Behringer 676: Vintage Vibe, Modern Muscle – A Channel Strip for the Patch-Hungry

Behringer’s 676 is pitched as a channel strip that fuses two legendary circuits: a tube preamp inspired by Bill Putnam’s 610 console and a FET compressor in the style of the classic 1176. The video wastes no time setting the historical scene, referencing the original hardware’s role in shaping the sounds of icons like Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Van Halen. This isn’t just nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake—the 676 aims to capture that elusive blend of warmth and punch that made those circuits staples in professional studios.

From the outset, Behringer positions the 676 as a tool for serious recording environments, whether you’re tracking vocals, guitars, or anything else that benefits from a bit of analog magic. The combination of tube saturation and fast, aggressive compression is presented as a way to bring out the best in any source, with the flexibility to go from smooth enhancement to outright sonic transformation.

A look at the rear panel reveals the 676’s split personality: the 610-style tube preamp and the 1176-inspired compressor each have their own input and output transformers, allowing for independent or combined operation. This means you can patch in just the preamp for some tube colour, hit only the compressor for dynamics control, or run your signal through both for the full channel strip experience.

Internally, Behringer highlights the use of four custom Midas transformers and premium tubes, aiming for that rich harmonic lift and presence. The video makes it clear that this isn’t just a one-trick pony—the 676 is designed to be as versatile as your patchbay, whether you’re after subtle enhancement or dramatic processing.

The preamp section offers a classic set of controls: input gain trim, output level, and a rotary input selector for impedance matching, plus a two-band shelving EQ with switchable frequencies. The EQ section lets you dial in high and low shelves, with selectable frequencies (4.5kHz, 7kHz, 10kHz for highs; 200Hz for lows), giving you the ability to add air, weight, or just a bit of extra sparkle to your signal. The video demonstrates how boosting the high shelf at different frequencies can open up the top end, while the low shelf brings out body in an acoustic guitar.

On the compressor side, you get ultra-fast attack times (20 to 800 microseconds) and a wide release range (50 to 1100 milliseconds), allowing for everything from gentle taming to brickwall limiting. The VU meter provides visual feedback for gain reduction and output, and the joint/split switch lets you decide whether to process signals together or separately. The video walks through practical examples, like using the compressor to tame dynamic guitar performances or add snap to a snare drum, showing how the controls respond in real time.

Other features include a switchable pad, polarity reverse, and 48V phantom power, rounding out the preamp’s utility. The compressor’s ratio control goes up to 12:1 for limiting, and the infamous “all button mode” is demonstrated for that classic, aggressive 1176-style distortion—ideal for vocals that need to cut through a dense mix.

The 676 isn’t just for one-trick processing. The video showcases its range by running everything from acoustic guitar to snare drum and even extreme vocals through the unit. On guitar, the preamp’s saturation and EQ add warmth and body, while the compressor tightens up dynamics without squashing the life out of the performance. For drums, the fast attack and release settings let you sculpt transients, adding punch or smoothing out peaks as needed.

Perhaps most telling is the demonstration of the compressor’s all-button mode on aggressive vocals—a trick borrowed from classic rock and metal sessions. Here, the 676 delivers distortion and grit, helping vocals slice through even the densest arrangements. Behringer’s video makes a point of showing how the unit adapts to different sources and styles, reinforcing its role as a flexible tool in any recording or live setup.