PCB Designs / Studio Update
Hello, friends! It’s been a while since I’ve posted, so I wanted to share a quick update. We’re now fully settled into our new home in Elgin, Illinois, and we spent much of the past year building, wiring, and preparing the new home studio. During that time, I slowed down a bit on building and…
‘DB-70’ Gates Inspired DIY Preamp
The ‘DB-70’ is our version of the Gates SA‑70 preamp. The DB-70 is a classic tube-based microphone preamplifier from the mid-20th century, valued for its rich tonal character, transformer-coupled signal path, and flexible tone-shaping capabilities. These will be available for sale soon as partially assembled kits or just PCBs . Historical Context & Lineage Schematic: Layout:…
Gates SA-70 Part 3 – Enclosure
Hi allI’m back with the final installment on how our Gates SA-70 preamps are crafted. Today, we’ll focus on the enclosure, layout, and metalwork. We’re moving a bit in reverse, as this is usually the first step in building a preamp. Lets start with parts we are going to need for a single channel preamp…
Downbeat Studio & Design 