Retro Instruments
Retro Instruments creates classic style recording studio gear that keeps what made the originals the best of the best in recording gear. All while updating vintage design with modern features to improve functionality. Headquartered in Northern CA, all Retro Instruments products are designed and manufactured in the United States, with unparalleled quality, service, and personal attention.
Flagship products
Retro Instruments Sta-Level
The Retro Sta-Level is a recreation of the legendary 1956 Gates Sta-Level. The Sta-Level dominated the sound of hit radio in the 1960’s. Now these super musical sounding compressors have found their way into today’s hits. The Retro Gold Edition celebrates fifty years of the products existence. The Retro Sta-Level improves on the original with six settings of recovery (release) time and three different modes of operation. Single is super smooth for bass tracks. Double is perfect for most every source you throw at it. The Triple mode allows the Sta-Level to clamp down on fast transient waveforms while still retaining great musicality. These new adjustments give you wide flexibility to find the perfect dynamics control for your specific application.
Retro Instruments 176 Tube Limiting Amplifier
The Retro Instruments 176 is based on a Bill Putnam classic, the UA 176. The 176 faithfully reproduces the sound of the 1960s original with new features for the modern recording studio. The Retro Instruments 176 provides one of the most desirable compression signatures in recording history.
Retro Instruments Doublewide MkII
The Retro instruments DOUBLEWIDE is a mono tube compressor unit designed from the ground up for the 500 series format. It’s authentic tube compression in a go-anywhere package! So now, whether you’re in the studio, on location, or on the road, you can enjoy classic Retro compression without compromise.

The Retro instruments DOUBLEWIDE takes its cue from the legendary Sta-Level compressor but is ultimately its own design. Under the hood there are four NOS 6BJ6 variable-mu tubes doing the actual compression work configured in a fully complementary push-pull design, delivering the sonic characteristics typical of a full-sized Retro compressor.
Also available from Systemes Guinois
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