Retro Instruments 6386 Option is a tube option for the Retro Instruments Sta-Level compressor rather than a standalone device. The Sta-Level leaves the factory with a pair of readily available 6BA6 tubes in its gain reduction section, but the socket for the classic 6386 remains part of the design. This option restores the original tube complement of the G.E. circuit, with no modification and no calibration against test equipment.
The tube behind the classic variable-mu compressors
The 6386 is the tube responsible for the sound of the units most variable-mu compression still refers back to: the CBS Audimax, RCA BA-6, Gates Level-Devil, the GE Unilevel series, the Collins 26U, and the Fairchild 660 and 670. In a Sta-Level it shifts the character of gain reduction toward greater density and a heavier bottom, closer to what the Fairchild 670 is known for. The 6BA6 complement remains the practical choice for daily work, since those tubes are inexpensive and easy to source, while the 6386 comes from remaining stock and costs many times more. Because the socket is retained, both options can be compared on the same unit and either one returned to at any point.
KEY FEATURES
- Tube option for the Retro Instruments Sta-Level, not a separate device
- The classic 6386 tube in the gain reduction section
- Fits the socket provided in the design, no modification required
- Tube balance aligned without test equipment
- Denser compression and heavier low end than the standard 6BA6 pair
- The 6BA6 complement can be restored at any time
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: gain reduction stage tube option
- Compatibility: Retro Instruments Sta-Level
- Tube: 6386
- Standard complement in the Sta-Level: a pair of 6BA6 tubes
- Fitting: 6386 socket retained in the unit's design
- Calibration against test equipment required: no
