Retro Instruments Studio & Home Studio

The Retro Instruments STA-Level is a tuber limiter, modeled after a limiter of the same name made by Gates in the 1950's. There are some revisions but only for the better as the tone is supposed to be pretty darn close to the original. It's all analog and I believe it has XLR connections but I'm not 100 % sure as it was already hooked up to a patch bay when I've used it. It is rack mountable and looks like it will take up 3 spaces. UTILIZATION The Retro Instruments STA-Level isn't difficult to use once you know what all the parameters at play are. It's got your standard input and output levelers, but also has a recovery time six position parameter and a single/double/triple mode knob. A manual shouldn't be necessary for most users but is probably readily available if needed. SOUND QUALITY The sound of the Retro Instruments STA-Level is nothing short of fantastic. It's pretty much the perfect limiter for recording vocals and is useful in all sorts of different situations. It's simply a classic tube sound that is rich and undeniably full sounding. It's useful for drums (especially kick drum), vocals, and almost anything where you want to touch your level with a limiter. I can't describe the full sound that you get with this, it's pretty much something that you need to hear for yourself. OVERALL OPINION It's not going to be cheap to get your hands on a Retro Instruments STA-Level, but you're always going to have to pay for quality, and especially when we're talking about a top tier tube limiter. This is a front end piece for your professional or home studio and can be useful all over the map. Most home studio owners won't be able to afford a piece like this, but if you get one limiter for your studio it's worth it in the long run to get a top end piece like the STA-Level.

The Retro Instruments 2A3 Dual Channel Tube EQ is a high quality equalizer designed for use in the recording studio. It is made up of all analog components, including four 12AX7 tubes. It has XLR inputs and outputs in the back, and will take up two spaces in a traditional rack mount. UTILIZATION Each of the channels on the Retro Instruments 2A3 Dual Channel Tube EQ has the exact same make up. Each has two bands for low and high, each with knobs for boost and attenuation. Each band has knobs with fixed frequencies to choose from, and a bypass switch as well. A unique filter that it also has is for both of the channels is known as the subsonic filter, which has filtering options at 40 and 90 Hz. This is pretty much an identical configuration to the classic Pultec EQs, but even if you don't have experience with them you should be able to figure out how to use this without the assistance of the manual. SOUND QUALITY Without a doubt, the Retro Instruments 2A3 Dual Channel Tube EQ is one of the best sounding outboard equalizers that I have used. The tubes really make a huge difference in the sound as it makes it a thick and warm sounding EQ that does its job perfectly. While you might not have as many bands here as you would with some other parametric EQs out there, this isn't too big of a concern for me because I find that I'm able to do with it what I would like regardless. There are definitely no limitations on what the 2A3 can be used on, as it can adapt to any application that you'd like to throw its way for sure... OVERALL OPINION I first used the Retro Instruments 2A3 Dual Channel Tube EQ less than a year ago, and have only had the chance to use it a few times here and there since then. I would definitely use the 2A3 on every single session if it was possible, as it just sounds that good. Of course with a top notch piece of gear like this comes a big price tag, but since it is designed for professionals, this is probably an after though for those who are seriously considering a piece of gear like this, but it certainly does cost a lot. If you can afford this or get a chance to use it, definitely take full advantage of the 2A3 as it is a special piece of outboard gear without a doubt.

Retro Instruments 176 Tube Limiter is a single channel compressor/limiter. It is an all analog piece of gear that offers up a ton of features and parameters to mold your tone with. I can't say anything about what types of connections it has because the one that I have used was pre-racked in the recording studio that I used it in and I didn't have anything to do with racking it up. In a traditional rack space, it will take up two spaces. UTILIZATION Using the Retro Instruments 176 Tube Limiter wasn't too hard for me but I have a lot of experience with compressor/limiters. That being said, I don't think that most users will have trouble figuring out how to use this piece of gear. The 176 has knobs for input, output, compression ratio, attack, release, and metering. The unit also has a number of switches including for choosing the mode. I haven't seen a manual for the unit so I can't say how well put together it is, but unless you are a beginner with compression, I don't think that you need it. SOUND QUALITY The sound of the Retro Instruments 176 Tube Limiter is just about as good as it gets for compressor/limiter. It has an extremely clean sound that can be applied to just about any situation where you would want to add some compression. I've had great success using the compressor on drums, vocals, and guitars, and judging by the top notch tone I would say that it can be used for just about any application. There are enough parameters to play with that it makes it a versatile piece of gear where the sound can be manipulated in all sorts of different ways... OVERALL OPINION All in all, I've got no complaints about the Retro Instruments 176 Tube Limiter. I'm not sure if it is modeled after the 1176, but judging by the name and the overall make up of the unit, I think that there is definitely some influence there. I'm not familiar with too many other products that Retro Instruments has to offer, but the 176 is truly a special piece of gear. While the price is not cheap, I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a top tier compressor.