Retrotronics

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title: "Retrotronics" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["steampunk", "retro-style", "retrofuturism"] description: "Making of electric devices using older components" topic_path: "general/steampunk" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrotronics" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Making of electric devices using older components ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/NixieClock.jpg" caption="Nixie]] clock"] ::

Retrotronics (a portmanteau of "retro" and "electronics", also retro-tronics){{cite news |url = http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/lifestyle/2002/08/11/2002-08-11__tie_one_on__macy_s_celebrat.html |date = 11 August 2002 |title = Furnish with flair |location = New York |work = Daily News

Retrotronics is a popular strand within the steampunk movement.{{cite journal |title=Back to the Future |author=Brian J Robb |journal=Fortean Times |issue=295 |date=December 2012 |page=34 |title= The world's first exhibition of Steampunk art! |url=http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/steampunk/ |publisher=Museum of the History of Science, Oxford |date=October 2009 – February 2010

A recent musical trend has sought to recapture early 1980s 8-bit game and synthesiser sounds, often referred to as chiptune. Artists such as Kid Carpet perform entire sets on children's toys or pocket synths of the period. Other artists, such as Nullsleep, perform using only period video game hardware. DJs offer dance music events built from samples of period games or gadgets.{{cite web |title = Flier for the third Bristol "Micro Rave" of 1980s bleepcore |date = August 2009 |url = http://www.bristolnightclubs.info/Event/The_Old_Fire_Station/1416_MICRO_RAVE_LEVEL_3/Details |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100213111345/http://www.bristolnightclubs.info/Event/The_Old_Fire_Station/1416_MICRO_RAVE_LEVEL_3/Details |archivedate = 2010-02-13

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Harumphy.Quad_ii.jpg" caption="Quad II]] power amplifier"] ::

Some audiophiles and electric guitarists also favour the use of valve (vacuum tube) amplifiers, on the ground of sound quality or particular "colour". This is still within the scope of retrotronics, but is on a functional ground, rather than aesthetic. Designs of the 1960s are highly sought after today, and still support a market in manufacturing new valves and replacing time-expired components such as electrolytic capacitors.

In the audiophile world, such popularity is justified on the basis of sound quality; the earlier valve amplifier designs were free of such artifacts as crossover distortion that beset the early bipolar transistor designs of the 1960s. Despite more recent designs that have removed these problems, the "valve sound" is still preferred by some, who will pay large amounts to achieve it. It's also notable that almost all recent audiophile valve amplifiers make a deliberate display of their valves and place them visibly on show.

Another trend is the mixing of tubes with more up-to-date circuitry; these systems are referred to as a "hybrid systems". For example, in the Netherlands, the TubeSociety employs this technique.

Amongst guitarists, the goal of a "valve sound" is different, a deliberate distortion effect achieved through either over-driving valves, or through microphonics, the valve's sensitivity to air vibration as well as electrical signals. Original, or reproduction, guitar amplifiers such as the Vox AC30 now command a premium price. A few guitarists are collecting germanium transistors, and built effect pedals with them, because of the distorted "older rock" sound of effect pedals built with early germanium transistors.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/GPO_332_Director_Telephone.JPG" caption="UK 300 series telephone"] ::

One of the earlier examples of widespread retrotronics was the resurgent popularity of black Bakelite telephones in the UK. In the early 1980s, the UK domestic telephone market was deregulated and for the first time it was possible to legally purchase telephones outright and install them at home through a simple plug and socket. As well as the expected rush for modern lightweight handsets, there was also a brisk trade in 300 series telephones, refurbished internally to modern standards, but as a functional decorator item that appeared unchanged from the 1930s.

References

References

1. [https://alpha-audio.net/nl/achtergrond/nieuwe-workshops-tubesociety-3/ Hybrid systems using Hypex UcD-modules]
2. "TubeSociety webpage".
3. [http://www.tentlabs.com/Aboutus/index.html Tentlabs website]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::