plugin provides a high-quality compressor/limiter for demo work or home mastering. The adjustable UI and preset manager make it easy to experiment with different settings without disrupting the creative flow.

Key features

• Detailed model of Howie Weinberg’s NTP 179-120
• Adds smoothness, weight, and glue
• Applies analog saturation from Weinberg’s units
• Adjustable UI size
• Cross-platform preset manager
• World-class signal processing workflow

Best for

Mastering engineers seeking authentic vintage compression and saturation, mixing engineers who want to glue mixes or submixes, and recording engineers or musicians looking for a high-quality, recallable compressor/limiter that emulates a specific analog unit used on historic records.