Metric Halo MB Howies179: Howie Weinberg's near-mythical mastering compressor goes plug-in

Some compressor models get talked about more than they get heard, simply because so few units exist. The NTP 179-120 is one of them. Built in 1975 for the first Neumann mastering consoles (the SP 75 and SP 77), the unit was already in place at Masterdisk when Howie Weinberg started there in 1977. It became a staple for him and for Bob Ludwig across reference records through the 1980s and 1990s. Weinberg describes it as the most unobtrusive stereo bus compressor ever made — capable of holding a mix together without ever announcing its presence. On August 4, 2026, Metric Halo and Make Believe Studios announced MB Howies179, a direct model of Weinberg's own pair of units, currently racked up in Laurel Canyon.

A capture, not a generic emulation

Metric Halo and Make Believe Studios present MB Howies179 as a faithful capture rather than an emulation inspired by the original design: the plug-in models the dynamics behaviour, box tone, and distortion characteristics of Weinberg's actual units, rather than a generic take on the 179-120. That approach is a direct response to the hardware's rarity — only a handful of working units are said to survive worldwide.

What the plug-in adds over the hardware

Unlike a fixed stereo hardware pair, MB Howies179 offers recallable settings and controls built for in-the-box use that aren't available when running the hardware in an analog loop. The deliberately streamlined UI draws on the ranges Weinberg has relied on most across a 40-plus year mastering career, with an adjustable UI size and a cross-platform MH Preset Manager.

Who it's for

The plug-in targets mix and mastering engineers after weight, smoothness and glue — not necessarily more level. As Weinberg puts it, music today needs more glue, more weight and more smooth rather than more loud: MB Howies179 is the source he's always drawn that character from, now available directly in the DAW.

Features

• Detailed model of Howie Weinberg's personal NTP 179-120 units (dynamics, box tone, distortion)
• Designed to add smoothness, weight and glue to a mix or master
• Recallable settings, unlike the fixed hardware pair
• Extra controls built for in-the-box use
• Streamlined UI based on Weinberg's most-used ranges
• Adjustable UI size
• Cross-platform MH Preset Manager
• VST2, VST3, AU and AAX formats for macOS and Windows

Availability and pricing

MB Howies179 is available now at an introductory price of $89 until August 20, 2026 (regular price $179).

Already running Metric Halo gear in your studio? We've got a dedicated article comparing the brand's three mkIV interfaces (ULN-8, LIO-8/4p, LIO-8) to help you pick the right one.