Introduced in 1967, the 1176 has become one of the most storied pieces in audio history, being a staple in every rack in nearly every studio since. Released in eight versions (from A to H), the earliest 1176A and B models were silver-faced with a blue stripe around the meter and featured push-button ratio selection of 4:1, 8:1, 10:1, 20:1, as well as attack and release controls. These attack and release controls actually work backward, with the higher numbers (7 is highest clockwise) being faster than the lower numbers (see Figure 3.21)