What is the 6072 vacuum tube?

The 6072 (6072A) is a triode vacuum tube designed for studio / mic applications. Studio-grade. Low noise..

What is a 6072 substitute or equivalent?

Direct equivalents to the 6072 include 12AY7. These share the same pinout and operating envelope, so they can usually be swapped without circuit changes — though batch-to-batch variations between manufacturers (NOS vs current production) may shift the sonic character noticeably.

What are the key specifications of the 6072?

Amplification factor μ ≈ 44, transconductance gm ≈ 1.75 mA/V, plate resistance rp ≈ 25.0 kΩ, max plate voltage 330 V, max plate dissipation 1.65 W, heater 6.3 V / 0.35 A.

Is the 6072 still in production?

Production status varies by year and manufacturer. The current Amperatubes catalog classifies the 6072 as Moderate availability. NOS (new-old-stock) examples from RCA, Mullard, Tung-Sol, GE, Sylvania and Telefunken trade among collectors; modern production where it exists comes mostly from JJ Electronic, Electro-Harmonix, Tung-Sol (New Sensor), Genalex, and a handful of small-batch makers.

What does the 6072 sound like?

Studio-grade. Low noise.. Sonic character also depends heavily on the circuit operating point, the surrounding tubes in the stage, and the output transformer when present — use the interactive loadline calculator on this page to explore the trade-offs.

6072 A Triode Vacuum Tube

Also known as 12AY7

Medium-gain triode for voltage amplification applications

Dual triodeHeater 6.3 V · 0.35 A9-pin Noval2 sectionsGE·RCA 1955

Plate dissipation: 1.65W
Max plate voltage: 330V
Amplification factor: 44
Transconductance: 1.75mA/V
Plate resistance: 25kΩ

6072

Characteristics

Datasheet values, once each. Every value cites its sheet.

HeaterIndirectly heated

Specifications of 6072 — Heater
Heater voltageVh	6.3 V
Heater currentIh	0.35 A

Limiting valuesDatasheet maximum ratings — not to be exceeded

Specifications of 6072 — Limiting values
Plate voltageVa max	330 V
Plate dissipationPa max	1.65 W
Heater–cathode voltageVhk max	90 V

Mechanical

Specifications of 6072 — Mechanical
Base	9-pin Noval
Rarity	Moderate
Pinout

Small signalDatasheet parameters at the reference operating point — not limits

Specifications of 6072 — Small signal
Transconductance	1.75 mA/V
Plate resistance	25 kΩ
Amplification factor	44

Capacitances

Specifications of 6072 — Capacitances
Grid–cathode	1.5 pF
Grid–plate	1.4 pF
Plate–cathode	0.5 pF

Charactereditorial reading, not a measurement

Specifications of 6072 — Character
Gain	44%
Power	4%
Drive	75%
Linearity	78%

datasheet cited · model or editorial reading · catalogue value, no citation attached yet · nothing invented

Typical operation

Canonical operating pointSPICE model2 availableModel

B+: 300 V
Load: 220 kΩ
Va: 180 V
Ia: 4.74 mA
Vg: -1.6 V
Pd: 0.85 W
Gain: 32.1 dB

At Q: Ayumi Nakabayashi · 2 engines
μ: 46.8
gm: 2.36 mA/V
rp: 19.9 kΩ

Design a stage →

Using this tube

Applications

Phase splitter

Generic triode studio / mic stage

Headphone amp

Replace or compare

Sources

By Jean-Michel Falligan DevergneReviewed May 29, 2026Active model : Ayumi Nakabayashi · 2 engines

Manufacturer datasheets

2 manufacturer datasheets cross-checked for 6072A2 verified

6072 DatasheetLocal mirror · PDF

SPICE models

Revision and verification status

Source: GE·RCA
Reviewed: 2026-05-29
Status: DataModelCalc
Model: Ayumi Nakabayashi · 2 engines

Context

The 6072 is the military/premium specification variant of the 12AY7, built to tighter tolerances with enhanced vibration resistance and controlled microphonics. It was specified for sensitive scientific instrumentation and recording equipment where low noise and consistent performance were critical. The tube shares the 12AY7's mu of ~44 but guarantees lower noise floor and better section matching. GE and Sylvania 6072A examples are particularly valued by phono stage designers who need the gain profile of a 12AY7 with instrument-grade noise performance.

History

Introduced: 1955
Manufacturer: GE·RCA
Era: Golden Age

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