Retro Instruments Powerstrip

The Retro Instruments Powerstrip is a versatile valve channel strip capturing the essence the best of valve mixing desks and includes a Pultec-style valve EQ and a British Tube compressor.

The Retro Powerstrip recording channel features a Class A Tube microphone preamp capable of providing enough gain to every mic or instrument, delivering anything from a clean sound to the obviously coloured valve sound akin to 1950’s RCA consoles. The preamp features phantom power, phase reversal switch and Hi-Z input.  In addition, the Powerstrip features a line-level input so it can be connected to your DAW during mixing.

The preamp is immediately followed by a Pultec-style passive EQ and similar to Retro's excellent sounding 2A3 EQ. It features LF boost and cut at 20Hz, 30Hz, 60Hz and 100Hz and just like a Pultec, but Boost and Cut can be used simultaneously resulting in the famous Pultec resonant filters.  Similarly the HF Boost and Cut can be used together and affect frequencies at 1.5kHz, 3kHz, 4kHz, 5kHz, 6kHz, 8kHz, 10kHz, 12kHz, 14kHz, 16kHz. In addition, the Powerstrip features a switchable 40Hz, 90Hz as well as an HF cut settings at 5kHz, 10kHz, 20kHz.

Completing the Retro Powerstrip is a vari-mu valve compressor inspired by the legendary EMI RS124 valve compressor made for Abbey Road Studios. The circuit includes six selectable attack/release time-constants and four-position high-pass side-chain filter. Unlike more traditional compressors, there are no threshold controls and gain reduction is achieved through increasing the gain.

The Retro Powerstrip is designed to impart colour but can also yield some clean results by turning the output gain all the way up and bring a little input gain. EQ and compressors can also be independently bypassed.

Built to an outstanding standard, the valve channel strip is designed to minimise tube heat generation and sits in an extremely rugged steel chassis. Like other Retro units, the Powerstrip is self-biased ensuring that the unit performs at optimal settings even when valves have been replaced.

• Transformer coupled Class-A tube microphone preamplifier with phantom power.
• Industry-standard Passive EQ with authentic feel, controls and equalization curves.
• Classic British compression using a variable-mu tube.
• Front panel 1/4' instrument jack.
• Rear panel XLR mic and line inputs and line output are fully-floating transformer balanced to eliminate ground-induced hum and noise.
• Interstage-coupled Subsonic High-Pass Filter provides Peaking LF Boosts with alternate tonal characteristics.
• LF Boost Settings of 20, 30, 60 and 100 Hz Complementary LF Cut settings of 20, 30, 60 and 100 Hz.
• HF Boost Settings of 1.5 kHz, 3 kHz, 4 kHz, 5 kHz, 6 kHz, 8 kHz, 10 kHz, 12 kHz, 14 kHz and 16 kHz.
• Complementary HF Cut Settings of 5 kHz, 10 kHz and 20 kHz.
• Six selectable compressor attack/release time-constants.
• 90 / 250 Hz compressor high-pass sidechain filter.
• Easily recallable 100-position knob scales.
• The compressor and equalizer can be independently bypassed.
• Phase reversal switch.
• Front panel meter zero adjustment.
• IEC power inlet with 120/240VAC 50/60Hz power mains standard.
• Ability to use current production and new-old-stock tubes.
• Tube changes require no alignment.
• The instrument input loops to a rear panel jack for stage amplifier.
• Rear panel line level XLR output and low-level balanced output for processed stage amplifier.
• Manufactured in the USA.

At KMR, we provide exceptional support for all your audio studio requirements. Our committed team is ready to help you with setup, troubleshooting, and optimizing your gear for peak performance.

If you face any challenges, our customer service team is just a phone call away, prepared to offer expert assistance.