The Retro Sta-Level is a modern re-creation of the legendary 1956 Gates Sta-Level, the compressor that ruled the dynamics of radio hits in the 1960s. Now you can deploy the same magic on your own hits. The Retro Sta-Level Gold Edition comes stock with a pair of readily available 6BJ6 tubes, but the classic General Electric circuit also accommodates the sought-after 6386, which may be obtainable as new old stock. Either way, the sound is warm, airy, intimate — and unmistakably true to the original. Sweetwater engineers who have used the Sta-Level on bass, vocals, acoustic guitars or pretty much anything else. rave about its performance.